Using Dogs to Diagnose and Address Autism

Courtesy: MobilityDog.org

The Rapid Increase in Autism Diagnoses

Over the past two decades, the medical community has seen a rapid increase in the prevalence of autism diagnoses. For example, the population incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among U.S. adults and children was 0.67% in 2000, rising to 2.76% in 2016. Whether this indicates an increase in the prevalence of the condition or a more refined diagnosis, is under debate. Nevertheless, ASD remains a challenging problem, one that bedevils the lives of individuals and families.

What Is ASD?

ASD is characterized by persistent deficits in two core areas of perception and behavior:

• Dysfunction in social communication (for example, impaired reciprocity of affection, inability to read emotional cues); and

• Repetitive patterns of behavior (for instance, highly limited and fixed interests, repeated motor movements, insistence on rigid routines).

Why Dogs?

Courtesy: MobilityDog.org

Scientists search for biological analogs when they study conditions like autism. Rats have been used, but their social connections with other rats and humans are too simple to be fully applicable to human situations and behaviors. Monkeys and apes would seem to be good candidates, but their social interactions also differ significantly from those of humans in ways that relate to ASD. For example, avoidance of eye-to-eye contact often serves as an indicator of ASD. Among humans, a direct gaze is a normal way of affiliating and connecting, usually positively. Among apes, in contrast, direct eye contact often constitutes a social challenge.

Dogs, as we know, have particular ways of using gaze to communicate with other dogs and with humans. When they turn their big-eyed focus on us, they convey messages of affiliation and affection, much as babies do when they stare at their mothers. A deficit in this behavior, among human children or dogs, may suggest the presence of ASD.

How Do Dogs Demonstrate ASD Tendencies?

As they evolved to live with humans, dogs developed an array of social behaviors that helped them establish bonds with their non-canine counterparts. Some dogs, however (like humans with ASD) fail to demonstrate these social behaviors, or engage in other actions that indicate a psychological or neurological problem analogous to human ASD. For example, animals that persistently chase their tails often also demonstrate owner-direct aggression, social withdrawal and preoccupation with specific objects. Likewise, some puppies avoid human handlers’ attempts to pet them, much as autistic children recoil from human contact.

The table below summarizes examples of ASD-related behaviors in humans and the analogs observed in dogs.

Click here for the source of this study.

How Do We Use What We Learn from Dogs?

Courtesy: MobilityDog.org

Observing and responding to human social cues is rewarding for dogs. The inability to discern and interpret such cues is a fundamental element of ASD. But how do we use the insights we gather from studying both normal and abnormal behaviors in dogs? One promising avenue is to use canine analogs to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie ASD. For instance, a greater understanding of the neuro-hormonal bases of ASD-like behaviors in dogs may lead to insights, and ultimately to breakthroughs applicable in humans.

Studies of dogs may also hold promise for breakthroughs in pharmaceutical research. We know, for example, that social behaviors in both dogs and humans are affected by the oxytocin system. In the brain, oxytocin acts as a chemical messenger and has an essential role in many human behaviors, including sexual arousal, recognition, trust, romantic attachment, and mother–infant bonding. A greater understanding of how oxytocin works in both humans and canines could lead to novel compounds to address ASD causes and symptoms.

Compared with other animals, dogs appear to represent a particularly valid and clinically relevant analog for studying human ASD. Once again, our canine companions are proving to be our best friends, this time as research partners in the search for breakthroughs for a challenging human disorder.