Recent Tests of Kitzerow’s Autism and the Comorbidities Cascade
How can different starting conditions lead to different combinations of autism traits and co-occurring conditions? Kitzerow’s Cascade proposes a connected explanation through stress responses, biochemical pathways, and brain circuitry. Explore research published since its public release in 2023 and see which relationships each study examines.
Kimberly connected previously disconnected and fragmented data into a coherent biochemical cascade. Her written and visual presentation of the Cascade is her intellectual property. She does not claim ownership of the individual scientific data points. If the model is accurate, independent evidence should increasingly support its specific predictions.
View the Full CascadeStart with a study. Match the red numbers to the short steps beside the diagram, then read the explanation below. The highlights map findings or proposed relationships onto the Cascade. They do not mean the authors tested the whole model or set out to test it.
Experiments, genetic analyses, reviews, and proposed frameworks answer different questions. Each result box identifies the kind of evidence and what remains untested.
New to the terminology?
- Comorbidities
- Other conditions that occur alongside autism.
- BH4
- Tetrahydrobiopterin, a molecule that several enzymes need to function, including enzymes involved in neurotransmitters and nitric oxide.
- Redox
- Chemical processes involving oxidation and reduction. They help regulate cells; an imbalance can cause oxidative stress.
- Allostasis
- The body’s adjustment to demands. The Cascade uses chronic allostasis for sustained activation of stress-response systems.
- E/I balance
- The relationship between signals that promote and restrain neural activity. It depends on the specific cells and circuits involved.
- CSTL
- Cortico-striatal-thalamo-limbic circuitry: interacting brain systems involved in functions such as movement, habits, sensory processing, and emotion.
- mTOR
- A signaling system that helps regulate cellular growth, metabolism, protein production, and synaptic processes.
