Autism Isโ Not a Single Condition and Has No Single Cause, Scientists Conclude
Groundbreaking research from the University ofโ Cambridge suggests autism is likely not a single, unified condition, but rather encompasses a range of distinct presentations with differing origins. A new study reveals significant genetic and developmental differences between individuals diagnosed with autism in early childhood versus those diagnosed later in life.
The โฃresearch, published last week in the journal Nature, analyzed data from over 45,000 autistic individuals acrossโ diverse cohorts in Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.Researchers linked genetic information to the age at whichโ individuals received โtheir autism diagnosis, uncovering a striking divergence between the twoโ groups -โฃ with only a โslight overlap in genetic profiles.
The study found that children diagnosed before the โคage of six typically exhibited early-onset behavioral difficulties, โคparticularly in social interaction. Conversely, those โdiagnosed after the age of tenโข were more likely toโค experience social โand behavioral challenges during adolescence,โค alongside a higher predisposition to mental health conditions like depression.
Notably, the genetic profile of individuals diagnosed โlater in life moreโข closely resembled thoseโ with ADHD and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder than the genetic profiles of those with “classic” autism identified in early childhood. this suggests a potential overlapโข in underlying biological factors with other neurodevelopmental conditions.
“for โคthe first time, we have found that earlier and later diagnosed autism have different โขunderlying biological and developmentalโข profiles,” explained Varun Warrier, a researcherโ in the Department of Psychiatry atโฃ the University of Cambridge and lead author of the paper, in a press statement.โ “The term ‘autism’ likely describes โขmultiple conditions.”
The findings indicate that the timing of an โautism diagnosis isn’t arbitrary, but rather reflects underlying genetic differences โฃthat, in certain specific โขcases, correlate with risks for other conditions. This research underscores โthe complexity of autism and highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of โit’s diverse presentations and causes.