Hormone Levels in Infants Linked to Autism

A potential biomarker for autism has been identified in infants: the levels of a hormone called vasopressin found circulating in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Stanford Medicine researchers discovered that vasopressin levels were much lower in babies who were diagnosed with autism later in childhood.

Vasopressin is an antidiuretic hormone that plays a role in maintaining the volume of water in the extracellular fluid, or the fluid space that surrounds cells. This is critical to maintain proper cellular function and is among a myriad of other molecules found in the CSF, a clear, colourless fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Karen Parker, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and her research team found that the hormone is also linked to autism. The team’s previous studies brought to light how children and adolescents with the lowest levels of CSF vasopressin and the most severe autism symptoms. Interestingly, administering vasopressin to these individuals resulted in an improvement in their social abilities.

In their latest study, published in PNAS, the researchers tracked vasopressin levels in samples of babies’ CSF that were taken during routine medical checks and stored for research purposes. Out of almost 1,000 samples, the researchers identified 11 infants who were diagnosed with…