Autism spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a mental health disorder that is characterized with the difficulty with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and most forms of communication and uniqueness of strengths. Autism is a disease that has many different forms that are in a range of severity, which is why it is called autism spectrum disorder. The different forms of autism are the result of different combinations of genetic and environmental factors. It is currently accepted that ASD is contracted through polygenic inheritance, meaning that there are multiple genes that can contribute to the formation of the disorder. The disorder is usually diagnosed between 14 months and by age 3. Diagnosing ASD can be very difficult because there is no physical medical test such as a blood screening to validate the presence of the disorder. Diagnosing takes two steps of Developmental Screening and Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation. These steps include evaluating their behaviors and progression through development. ASD can include associated neurological disorders such as mood disorders and systemic disorders such as immune dysfunction and GI tract problems. The symptoms of autism are usually lifelong but can be managed to reduce symptoms and improve skills and abilities.
A review Article in the Frontiers of Psychiatry journal discuses more on the factors linked to ASD. Although the polygenic genetic inheritance is predominately responsible for the development of autism it does explain the whole story. The review article discusses the many different environmental factors such as immune system abnormalities and Zinc deficiency. The picture below expresses all of the difficulties and risk factors of Autism.
Immune system abnormalities are linked to prenatal stress, prenatal viral infection, and parental age at the time of pregnancy. During prenatal stress the mother releases corticotrophins from her adrenal gland, which can pass through the placenta and cross the blood brain barrier causing inflammation in the fetus’ hippocampus. Parental age is associated with the increase rick of autoimmune disorders around the age of 30 years old which can affect the fetus and cause immune system abnormalities.
Zinc deficiencies are said to be caused by prenatal malnutrition, heavy metal poisoning, and maternal diabetes. Zinc is a very important molecule that regulates many different functions in the body and is a structural component in the body. Thus, indicating that a deficiency of Zinc could be related to immune deficiency and increase risk of infections.
Although the causes and rick factors for autism have been displayed, the underlying causes and specific biological abnormalities are k=not well known. Many people throughout the world suffer from Autism. Families struggle with finding and adapting to their family member that suffers from the disorder. I believe that more research and more people should investigate the causes and mechanisms that are responsible for autism spectrum disorder.
Understanding the Causes for Autism
