r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Feb 08 '25

Neuroscience Specific neurons that secrete oxytocin in the brain are disrupted in a mouse model of autism, neuroscientists have found. Stimulating these neurons restored social behaviors in these mice. These findings could help to develop new ways to treat autism.

https://www.riken.jp/en/news_pubs/research_news/rr/20250207_1/index.html
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u/BlueDotty Feb 08 '25

Treatment would be welcome for those struggling with having high support needs.

I am low support needs and wouldn't seek out a treatment / medication to alter my Atypical brain. I like how it functions

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u/SocDemGenZGaytheist Feb 09 '25 edited Feb 09 '25

As much as I agree that “treating autism” can be unnecessary and sometimes even unhelpful, especially when unwanted, I recently learned about one way that autistic people with low support needs require more treatment: depression, and especially self-harm.

In their meta-analysis of 66 studies, Hudson et al. (2019) found that “individuals with ASD are 4-times more likely to experience depression in their lifetime” than individuals without — but “Rates were also higher in studies that included participants with higher intelligence.” Similarly, “Mayes et al. (2011a) reported that more children with high functioning autism had symptoms of anxiety, depression, and irritability than children with low functioning autism.”

Alarmingly, Santomauro et al. (2024) found in a meta-analysis of 10 studies “of 10.4 million persons” that “Autistic persons without intellectual disability were more than five times more likely to die by suicide compared to non-autistic persons,” while intellectually disabled autistic people were 1.03 times as likely. Only “high-functioning” autism significantly raises a person's suicide risk.

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u/sumpfkraut666 Feb 09 '25

With the increase in diagnosis this might change over time and not inherently tied to high-functioning autism.

If you get diagnosed later in life then the increased depression might be a result from the lack of proper treatment.

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u/ImS0hungry Feb 09 '25

Anecdotally, it was the difference between my expectations and reality. I was able to look back and see paths I could have been on had I had treatment earlier; so much wasted potential.