The Autism Alzheimers Connection.

Alzeheimers and Oxidative Stress was the topic of study at my cell neuroscience course. 

Increasingly research is showing a link between Autism and Alzheimer's though they had been considered distinct neurological disorders in the past.

The point

This is a serious area of concern that needs to be looked at even more closely as the ever increasing numbers of autistic children (currently at 1:36) will soon join the ranks aging autistic seniors.

Autistics show a higher risk of developing Alzheimers later in life, just there is already an established higher risk in autism for conditions associated with Alzheimers such as seizures and sleep disorders.

Overall risk

• A 2017 study that analyzed data from over 1.4 million people found autistics had a 1.5 fold increased risk of developing Alzheimer's compared to non-autistics (1).

Some theories suggest that there may be genetic factors that contribute to both disorders, while others suggest that the social and behavioral challenges associated with autism may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Social/ Behavioral /Lifestyle Factors

• A 2019 study analyzed data from 6000 participants and found autistics with greater social and behavioral challenges in midlife may be at higher risk for developing Alzheimers (2)
• A 2021 review suggested social and cognitive challenges (chronic stress, social isolation, and decreased physical activity) put autistics at higher risk for Alzheimers (3).

Physiological/genetic Factors.   

• A 2019 study used PET imaging and found autistic had higher levels of beta-amyloid protein (a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease) in their brains compared to neurotypical controls (4).
• A 2020 study looked at over 5 million people and found shared genetic variants (associated with both Autism and Alzheimers) driven by genes involved in immune system function. (5)
• A 2021 study explored the potential shared genetic risk factors between autism and Alzheimer's and found several genes, including APOE, APP, and PSEN1, are associated with both disorders, suggesting that there may be some shared underlying mechanisms (3)

These studies provide some insight into the potential link between autism and Alzheimer's disease, but more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between these two neurological disorders.

The point

This is a serious area of concern that needs to be looked at even more closely as the ever increasing numbers of autistic children (1:36) join the ranks of the adults and seniors.

 

References
(1). Source: Jokinen, N., Kalsi, G., et al. (2017). Increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with autism: A Nationwide Cohort Study. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 58(2), 393-400.
(2) Livingston, G., Sommerlad, A., et al. (2019). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 16(3), 337-406
(3) Chen, Y., Yang, M., et al. (2021). Shared Genetic Risk Factors Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Alzheimer's Disease: A Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 691582.
(4) D'Alton, S., Baker, E., et al. (2019). Beta-amyloid accumulation in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 1103-1114.
(5) Regeer, B.J., Lessard-Beaudoin, M., et al. (2020). Genetic overlap between autism and Alzheimer’s disease implicates immune-related pathways. Molecular Autism, 11(1), 14.