Families of Autistic Children Have Abnormal Eye Movements

The number of children diagnosed with autism is on the rise. As many as one child in a hundred suffers with this perplexing disorder that's so poorly understood. Recently, scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago discovered that families of autistic children frequently have abnormal eye movements - similar to those seen in children diagnosed with autism. Could this open up new avenues for autism research?

Children Diagnosed with Autism Have Abnormal Eye Movements

Children who have autism often have abnormal eye movements, especially when tracking objects. When following an object with their eyes, they don't track it as smoothly as a normal child. Instead, they have saccadic eye movements - where their eyes move with small rapid movements or jerks. They also have atypical eye movements during REM sleep - the sleep period when most dreams occur. Some researchers believe these abnormal eye movements can be used to identify infants at high risk for autism and other developmental problems.

Families of Autistic Children Have Abnormal Eye Movements Too

When researchers at the University of Chicago tested the eye movements of fifty-seven first-degree relatives of autistic children, they discovered close family members had abnormal movements when tracking or following objects visually - similar to eye movements seen in children with autism. Several brain pathways are involved in controlling movements of the eyes - including the frontal lobe of the brain, the basal ganglia, and the cerebellum. This suggests that both autistic children and their close family members may have similar defects in these areas of the brain.

Is Autism Genetic?

Siblings of autistic children are more likely to have autism themselves, which means there's probably a genetic component. Despite this, scientists don't believe a single gene causes autism - or that genetics is the only factor. Environment seems to play an important role. Some researchers believe environmental toxins, viruses, or even vaccines could be a factor in triggering this disease.

Abnormal Eye Movements in Families of Autistic Children: What Does It Mean?

Researchers hope that by studying these abnormal eye movements in families of autistic children, they can gain a better understanding of exactly what portions of the brain are involved in autism - and what role genetics play in the development of this disease. Hopefully, further studies will shed new light on this complex condition.

References:

Archives of General Psychiatry, August 2010.
J Autism Child Schizophr. 1976 Sep;6(3):275-88.