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My biochemistry professor is doing research on Autism!

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Odin
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31 Dec 2007, 7:30 pm

http://www.mnstate.edu/provost/research.html

I was planning to do some undergrad research to round off my Biochemistry major so this is just perfect! I'll be asking my professor to join the research team this week! :D


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Phagocyte
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31 Dec 2007, 8:32 pm

This is extremely interesting! Please keep us posted!



Odin
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31 Dec 2007, 10:06 pm

Phagocyte wrote:
This is extremely interesting! Please keep us posted!


I find the connection to oxytosin and vasopressin to be very interesting, since those hormones/neurotransmitters are extremely important in regulating social interactions between individuals within mammal species. There was a famous study some years ago that discovered that differences in oxytosin levels between prairie voles (a kind of mouse) and the closely related mountain voles explained by the former are monogamous while the later are polygamous. Scientists discovered that if they gave the prairie voles a drug that suppressed the activity of oxytosin they became polygamous, and even in some cases abandoned their offspring!


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Lupine
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31 Dec 2007, 10:56 pm

oxytocin
:wink:



Odin
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01 Jan 2008, 12:44 am

Lupine wrote:
oxytocin
:wink:


Doh, I originally typed oxycontin by accident and I must of over-corrected! :lol:


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Phagocyte
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01 Jan 2008, 3:08 pm

Odin wrote:
I find the connection to oxytosin and vasopressin to be very interesting, since those hormones/neurotransmitters are extremely important in regulating social interactions between individuals within mammal species. There was a famous study some years ago that discovered that differences in oxytosin levels between prairie voles (a kind of mouse) and the closely related mountain voles explained by the former are monogamous while the later are polygamous. Scientists discovered that if they gave the prairie voles a drug that suppressed the activity of oxytosin they became polygamous, and even in some cases abandoned their offspring!


That is is fascinating. However what I find most curious is the higher levels of serotonin detected in autistic individuals. Considering that it is a neurotransmitter that aids in the regulation mood and stability, why do autistic individuals often have higher rates of depression and other mood disorders?

Sigh... I wish I could join that lab. I'm a biology major myself. :)



DeaconBlues
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01 Jan 2008, 7:15 pm

Phagocyte wrote:
...what I find most curious is the higher levels of serotonin detected in autistic individuals. Considering that it is a neurotransmitter that aids in the regulation mood and stability, why do autistic individuals often have higher rates of depression and other mood disorders?

I believe that the depression so often found in autistic individuals is more situational, rather than biochemical. After all, if you've just spent the entire day bucking the NT world, especially if you're undiagnosed or lower-functioning, that's bound to leave you tired and depressed at the end of the day...


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Odin
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02 Jan 2008, 9:43 am

Phagocyte wrote:
...what I find most curious is the higher levels of serotonin detected in autistic individuals. Considering that it is a neurotransmitter that aids in the regulation mood and stability, why do autistic individuals often have higher rates of depression and other mood disorders?


You know, that might also explain why SSRIs are good at neutralizing the co-morbid conditions of AS, they are reversing the negitive biochemical effect of daily life on serotonin levels in people with ASD.


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Namiko
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03 Jan 2008, 11:24 am

Hmm... that's interesting because one of the professors I know is also doing research on autism. :) Being a chemistry/physics student, however, I doubt I'd be much help. ;)


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Phagocyte
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03 Jan 2008, 11:45 am

Namiko wrote:
Hmm... that's interesting because one of the professors I know is also doing research on autism. :) Being a chemistry/physics student, however, I doubt I'd be much help. ;)


The chemistry certainly would.



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04 Jan 2008, 7:15 pm

cool!

i switched from my life-long obsession with marine biology (lol, to put it loosely) to neuroscience so i can study autism (after finding out about it not long ago) :o


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05 Jan 2008, 7:04 am

That's neat. Good for you odin and sedaka. I'm involved in research as well (not autism-related) and it's a lot more fun and educational than just taking classes. :)

Even though I don't really know too much bio I did take a neuroscience course as part of my distribution requirements. I had hoped they would talk about autism but they didn't really unfortunately. I suppose it makes sense because people don't really know the neurological basis of autism that well to be in a freshman class.



Odin
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05 Jan 2008, 12:12 pm

Sedaka wrote:
cool!

i switched from my life-long obsession with marine biology (lol, to put it loosely) to neuroscience so i can study autism (after finding out about it not long ago) :o


Neuroscience is a recent interest of mine. I've been reading several good books on the subject, such as Dr. V. S. Ramachandran's excellent book The Phantoms in the Brain (the stuff on hemispatial neglect and the often associated denial of one's problems and how all that fits in to our sense of self being the most interesting topic Dr. Rama talks about in the book). I'm currently reading A User's Guide to the Brain by Dr. John Ratey, co-author of the famous book on ADD Driven to Distraction.


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