Scientists say excess cerebrospinal fluid may serve as early sign of autism

Scientists from the Universities of California and North Carolina, with several other universities in the United States and Canada, report a strong correlation between abnormal distribution of cerebrospinal fluid in infants and later development of autistic symptoms.

University of North Carolina. Image credit: Stanton49/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

"The more extra-axial CSF present at six months, the more severe the autism symptoms when the kids were diagnosed at 24 months of age," said first author Dr. Mark Shen, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina.

The study covered 343 children examined aged six months, twelve months, and twenty-four months, 221 of whom had older siblings with autism.

Children with higher than usual volumes of cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space — the area just around the brain — were more likely to be diagnosed with autism later in life, with strong correlation in the high-risk group.

Ultimately, cerebrospinal volume was able to provide an early diagnosis of probably ASD in high-risk children with 70% accuracy. The six-month-old babies who later went on to a diagnosis of autism had an average of 18% more CSF by volume than those who were not so diagnosed.

Researchers said it is not clear whether the large amount of cerebrospinal fluid actually causes autism or not.

While studies have shown that cerebrospinal fluid, once thought to act solely as a cushioner and shock absorber for the brain, can influence the way neurons grow, Shen speculated that the large amount of fluid may itself be a symptom: "We believe that extra-axial CSF is an early sign that CSF is not filtering and draining when it should. The result is that there could be a buildup of neuro-inflammation that isn't being washed [a]way."

Currently, children are not diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders until they are old enough for their behavior to change, usually at two or three years old. Researchers said these findings could be used to develop an early diagnostic system usable when the patient is as young as six months old. (Wikinews)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Major deep carbon sink linked to microbes at volcanic island chains

As much as 19 percent more carbon dioxide than previously believed is removed naturally and stored deep underground in seafloor trenches near island chains of volcanoes.

New insights into genetic basis of bird migration

Researchers have identified a gene associated with migration in golden-winged warblers.

‘Game-changing’ research could solve evolution mysteries

Researchers identified an almost complete set of proteins, a proteome, in the dental enamel of the rhino and the genetic information discovered is one million years older than the oldest DNA sequenced from a 700,000-year-old horse.

Humans More Unique than Expected When It Comes to Digesting Fatty Meals

People have very individualized inflammatory responses to eating a high-fat meal.

Nanowires replace Newton’s famous glass prism

Scientists have designed an ultra-miniaturised device that could image single cells without the need for a microscope or make chemical fingerprint analysis possible from within a smartphone camera.

New Models Suggest Titan Lakes Are Explosion Craters

Using radar data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, recently published research presents a new scenario to explain why some methane-filled lakes on Saturn's moon Titan are surrounded by steep rims that reach hundreds of feet high.