Family Studies of Sensorimotor and Neurocognitive Heterogeneity Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex heritable neurodevelopmental disorders. It is likely that these disorders include individuals with different familial etiopathological mechanisms, and thus identifying biologically homogeneous subgroups of affected individuals and families is an important step to speed identification of risk genes and the development of more individualized and effective treatments. Using eye movement testing, we previously identified a profile of neurophysiological alterations in unaffected parents and siblings of individuals with ASD that was strikingly similar to that we and others have reported in ASD patients. During the past year, we have enrolled 11 family trios with a child with ASD. Each family member has completed oculomotor and manual motor testing. Initial analyses performed during the past year have documented manual motor dysmetria and reduced inhibitory control of manual motor and oculomotor responses in individuals with ASD. These findings, combined with our prior study of oculomotor deficits in individuals with ASD and their unaffected first-degree relatives, suggest that data from our ongoing family study may greatly enhance our understanding of familial phenotypes in ASD and the sensorimotor deficits that characterize this disorder.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA574855
Entities
People
- John A. Sweeney
- Matthew W. Mosconi
Organizations
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center