The face and brain develop in coordination, with each influencing
the other, beginning in the embryo and continuing through
adolescence. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found
distinct differences between the facial characteristics of children
with autism compared to those of typically developing children.
This knowledge could help researchers understand the origins of
autism.
"There is no clear answer about whether autism is caused by
genetics or by environmental influences," said Kristina Aldridge,
lead author and assistant professor of anatomy in the MU School of
Medicine and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental
Disorders. "If we can identify when these facial changes occur, we
could pinpoint when autism may begin to develop in a child. Knowing
that point in time could lead us to identify a genetic cause, a
window of time when the embryo may be susceptible to an
environmental factor, or both."
Aldridge and colleagues found the following distinct differences
between facial characteristics of children with autism and those of
typically developing children:
She says these are subtle differences that will enable researchers
to further study people with autism spectrum disorders.
Aldridge analyzed 64 boys with autism and 41 typically developing
boys aged eight to 12 years old, using a camera system that
captures a 3-D image of each child's head. Then, she mapped 17
points on the face, such as the corner of the eye and the divot in
the upper lip. When Aldridge calculated the overall geometry of the
face using these points, and compared children with autism and
typically developing children, she found statistically significant
differences in face shape.
Understanding that people with autism have statistically different
facial characteristics enables researchers to focus on the
underlying causes of autism, Aldridge said. Additionally, the study
identified two groups of children with autism who show further
distinct facial traits that occur in children with specific
characteristics of autism, such as behavior problems, language
level and repetitive behaviors. Identifying these subgroups within
the group of children with autism allows better study of these
children and why autism is so variable.
"This research would not be possible without the children and their
families that participated," Aldridge said. "Their help is key to
advancing research and helping us better understand autism, and how
to develop better treatments. We are also indebted to the
University of Missouri's Thompson Center for Autism and
Neurodevelopmental Disorders for their support of this project and
the care it provides for children with autism and their families in
Missouri."
The study was published in Molecular
Autism. Aldridge collaborated with Ian George, a graduate
student in the School of Medicine; Kimberly Cole, a research
technician at the School of Medicine; Jordan Austin, a senior in
the College of Arts and Science; T. Nicole Takahashi, project
director at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental
Disorders; Ye Duan, associate professor of computer science in the
College of Engineering and the Thompson Center; Judith Miles,
professor emerita in the School of Medicine and the Thompson
Center. The entire team is affiliated with the Thompson Center.
This research was supported by an Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Program grant, the Simons Foundation and the Thompson Center
Research Scholar Funds.
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University of Missouri-Columbia:
Thanks to University of Missouri-Columbia for this
article.