Low levels of the hormone vasopressin in early infancy may presage an autism diagnosis in childhood, according to a new study1.
Although preliminary, the results suggest that testing vasopressin levels — particularly in infants with high odds of having autism — could flag the condition in the first few months of life.
Early identification would allow autistic children to start therapies far sooner than is currently possible, says co-lead investigator Karen Parker, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University in California.
“By the time a child receives an autism diagnosis, they’re pretty far along the path of having these robust social impairments,” Parker says.
The researchers suggest that if their findings can be replicated in a much larger, prospective study, measurement of the neurochemical marker could “transform how ASD is detected, both in behaviorally symptomatic children, and in infants at risk for developing it.”
The investigators reported on their results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), in a paper titled, “Neonatal CSF vasopressin concentration predicts later medical record diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.” The study’s first author is Ozge Oztan, PhD, a research scientist in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford.
The co-senior authors are Karen Parker, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University’s department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and John Constantino, MD, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis.
ASD is a brain disorder characterized by social interaction impairments and restricted, repetitive behaviors. The condition is currently diagnosed on the basis of behavioral criteria, the authors explained, because disease biology remains poorly understood, and no robust biomarkers have yet been identified. “Consequently, there are no laboratory-based diagnostic tests to detect, or medications to treat, ASD’s core features.”
Even without effective medications, early ASD diagnosis provides the opportunity for intensive behavioral therapy, which leads to better developmental outcomes. “When young children aren’t appropriately processing basic social stimuli early in life, it puts their brains on a different developmental trajectory,” said Parker.
