Discovery of the connection between autism and cerebral palsy

Discovery of the connection between autism and cerebral palsy

Recently, autism and cerebral palsy, two seemingly different disorders, were found to share a common genetic signal. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate and interact. Different types of autism are possible due to different environmental and genetic combinations. It is estimated that around a third of people suffering from autism remain non-verbal. Cerebral palsy appears to be entirely linked to autism. It is a genetically inherited disorder of a person's posture and movements. This disorder immobilizes certain parts of the body and can affect both voluntary and involuntary muscles.

The link

Recently, a large-scale study of genetic expression in children with cerebral palsy has been carried out. Researchers at the University of Adelaide discovered a genetic signal that is common to both people affected by cerebral palsy and those affected by autism. The university is collaborating with an Australian group of researchers working on cerebral palsy at the Robinson Institute of Research. This group discovered an underlying and important molecular pathway that is common to all different types of the disease. The group's lead researcher, Dr. Clare, rather, suggested that it is the most common disability that begins in childhood, affecting approximately one in two children in a thousand live births.

By Dr. Clare highlighted facts

Dr. Clare cited that cerebral palsy, like autism, is known to be a brain development disorder only at the stage of pregnancy, but there is still a poor understanding of the underlying causes of cerebral palsy.

This research used new RNA sequencing technology to measure the RNA in the cells of children who have the disorder. Cell lines from the bodies of 182 individuals were examined in the research and most of them clearly showed the disruption of cell signaling and inflammatory pathways that have already been observed in a few children with autism. Dr. Clare further explained that the results of the research clearly showed that disrupted neurological pathways in children with cerebral palsy overlap with the disorders seen in autism. According to Dr. Clare provides strong evidence of a common biological link between the two diseases. Dr. Clare even explained that the coexistence of both diseases in some individuals is also a strong indication of a biological connection between them.

This research is actually the latest in the series of research conducted by Adelaide University. Genetic mutations that appear to cause cerebral palsy have been found in increasing numbers. This data will be used alongside already available DNA sequencing results, increasing the proportion of people with a predicted genetic cause to nearly 25 percent. The university's research group is a world-leading group in discovering the genetic basis of the disorder.

This study was published and supported by reputable groups such as translational psychiatry.

Inspired by Shalini Madhav