Protein Found In Brain Cells May Be Key To Autism

It looks as though this is breaking news.

Scientists have shown how a single protein may trigger autistic spectrum disorders by stopping effective communication between brain cells.

When the MIT team analysed the animals' brains they found defects in the circuits that connect two different areas of the brain, the cortex and the striatum.

Healthy connections between these areas are thought to be key to effective regulation of social behaviours and social interaction.

Protein Found In Brain Cells May Be Key To Autism

I can't wait to see this unfold, this is a big step in the general direction of eliminating autism spectrum disorder. Here is another, related, link that came out last week, also talking about autism and how it may be effected by hormones.


Male sex hormone testosterone 'interferes with empathy'

Interesting, I wonder what factors may cause the mutation in the Shank3(what a name)? Also, do the proteins originate in the body or come from supplements? Maybe they will create supplements for adjustment.
Just thinking out loud here, not expecting you to answer, these things always create many questions in their development.
Sounds like this protein is a big part of socialization, with mention of the destructive "self-grooming" of some of the rats.
Nice find,

spec

reply to post by Griffo


It'll definitely be worth following up. We've seen plenty of credible theories over the years that have either fizzled out or we're still waiting on more research. I'm personally a fan of the work that Michael Merzenich has done in the field. Although, much like schizophrenia, it is more likely that there is not going to be a single cause for all cases.

What protein are they talking about?
Glutamate?
That stuff will mess up a brain big time.
It is everywhere and hard to avoid.

Well, I told myself I wouldn't hang out in Attacking Troll Sh*** (ATS) anymore, but I have just got to comment about this Autism stuff. I'm tired of this disinfo from the Psychological community, that we (I'm an Asperg) have no empathy. They make us sound like we are evil. I am not able to look anyone in the eye, because it feels like having sex with them. I feel too much from others' brains, so I have to keep myself sheilded from that.

I smell the stink of --- CONSPIRACY ---- re. Autistics. 'Neurotypicals', those of you for whom socializing is a default, you are incapable of not doing so: YOU are THE BEST WORKER BEE DRONES for the Big Corporations. My, HOW PRODUCTIVE you types can be.

ME, --- NOT.

Thank you so much for posting this!!! I do a lot of research on Autism Spectrum Disorders as my son has a form of high functioning autism. It's really interesting to me about the testosterone hormone interfering with empathy. I noticed at a very early age that he had NO empathy. I had to teach him how to be empathetic. I have struggled and struggled with finding help for him. I refuse to medicate him as per the school's request. I feel he needs to learn how to live in this world, and everyone around him needs to learn to figure him out. He can't go through life, drugged out so he can "fit in". He is a wonderful kid who will be a wonderful adult with lots to offer this world. Until then, it's one day at a time! These are some interesting findings as to the WHY this stuff happens. Neither myself or his father have any signs of autism and neither does his brother. I was very surprised when we got his diagnosis early last year. I really hope to see some advances in information on this as time goes on.

irrelevant

reply to post by ampar84


I don't understand. If Autistics are psychopathic (which I am not) then, why is there a seperate disorder called psychopathology (lack of empathy).

reply to post by Griffo


If we cure autism we lose some amazing people. Einstein was autistic (Aspergers) and it is believed Mozart was. I ask people to be careful how they discuss this matter. Imagine if you were autistic and everyone around you said they wanted to eliminate people like you from existing, I know that is not the intent; but, that is how it feels to us.

I don't want anyone to feel attacked; but, that is how we feel when these things are discussed. While having Aspergers is difficult when we are young, we can learn to deal with it. I wouldn't trade my autism for anything, it is part of me, it is who I am and a lot of others feel the same way. For those on the lower side of the spectrum (those who didn't get the IQ to go with it), I don't know what to say and they do not speak well for themselves because they don't have the words.

For those of us who have Aspergers, life is hard enough. You get treated like a freak when you are young because people cannot understand you; but, we can learn from it and tend to be really good within our areas of expertise. When we hear that we shouldn't exist we get angry. When I was born the occurance of Autism was one in ten thousand, it is now about one in a hundred (or so it is reported).

I do not claim to speak for all of us, I am speaking for myself. I know we can be insensitive because the truth is we don't understand the rest of you. We don't understand why people lie so much, we don't understand facial expressions as well as most people that is why we don't do well in social situations without experience. Rather than eliminate people like us from society, perhaps, we can all spend more time trying to understand each other and accept that we will never be able to understand each other completely. Be well.

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


I am a woman, but per an above post, I held up my hands and looked at them, and indeed, my index fingers on -both- hands are --shorter-- than my ring fingers on both hands.

reply to post by simone50m


There is no disorder called psychopathology. Psychopathy is a very antiquated term that was replaced with the term sociopathy around the middle 20th century. Since then the term sociopathy have been replaced with antisocial personality disorder. If you then look at the DSM criteria for antisocial personality disorder and autism are very different.

reply to post by simone50m

Women have testosterone levels too, no? I am a dude, so naturally I am concerned with any effects from inappropriate levels. I will dig into this a little more...

spec

reply to post by AQuestion


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Aquestion, GOD BLESS You for your post, it is important. There is a lot of disinfo out there, about those individuals who are square pegs for the round holes of the Industrial Age assembly line of productive productive productive worker bee drones to insure the profits profits profits for the Big Corporations.
I am fine with the way I am. Just look at how much --drama-- Neurotypicals must bring into their lives. There is NO human drama in my life, except when I say the wrong thing in a chat forum.

Originally posted by AQuestion
reply to post by Griffo

 

If we cure autism we lose some amazing people. Einstein was autistic (Aspergers) and it is believed Mozart was. I ask people to be careful how they discuss this matter. Imagine if you were autistic and everyone around you said they wanted to eliminate people like you from existing, I know that is not the intent; but, that is how it feels to us.

I don't want anyone to feel attacked; but, that is how we feel when these things are discussed. While having Aspergers is difficult when we are young, we can learn to deal with it. I wouldn't trade my autism for anything, it is part of me, it is who I am and a lot of others feel the same way. For those on the lower side of the spectrum (those who didn't get the IQ to go with it), I don't know what to say and they do not speak well for themselves because they don't have the words.

For those of us who have Aspergers, life is hard enough. You get treated like a freak when you are young because people cannot understand you; but, we can learn from it and tend to be really good within our areas of expertise. When we hear that we shouldn't exist we get angry. When I was born the occurance of Autism was one in ten thousand, it is now about one in a hundred (or so it is reported).

I do not claim to speak for all of us, I am speaking for myself. I know we can be insensitive because the truth is we don't understand the rest of you. We don't understand why people lie so much, we don't understand facial expressions as well as most people that is why we don't do well in social situations without experience. Rather than eliminate people like us from society, perhaps, we can all spend more time trying to understand each other and accept that we will never be able to understand each other completely. Be well.

That is very true. Like I said in my post above, I struggle with my son who has Aspergers (he's 8) but I know he is going to make a wonderful, quirky adult who will have a lot to offer. It's between now and adulthood that's going to be a real struggle. I've been working with him on social "norms" and he is doing alright.
I believe Bill Gates is said to have Aspergers as well. As nice as it would be to find actual help for those who are severly autistic, it's always disheartening to live in a society where we have to label someone who can't sit in class, quiet, doesn't question things, speak their mind, etc, as someone with a disorder. These are wonderful findings and it helps answer some questions. But it takes all types to make this world go round!

Originally posted by ampar84
Thank you so much for posting this!!! I do a lot of research on Autism Spectrum Disorders as my son has a form of high functioning autism. It's really interesting to me about the testosterone hormone interfering with empathy. I noticed at a very early age that he had NO empathy. I had to teach him how to be empathetic. I have struggled and struggled with finding help for him. I really hope to see some advances in this area as time goes on.

Dear ampar84,

I have Aspergers and had NO empathy when I was young. My parents are dead; but, I credit my mother with helping me to have empathy and I do now. If I could I would thank her for not letting me skip grades and forcing me to go out and play with other kids. When we are young, we don't understand "normal" people because they don't see what is glaring obvious to us. They don't understand us because we don't see the social cues. My father was a very loving and good father and highly intelligent; but, he once told my mother that he never understood me, that didn't stop us from loving each other. I would violently resist anyone trying to give me something that would "cure" me. I like being me.

I know we are tough to raise, sorry; but, we have much to offer after we learn to deal with our issues. We often appear rude; but, we don't mean to be, we just take a long time to learn to be subtle and soft with people and we can. Be well.

I have a question for all of you both Neurotypicals and Autistics, who have a keen interest in autism Spectrum.

(By-the-way, I didn't mean to be so harsh on you Neurotypicals, I'm jealous of you all at the same time. Otherwise, God bless you all as well.)

My question regards: I came up with a Conspiracy Theory. Is there a UFO-Auts correlation? Does anyone know how many Auts have ufo phenomenon in their lives, -- OR -- the lives of their parents. I had much ufo phenomenon in my life, including childhood missing time.

Thank you for posting this. It was an interesting read.

I have 12-year-old twins, one of whom has Asperger's Syndrome (the other, incidentally, is dyslexic.)

In my experience, society wants to "fix" people with autism.

My philosophy is they don't need to be "fixed."

They may be different than most people but they're perfect exactly the way they are because everyone has unique strengths.

Our job as parents is just to love them and help them figure out where they excel.

Originally posted by simone50m
reply to post by AQuestion

 

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Aquestion, GOD BLESS You for your post, it is important. There is a lot of disinfo out there, about those individuals who are square pegs for the round holes of the Industrial Age assembly line of productive productive productive worker bee drones to insure the profits profits profits for the Big Corporations.
I am fine with the way I am. Just look at how much --drama-- Neurotypicals must bring into their lives. There is NO human drama in my life, except when I say the wrong thing in a chat forum.

Dear simone50m,

You are welcome. I do want to say we have to be part of the solution also. We understand certain things instantly and we know they cannot see everything we do. I am not a member of any Aspergers group for a reason, I don't like the anger that is focused on normal people and I won't call them names. Like you I detest drama; but, it is part of the human condition. We are hard enough on others because if your not one of us you cannot imagine what it is like for us.

The world needs outliers like us; but, it also needs people who can do what we can't which is often repitious and annoying work. I can't look down on them for being normal, I feel sorry that they can't see the amazing beauty that I see. People fear what they don't understand, how could normal people possibly understand us. When one of us looks at a math problem and just knows the answer it looks like magic, that could be intimidating to them. For the world to work better, we need to love each other more not less. If they are going to understand us better, we need to understand them better also. Not meant to be a lecture. In fact, I think they need to know how we feel when they talk about us and it does make us angry.

Originally posted by Reaching

Our job as parents is just to love them and help them figure out where they excel.

You are RIGHT ON here. It could not be rang from the rooftops more loudly. I was an artistic prodigy when I was little, but the conditions (poverty strife instability malnutrition trauma) of my birth and upbringing were like I was born into quicksand. I never excelled. I went homeless for a number of years, but I'm 'retired' now, I stay put, and am --okay-- . I eat and take up a little space. And thats all.

Originally posted by Reaching
Thank you for posting this. It was an interesting read.

I have 12-year-old twins, one of whom has Asperger's Syndrome (the other, incidentally, is dyslexic.)

In my experience, society wants to "fix" people with autism.

My philosophy is they don't need to be "fixed."

They may be different than most people but they're perfect exactly the way they are because everyone has unique strengths.

Our job as parents is just to love them and help them figure out where they excel.

Thank you. I am who I am because my mother had the same attitude. Those of us with Aspergers always excel at something, finding it is the key. When we do then nobody can compete with us. We are like a laser cut keys, we may not fit in many places; but, there is a lock that only we can fit in to make the car work.