Link Between Epilepsy and Autism

Epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders, or ASD, show a remarkable degree of comorbidity and similar pathological mechanisms. Questions that have bogged down scientists about these disorders.

A new study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, in collaboration with Rutgers University, have answered these questions in a paper published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

Autism Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder typically characterized by impaired social and communication skills combined with repetitive movements.

‘A common defect in brain circuit formation may play a key role in the co-occurrence of autism and epilepsy.’

Tweet it Now

Researchers focused on inhibitory neurons in mice and explained that unlike excitatory neurons that lead to a forward propagation of information, inhibitory neurons work as a brake by suppressing and sculpting the activity of downstream neurons.

Researchers generated mice with a global mutation in all cells that prevented the inhibitory neurons from migrating to their normal location in mature brain circuits.

They also found a reduction in inhibitory currents in the hippocampus, a region of the brain known for memory function. Notably, the mutant mice showed behavioral traits associated with ASD and were more prone to seizures.

Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome is observed in infants and older children. To date, defects in 6 genes are known to cause the syndrome. Irritability, erratic sleep, and fever are some symptoms.

These findings show that there may be a developmental abnormality in establishing inhibitory neuron circuits and identifying those will be able to intervene early and make sure the inhibitory circuit is maintained.

This study opens the doors for future work to test whether mutations, when restricted to specific cell types and developmental periods, can help distinguish between the role of inhibitory neuron migration and maintenance of circuit connections in the development of ASD or epilepsy.

Rare Genetic Mutations Predict Intellectual Disability in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Novel computational model identifies the genes linked to autism that helps in predicting the level of intellectual disability in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Source-Medindia

Quiz on Autism
Autism spectrum disorder is a complex genetic disorder that impairs social, behavioral, and communication functions in humans. Autistic people may act, communicate, interact, and learn differently than most other people. ASD usually begins in childhood and can last for the rest of a person's life, though symptoms may improve over time