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Cohort-guided insights into gene–environment interactions in autism spectrum disorders

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 19, pages 118–125 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Prospective birth cohorts offer unprecedented opportunities to investigate the pathogenesis of complex disorders such as autism, in which gene–environment interactions must be appreciated in a temporal context. This Perspective article considers the history of autism research, including missteps that reflected an incomplete understanding of the epidemiology of autistic spectrum disorders, the effects of advocacy and philanthropy on the trajectory of scientific inquiry, and the current and future roles of prospective birth cohort research in illuminating the pathology of these and other complex disorders wherein exposures during gestation might not manifest until later in life.

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Fig. 1: Timeline of contributions to autism research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    W. Ian Lipkin

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    W. Ian Lipkin, Michaeline Bresnahan & Ezra Susser

  3. Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    W. Ian Lipkin

  4. Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    W. Ian Lipkin

  5. New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Michaeline Bresnahan & Ezra Susser

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Lipkin, W.I., Bresnahan, M. & Susser, E. Cohort-guided insights into gene–environment interactions in autism spectrum disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 19, 118–125 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-022-00764-0

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