Within the United States, medical advances have been incredible over the past few decades. As treatments emerge for diseases and disorders that were once crippling only years ago, fear of these predicaments decreases. Despite all of these advances, some disorders have remained prevalent for very long periods of time, with very limited treatment and knowledge available for them. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), for example, has plagued not only the United States population, but the world population for centuries. Autism is identified by its features of causing limited social communication and restricted behaviors. Affecting 1 in 68 people (1 in 42 males), the disorder is behaviorally diagnosed, and the average age of diagnosis is 3-years-old. Although disorders of this scale have detrimental effects throughout the whole brain, research has discovered two conditions that may be strong precursors for autism: ASIBs and FX. ASIBs, or siblings of children with autism, are 18-20 times more likely to see later diagnoses of autism, possessing a broader phenotype. FX, or Fragile X Syndrome, is the most common genetic cause of autism, and nearly 60-74% of children diagnosed with the condition meet the criteria of ASD.
Researchers such as Dr. Maggie W. Guy have investigated these two factors and their effects on the likelihood of being diagnosed with autism through the use of event-related potentials (ERPs). By using the ERP results to map the brain, specifically the fusiform gyrus, Dr. Guy was able to produce models that compared cortical response differences in latency and strength between normal children and children with ASD. The fusiform gyrus (specifically region N290 in babies) is activated for facial recognition by the end of the first year, and Dr. Guy’s work led to the discovery that the latency and strength of the response from these areas were weaker in children with ASD. Dr. Guy also used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity during facial recognition, comparing the activity of children with FX and ASIBs. By obtaining data from the EEG and mapping the electrodes onto head models created by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Dr. Guy was able to examine activation in regions of interest, discovering that children with Fragile X Syndrome had increased activation to faces than toys, and compared to ASIBs, children with FX had a stronger amplitude of activity.
As Dr. Guys continues her studies to investigate the biobehavioral markers of ASIBs and FX, the importance of her works shines through the mistakes displayed by clinics throughout the world. Misdiagnosis of ASD has become rampant throughout the United Kingdom, and recently, it was discovered that hormone blockers to stop puberty were used to treat four out of 10 children suffering from autism. Along with physical and psychological problems that these drugs produce, the effects of these drugs impose “irreversible, dangerous changes” along with the issues they already struggle with.
The article concerning the confusion between ASD and gender dysphoria is a situation that must be fully investigated so that autistic children do not have to endure worse symptoms than the ones they already face. It shines a light on the new complexities that arise in the diagnosis of ASD, and in a society that is becoming more accommodating of all individuals, the medical and research community must discover identifying factors to properly diagnose ASD without the risk of improper treatment exemplified in this situation. Dr. Guy’s work allows us to see the use of the biobehavioral markers mentioned before as signs of autism, and through her work, ASD can be properly diagnosed and correctly treated while protecting the children from other conditions along the way.
Works Cited
Freiburger, C. (2018, July 24). UK Public Health Service Accused of Giving Kids with Autism Sex Change Drugs. Retrieved from Life Site: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/nhs-misidentified-autistic-kids-as-gender-confused-gave-puberty-blockers-to
Guy, M. W., John E. Richards, B. L., & Roberts, J. E. (2017). Neural Correlates of Face Processing in Etiologically-Distinct 12-Month-Old Infants at High-Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Developmental Cognitive Neuorscience, 61-71.
Richards, J. E., Sanchez, C., Phillips-Meek, M., & Xie, W. (2015). A Database of Age-Appropriate Average MRI Templates. NeuroImage, 1254-1259.
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