Autism is a disease distinguished by developmental disorders that begin at an early age. Currently, no cure is possible and this is why scientists are trying to understand the disease and discover the main cause. On this track, several vaccines have been singled out. Yet, it seems that the origin of autism lies elsewhere. Explanations.
Autism
With 1 in 160 children worldwide, autism is a pervasive development disorder according to the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases. It is a disease that affects brain function from childhood.
The symptoms are characterized by language disorders, both in learning difficulty and in the rhythm and manner of looking at the speaker, behavioral disorders (hypersensitivity, repetitive movements, acute anger attacks, excessive dependence on daily rituals) as well as problems of sociability.
Generally, the child is not able to answer his first name, to maintain a visual contact, to express his emotions or even to receive marks of affections. Thus, the signs requiring a medical consultation are a lack of tweeting at the age of one year, a flagrant lack of communication (lack of gestures or muteness for example), difficulties in saying and remembering sentences, behaviors or ways of to have already acquired at the age of two years.
Although no current treatment can cure this pathology, as soon as autism is diagnosed, early care can apprehend the disease and live with, both for the patient and his family.
Currently, scientists are still looking for the main cause of autism and it seems that it has come to make a considerable advance in the field.
The real cause of autism according to scientists
Until then, a link had been established between vaccines and autism. A 1998 theory by Dr. Andrew Wakefield suggested that aluminum in vaccine adjuvants may be the cause of autism. However, many scientific studies have shown the opposite according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In addition, a new study has highlighted the fact that the real cause of autism is too many brain connections. Published in the journal Nature Communications whose author is none other than Azad Bonni, the head of neuroscience department at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the study explains that the dysfunction of the RNF8 gene, which helps regulate the connections and the communication between the neurons, would be at the origin of the autism.
Indeed, when this gene malfunctions, an excess of synapses is formed and overloads the body, which has the effect of disrupting the brain and cognitive functions.
The researchers discovered this after removing the RNF8 gene from the brain of rats, guinea pigs from the study. Although this is a plausible lead in view of older studies also highlighting the mutation of a gene responsible for autism, these results need to be explored in order to be able to implement a treatment against this disorder. disease.