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Molecular biomarkers to track clinical improvement following an integrative treatment model in autistic toddlers
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 April 2021
Abstract
Identifying an objective, laboratory-based diagnostic tool (e.g. changes in gene expression), when used in conjunction with disease-specific clinical assessment, could increase the accuracy of the effectiveness of a therapeutic intervention.
We assessed the association between treatment outcome and blood RNA expression before the therapeutic intervention to post-treatment (after 1 year) of five autism spectrum disorder (ASD) toddlers who underwent an intensive cognitive-behavioural intervention integrated with psychomotor and speech therapy.
We found 113 significant differentially expressed genes enriched for the nervous system, immune system, and transcription and translation-related pathways. Some of these genes, as MALAT-1, TSPO, and CFL1, appear to be promising candidates.
Our findings show that changes in peripheral gene expression could be used in conjunction with clinical scales to monitor a rehabilitation intervention’s effectiveness in toddlers affected by ASD. These results need to be validated in a larger cohort.
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- Short Communication
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- © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology
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