[caption id="attachment_10689" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Autism and the brain"]
[/caption]GHN EDITOR - Research has found that
family members of autistic individuals have abnormal eye movements and
other similar characteristics which substantiates the neurological and
sensory elements of the impairment as family traits.
“Autism is a highly
heritable neurodevelopmental disorder with considerable genetic and
phenotypic heterogeneity,” the authors write as background information
in the article. “Its core behavioral features include social and
communication impairments, behavioral inflexibility and executive
dysfunction.”
heritable neurodevelopmental disorder with considerable genetic and
phenotypic heterogeneity,” the authors write as background information
in the article. “Its core behavioral features include social and
communication impairments, behavioral inflexibility and executive
dysfunction.”
These
sensorimotor features, like abnormal eye movements, are shown in some
patients with autism. Deficits are seen in rapid eye movements that
shift between objects in the field of vision and smooth eye movements,
the kind where a person fixes vision on a slowly moving object.
sensorimotor features, like abnormal eye movements, are shown in some
patients with autism. Deficits are seen in rapid eye movements that
shift between objects in the field of vision and smooth eye movements,
the kind where a person fixes vision on a slowly moving object.
Matthew W.
Mosconi, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago
did research conducted eye movement testing and other assessments of non
57 first-degree relatives of individuals with autism then compared the
results with 40 individuals who did not have relatives with autism. The
groups were controlled as to age, sex and IQ.
Mosconi, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago
did research conducted eye movement testing and other assessments of non
57 first-degree relatives of individuals with autism then compared the
results with 40 individuals who did not have relatives with autism. The
groups were controlled as to age, sex and IQ.
These researchers found
that in comparison with the control group, family members of
individuals with autuism perform more slowly and less accurately on eye
movement tasks.
that in comparison with the control group, family members of
individuals with autuism perform more slowly and less accurately on eye
movement tasks.
The present
findings document that first-degree relatives of individuals with autism
demonstrate a unique pattern of oculomotor impairments similar to that
previously reported in independent samples of individuals with autism,
suggesting that these alterations within sensorimotor and cognitive
brain circuitry may be familial traits,” the authors write.
findings document that first-degree relatives of individuals with autism
demonstrate a unique pattern of oculomotor impairments similar to that
previously reported in independent samples of individuals with autism,
suggesting that these alterations within sensorimotor and cognitive
brain circuitry may be familial traits,” the authors write.
“Family members
also demonstrated executive dysfunction on neuropsychological tests,
communication abnormalities and increased rates of obsessive and
compulsive behaviors, but these were independent from one another and
from oculomotor impairments,” they continue.
also demonstrated executive dysfunction on neuropsychological tests,
communication abnormalities and increased rates of obsessive and
compulsive behaviors, but these were independent from one another and
from oculomotor impairments,” they continue.
The
abnormalities were associated with several brain pathways that include
elements of the brain that control specific functions such as language,
motor skills and control and regulation of behavior.
abnormalities were associated with several brain pathways that include
elements of the brain that control specific functions such as language,
motor skills and control and regulation of behavior.
Scientists tell
us these potentially familial deficits could be “useful for studies of
neurophysiological and genetic mechanisms in autism.”
us these potentially familial deficits could be “useful for studies of
neurophysiological and genetic mechanisms in autism.”
They conclude,
“Further work is needed by way of replication of our findings,
quantitative evaluation of the familiality of these traits in family
trios and efforts to demonstrate association of oculomotor and other
phenotypes with genetic mechanisms,”
“Further work is needed by way of replication of our findings,
quantitative evaluation of the familiality of these traits in family
trios and efforts to demonstrate association of oculomotor and other
phenotypes with genetic mechanisms,”
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