Could foals shed light on autism? Disorder
that causes newborn horses to seem detached
may have links to human condition
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Neonatal maladjustment syndrome causes the young horses
to seem detached and fail to recognise their mothers
Behaviour resembles some of the symptoms in children
with autism
Scientists think the equine condition is caused by abnormal
levels of naturally occurring neurosteroids – which
modulate perception
They're investigating if the chemicals are linked to childhood
autism
By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline
Published: 05:53 EST, 5 February 2015 | Updated: 10:25 EST, 5 February 2015
A disorder seen in newborn foals could help scientists explore autism in
humans.
The condition in horses, known as neonatal maladjustment syndrome, causes the
foals to seem detached and unable to recognise their mothers – similar
symptoms of which are sometimes observed in children with autism.
Scientists believe the equine condition is caused by abnormal levels of naturally
occurring neurosteroids – which modulate perception - and are exploring
whether the chemicals play a role in autism spectrum disorders.
They hope their efforts will help prevent and treat the disorder in foals and
advance research into autism, which affects more than three million people in
the United States and 700,000 people in the UK.
Veterinary professor John Madigan, from the University of California, Davis
said: ‘The behavioral abnormalities in these foals seem to resemble some of the
symptoms in children with autism.’
The maladjustment syndrome in foals interested Isaac Pessah, a professor of
molecular biosciences at the university who is interested in whether
environmental factors play a role in the development of autism.
He said: ‘There are thousands of potential causes for autism, but the one thing
that all autistic children have in common is that they are detached.’
Between three and five per cent of newborn foals have neonatal maladjustment
syndrome.
With a week of intensive bottle feeding or tube feeding, 80 per cent of foals
recover from the condition, but it is costly for their owners.
Scientists thought it was due to insufficient oxygen reaching foals at birth, but
hypoxia usually causes permanent damage, leading the experts to look at
naturally occurring neurosteroids, which keep a foal ‘quiet’ before birth.
WHAT IS NEONATAL MALADJUSTMENT SYNDROME?
The disorder affects between three and five per cent of newborn foals.
They seem detached, stumble around and don't recognise their mothers or have
any interest in nursing.
The syndrome has puzzled horse owners for centuries, but now scientists think
it may be triggered by abnormal levels of naturally occurring neurosteroids.
Neurosteroids act like a sedative to horses while they are in the womb, to stop
them from moving around, which would injure their mothers.
The experts believe that upon birth, a chemical ‘switch’ is flipped on, enabling a
foal to recognise its mother and begin to move and that the birthing process is
the signal.
But foals that are delivered by C-section or very quickly, may miss out on the
pressure of the birth canal, which may cause the 'switch' to be turned on.
The chemicals act like a sedative to prevent foals from ‘galloping’ in the womb
and injuring their mothers, but within a short time of birth, they wear off so that
a baby horse can stand up and become alert.
The experts believe that upon birth, a chemical ‘switch’ is flipped on, enabling a
foal to recognise its mother and begin to move.
Professor Madigan explained: ‘We believe that the pressure of the birth canal
during the second stage of labour, which is supposed to last 20 to 40 minutes, is
an important signal that tells the foal to quit producing the sedative
neurosteroids and “wake up.”’
The researchers’ theory is strengthened by the fact that maladjusted foal
syndrome is seen more frequently in foals delivered by caesarean section or
particularly rapid births.
Professor Madigan thinks it may be possible that the foals don’t experience
enough pressure to trigger the change in neurosteroids.
The scientists then found higher levels of neurosteroids in the bloodstreams of
foals born with symptoms of the syndrome.
They have also demonstrated that symptoms of the neonatal maladjustment
syndrome can be brought on in healthy foals, by giving them a short infusion of
a neurosteroid called allopregnanolone.
When the levels dropped, the foals returned to their normal state.
The scientists found an instantly practical way to reduce the symptoms of the
syndrome in newborn foals, by using loops of soft rope to gently squeeze a
foal’s upper torso, mimicking the pressure experienced at birth.
The result is that a foal lies down to sleep and wakes 20 minutes later –
approximately the same time it would spend in the birth canal – when the ropes
are relaxed.
So far, the animals seem to have recovered from the effects of the syndrome and
moved towards their mothers.
PEOPLE WITH AUTISM SEE FACES DIFFERENTLY, CLAIMS STUDY
People with autism see faces differently to their peers – a finding which may
explain why they sometimes have difficulty judging facial expressions.
Symptoms of this complex condition vary from person to person but they can
revolve around difficulty with social interaction and communication.
The latest discovery could improve understanding of people diagnosed with
autism, helping family members, friends and healthcare workers better
communicate with them.
Canadian researchers recruited 71 people, 33 people with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) and 33 people without the disorder.
The participants were presented 36 pairs of photographic and computer images
of emotionally neutral faces. They were asked to indicate which faces appear
'kind' to them.
With the photographic images of neutral faces were presented, the judgement of
the participants with ASD were mixed compared to the participants without the
disorder.
But the two groups made identical judgments about the computer images of
neutral faces.
When the computer image pairs contained less useful judgment clues – such as
less pronounced facial features – both groups have difficulty judging the face.
The identical results suggest it is not the judgement process itself that is
different in people with ASD, but the way they gather clues in the first place.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2939994/Could-foals-shed-lightautism-Disorder-causes-newborn-horses-detached-links-human-condition.html#ixzz3SgynEiVW
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