Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been a growing condition
in the last two decades, with expression in the population rising from 1 in
2000-2500 to 1 in 88 diagnoses. This could be a legitimate increasing in the
numbers affected within the population or simply the increased recognition and
broadening definition for this disorder, but ultimately it leads to the
important fact that this field requires our attention. People with ASDs develop
poorly in terms of communication and social interaction, as well as tending to
lag in cognitive development and presenting with repetitive patterns in their
daily lives. The degree of impairment in these categories can vary, with individuals
diagnosed with Asperger syndrome for example not demonstrating impaired
language development or cognition.
There is a theory within the field that an autonomic defect results
in over expression of the fight or flight response characteristic of the
sympathetic nervous system and that this results in developmental impairment and
consequential responses that lead to autism. As such, a potential target for treatment
is the regulation of this pathway. Dr. Sugarman et al. have proposed one such novel
treatment in the form of hypnosis and biofeedback. Children with autism monitor
and learn to correlate and manipulate electronic biofeedback with their
emotions, with the intention of being able to regulate their sympathetic fight
or flight response. This control is than integrated into their normal lives, such
as with the use of the autistic patient's symptomatic repetitive behaviours.
Further research into the autonomic nervous system's effect
in development of ASDs is worth investigating. The field would benefit from
further understanding of the underlying biology as well as the discovery of potential
new treatment approaches, both psychotherapeutic and pharmaceutical.
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Sugarman LI, Garrison BL, and Williford KL. 2013 Sep. Symptoms
as solutions: hypnosis and biofeedback for autonomic regulation in autism
spectrum disorders. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. 56:152-173.
Broek JAC, Brombacher E, Stelzhammer V, Guest PC, Rahmoune
H, Bahn S. 2013 Nov. The need for a comprehensive molecular characterization of
autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 1-23.
Erik,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! After doing some additional research I found that indeed a lot of research is being done on ASD's and autonomic NS regulation.
One article found suggested that direct gazes stimulated a fight or flight (ANS) response more so in ASD subjects. The article went on to say that measuring ANS response can be very complex. They attempted to measure pupillary reaction and found no significant response, however other groups with different testing methods did find a significant response.
I think you make a great point that as we see greater numbers of ASD patients we need to have more tools for helping these patients and for understanding the physiology and psychology behind what is going on in their bodies.
Ref:
Cheshire WP. Highlights in clinical autonomic neuroscience: new insights into autonomic dysfunction in autism. Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical 171: 4–7, 2012.