"Any leads that suggest new biologic mechanisms that could be acted on through treatment are welcomed," Dr. Newschaffer said.
Researchers hypothesize that fever may restore nerve cell communications in regions of the autistic child's brain. The restoration may help children improve socialization skills during a fever.
Autism can limit social interactions and disable verbal and nonverbal communication. About 1.5 million Americans have some form of autism, according to the Autism Society of America. The cause of autism is unknown. However, increased public awareness of the condition has recently focused intense interest in discovering the cause of Autism.
"We want to make sure that our findings are tied to the fever and not to sickness, in general," Dr. Newschaffer added."
The study was based on 30 autistic children between ages two and 18 who were observed during and after a fever of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 80 percent of the children showed some improvement in behavior during a fever and 30 percent showed significant improvement, the Drexel study found. Behavior changes included a longer concentration span, an increased amount of talking and improved eye contact. The time-line for the study covered a span of over two years, during which the researchers were in constant contact with his child and his or her family.
This study succeeded in going beyond anecdotes and case reports in documenting behavior changes that are associated with fever in children with ASDs. More research is needed to determine with certainty whether these changes are direct biological consequences of fever and which neurobiologic pathways are involved.
"The scope of the research was very ambitious," noted Dr. Newschaffer.
The full potential of the research data may eventually reveal that behavior changes are not solely the byproduct of sickness, but could be the byproduct of a biologic response to fever. More research, however, is needed to prove fever-specific effects, the authors caution.
"I'd like to say that this could lead to finding a cause for Autism," he continued, "but that doesn't seem to be in the cards. I think what we've done is more about understanding the biology behind the behavior of kids with Autism. We would like to continue with this by replication our findings with a much larger study group."
The study was co-written by Stephen O. Crawford, M.H.S., predoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University; Michael V. Johnston, M.D., research scientist in the Kennedy Krieger Institute; Li-Ching Lee, Ph.D., assistant scientist at Johns Hopkins University; and Dr. Andrew W. Zimmerman, M.D., pediatric neurologist and research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Mike Mallowe can be reached at consultmallowe@yahoo.com