Post by lozgordon45 on Jul 7, 2023 5:49:17 GMT
While boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed as compared to girls, there is progress in identifying the condition in females, who do not always fit the stereotypical picture of autism that boys may.
Autism is identified by three key components of behavior:
1. Persistent deficits in social interaction
2. Deficits in communication, symptoms often present before age 3
3. Restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities (in 2 or more of the following):
Repetitive or stereotyped motor movements, use of objects or speech
Insistence on sameness, inflexibility with routines, ritualistic patterns of behavior
Restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus
Hyper or hyporeactivity to sensory input
While we do not know specifically what causes autism, science has helped to narrow down some of the risk factors, both genetic and environmental (non-genetic).
Autism tends to run in families, and there are risk factors such as parental age, space between pregnancies, and some pregnancy/birth complications. There is no evidence that vaccines cause autism.
There are comorbidities of medical symptoms with autism, especially gastrointestinal dysfunction. Scientists are looking at linking the severity of autism symptoms with the severity of gastrointestinal difficulty, highlighting the gut-brain connection.
They are looking at serotonin and a disordered serotonin transporter (SERT), where the breakdown is in the gut for individuals with autism. Some scientists suggest a mechanistical link between vitamin D and serotonin concentrations and the rise in autism.
WHAT IS SEROTONIN?
Serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is a chemical found in the body that has involvement in a variety of everyday functions. Widely known to boost emotions and contribute to overall happiness and wellbeing, serotonin is found in 3 areas of the body: in the brain, in the bowels, and in the blood.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a type of chemical messenger which transmits signals across a synapse – the space between two nerve cells. Its function in the digestive system is to stimulate the muscles of the intestines. In the blood, it is responsible for shrinking and expanding vessels.
sleep wake cycle
Serotonin has a big job in the human body. It contributes to the regulation of sleep-wake cycles and the internal body clock. It has involvement in appetite, emotion, motor function, sexual desire, and cognition. It helps with bone health, blood clotting, and even nausea.
Most of us remember that there is a link between low serotonin levels and depression, although it’s a classic “chicken and egg” story. It is still unclear which came first – if low serotonin causes depression or if depression lowers the levels of serotonin in the body. Antidepressant medications work by increasing the levels of serotonin in the neurons, at the junction where communication between cells happens.
THE LINK TO AUTISM
There is a long-history in identifying differences in serotonin levels in individuals with autism as compared to the rest of the population. More than 60 years ago, a study identified high levels of serotonin in the blood of 6/23 subjects. That finding in ratio has been repeated in many studies since then – about 1 in 4 individuals with autism have high blood serotonin levels. Over the years, science has looked at the use of antidepressants as a treatment for autism, but it has yielded mixed results.
In the meantime, scientists are examining the link some more. They know that the blood serotonin levels are controlled by a transporter that moves serotonin from the gut (where it’s made) to blood cells. These levels have a genetic link, as they are inheritable.
People with autism have a variant in their gut serotonin transporter which boosts the amount of serotonin into the blood. Conversely, individuals with autism have lower levels of serotonin in the brain than neurotypical individuals. Where serotonin is acting as a transmitter, there are less available amounts to carry messages across the synapse between neurons. It is here that antidepressants have been thought to help.
Some research suggests that the reason for the “upside-down” levels of serotonin in individuals with autism (high in the blood, low in the brain) is because of low vitamin D. When adequate amounts of vitamin D are synthesized, it increases serotonin in the brain and decreases it in the peripheral tissues. This imbalance may contribute to abnormal brain development and autistic-like behavior.
The issues with vitamin D and serotonin levels may also help to explain some of the gender differences in autism rates. The brains of boys may be more susceptible to decreased levels of vitamin D, putting them at higher risk for autism. The female sex hormone estrogen can increase the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase TPH, which helps to synthesize serotonin. This can, in essence, protect the female brain from vitamin D deficiency, accounting for the heightened incidence of autism in boys.
harkla.co
Autism is identified by three key components of behavior:
1. Persistent deficits in social interaction
2. Deficits in communication, symptoms often present before age 3
3. Restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities (in 2 or more of the following):
Repetitive or stereotyped motor movements, use of objects or speech
Insistence on sameness, inflexibility with routines, ritualistic patterns of behavior
Restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus
Hyper or hyporeactivity to sensory input
While we do not know specifically what causes autism, science has helped to narrow down some of the risk factors, both genetic and environmental (non-genetic).
Autism tends to run in families, and there are risk factors such as parental age, space between pregnancies, and some pregnancy/birth complications. There is no evidence that vaccines cause autism.
There are comorbidities of medical symptoms with autism, especially gastrointestinal dysfunction. Scientists are looking at linking the severity of autism symptoms with the severity of gastrointestinal difficulty, highlighting the gut-brain connection.
They are looking at serotonin and a disordered serotonin transporter (SERT), where the breakdown is in the gut for individuals with autism. Some scientists suggest a mechanistical link between vitamin D and serotonin concentrations and the rise in autism.
WHAT IS SEROTONIN?
Serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is a chemical found in the body that has involvement in a variety of everyday functions. Widely known to boost emotions and contribute to overall happiness and wellbeing, serotonin is found in 3 areas of the body: in the brain, in the bowels, and in the blood.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a type of chemical messenger which transmits signals across a synapse – the space between two nerve cells. Its function in the digestive system is to stimulate the muscles of the intestines. In the blood, it is responsible for shrinking and expanding vessels.
sleep wake cycle
Serotonin has a big job in the human body. It contributes to the regulation of sleep-wake cycles and the internal body clock. It has involvement in appetite, emotion, motor function, sexual desire, and cognition. It helps with bone health, blood clotting, and even nausea.
Most of us remember that there is a link between low serotonin levels and depression, although it’s a classic “chicken and egg” story. It is still unclear which came first – if low serotonin causes depression or if depression lowers the levels of serotonin in the body. Antidepressant medications work by increasing the levels of serotonin in the neurons, at the junction where communication between cells happens.
THE LINK TO AUTISM
There is a long-history in identifying differences in serotonin levels in individuals with autism as compared to the rest of the population. More than 60 years ago, a study identified high levels of serotonin in the blood of 6/23 subjects. That finding in ratio has been repeated in many studies since then – about 1 in 4 individuals with autism have high blood serotonin levels. Over the years, science has looked at the use of antidepressants as a treatment for autism, but it has yielded mixed results.
In the meantime, scientists are examining the link some more. They know that the blood serotonin levels are controlled by a transporter that moves serotonin from the gut (where it’s made) to blood cells. These levels have a genetic link, as they are inheritable.
People with autism have a variant in their gut serotonin transporter which boosts the amount of serotonin into the blood. Conversely, individuals with autism have lower levels of serotonin in the brain than neurotypical individuals. Where serotonin is acting as a transmitter, there are less available amounts to carry messages across the synapse between neurons. It is here that antidepressants have been thought to help.
Some research suggests that the reason for the “upside-down” levels of serotonin in individuals with autism (high in the blood, low in the brain) is because of low vitamin D. When adequate amounts of vitamin D are synthesized, it increases serotonin in the brain and decreases it in the peripheral tissues. This imbalance may contribute to abnormal brain development and autistic-like behavior.
The issues with vitamin D and serotonin levels may also help to explain some of the gender differences in autism rates. The brains of boys may be more susceptible to decreased levels of vitamin D, putting them at higher risk for autism. The female sex hormone estrogen can increase the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase TPH, which helps to synthesize serotonin. This can, in essence, protect the female brain from vitamin D deficiency, accounting for the heightened incidence of autism in boys.
harkla.co