What is the most recent research on autism?
Doctors have defined autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a neurobiological developmental condition that may impact communication, sensory processing, and social interactions. Although recent research has advanced the knowledge of autism, there is a lot more to understand about the factors that influence this neurotype.
By March 26, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that among 8-year-old children, one in 54Trusted Source are autistic. This number has increased from the one in 59 prevalence reported in previous estimates.
With autism rates on the increase, the scientific community is becoming all the more considering uncovering the factors associated with autism.
Some scientists speculate that gene variantsTrusted Source cause autism, while some believe environmental factorsTrusted Source, such as contact with toxinsTrusted Source, donate to this neurotype. Still others theorize imbalances in the intestinal microbiomeTrusted Source may be at play.
The most recent autism research includes investigations into factors connected with this neurotype, as well as genetic variants, gut biome imbalances, and neurological factors that may donate to it.
In this Special Feature, Medical News Today examines the most recent scientific discoveries and what researchers have discovered about autism.
Exploring contributing factors
A multiyear study funded by the CDC is underway to find out more about factors potentially associated with autism.
THE ANALYSIS to Explore Early DevelopmentTrusted Source is a collaboration between six study sites in the usa. These sites are part of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology network and focus on children aged 2-5 years.
One of the goals of the analysis is discovering what health issues occur in autistic and neurotypical children and what factors are associated with the probability of developing ASD.
Another objective of the analysis is to differentiate the physical and behavioral characteristics of autistic children, children with other developmental conditions, and the ones without these conditions.
This ongoing research has recently produced several published studies. The most recent found a link between ASD and a mother’s exposure to ozone pollution through the third trimester of pregnancy.
Researchers also discovered that exposure to another type of polluting of the environment called particulate matter during an infant’s first year also increased the likelihood of the infant later receiving a diagnosis of ASD.
Current research on genes
Other avenues of research on autism include investigations into gene variants that could are likely involved in the development of ASD.
A recently available study analyzed the DNA greater than 35,584 people worldwide, including 11,986 autistic individuals. The scientists recognized variants in 102 genesTrusted Source linked with an increased possibility of developing ASD.
The researchers also uncovered that 53 of the genes determined were mostly connected with autism rather than other developmental conditions.
Expanding the research further, the team discovered that autistic persons who carried the ASD-specific gene variantsTrusted Source showed increased intellectual function compared with autistic individuals who didn't have the variants.
The gene variants the scientists identified mainly have a home in the cerebral cortex, which is accountable for complex behaviors.
These variants may play a role in the way the brain neurons connect and in addition help turn other genes on or off - a possible factor that may donate to autism.
Investigating neurological factors
Biological research has unearthed some interesting findings linking certain types of cell malfunctions to ASD.
Scientists at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development in Baltimore, MD, learned a reduction in the integrity of myelin, a protective sheath surrounding nerve cells in the mind, in mice with a syndromic sort of ASD.
The analysis, published in Nature NeuroscienceTrusted Source, showed a gene variant-based malfunction in oligodendrocytesTrusted Source, which are cells that produce myelin.
This malfunction may result in insufficient myelin production in the nerve cells and disrupt nerve communication in the mind, impairing brain development.
Using mouse models, researchers are actually investigating treatments that could improve the myelination in the mind to see whether this improves ASD-associated behaviors that folks may find challenging.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com
