Breakthrough between Autism and Mental Retardation

Today I was doing research on the latest breakthroughs in Autism and I found this great article, in order to find out who is behind this successful pilot study conducted by the Department of Health Services/California Birth Defects Monitoring Program and the National Institutes of Health with collaborators at the Department of Developmental Services and The M.I.N.D. Institute, I encourage you to follow the link below as it proves an important clue for researchers looking for causes and cures of not only Autism but also Mental Retardation.


Also below I have written out below the Questions and Answers which was written by David Pisani and Ellen Powell which carries on a funded Study and is of the organization “ March of Dimes".
Here is the link:

http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/diagnostic_breakthrough.htm







Questions and Answers


What did the study find?

A: The study found that children with autism or mental retardation, when compared to children without these conditions, had higher levels in the blood at the time of birth of four specific proteins that are crucial to nervous system development.


Why was autism the focus of the study?

A: Recent reports suggest that not only is autism common among children, but the condition may be increasing. Typically, autism, mental retardation and cerebral palsy cannot be reliably diagnosed until a few years after birth. If these conditions can be identified earlier, intervention that may help children with these conditions can begin sooner.

What is autism?

A: Autism is a severe disorder of communication and social interaction resulting in lifelong disability.
Do the study findings mean we now have a way to positively identify children with autism or mental retardation at birth?

A: No. However, based on this exciting new finding, we can target our research with the hope of developing a screening tool in the future. First, our findings must be confirmed.

Why were these proteins selected for measurement?

A: We selected proteins that are known to have a role in regulating growth and development of the brain during gestation and proteins that are known to contribute to long term memory, learning and responses to sensory stimuli. These aspects of behavior are particularly important in autism. We found two neuropeptides and two neurotrophins, whose levels were dramatically higher in children with autism or mental retardation than in the "control" children or children with cerebral palsy.

Given that the diagnosis of autism is sometimes difficult, how can you be sure that the children in your study were correctly diagnosed? Are there similar concerns for cerebral palsy and mental retardation?

A: We are very confident. We know that the diagnosis of each of these conditions is quite complicated so we went to great lengths to confirm the diagnoses on all children in the study.

Do these findings confirm that autism and mental retardation are conditions that develop during gestation and are not due to environmental factors after birth?

A: Our findings showed abnormal levels of certain proteins present at birth in children with autism or mental retardation. These findings suggest a potential biological indicator at birth, but they do not address the more complex question of WHEN these conditions occur. We know that the brain develops from gestation through early childhood.

Is there any evidence that might suggest a link between autism and infant immunizations?

A: Although there has been much speculation about such a link, this study could not address that question.

Do these findings suggest that genes may play a role in causing autism or mental retardation?

A: There is considerable evidence already to indicate that there is a genetic component to autism and mental retardation. This research provides some clues for identifying which genes may be important in the development of these conditions.

Could these findings lead to prevention strategies that might be implemented after birth?

A: First, these findings must be replicated in further studies. If our findings are correct, we'll be able to identify children at risk for these conditions much earlier than currently, and practitioners can try various interventions to see what works.

Parents of children with autism have suspected that diet may play a role in their child's condition. Does this study provide any information on that issue?

A: No. Issues involving diet were not part of the study.

Do the results suggest a similarity between autism and mental retardation that we have not recognized before?

A: Yes. For the proteins we studied, children with autism and children with mental retardation without autism had the same result. As other proteins are studied, differences may become apparent.

Will these findings lead to a screening mechanism for all babies at birth?

A: It is much too early to know. First, we must be sure that these findings are true. Then scientists must develop the technology to screen large numbers of babies-if screening is appropriate. Finally, policymakers must determine whether widespread screening or some other mechanism would be beneficial.

Could the results also suggest that these proteins could be measured even before birth by drawing a sample of the unborn baby's blood?

A: Again, it's much too early to know. Our results are based on one point in time-the newborn period. We do not know how levels of these proteins are different at different points in time. Future research must address this question.

How confident are you of your results?

A: As is true for all research, the scientific process depends on getting the same results several times. With this new and startling finding, we are anxious to continue this work. We have enough confidence in this study to launch a bigger study, once funds become available.

How do you explain why levels of these proteins in the blood of children with cerebral palsy were different from the levels found in children with autism or mental retardation?

A: This result is consistent with current knowledge that cerebral palsy represents a different kind of problem in the brain than autism or mental retardation. We suspect that cerebral palsy has different origins than autism or mental retardation. This study supports that hypothesis.

Does this study suggest that if we could lower these high levels of proteins in children with autism or mental retardation that their condition would improve?

A: No. The study does not answer that question. We don't know whether the high levels of these proteins could cause autism and mental retardation, or whether the high levels are a sign of something else going wrong.

What is the next step?

A: First, in accordance with standard scientific protocol, we want to confirm these results by looking at blood samples from more children. Then we want to develop a database of children with these conditions so that we can look at other ways in which they are alike and different in order to find additional clues about causes. We also want to expand our communications efforts so that we can keep the public informed about this research as we go forward. Additional funding will be necessary to accomplish these goals.

There are more studies being done and I intend to bring them here so that you are kept up to date, I am letting parents of Autistic children know that there is much being done to consider the cause of Autism, a question that has crossed my mind over and over.