This year’s annual meeting of autism researchers, INSAR, was virtual. But it didn’t stop hundreds of scientists from gathering online to discuss their viewpoints, findings, and the meaning for autism research to families. This week’s podcast captures some of the highlights, at least some of them, in a 30 minute talk. Some of the findings haven’t been peer reviewed, so they should be considered interesting-on-the-horizon discoveries that you should be excited about, but not to be taken as the gospel truth.
You asked, we answered: what is the connection between the ‘gut’ and the brain?
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On this week’s podcast, we answer your question: “what’s the evidence of a gut-brain connection”? We can’t answer that question without starting off with a description of the microbiome. The microbiome is the colony of organisms in your gastrointestinal system that is showing increasing evidence of influencing brain function. We asked three experts: Calliope Holingue from JHSPH, Helen Vuong from UCLA and Stewart Campbell of Axial Therapeutics what is happening in research around the microbiome in autism, and what therapeutics are being developed to help those with GI issues and ASD.
The 2021 Day of Learning Quickie
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If you missed this year’s Day of Learning, the videos will be up soon. But if you are a podcast listener, you can listen a 20 minute recap on this week’s podcast. The topics included the effects of the pandemic on family functioning and clinician diagnosis and assessments, lessons learned through the pandemic, the role of the social justice movement in autism, personalized medicine, an explanation of SUDEP, short for sudden unexplained death in epilepsy, and new information on CBD or cannabidiol. It’s not a substitute for watching it live and being able to ask questions of the speakers, but it touches on the main themes.
You asked, we listened: what is the link between ASD and ADHD?
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This week’s ASF podcast topic comes from the listeners: what is the link between ASD and ADHD? Do parents diagnosed with ADHD have a greater chance of having a child with ASD? What are the similarities and differences? And what do families need to know? We interviewed Dr. Meghan Miller from the University of California Davis, who is one of the most prolific academics (and trusted psychologist to families) in this area. Want to read some of her research? Here you go:
Scientists: they are just like us. They are in a pandemic crisis too
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Scientists who help families affected by ASD may look like they have it all together, but the pandemic has been catastrophic not just on discoveries to help families, but to the people who conduct research, meet with families, and provide services. They have lives too, and those lives have interrupted their abilities to provide care and work towards easing suffering. This week’s podcast is a conversation between 3 early career investigators who helped conduct a survey of the common struggles, obstacles, and possible solutions to this problem.
https://autismsciencefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ASF-ECR-Commentary-20211.pdf
Tell us what you want, what you really really want…
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What topics have been on your mind that you would like to hear about on a podcast? Is it scientific? Theoretical? Abstract? concrete? Would you like to hear from an expert and which one? Do you not know but you want to hear more? Come at me: ahalladay@autismsciencefoundation.org and TELL me what topics are of interest to you. And don’t forget, the Autism Science Foundation Day of Learning, with many Ted-style talks including sudden unexplained death in epilepsy, precision medicine, new data on cannabidiol, data on COVID struggles in families and how COVID struggles have informed clinician about what can stay and what can go when the pandemic is over. Register FOR FREE!: www.autismsciencefoundation.org
How is ASD diagnosis happening right now?
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Early on in the pandemic, clinicians struggled with how to turn in-person evaluations into Telehealth evaluations. One year later: what have they done? How have they modified? How do parents feel about these changes? Should they stay or should they go? This topic will be featured on our ASF Day of Learning on April 22nd as well. Also COVID related, new data on the effects of maternal immune infection on autism outcomes in children – with a bright light at the end of the story. At least a bright light at some maternal infections. Listen to the opening song and keep on “staying away”.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33730320/
COVID-19 is especially deadly to the IDD community
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In a study over over 64 MILLION people across the US, COVID-19 has been shown to be most deadly to those with an intellectual disability. This was once a theory, now it is a proven fact. Take action! Write your governor and demand that intellectual disability and neurodevelopment disorders be put on the priority list for vaccination in your state. A sample letter is below:
As a person or family member affected by intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders, we ask that you include all high-risk patients and caregivers living with these conditions as a priority population in your immediate prioritization of FDA- approved COVID-19 vaccines.
Intellectual disabilities have extensive, and often severe comorbidities. Early prevention and intervention are paramount, and this vaccine is critical for our high-risk community and public health. Families affected by IDD and NDD live daily with conditions including: cardiopulmonary dysfunction; neurological deficits; debilitating seizures; vision and/or hearing loss; gastrointestinal issues; autism spectrum disorder. A recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated the high mortality of COVID 19 in people with IDD and since groups with lower risk of mortality have been listed as high priority conditions, we request that those with IDD be added immediately. As leaders and caregivers in this community, we strongly believe individuals living with IDD who require daily hands-on care, and their caregivers should be included in the high-risk population for risk for catastrophic outcomes due to infection of COVID-19. The effects of COVID-19 could be devastating for individuals and family members, of all ages, who are constantly at high-risk for neurological and organ damage caused by potential infection. During the pandemic, these families have lost vital resources (such as physical, occupational and speech therapies) and myriad interventions otherwise afforded to them. Compounded by COVID-related delays in routine public and private care management due to risk of exposure, many people have experienced regression, and the only way to safely resume these crucial interventions is through immediate vaccination. Beyond the direct risk of Covid-19, the pandemic has had negative effects on the ability of individuals with IDD to receive health care and daily support that they need.
We urgently call on you to prioritize all people and family members and caregivers of people with IDD and NDD to receive the COVID 19 vaccine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33676088/
NEJM article open access: https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.21.0051
Ribbit…Ribbit… frogs are the new mouse of ASD research
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You’ve heard a lot about CRISPR technology to manipulate gene expression. But what have scientists actually learned? Well, the cells in which DNA is manipulated could come from different animal models, including frogs and mice. These model systems are used to track brain development, sex differences, and the downstream effects of convergence of genetic manipulations of autism relevant genes on brain cells. They can be used, as one study demonstrated, to examine protective or resilience factors in the brain. This week we talk to Helen Willsey, PhD, at UCSF to hear about her research about manipulating genes in frog eggs and what it says about the female protective effect.
Get some zzzzzz’s
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Sleep is a huge problem in ASD. But is it just “sleep” or can we get more specific? What role do genetics have? And does being autistic make sleep problems worse? Answers come from an unlikely source: mice! Learn more about recent scientific evidence tying sleep problems to ASDs and neurodevelopmental disorders. These include: type of sleep problems autistic people face, why they exist, where they come from, and how mouse models can help solve them.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6639428/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.559694/full
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30737588/
https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-021-00426-w