In monkeys, researchers find possible biological marker of autism
A hormone that regulates blood pressure might be useful as an early signpost of autism, a new study suggests.
Researchers have been left empty-handed so far in their quest to uncover some measurable biological signal that could be used to diagnose autism spectrum disorder, leaving clinicians to identify the condition just based on a child’s behavior.
But on Wednesday, scientists reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine that a hormone that regulates blood pressure could be one of those signposts.
They found that low concentrations of the molecule — called arginine vasopressin, or AVP — in the cerebrospinal fluid corresponded to autism-like social behavior in male monkeys, while a high AVP concentration signaled the
