Researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to find a link between challenging behaviours, gut health and sleep in autistic people.
They found that for 20 per cent of those studied, gut issues could forecast next-day behavioural challenges with 80 per cent accuracy.
Dr Juergen Hahn, whose research used artificial intelligence to link challenging behaviours to gut health and sleep problems
Difficulties falling asleep or waking up multiple times during the night also influenced behaviour.
Data collection
Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in New York, carried out the research.
The data they used in the study was collected by clinicians at The Centre for Discovery.
This is a research, educational and residential centre in New York.
Decade of records
The centre serves people with medical and developmental conditions, including autism. It holds data going back more than a decade.
The researchers used AI to work out when autistic people were likely to display challenging behaviours.
They collected the data while residents went about their daily lives at the Centre for Discovery over 18 months, rather than in an artificial clinical trial environment.
‘Potential to improve lives’
Dr Juergen Hahn led the research. He said: “Avoiding or mitigating challenging behaviours has the potential to improve the lives of people with autism.
“This work has the potential one day to help caretakers predict when these challenging behaviours are more likely, helping them better plan activities and ensure everyone’s well-being.”
Biomedical charity Thinking Autism said long before the advent of artificial intelligence, parents had known that gut issues and sleep problems “exacerbate autism symptoms”.
In a statement, the charity said it knew of cases where children had been prescribed antipsychotic medication, then later found the children had gastrointestinal issues such as acid reflux.
‘Diagnostic overshadowing’
The charity said it would welcome research into the numbers of people on the autism spectrum who have suffered due to “diagnostic overshadowing”.
This happens when doctors dismiss other health issues as simply being part of autism, instead of properly investigating them.
Related:
- Stool treatment ‘helps gut issues’
- Gut bacteria linked to behaviours
- Study seeks proof of gut link to autism
- Evidence grows for autism link to gut
- Study reinforces role of gut health
Published: 29 November 2023
