A recently conducted study by a team at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has established a link between a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to a heightened risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The research appeared in the journal JAMA Neurology. The research team believes the two conditions may share a number of underlying biological mechanisms.
The team based their study on data on more than two million individuals born in Sweden in the years 1974-1999. The registry data tracked these individuals starting at age 20 and the researchers analyzed this data covering those years until 2022.
The team was interested in establishing whether a connection existed between early onset PD and ASD. ASD affects the thought processes, interpersonal communication and behavior of individuals. PD, on the other hand, affects movement and locomotion.
The analysis revealed that people diagnosed with ASD had a 4x higher likelihood of developing PD when compared to individuals without an ASD diagnosis. This correlation remained despite the researchers controlling for genetic predisposition to developing mental ailments, socioeconomic factors and other such factors.
Weiyao Yin, the first author of the study, explains that their findings suggest that PD and ASD may be sharing biological drivers. He adds that the team hypothesizes that in both conditions, the dopamine system is impacted since dopamine has a vital influence on motion control and social behavior.
The scientific community has known for long that the neurons responsible for producing dopamine are degraded in individuals with PD. Previous studies have also suggested that dopamine could be implicated in ASD, but no solid studies have so far confirmed this possibility. Doctor Yin says the research team hopes that their findings would, in the end, contribute to bringing more clarity to the underlying mechanisms between autism and Parkinson’s.
The study had some limitations, such as its focus on early-onset PD among individuals who are not yet 50 years old. Study subjects had a mean age of 34. PD cases were therefore very low in the study population and additional research may need to be undertaken to ascertain whether this elevated PD risk among people with ASD remains high even when the people grow older.
It is noteworthy that autistic people often use antidepressants or antipsychotics. Antipsychotics have been documented to trigger symptoms similar to what PD patients manifest. Sven Sandin, an epidemiologist and statistician who is the last author of the study, pointed out that it is vital to undertake long-term observation of ASD sufferers taking psychotropics.
As more scientific data becomes available on the mechanisms that could be behind the development of Parkinson’s Disease, it is likely to get easier for many companies like Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) to bring to market next-gen medications indicated for PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CLNN
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