Page 1 of 1 [ 7 posts ] 

QuiversWhiskers
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 May 2014
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Posts: 616

Janissy
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 5 May 2009
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,450
Location: x

17 Feb 2015, 5:12 pm

Well....maybe. But a sample size of 6 AS and 6 NT for a total of 12 is just too tiny to tell. They do realize this. They have to test a much larger sample to make sure it's consistent. With such a tiny sample it might just be artifact.



QuiversWhiskers
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 May 2014
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Posts: 616

17 Feb 2015, 5:15 pm

Yep. That's why I said possible. I was disappointed when I read the study had such a small sample size, but I guess it is a "feeler" study meant to see if there is reason for further research.



TheAP
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 28 Dec 2014
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Posts: 20,314
Location: Canada

17 Feb 2015, 5:34 pm

My question is, did ALL of the children with autism have these differences in proteins, and NONE of the NT children? I doubt a saliva sample would be enough to categorically identify autism.



Tuttle
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,088
Location: Massachusetts

18 Feb 2015, 1:45 pm

TheAP wrote:
My question is, did ALL of the children with autism have these differences in proteins, and NONE of the NT children? I doubt a saliva sample would be enough to categorically identify autism.


Having all people having a result, is actually a problem in research, because it messing with doing statistics. You need to be able to talk about variation in order to do the statistical analysis. There was actually an interesting thing a few years ago about lung structure where the person had gotten 100% looking back at data she'd happened to gathered and it had caused her all sorts of issues because of the lack of variance.


_________________
I has a blog (that isn't in lolspeak):
http://turtleisaverb.blogspot.com/


886
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 6,663
Location: SLC, Utah

19 Feb 2015, 5:05 am

I find it hard to believe that a lack of protein in one's saliva could have anything to do with autism.


_________________
If Jesus died for my sins, then I should sin as much as possible, so he didn't die for nothing.


Janissy
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 5 May 2009
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,450
Location: x

19 Feb 2015, 7:59 am

886 wrote:
I find it hard to believe that a lack of protein in one's saliva could have anything to do with autism.


It wasn't a lack of protein as such but rather a difference in the protein profile. Some proteins were upregulated while others were downregulated. It is interesting and possibly relevant that the proteins affected were involved in immune system regulation.

This is just a "feeler" study and needs to be repeated with a much larger sample size. They know this. As Tuttle noted, lack of variation in the results presents its own problems. That would be addressed with a bigger sample size. Another problem with the study is that they may have picked up markers for immune system dysregulation that are found in some autistic people but also in some NTs.

There is a theory going around that autism may involve some immune system dysregulation. But so do immune system disorders. They will need NTs with immune system disorders in their larger study or else this could wind up diagnosing autism in NTs who have no autism but do have immune system dysregulation. They also need a whole lot more AS people. Just more participants in general. And this study will likely be repeated with a much larger number.