Autism not always present from early infancy?
Within the massive heterogeneity that is included under the label ASD, the symptoms of autism may not be apparent in early infancy for everyone, according to a study from the UK. Analysing behavioural data garnered through the world-famous longitudinal study known as ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children), investigators were able to pick out several developmental trajectories of symptom onset. They noted that at least one general trajectory was characterised by the emergence of autistic symptoms across adolescence and adulthood. They suggest their results “challenges our current understanding that ASD symptoms inevitably first manifest early in development.”
Riglin L, Wootton RE, Thapar AK, Livingston LA, Langley K, Collishaw S, Tagg J, Smith GD, Stergiakouli E, Tilling K, Thapar A. Variable Emergence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms From Childhood to Early Adulthood. Am J Psychiatry. 2021 Apr 26:appiajp202020071119. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20071119.
Pregnancy infection and offspring autism risk confirmed?
Maternal infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of offspring diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to a new meta-analysis recently published. Surveying the research literature and including data from over 35 studies, researchers reported that irrespective of the type of infection or when it occured during pregnancy, a significant minority of cases of autism may be influenced in whole or part by exposure to pregnancy maternal infection. The potential mechanisms of effect remain under investigation.
Tioleco N, Silberman AE, Stratigos K, Banerjee-Basu S, Spann MN, Whitaker AH, Turner JB. Prenatal maternal infection and risk for autism in offspring: A meta-analysis. Autism Res. 2021 Mar 15. doi: 10.1002/aur.2499.
Sensitivity to noise is common in ASD
Perceptual issues including sensitivity to noise is a well-established feature of ASD. A recent study from Florida has provided information on how common noise sensitivity or auditory oversensitivity is among those with autism: 60% of children and adults report current issues, and nearly three-quarters of a cohort of over 4000 people have ‘ever experienced noise sensitivity’ (lifetime prevalence). Further investigations are indicated to discern the biological pathways through which such perceptual issues come about and onward potential intervention strategies.
Carson TB, Valente MJ, Wilkes BJ, Richard L. Brief Report: Prevalence and Severity of Auditory Sensory Over-Responsivity in Autism as Reported by Parents and Caregivers. J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Apr 10. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-04991-0.
Drug discovery for ASD: how to do it well
A new research paper provides a potential roadmap and framework for how designing and researching new medicines for ASD might proceed. Providing some detailed discussion on the specific challenges of drug discovery for autism, the white paper by Díaz-Caneja and colleagues covers multiple areas ranging from potential drug targets to considerations when it comes to designing clinical trials. Whilst representing a good first effort, further discussion on biological systems in between brain and cellular structure such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is indicated.
Díaz-Caneja CM, State MW, Hagerman RJ, Jacquemont S, Marín O, Bagni C, Umbricht D, Simonoff E, de Andrés-Trelles F, Kaale A, Pandina G, Gómez-Mancilla B, Wang PP, Cusak J, Siafis S, Leucht S, Parellada M, Loth E, Charman T, Buitelaar JK, Murphy D, Arango C. A white paper on a neurodevelopmental framework for drug discovery in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021 Mar 26:S0924-977X(21)00150-4. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.020.
Comments