The Etiology of Autism Essay -- Psychology Neurology Disorders autisti

The Etiology of Autism Autism is a syndrome that is characterized by the impairment of social interaction skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, and a decreased interest in participating in a variety of activities. In 1943, Kanner, the man who is attributed with the identification of this disease, hypothesized that autism might be a biological disorder as opposed to a psychological one. Numerous studies have been conducted supporting Kanner’s hypothesis. These studies have ranged from examining the effects of rubella to investigating certain purine metabolic disorders as possible etiological agents. Recently, the areas of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and genetics have played a crucial role in developing a clearer picture into the etiology of this disease. Upon exploring the biological aspects of autism, the fields of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and genetics have offered new insights concerning their association with the onset of this disease. Neuroanatomy is one of the latest fields involved in uncovering the possible causes of autism. Many past studies conducted in this area found that autistic patients had enlarged lateral ventricles, however, this abnormality didn’t reveal any damage to a specific anatomical site. The most recent studies conducted on the cerebella of autistic patients showed much more dramatic results. In one specific experiment conducted by Dr. Courchesne, the cerebellar lobules of eighteen autistic patients were compared with the lobules of twelve subjects within a normal control group. The eighteen autistic patients were chosen on the basis that their autistic state was "... not complicated by severe mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, genetic abnormality, other neurologic dise... ... R. S. and B. H. Herman. A Novel Biochemical Model Linking Dysfunctions in Brain Melatonin, Proopiomelanocortin Peptides, and Serotonin in Autism. Biological Psychiatry, 28:773-793, 1991. Courchesne, E. et. al. Hypoplasia of Cerebellar Vermal Lobules VI and VII in Autism. New England Journal of Medicine, 318:1349-1354, May 26, 1988. Gillberg, C. et. al. Monozygotic Female Twins With Autism and the Fragile X Syndrome (AFRAX). J. Child Psychol. Psychiat., 29(4); 447-451, 1988. Herman, B. H. and Panksepp, J. Effects of Morphine and Naloxone on Social Attachment in Infant Guinea Pigs. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behaviour, 9;213-220, 1978. Lowenstein, P. R. et. al. Effects of Naloxone on the Nocturnal Rise of Rat Pineal Melatonin Content. Eur. J. Pharmacol., 98;26 Reiss, A. L. et. al. Autism and Genetic Disorders. Schizophrenic Bulletin.12(4); 724-38, 1986.