Autism research on single neurons.

Post Reply New Topic

New autism research on single neurons suggests signaling problems in brain circuits.

Source: This Alternet Article.

"Comparing RNA in specific types of brain cells between the individuals with and without autism, we found that some specific cell types are more altered than others ... In particular, we found that certain neurons called upper-layer cortical neurons that exchange information between different regions of the cerebral cortex have an abnormal number of RNA-encoding proteins located at the synapse -- the points of contacts between neurons where signals are transmitted from one nerve cell to another. These changes were detected in regions of the cortex vital for higher-order cognitive functions, such as social interactions. This suggests that synapses in these upper-layer neurons are malfunctioning, leading to changes in brain functions. In our study, we showed that upper-layer neurons had very different quantities of certain RNA compared to the same cells in healthy people. That was especially true in autism patients who suffered from the most severe symptoms, like not being able to speak." -- Dmitry Velmeshev, Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, San Francisco (Excerpt From the Article)

Forgot to include this bit of the article
If we can repair these parts (neurons), or fine-tune neuronal function to a near-normal state, it might offer dramatic relief of symptoms for the patients. Studies are underway to deliver drugs and gene therapy to specific cell types in the brain, and many scientists including myself believe such approaches will be indispensable for future treatments of autism.The Conversation

Step 1 to a cure...?

Maybe ... but look at how many members have replied to the OP so far ... it's as if only you and I care any more about science and its potential (ab)uses.

I am also wondering if it's worth Alex making a sticky science thread on WP (seems to be missing)

There's a couple of others here who have an interest in pursuing cutting edge scientific breakthroughs in the media but (yes) it would appear the endless search to "find a girlfriend" seems to be the more popular pastime for our Aspie brethren...

it's interesting to read, but the details are too in-depth for most (I'm guessing) to discuss - and the ramifications are varied - a "cure" may be desirable for people on the extreme end of the spectrum, unable to speak etc, and very undesirable for people on the near end of the spectrum - and society as a whole.
I suspect, the moment that people start treating autism, science will end.
I also hoped the cure for autism would come as a vaccine.
I'd have enjoyed the mental gymnastics the anti-vaxxers would have performed trying to make sense of that.

BTW your unintentional use of language with "extreme" to denote the "lower end" of the spectrum and "near" to denote the "higher function" is actually a common reflection NT social norms and yet another reason the neurodiversity movement is really an Aspie advocacy group.

I am not really sure mainstream society carries opposition to a cure for autism. To an average person autism is still a disorder

If there was a pill that allowed even the highest functioning Aspies to control tics, social anxiety etc that allowed for better integration in NT society it's not rocket science they would take it. There is an erroneous belief that Aspergers is just a personality trait and cure would somehow change who they are. I'm afraid that's bunk...

"unintentional use" is the righ way to express it - English is not my first language, so all I'm doing really is use learned phrases that roughly reflect what I mean. I'm not sure how that differs from native language usage, but I certainly found myself using phrases I know I heard or read someone else using, rather than carefully considering individual words. These are just more immediately available to me and allow me to give the impression of fluency.

I also don't believe in NT social norms, but merely in systemically desired social norms. i.e. the norms of a society don't reflect what comes naturally to any specific group, be it NT or Aspie, but rather, the norms are subject to the requirements of, say, the ideal functioning of a company as an actor in a capitalist environment.
I really can't see how one could have the impression the NTs create social norms with only themselves in mind, rather than a world constructed to facilitate capital gains and a technological arms race, to which they subject themselves.
mainstream society won't have objections to a "cure" for autism, and parents will administer it to their children, because they will want their children to be successful i.e. useful in a career-focussed industrial society.

schizotypal people used to be shamans- now they are medicated. Industrial society doesn't need shamans.

I saw this in my RSS feeds several days ago, but didn't feel qualified to pass comment on it as a piece of research.

Often you find those who create the rules don't apply the same rules to themselves. Social norms are agreed values, beliefs and behaviors, we have a problem with source monitoring in identifying who made these norms acceptable



Anyone who was expressing different behavior was wiped out back during the catholic inquisition

No.
The inquisition didn't have the means of surveillance and the social net was not tight enough to create it.
They wiped out who thry could get thrir hands on. That's significantly different from 'anyone who expressed different behaviour'.

Today however, the social norms are less tight, and I'd argue in part to accomodate norm-variations which have proven non-threatening and potentially beneficial tobthe group as a whole (which is what I consider the "near-end" of the autism spectrum to be - the far end is not threatening either, except through its implications for the immediate social environment - time spent as caregiver is considered unproductive, creating financial disadvantage for the family and decreases the amount of time that could be spent within the production-consumption cycle. Plus the opportunity cost of raising a non-productive member of society, when you could be raising the next mark Zuckerberg instead).

It doesn't matter if autism is an illness or whether we individually decide to hold inclusivity as a value - if the measure of all things is capital - or Christian piety. What matters is the immediacy of reward or punishment.
And today, it's pretty near instant.

Elaborate on this?

Oh man, you guys are going to get in line to get your RNA altered?

A few generations later we’ll all be living in Idiocracy. No more advances for mankind. We’ll forget how we did anything. Start pouring Gatorade on the plants.

But no more pesky different thinkers.

Artificial intelligence cyborgs/robots will do everything for us so we humans will have nothing to do anyway

Interesting article. Wonder if the research is published in any peer reviewed journals. I can't imagine wanting to improve social interactions myself, but I can imagine those trapped inside their own minds would love to be able to communicate. Loved the pics of in situ neurons.

If you click the links in Fnord's site you will be taken to the source peer reviewed articles. Science is the most prestigious scholarly journal to publish autism research so it's worth taking notice

Different classes of neurons are known to have specific function in different parts of the brain and nervous system and so the alteration of specific neurons will effect their function. In autism this obviously could have a flow on effect on cognition, communication and motor control.

What remains to be determined is the interaction between poly-genes, epigenetics and the environment. These findings don't explain how identical twin studies yeild one individual with minimum/no symptoms of autism and how another twin can be severely effected? there's also the ongoing issue of overlapping comorbidity with ADHD, intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities, anxiety, depression etc etc...also very hard to tease these apart

When I view this article, it is so cluttered with ads and notices and icons, etc, etc, I can hardly read it. And I find it difficult to follow links. I no longer take Science. Most articles are above my ability to understand; the ones I do are fascinating. Is there a link to the original article and if there is, can you post it?