Why is it that it seems so many autistic people also report a diagnosis of PTSD?
Researchers from the Queensland Brain Institute have made a significant discovery, showing that mild stress can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Led by Dr. Shaam Al Abed and Dr. Nathalie Dehorter, the study found that the two disorders share a reciprocal relationship.
ASD predisposes individuals to PTSD and worsening core autism traits when traumatic memories are formed.
While the co-occurrence of autism and PTSD has been highlighted in recent human studies (as of 2024), the link between the disorders is often overlooked and not well-understood.
Dr. Al Abed explained their objective was to determine the occurrence of traumatic stress in autism and understand the neurobiological mechanisms behind the predisposition to PTSD.
ASD and PTSD share common features, such as impaired emotional regulation, altered explicit memory and difficulties with fear conditioning.
Many people who are diagnosed autistic also have a diagnosis of PTSD.
The researchers demonstrated that a single mild stress could form a traumatic memory in four mouse models of ASD, whereas in a control population, PTSD is typically triggered by extreme stress.
In the paper, Dr. Dehorter noted that the prefrontal cortex, a highly specialized brain area crucial for social cognition and behavior, is linked to both disorders.
Specific cortical circuit alterations were identified, triggering the switch between forming a normal memory and a PTSD-like memory during stress.
In ASD, over-activation of the prefrontal cortex disrupts the balance of cortical circuits, affecting interneurons’ ability to respond to stress, and worsening autism traits, following traumatic memory formation.
Unexpectedly, the formation of a traumatic memory aggravated social and behavioral difficulties in autism.
However, Dr. Dehorter pointed out that behavioral therapy, that successfully re-contextualized traumatic memories, dramatically improved the worsened ASD traits.
This discovery indicates the close link between ASD and PTSD.
This can potentially influence how clinicians manage stress in autistic patients, with an emphasis on recognizing PTSD predisposition and utilizing behavioral therapy.
The paper was published in iScience.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical and fitness topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. In 2022 she received a diagnosis of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder and subsequently has developed an intense interest in ASD.
.
