April 29, 2024
- A team of Mexican scientists has recently investigated experiments that used animal models to assess the effects of antibiotics on the brain and behavior. The study reviewed both the beneficial and detrimental effects of antibiotics administered to rodents during prenatal or postnatal periods, which explored different protocols that mimic various diseases and behavioral conditions like learning, memory, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and ASD. Ultimately, the study highlights the complex relationship between antibiotics, gut microbiota, and health/disease outcomes, emphasizing the need for responsible antibiotic use and further research to understand their long-term effects on human health.
- Researchers at the University of Virginia, as part of the NIH’s Autism Center of Excellence initiative, employed Diffusion MRI to investigate brain structures in individuals with ASD. This innovative technique revealed microstructural differences, including slower electrical conductivity in the brains of individuals with autism, attributed to variations in axon diameter. By integrating mathematical models, the team correlated these structural variances with functional impacts on neuronal electrical conduction and information processing. Importantly, these findings directly correlate with autism diagnostic scores, paving the way for more accurate diagnostic tools and targeted therapeutic interventions in ASD.
- A new study has investigated the impact of prenatal and early-life exposure to air pollutants on cognitive and adaptive outcomes in children, distinguishing between those with and without ASD. Using data from the CHARGE case-control study spanning birth years 2000-2016, daily air concentrations of pollutants, including NO2, O3, and specific particulate matter sizes (PM0.1, PM0.1-2.5, PM2.5-10), were predicted using chemical transport models. Results revealed that pre-pregnancy O3 exposure was strongly associated with poorer cognitive and adaptive scores in non-ASD children, while PM0.1 concentrations during the second year of life showed similar negative associations. These findings underscore the potential role of ozone and ultrafine particulate matter as environmental risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- A 2021 study led by Laura Hewitson has recently been retracted. Concerns were raised by other researchers regarding the analysis methods and reproducibility of the results presented in “Blood Biomarker Discovery for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Proteomic Analysis.” Therefore, the editors at PLOS ONE retracted the article. The authors are modifying their original work and repeating the study.
