The Université de Montréal report on some upcoming research that could shed some light on why autism occurs.
An analysis of autism research covering genetics, brain imaging, and cognition led by Laurent Mottron of the University of Montreal has overhauled our understanding of why autism potentially occurs, develops and results in a diversity of symptoms. The team of senior academics involved in the project calls it the "Trigger-Threshold-Target" model. Brain plasticity refers to the brain's ability to respond and remodel itself, and this model is based on the idea that autism is a genetically induced plastic reaction. The trigger is multiple brain plasticity-enhancing genetic mutations that may or may not combine with a lowered genetic threshold for brain plasticity to produce either intellectual disability alone, autism, or autism without intellectual disability. The model confirms that the autistic brain develops with enhanced processing of certain types of information, which results in the brain searching for materials that possess the qualities it prefers and neglecting materials that don't. "One of the consequences of our new model will be to focus early childhood intervention on developing the particular strengths of the child's brain, rather than exclusively trying to correct missing behaviors, a practice that may be a waste of a once in a lifetime opportunity," Mottron said.
Mottron and his colleagues developed the model by examining the effect of mutations involved in autism together with the brain activity of autistic people as they undertake perceptual tasks. "Geneticists, using animals implanted with the mutations involved in autism, have found that most of them enhance synaptic plasticity the capacity of brain cells to create connections when new information is encountered. In parallel, our group and others have established that autism represents an altered balance between the processing of social and non-social information, i.e. the interest, performance and brain activity, in favor of non-social information," Mottron explained. "The Trigger-Threshold-Target model builds a bridge between these two series of facts, using the neuro-cognitive effects of sensory deprivation to resolve the missing link between them."
(Score: 1, Redundant) by darkfeline on Friday August 15 2014, @10:41PM
Basically this is saying that autists have difficulty understanding people. Or at least, more difficulty than other non-autists.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Friday August 15 2014, @10:58PM
Which pretty much matches what we can observe of autism. They tend to shun or at least react negatively to contact with other people. I say this after having worked with severely autistic adults for many years.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 16 2014, @04:06AM
...simply strive to 'fly under the radar' and minimize their contact
with other people because they realize most people act the way they
do ONLY for some combination of money, happiness, or fame...
kinda like that old boardgame CAREERS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careers_(board_game) [wikipedia.org]
Could it be that the autists see money only as a 'necessary evil'
that MUST be used to survive in societies that use it as a medium
of exchange; Fame viewed ultimately as a mere marketing ploy
that benefits the media cartels WAY MORE than the stars they
promote; and situational happiness that most people have that
can sour and turn on a dime if external conditions beyond
their control drastically change for the worse--like the
global economic meltdown of 2007-2008 that STILL affects
Planet Earth to this day--transforming them into frightened,
'terrible people' that will do whatever it takes
to survive...even if it means mistreating other people they
know or come in contact with....
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Saturday August 16 2014, @07:19AM
Everybody with really big tits knows that vaccines are the leading cause of autism.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Friday August 15 2014, @10:41PM
What does "potentially occurs" means? Autism doesn't potentially occur - it definitely does occur.
So where's the "potential" here? Is it, in fact only a potential overhaul? In other words, another "maybe" on our way to truly understanding autism?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Saturday August 16 2014, @10:48AM
I think it refers to the finding that the genetic factors don't inevitably lead to autism. That is, if you have those genes, you potentially become autistic.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday August 15 2014, @10:52PM
I'm going to have to start finding time to submit stories again:
...looking back
http://soylentnews.org/index.pl?issue=20140214/ [soylentnews.org]
early submissions were more concise and were edited to give pertinent information rather than just copy and paste.
On my todo list... moving it up... yes, it's near the top of the list now...
...wait: the boss just added to my list, now at the top of my list is to do a new todo list...
...sh*t, my wife just added to it; now my son....
...my daughter is moving back home and we have to clear out a room for her?????!!!!????
...making a new todo list is now the top priority on that todo list i have at the top of my old todo list......
...gaaaah!
PLEASE MAKE SUBMISSIONS SHORTER!!!!
Thanks! :)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday August 15 2014, @11:04PM
The Université de Montréal report on some upcoming research that could shed some light on why autism occurs.
An analysis of autism research covering genetics, brain imaging, and cognition led by Laurent Mottron of the University of Montreal has overhauled our understanding of why autism potentially occurs, develops and results in a diversity of symptoms. The team of senior academics involved in the project calls it the "Trigger-Threshold-Target" model. Brain plasticity refers to the brain's ability to respond and remodel itself, and this model is based on the idea that autism is a genetically induced plastic reaction. The trigger is multiple brain plasticity-enhancing genetic mutations that may or may not combine with a lowered genetic threshold for brain plasticity to produce either intellectual disability alone, autism, or autism without intellectual disability. The model confirms that the autistic brain develops with enhanced processing of certain types of information, which results in the brain searching for materials that possess the qualities it prefers and neglecting materials that don't. "One of the consequences of our new model will be to focus early childhood intervention on developing the particular strengths of the child's brain, rather than exclusively trying to correct missing behaviors, a practice that may be a waste of a once in a lifetime opportunity," Mottron said.
Mottron and his colleagues developed the model by examining the effect of mutations involved in autism together with the brain activity of autistic people as they undertake perceptual tasks. "Geneticists, using animals implanted with the mutations involved in autism, have found that most of them enhance synaptic plasticity the capacity of brain cells to create connections when new information is encountered. In parallel, our group and others have established that autism represents an altered balance between the processing of social and non-social information, i.e. the interest, performance and brain activity, in favor of non-social information," Mottron explained. "The Trigger-Threshold-Target model builds a bridge between these two series of facts, using the neuro-cognitive effects of sensory deprivation to resolve the missing link between them."
######################
VERY QUICKLY, ADD INFO ON THE RESEARCH TEAM, SOME OTHER INFO AND...
The autistic brain seems to process certain types of information better while ignoring information it doesn't process well. Their research has led to focussing teaching methods on developing an autistic childs strengths rather then exclusively trying to correct missing behaviours (as in ABA and IBI teaching methods).
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1) by Username on Saturday August 16 2014, @12:02AM
Lately I have noticed more and more people being labeled autistic whenever they do not fit nicely in any other category of mental illness.
I doubt they will find one common cause for all people labeled autistic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 17 2014, @07:49AM
The technical term is "Autism Spectrum Disorder" - emphasis on the spectrum. The spectrum is a collection of behaviors and symptoms that form a set from which one or more (usually more) behaviors or problems are frequently coincidental. I have a sense that as time goes by scientists will start finding multiple root causes which themselves are often coincidental.
I do think increased awareness is leading to more people being placed on the spectrum. Not just increased awareness by parents, but also pediatricians. I'm shocked at how many kids have not been caught until they've entered kindergarten where they stick out like sore thumbs compared to their neuro-typical peers. Anyway, now some of the quiet, awkward kids who are mostly functional and flying under the radar are being perceived and understood much earlier in life.
(Score: 1) by panachocala on Saturday August 16 2014, @12:11AM
I recall watching a fascinating documentary (can't find it right now) suggesting that autism is caused by toxins released by an out-of-control bowel parasite. It would take over the bowel following a course of antibiotics and was very hard to get rid of. It made a lot of sense.
(Score: 2) by tynin on Saturday August 16 2014, @02:58AM
I'm several sheets to the wind, and while this could be possible, this would mean after decades of searching for the cause of autism which involved extensive workups which would include things like the entire intestinal tract, we've not conclusively found parasites as being a leading cause for autism. Sorry for the run on sentence... but that seems implausible.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday August 16 2014, @04:58AM
Out-of-control intestinal parasites tend to have obvious side effects like diarrhea, bloating, malnutrition due to nutrient robbing, and potentially anemia. If you don't have such symptoms, it means they're not out of control. (Some intestinal parasites, notably ascarids, are closer to being symbiotes.)
You might be thinking of this (tho anything from Mercola is automatically suspect until proven true):
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/18/autistic-children-gut-flora.aspx [mercola.com]
Or possibly this:
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/33463/title/Can-Worms-Alleviate-Autism-/ [the-scientist.com]
(Whipworms?! I guess projectile diarrhea is a small price to pay...)
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Saturday August 16 2014, @01:46AM
"intervention on developing the particular strengths of the child's brain"
How? and which strengths?
"mutations involved in autism, have found that most of them enhance synaptic plasticity the capacity of brain cells to create connections when new information is encountered."
Ie, when algebra is delivered optically it stays ;) It's almost like directly saying people with AS is very clever..
So how does this synaptic plasticity actually interact with conscious processes? there's a cue here somewhere on how to exploit cognitive functions for accelerated learning etc.
I find this research interesting. But what action it will result in is really the key result.