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The Perfect Storm: Preterm Birth, Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms, and Autism Causation

Carmina Erdei, Olaf Dammann

    Perspectives in Biology and Medicine
    |October 27, 2015
    PubMed

    Insights

    Autism is an ongoing process, not static. This model links preterm birth, immune factors, neurodevelopment, and prolonged neuroinflammation to autism

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Developmental Biology
    • Immunology

    Background:

    • A unified model for autism causation is lacking, hindering effective interventions.
    • Existing research suggests links between preterm birth, immune system characteristics, and autism.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To propose a process model for autism etiology and pathogenesis.
    • To reframe autism as an ongoing developmental process rather than a static condition.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of evidence linking preterm birth, immune factors, and autism.
    • Proposal of a causation process model integrating neurodevelopment and neuroinflammation.

    Main Results:

    • Autism is presented as a dynamic process involving neurodevelopmental and neuroinflammatory mechanisms.
    • The proposed model incorporates preterm birth and immune system characteristics.

    Conclusions:

    • A process model viewing autism as an ongoing phenomenon, involving neurodevelopment and sustained neuroinflammation, is proposed.
    • This model offers a mechanistic framework for understanding autism causal pathways and developing interventions.

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