Well, not vaccination or even equination. That much we know.
Fetal Signs of Autism
If ASD is mostly genetic, however, evidence should go back even further, to the womb. The first such evidence was published in the NEJM in 2014. Researchers examined the brains of children with ASD who died. The autopsies revealed patches of disruption in the normal 6-layer structure of the cortex. These layers form early in development, and the changes seen had to occur during that phase of brain development, which puts the onset of ASD in early fetal development.
There is also more direct evidence. A study from January 2022 found an association between ultrasonography fetal anomalies (UFAs) and a later diagnosis of ASD, compared to their neurotypical siblings and age-matched general population controls. Further, the number of UFAs correlated with the severity of symptoms of ASD.
A more recent study used MRI scans to examine the brains in utero of children with and without a later clinical diagnosis of ASD. This study allowed for a more detailed examination of fetal brains than ultrasound. They found:
The insula/insular lobe showed statistically significantly larger volume in ASD than that in all three control groups in the lobar comparison. In the regional comparison, the ASD group had statistically significantly larger amygdala, hippocampal commissure, and insula compared to the non-ASD controls with neurological and non-neurological comorbidities.
These findings correlate with features of the ASD brain in adults, so this is likely not a random fluke.
We now have multiple studies that convincingly demonstrate that ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests mostly in late gestation. There are strong genetic correlates, but the environment of the womb appears to also play a role. However, this consensus of evidence is incompatible with the notion that childhood vaccines play any role in ASD.
Doctor X wrote: ↑Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:54 pm
To my knowledge there is not "one" "t3h autisms," but the more severe appear to be developmental.
– J.D.
Now that you mention it, that is a question that has crossed my mind too. Are things that aren't really related being lumped together under the umbrella of "autism spectrum disorder"? :notsure:
Fwiw: https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
* In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association merged four distinct autism diagnoses into one umbrella diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They included autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome.
The Asperger syndrome is the mildest one, I think. I've even wondered in the past whether I might have it, although I never sought a formal diagnosis. But the associated personality traits seemed to coincide with my own personality. But ultimately I thought that maybe it isn't so useful to think of it as a medical issue given that I've lived a fairly normal life so far, had a stint in the Navy, and been able to hold down a full time job, a marriage and a family. IOW, even if I do have it, it hasn't prevented me from living a normal life.
But what is the advantage of merging four different diagnoses into one, I wonder? :notsure:
It is sort of like dementia. There are many causes of dementia. While it may seem like the treatment for all of them are "fuck all," things like multi-infarct dementia have a different discrete cause than, say, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Lewy-Body dementia, et cetera.
The question is whether or not all of those are actually distinct entities or simply results of the same basic cause.