New research has uncovered an intriguing fact – children with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) are about 14xs as likely to develop autism spectrum disorder as children without DM1.
This finding is significant considering DM1 is genetic and also affects how the brain develops early in life. Early in life, DM1 can potentially alter neural pathways that contribute to a person’s communication, behavior, and ability to socialize. It can also impact how the person processes information.
These two factors are also hallmarks of autism, so they could provide some insights for researchers into how autism develops.
Right now, scientists believe a person inherits DM1 as a faulty gene. DM1 is much rarer than autism, and not everyone with DM1 is also on the spectrum. Researchers are currently attempting to understand whether autism might also develop as a result of inheriting the same or a similar faulty gene.
With DM1, DNA in a specific DMPK gene repeat in error. Researchers call this repeating mistake tandem repeat expansions (TREs). When these TREs are present, the gene often malfunctions, causing the gene to not work as it’s intended to, and the individual to display difficulties in different areas. With DM1, the errors specifically cause issues like progressive muscle weakness and involuntary movements. With autism, it’s believed that these errors might cause or contribute to autistic symptoms like difficulty with communication.
When functional errors are present in DNA, it leads to protein imbalances that affect other genes. That, in turn, impacts brain functioning. With DM1 specifically, researchers think the impairments cause symptoms like repetitive movements, sensory issues, and a lack of coordination. The reason for this is because the TREs act in a toxic way, absorbing important proteins from the genome that are needed in other parts.
While research is still in its very early days, scientists hope that this discovery can help them find new approaches to autism spectrum disorder treatment, including potentially developing therapies that release much-needed proteins back into the individual’s genome. In theory, these essential proteins could repair errors in genes as well as prevent future errors from appearing.
How the Nevada Autism Center Serves Families in Las Vegas
For now, one of the leading ways of helping autistic individuals thrive is by providing them with the right support, therapy, and resources to assist them in becoming as independent as possible. Equipped with the right information, autistic individuals and their families can build a lifestyle that identifies and addresses their specific needs.
Here at the Nevada Autism Center, our goal is to empower bright futures. We offer assessments, ABA therapy, opportunities for socialization, family guidance, summer camps, and school readiness programs. If your child could benefit from in-clinic therapy, then we’d love to hear from you.
We currently accept Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, United Healthcare, and Health Plan of Nevada.
Call our team now at (702) 660-2005 to learn more about our services, or get started on enrolling in our services by filling out our online form.
