The Causes of Autism and can it be cured? - Serious discussion.

[Secret Asshole]

The brain is honestly a mysterious organ.

*person with literally half a brain fully functional*

*guy wakes up after coma, having regrown new neuronal connections*

*person hit by car, goes unconscious, wakes up an emotionless math genius*

We've got no clue how it really works other than 'Neurotransmitters and shit'. We have no concrete proof about how SSRIs work. Seretonin levels in the brain are immediately raised after starting on an antidepressent, but for some reason it takes weeks for them to work properly. Our understanding is very rudimentary. We generally know what is going on in terms of a macro scale, but on terms of a microscale, which is necessary to understand how the brain forms its neural networks which influence most of our lives, we really don't know. Genetically, we only know a little too. Some genes have been conclusively identified. Others 'maybe'. And that's only because we've taken the genes of people who have these disorders and compared them. Its the only proof we have for now. Mental illness is EXTREMELY complicated and brought on by both environmental and genetic causes. Depression for some may be a series of learned behaviors that need to be unlearned, some its a biological mechanism and for some its both. Not to mention that many people believe we're missing key types of mental illnesses because we don't know the biological factors involved. Autisim is likely a problem of the formation of neural networks regarding emotion, cognition and problem solving. Which involves gene regulation and neuronal growth. We have absolutely no clue why the brain grows neurons in the ways that it does, what determines when the brain destroys neuronal networks as we age, and which neural networks it keeps.

Also curing what is essentially a personality disorder? We can't even cure depression or 'simple' mental illness, not to mention something that defines an entire person. Not for at least 200 years. That's how far away we are from understanding the brain. What you can do is mitigate how severe it is by catching it early when the brain is still forming. If you catch autisim early, you can make it less severe through stringent behavioral therapy. Which costs a fortune. Other than that, it really isn't possible. CBT and intense behavior therapy is really only mitigating it. You basically have to teach them every social cue, including ones we probably don't even know about.

Also, we do have evidence that behavioral therapy can influence the way neurons grow and that we loose neuronal connections as we age since they either go unused or the body decides they are no longer needed. The older you are, the more the pathways are established and the harder it is to alter them. So far the best bet is early detection and intensive therapy. And not even that is a guarantee, meaning that there are probably several types of Autisim we just don't even know about yet.

 

[UptownRuckus]

Therapy. Tons of it

 

[edward viii]

I will add something on to my original of hypothesis. Well advanced maternal age could account for some of the tism we're seeing now but I don't think it can explain all of it .does anyone think that the level of pollution in the water and the air might be contributing to brain damage among children what we now consider autism. I'm not trying to sound like Alex Jones but I do believe the effects of pollution and toxic metals has an impact on the way a child develops. I remember a study a few months back that linked autism to mercury exposure. The children that had autism were found to have more mercury in there baby teeth. I don't think kids are exposed to this metal in the vaccines rather I think they come in contact with it through the water supply and through the air they breather

 

[fuckaidsrape]

Probably some form of excitotoxic brain damage, hence why people on the mild end of the spectrum are just neurotic and obsessive and people on the extreme end are literal re.tards who cannot speak or think.

 

[Somsnosa]

does anyone think that the level of pollution in the water and the air might be contributing to brain damage among children what we now consider autism.

I'd exclude that. Pollution and intoxication from mercury and similar materials are proven to cause tumors and cancer. It's a whole lotta different thing

I say it's a mixture of genetics and social contact, sometimes lack of social contact only. Like a child might be born completely sane and natural but if they don't get to learn what body languages and words mean, later in their puberty they will be diagnosed with a light form of autism. So it's a mental issue you can get without natural means, like depression and anxiety

 

[Miss Hortensia]

I'm not trying to sound like Alex Jones but I do believe the effects of pollution and toxic metals has an impact on the way a child develops. I remember a study a few months back that linked autism to mercury exposure. The children that had autism were found to have more mercury in there baby teeth. I don't think kids are exposed to this metal in the vaccines rather I think they come in contact with it through the water supply and through the air they breather

If Autism were really related to environmental pollution and vaccinating, we would have a shit ton of Autists in East Germany (spoiler alarm: they don't have more spergs than the western federal states). The GDR enacted very early compulsory vaccinations and used serums after a much shorter time of testing as West Germany, e. g. they started to vaccinate against measles in the early sixties, while West waited until the mid seventies.

An East German child had to endure 17 compulsory shots until the age of 18 (combined vaccines weren't a big thing in the GDR). The vaccine against tuberculosis was even given right after birth.

Even Bitterfeld never faced a heavy plague of the 'tism, despite being the embodiment of an ecologist's nightmare .

 

[Terrorist]

Modern culture encourages autistic behavior, to the point of simulating it in neurotypical people. You see this in, for example, self-dx autists on tumblr, who are such stereotypically spergy people they figure they must actually be autistic. If you wanna "cure" autism, you would be like 75% of the way there if you just took away distractions like vidya/anime/etc. and got them fixated on something productive that forces them to go outside and do things.

 

[Todesfurcht]

I'm not sure what the cause of autism is, but some children can outgrow it.
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Whether it's from an incorrect diagnosis, or mellowing out with age, it seems that a small percentage loses their symptoms as they age.

I thought that was interesting.

 

[Wallace]

Incorrect diagnosis would be my guess. It's a trendy condition and popular, and tricky to diagnose. Developmental delays, learning disabilities, even hearing problems can give autism-like symptoms.

 

[Sweetpeaa]

I am not buying that Autism is genetic. Most Autistic kids are born to healthy, neurotypical parents. Yeah recessive genes, I get it but I'm not buying it though. They have never known what causes it and I don't think anyone ever will. The ''brain overgrowth'' theory is one of the only things that may have something to do with it.

Autism Study Shows Link to Brain Overgrowth

UC San Diego's Dr. Eric Courchesne explains how an overabundance of neurons in the front cortex of the brain leads to autism. He published an important resea...

www.youtube.com

 

[DK 699]

Autism is probably caused mostly by genetic factors (yes it's a little more complicated than that, but genetics is a big part of it). If it was up to me and I didn't care about the ethics or logistics then the answer would be eugenics.

 

[Sīn the Moon Daddy]

I don't think there's an increase in actual autism. We're just learning about all the strange people in the world and inventing new ways to label them and ironically be very autistic about the labels.

As far as curing it? If you can make someone who can only rock back and forth and moan live a more normal life then sure. Someone with a more mild form probably has nothing to be cured of though, it's just how they are. They're one of the strange people, just like most of us.

 

[Otterly]

I work with genetics and disease. (Powerlevel, sorry.)

Autism is probably caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Think of it like this: to hit ‘autism’ you need 100 points. Two unrelated children are born. One has a combination of genes that give them 20 points, and one with 80. Then unknown environmental factors add twenty points each. Child 1 is unaffected, child 2 is affected.

That’s v simplistic, but it seems to be a combination of at least a dozen genes plus factors we don’t understand. Vaccines are very unlikely- the epidemiology doesn’t support that. Viruses possibly. Gut bacteria possibly. Influences in the womb maybe.

It’s also possible that autism is an end point/symptom set rather than a single diagnosis in the same way that cancer is, or fever. Cancer can be the end result of many different processes, and fever is the result of a disease process too, not a thing that’s a disease in itself. The fact that there’s such a huge spectrum hints this is true. There may well be selective pressure to maintain some of these genes because some mild traits are beneficial and that may outweigh the extremes in a minority. (The classic example is of sickle cell anaemia persisting because the heterozygous condition in malarial areas.)
You can imagine a tribe benefitting from a few single minded, detail driven individuals- a tribe full of extrovert risk takers would be a disaster (you only need a few of them.)

Anyway. We don’t know. Probably several genes creating a susceptibility and then environmental factors on top

 

[queerape]

I think it may be that low functioning and high functioning autism are two different syndromes. Aspergers as separate was helpful so Im not entirely on board with the merging as one category. I have atypical high functioning ASD (it used to be classified as a type of learning disability pre DSM 5 though) and I think that a cure for autism should be available, but higher functioning autisics who can make the decision should have the right to forgo it if they see their condition as being part of who they are or if they are satisfied with accomodations. I personally don't think that I would need such a cure, as I have well made do with what I have and it would be a pain to have to learn to do everything normal again at this point in time.

 

[DK 699]

I work with genetics and disease. (Powerlevel, sorry.)

Autism is probably caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Think of it like this: to hit ‘autism’ you need 100 points. Two unrelated children are born. One has a combination of genes that give them 20 points, and one with 80. Then unknown environmental factors add twenty points each. Child 1 is unaffected, child 2 is affected.

That’s v simplistic, but it seems to be a combination of at least a dozen genes plus factors we don’t understand. Vaccines are very unlikely- the epidemiology doesn’t support that. Viruses possibly. Gut bacteria possibly. Influences in the womb maybe.

It’s also possible that autism is an end point/symptom set rather than a single diagnosis in the same way that cancer is, or fever. Cancer can be the end result of many different processes, and fever is the result of a disease process too, not a thing that’s a disease in itself. The fact that there’s such a huge spectrum hints this is true. There may well be selective pressure to maintain some of these genes because some mild traits are beneficial and that may outweigh the extremes in a minority. (The classic example is of sickle cell anaemia persisting because the heterozygous condition in malarial areas.)
You can imagine a tribe benefitting from a few single minded, detail driven individuals- a tribe full of extrovert risk takers would be a disaster (you only need a few of them.)

Anyway. We don’t know. Probably several genes creating a susceptibility and then environmental factors on top

I have done some reading on Autism (I mean some academic papers) and what I've read pretty much agrees with what you've said.

 

[Truthspeaker]

There's no way on Earth autism has a single cause any more than cancer or fever has a single cause. It would've been found by now, and autism expresses itself in too many different ways and degrees of severity to believe it could have a single cause.

Thus, like with cancer and fevers, there won't ever be a single cure. There'll be several things you can do for treatment, and specific things that cause the problem once isolated and understood could potentially have cures, but there'll never be a quinine for all autism.

 

[Sweetpeaa]

I'm guessing at this after everything I've seen in regards to Autism: Likely a gene problem but not necessarily hereditary. More likely a sporadic mutation that affects the way the brain functions.

This is a long shot too but I've noticed sometimes there is a slightly different head shape among Autistic's. Even people with mild Autism (formerly Asperger's). I've seen it several times, the head is slightly flat at the back and on the small side. It's impossible to properly explain.

 

[Jaimas]

One of my friends had a child with developmental troubles and they thought she was severely Autistic. However, in a desperate bid to improve the home environment, said friend had all of the Acrylic carpeting in her home removed. Like all of it. Just bare wood and tile.

The whole family got a whole lot healthier and the kid stopped having developmental disabilities, so I'd be willing to bet a bag of Hershey's Kisses that @Otterly's insight is spot on.

 

[He Who Points And Laughs]

Stay away from vaccines, they give autism.

There will be such a dilemma when an Autism vaccine hits the market.

 

[Niggerlicious]

I have a theory that autism is caused by the constant bleaching of our diet (as well as better recognizing the signs in said individuals). There are far less nutrients in all food than there has ever been in history. Without these nutrients which 99.9% humans have evolved on, the brain and body never fully develops, causing mental illness and chemical imbalances. Especially if the mother has a poor diet during pregnancy, lacking vital nutrients for what might otherwise be a mentally sound child. Rich and poor are both affected by this because the food industry does not care about us in the long term, it only cares about making money and keeping people just alive enough to continue consuming their products.

2 cents inputted, spergination over.