A New Pathway for Autism Therapy

A New Pathway for Autism Therapy

In the ongoing story of autism, researchers may have discovered a brain area which plays a key role in the outworking of autism as well as its connection with higher rates of epilepsy. Learning of such novel mechanisms for autism pathology can be as exciting as reading a well-written mystery novel. Often it is the unexpected biochemical plot twist which opens a whole new realm of possibilities for a solution to the mystery that is keeping us on the edge of our seats. In this case, hyperactivity of the reticular thalamic nucleus correlated with increased seizure activity and autism behavior in mice. Furthermore, when this hyperactivity was treated with an experimental seizure medication, both issues improved.

With the growing epidemic of autism spectrum disorders, nearly everyone today is familiar with the general pattern of autism, including social deficits, repetitive behaviors, and various neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Those who care for these individuals and their families are also aware of the variety of explanations for these symptoms. As we frequently note in our office, if you have seen one autism patient, you have seen one type of autism, but the condition comes in many forms and flavors. The families of those who have this diagnosis will often note that the label comes with both challenges and gifts. This tells us that the condition is not likely a single and simple mechanism, but a collection of biochemical changes which vary from person to person. However, we can still dig as far into the roots of autism as possible. Research like this excites us as it connects symptoms with brain changes and offers routes for improving the lives of those with the diagnosis.

Prior to this paper’s research, connections between the thalamus and the cortex had been implicated in autism dysfunction, but the mechanism was far from clear. The cortex is the outer surface of the brain, the part we see when looking at brain pictures. This is where processing and decisions are made. The cortex receives nerve signals, decides on thoughts and/or movements and then sends signals to enact those decisions. On the other hand, the thalamus serves as more of a relay station of sensory and motor signals. The cortex depends on the thalamus for incoming sensory signals and outgoing motor signals. The thalamus depends on the decisions of the cortex to initiate motor plans. If this interaction is somehow disrupted, our capacity to perceive and interact with the world suffers, as in autism.

With this logically explained connection underlying the possibility of a contribution to autism, researchers found that mice genetically programmed to show autism-like behavior had increased activity in the reticular thalamic nucleus in response to certain stimuli. The same region could also spontaneously burst activity and trigger seizures. In these mice, they administered an experimental seizure drug called Z944 and found that it reversed behavioral deficits in this model. With this information, they then tested normal mice by ramping up their reticular thalamic nucleus activity and induced the same behaviors as the experimental mice.

While this research is nowhere near a final answer for autism’s roots, much less an all-encompassing therapy for the adverse effects of autism, at least we have another clue to pursue as we solve the mystery of why some brains experience this phenomenon which we call ‘autism spectrum disorder’ with all its challenges and sometimes giftings. In the meantime, we continue to address the whole person who lives with autism as well as their families. We address sources of inflammation which amplify the negative symptoms, and we support families to better understand interacting with their children who experience the world differently. If we can learn to apply findings from this thalamic processing change, we can hope to further lead our patients towards healthier, more abundant lives.

 

Original Article:

Sung-Soo Jang, Fuga Takahashi, John R. Huguenard. Reticular thalamic hyperexcitability drives autism spectrum disorder behaviors in the Cntnap2 model of autism. Science Advances, 2025; 11 (34) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adw4682

 

Thanks to Science Daily:

Stanford Medicine. “Autism symptoms vanish in mice after Stanford brain breakthrough.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 September 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250907172644.htm>.

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Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.