Is autism a homogeneous disorder?

ASD, however, is a highly heterogeneous disorder. This heterogeneity has made identifying the etiology of ASD a particularly difficult challenge, as patients exhibit a wide spectrum of symptoms without any unifying genetic or environmental factors to account for the disorder.

What is subthreshold autism?

Subthreshold autism is the term that refers to a person who has some features of autism, but not all of them. It is also used to describe a person’s condition when the symptoms of their autism are comparatively mild.

What does autism do to the cerebellum?

Abnormalities of cerebellar function in autism and ASD are associated with deficits in cognitive and motor behavior, and social reward. Imaging studies indicate that in addition to neuropathological changes, the cerebellum is functionally abnormal in ASD patients.

What are the physical neurological symptoms of autism?

Neurological comorbidities are common in ASD and are associated with more severe phenotype, therefore warranting attention. Motor impairment includes both developmental delays and deficits, include stereotypies, dyspraxia, incoordination and gait impairments, and are often associated with cognitive impairment.

Is autism homogeneous or heterogeneous?

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) display significant heterogeneity. Although most neuroimaging studies in ASD have been designed to identify commonalities among affected individuals, rather than differences, some studies have explored variation within ASD.

Why is autism a heterogeneous disorder?

Genetic variability is considered a major contributor to the heterogeneity of ASD. High-throughput genomic methods are rapidly increasing the pool of ASD genes and in doing so expanding the genetic variability associated with ASD heterogeneity [55].

Is atypical autism the same as Aspergers?

These three disorders share many of the same symptoms, but they differ in their severity and impact. Autistic disorder was the most severe. Asperger’s Syndrome, sometimes called high-functioning autism, and PDD-NOS, or atypical autism, were the less severe variants.

What part of the brain is damaged in autism?

The cerebellum is one of the key brain regions affected by autism. The researchers found that neurons that lacked the RNF8 protein formed about 50 percent more synapses — the connections that allow neurons to send signals from one to another — than those with the gene. And the extra synapses worked.

Do people with autism have a smaller cerebellum?

Autistic people have decreased amounts of brain tissue in parts of the cerebellum, the brain structure at the base of the skull, according to a meta-analysis of 17 imaging studies5.

What kind of neurological disorder is autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life. It affects how a person acts and interacts with others, communicates, and learns. It includes what used to be known as Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorders.

How does autism affect the brain and nervous system?

ASD has been linked to abnormal social brain function and neurological disorder [19]. As a disorder that features profound deficits in several aspects of social perception and cognition, neuroanatomical structure of the brain has become the focus in understanding brain mechanisms in research related to ASD.

Who is Russell Blaylock and what does he do?

Russell L Blaylock (born 1945) is an alternative health promoting physician who lives in Jackson, Miss. Blaylock has appeared all over the food-related advocacy space and has been around the voodoo health claims circuit. Among his earlier campaigns Blaylock opposed food additives like aspartame and MSG.

What kind of alternative medicine does Russell Blaylock use?

To herbal medicine and alternative treatment groups, he sells alternative treatments for neurological disorders that he claims stem from aspartame, MSG and other food additives.

Why did Russell Blaylock oppose the use of face masks?

After public health officials recommended the use of masks to limit the spread of SARS-COV-2, Blaylock argued that face coverings were not only ineffective, but made the virus more dangerous.

Who is Russell Blaylock on the 700 Club?

Blaylock has appeared on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), including on the network’s The 700 Club, a talk show started by televangelist Pat Robertson. Blaylock states that he has also been a guest on over fifty syndicated radio programs, and is a frequent guest on Alex Jones Infowars.com.