What is the latest research on autism?

 Doctors have defined autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a neurobiological developmental condition that can impact communication, sensory processing, and social interactions. Although recent research has advanced the understanding of autism, there is much more to learn about the factors that influence this neurotype.

As of 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 has become all the more interested in uncovering the factors linked with autism.

Some scientists speculate that gene variantsTrusted Source cause autism, while others believe environmental factorsTrusted Source, such as exposure to toxinsTrusted Source, contribute to this neurotype. Still others theorize imbalances in the intestinal microbiomeTrusted Source may be at play.

The latest autism research includes investigations into factors associated with this neurotype, as well as genetic variants, gut biome imbalances, and neurological factors that may contribute to it.

In this Special Feature, Medical News Today examines the latest scientific discoveries and what researchers have learned about autism.

Exploring contributing factors

A multiyear study funded by the CDC is underway to learn more about factors potentially linked to autism.

The Study to Explore Early DevelopmentTrusted Source is a collaboration between six study sites in the United States. 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 study is discovering what health conditions occur in autistic and neurotypical children and what factors are associated with the likelihood of developing ASD.

Another objective of the study is to differentiate the physical and behavioral characteristics of autistic children, children with other developmental conditions, and those without these conditions.

This ongoing research has already produced several published studies. The latest found an association between ASD and a mother’s exposure to ozone pollution during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Researchers also found that exposure to another type of air pollution 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 play a role in the development of ASD.

A recent study analyzed the DNA of more than 35,584 people worldwide, including 11,986 autistic individuals. The scientists identified variants in 102 genesTrusted Source linked with an increased probability of developing ASD.

The researchers also discovered that 53 of the genes identified were mostly associated with autism and not other developmental conditions.

Expanding the research further, the team found that autistic people who carried the ASD-specific gene variantsTrusted Source showed increased intellectual function compared with autistic individuals who did not have the variants.

The gene variants the scientists identified mainly reside in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for complex behaviors.

These variants may play a role in how the brain neurons connect and also help turn other genes on or off — a possible factor that may contribute 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, discovered a decrease in the integrity of myelin, a protective sheath surrounding nerve cells in the brain, in mice with a syndromic form of ASD.

The study, published in Nature NeuroscienceTrusted Source, showed a gene variant-based malfunction in oligodendrocytesTrusted Source, which are cells that produce myelin.

This malfunction may lead to insufficient myelin production in the nerve cells and disrupt nerve communication in the brain, impairing brain development.

Using mouse models, researchers are now investigating treatments that could increase the myelination in the brain to see whether this improves ASD-associated behaviors that individuals may find challenging.

Source: Medical News Today