Autism studies presented at a meeting in Boston

The 4th International Meeting for Autism Research in Boston attract leading scientists from around the world, who discuss research on genetic factors, brain research, new treatments and potential environmental factors involved in the development of autism.

Autism is a brain disorder usually seen as children become toddlers. Affecting an estimated two to five out of every 1,000 children, autism has a spectrum of symptoms that include difficulty with social interaction and repetitive behaviors.

Children with autism show different immune system responses from children without the condition, and these might be measured in the blood for a possible screening test, U.S. researchers reported.

Judy Van de Water of the University of California, Davis, and colleagues separated immune cells from 30 children with autism and 26 non-autistic children aged 2 to 5. They mixed in toxins and bacteria.

In response to bacteria, the researchers saw lower levels of immune signaling proteins called cytokines in the group with autism. These children also had irregular responses to a plant protein, but not to other toxins or to a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

“Understanding the biology of autism is crucial to developing better ways to diagnose and treat it,�? Van de Water said in a statement.

A second team at the same center took blood samples from 70 children aged 4 to 6 with autism and from 35 other children.

The children with autism had 20 percent more immune system cells called B cells and 40 percent more natural killer cells.

There also seemed to be differences in other proteins in the blood, although the researchers are still sifting through the data.

“Studying the biological signs of autism could lead to new ways to prevent the disorder from ever occurring. And even if it can’t be prevented, intervening early in life — ideally shortly after birth — could greatly improve the lifetime outlook for children with autism.�? said researcher David Amaral, who led the study.

A leading scientist is trying to understand and treat autism suspects, that a failure to engage in such normal social activities as looking at a parent’s face or listening to speech sounds early in life may help explain the profound impairments in social and language development shown by most children with the disorder.

Geraldine Dawson, director of the Autism Center at the University of Washington, will deliver the keynote address today at the 4th International Meeting for Autism Research being held at the Marriott Boston Copley Place.

Dawson, also a UW psychology professor, said her team has begun testing a new intervention program for toddlers with autism.
- it has a dual focus on language and cognitive development.
- it also promotes the emotional relationship between a child and other people.

“We are examining whether this very early intervention that focuses on social engagement alters the course of development,” she said. “As part of our outcomes, we will be examining the child’s brain responses to social stimuli. We hope to find that our intervention not only affects behavior but also alters the trajectory of early brain development toward a more normal one.”

The intervention program is intensive, running 25 to 30 hours per week over a two-year period. The intervention includes such things as children playing games that encourage social activities with their parents or a therapist. The games are modeled after typical parent-infant games, such as patty-cake, that focus on shared communication and enjoyment.

Previous studies by Dawson and her colleagues have shown that preschool-age children with autism do not show typical brain responses to faces and speech sounds, but they do have normal responses toward objects. By 7 or 8 months of age a typically developing a baby’s brain waves register differences between two speech sounds and between familiar and unfamiliar faces. Children with autism, however, do not show such differences at 3 and 4 years of age.

Other research has shown that normal development of the brain systems involved in speech and face perception requires early stimulation.

Similarly, children with autism are not able to distinguish English sounds, according to Dawson.

Dawson hopes that by teaching toddlers with autism how to interact socially, this will influence the way the children’s brain process language and facial information.