Origins of Autism

By Dr. Michael Merzenich

Dr. Merzenich, one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, is on the cutting edge in the drive to discover the source of the surge in autism which now affects one in 150 babies. 

His theory is that a genetic predisposition is being converted into autism in increasing numbers due to environmental factors that are on the rise.  These factors must have three qualities:

1) Increasing in human environments.

2) Widely distributed on the planet.

3) Collectively powerful in their impacts.

Merzenich has identified three environmental factors that meet these criteria:

1) acoustic, visual and other environmental “noise”

2) chemical toxins, PCB and related PBDEs

3) repeated ultrasound procedures

Merzenich is investigating these and other factors.  He is also studying the continued strong co-inheritance of autism by identical twins. Environmental factors that increase the level of pathology to convert children who would not earlier be identified as autistic to kids who now meet the autism diagnostic criteria must be very reliably shared (at least almost always, by both twins) in their local environment.  It’s another promising clue.