Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive illness that causes neurons in areas of the brain to weaken, become damaged, and die. This leads to problems with movement, tremor, stiffness, and impaired balance. Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. This article takes a look at the increased risk between individuals with ASD getting age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's Disease. Certain genes, in particular PARK2, are found to be in both Parkinson's Disease and ASD.
PARK2 encodes the Parkin protein and participates in regulating damaged or unnecessary mitochondria that are selectively degraded to maintain cellular health and function. Faults in this pathway are hypothesized to end in substantial vulnerability of the dopaminergic neurons to neurotoxins, resulting in their degeneration and consequently PD. Rare genetic mutations can also produce autistic behavior and accompany Parkinsion's Disease. Although there is more research that needs to done on the link between Autism and Parkinson's disease, this is a great start none the less!
Mai, A. S., Yau, C. E., Tseng, F. S., Foo, Q. X., Wang, D. Q., & Tan, E. (2023). Linking autism spectrum disorders and parkinsonism: Clinical and Genetic Association. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, 10(4), 484–496. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51736
Wow, this is an incredibly interesting correlation that I've never considered! As I read more about this I found an article discussing that, while studies and clinical trials on these instances are nearly impossible (downright inhumane, depending on course of action), there does appear to be a correlation between autism, Parkinsons, and the increased intake of chemicals we experience in our everyday lives (Autism and Parkinson's disease by G. Woodard, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987700911897). Thank you for detailing the links between these diseases and encouraging myself and others to look further into it!
ReplyDeleteThe link between the PARK2 gene really caught my attention. It is interesting to think that mitochondrial dysfunction could be a common cause of both autism and Parkinson’s disease. Could this link be attributed to how neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative processes are connected, even though both of these occur at very different times in life?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Cleveland Clinic, Parkinson’s disease has an average onset age of 60 years (80–90% of cases), while early-onset Parkinson’s disease occurs before the age of 50 (less than 20% of cases) (Parkinson’s Disease, n.d.). On the contrary, according to the Mayo Clinic, autism appears earlier in childhood, with the average age of diagnosis being between 3 and 5 years old (Autism Spectrum Disorder - Symptoms and Causes, n.d.). However, there are cases of later-onset autism. Would it be safe to say that people who have autism due to the PARK2 gene would eventually develop Parkinson’s disease?
As you mentioned, there is a benefit to conducting more studies on monitoring individuals with autism later in life. As it stands, most people are diagnosed in childhood and, besides seeing their doctor for medications, do not tend to follow up with genetic counselors or other specialists. This could also lead to monitoring mitochondrial health in individuals and examining how this could affect autism being passed on to children. Thanks for your post. It was clear and informative!
Autism spectrum disorder—Symptoms and causes. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928
Parkinson’s Disease: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved October 5, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8525-parkinsons-disease-an-overview