Thread

Autism is genetic – and why this information matters now

100 points · 116 comments · AndrewDucker

profsummergig · 1789598299 · focus · HN ↗
So many misconceptions in this writeup.
Here's one: even if it were genetic, there could be triggering environmental factors that trigger the onset of autism (I'm just giving a hypothetical example, not making a claim here).
1. nomel · 1789605863 · focus · HN ↗
  For example, 45% reduction in symptoms from fecal transplant: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48158494">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48158494
  > Prior to the study, 83% of participants had "severe" autism. Two years later, only 17% were rated as severe, 39% as mild or moderate, and incredibly, 44% were below the cut-off for mild ASD.
  Incredible! Sure, there could be a genetic component to what flourishes, or ever seeded, in one's microflora, but there's definitely some external complexities involved here.
  1. donkey_brains · 1789615965 · focus · HN ↗
    Of all the misguided, abusive studies. It beggars belief that a board somehow approved this.
    What happened here is simple: the autistic kids got better at masking in order to placate the researchers who were shoving poop up their butts. In the hope of making it stop.
    Llamamoe · 1789633207 · focus · HN ↗
    This might have been plausible if this study came out of nowhere but there have been placebo controlled studies inducing/reversing autism-like symptoms in mice with fecal transplants and studies linking individual git microbiome metabolites to symptom severity in both animal models and humans.
    Yeah the research is still preliminary but it's still pretty strong evidence that it's a research direction worth exploring.
    bcjdjsndon · 1789635293 · focus · HN ↗
    Why doesn't it cure any actual symptoms like not being able to communicate though? The symptoms quote/unquote are behaviour

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.