Researchers say an obscure disorder is linked to a substantially higher chance of developing autism spectrum disorder.
The study authors from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) found that children with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) are 14 times more likely to develop autism. DM1 is a genetic condition passed down from parents that leads to progressive muscle failure, fatigue, weakness, and cognitive issues.
DM1 may impact neural pathways that lead to communication, behavior, and social interaction changes characteristic of autism. The findings could help shed light on the mechanism by which autism develops and, notably, help provide more targeted healthcare for individuals with autism who have the DM1 condition.
The researchers stressed that not all people with DM1 will develop autism. Moreover, of the seven million Americans with autism, only around 140,000 are diagnosed with DM1, or just 2%.
Dr Ryan Yuen, study author and senior scientist in the Genetics & Genome Biology program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Las Vegas, says the research offers the medical community a novel way to “characterize the genetic development of autism.”
“By identifying the molecular pathway behind this connection, we can begin to investigate new approaches to ASD diagnosis and the development of precision therapies that release these proteins back into the genome,” said Yuen, per Daily Mail.
In the early 2000s, one in 150 American children was diagnosed with autism, or roughly 0.67%. The CDC says that number has risen to one in 31 children, or 3.2%, nearly five times higher.
Last week, The Dallas Express reported that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held his first press conference as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. RFK used his inaugural address to announce plans to investigate the possible environmental impacts driving higher rates of autism in the United States.
Recent research has also furthered the understanding of the potential link between gut issues in children with autism and the impact on their brain activity and behavior. The finding could help medical practitioners target the gut for intervention to help influence brain activity, according to one of the researchers involved in the study, Sofronia Ringold, a doctoral student at the Brain and Creativity Institute.