Research Question
Given the significant probability that individuals with ASD will also develop epilepsy, what exactly explains this comorbidity, and how does this possibly provide a better understanding of autism?
Description & Rationale
For the past few months, I have been exploring the comorbidity of ASD and pediatric epilepsy. In the coming months I hope to finalize some of my findings, as well as identify some possible studies that should be done to further this research. I do not yet have a solidified idea of how I plan to present my research, however, because I am unable to conduct a traditional neuroscience lab, I am encouraged by the possibility of sharing the medical benefits of this intersection of neuroscience. Some ideas that interest me are writing some articles for the media, or starting a neuroscience website for kids who are interested but do not know where to start.
This research is meaningful to me because after my work with the Magical Bridge foundation, I became aware of the effects that developmental disabilities have on individuals and their families. I was specifically interested in epilepsy because there is a history of this disease in my family. I settled on the comorbidity of ASD and epilepsy because it combined neurodevelopmental disorders and a disease that I know well from my personal connections.
This research is meaningful to me because after my work with the Magical Bridge foundation, I became aware of the effects that developmental disabilities have on individuals and their families. I was specifically interested in epilepsy because there is a history of this disease in my family. I settled on the comorbidity of ASD and epilepsy because it combined neurodevelopmental disorders and a disease that I know well from my personal connections.
Holy Cross Foundations--Serving Others
The goal of my project, in the biggest picture I can possibly create, is to establish hope regarding ASD and epilepsy in the field of neuroscience. Both disorders are very misunderstood, but even more than that, they can be very burdensome on the families who face the impact. Through my research and eventual end result, I want to give hope to this community by inspiring more research and problem solving.
- Grad Outcomes 2 & 3: “Thinking critically and creatively to solve problems and make decisions, both independently and as members of a team”
Project Framework (Synthesizing Scientific Data to Fit Another Approach)
I initially began the project with the scientific method in mind, however, as my research has evolved, I may possibly pursue an English Paper-style to synthesize my findings.
From the scientific approach so far:
Question: I began with researching my curiosity of the comorbidity of ASD and pediatric epilepsy, and narrowed my specific research to the physiological brain changes that may account for the comorbidity.
Literature search: I researched mostly clinical trials and scholarly articles to understand the neurotypical brain, ASD brain, and epileptic brain, and how they all coincide and explain the behavioral characteristics. I also had access to the Columbia University databases, so I took advantage of those in my literature search so far.
Hypothesis: Once I feel more concrete about the research, I plan to form a hypothesis, which will serve as the framework of whatever my product is.
From english paper:
Narrow Topic/RQ: I have narrowed down to a very specific topic/intersection of neuroscience
Resources: I have found and evaluated many sources, and still have many to come
Write paper: If this is what I pursue, this will be my final step and will include the combination of those above as well as the scientific ones I have done.
From the data I have collected, I am now in the process of determining a deliverable. These are some of the ideas I have in mind:
Project Reflection-update 05/2021
2. Use of Research
In researching the comorbidity of ASD and epilepsy, I mostly read scientific publications, including clinical trials. In total, I consulted 136 publications to gather a comprehensive view of this subsection. However, only 24 of these articles actually discuss the comorbidity of these exact conditions. Most articles discuss anatomy, and even more specific topics, such as a certain type of seizure disorder that develops in female brains around age 5 and self-improves by 16. Therefore, I had to fine-tune my skills in concise note-taking in order to keep track of what I had learned from one source and connect it to another. I was able to access the majority of these sources through Columbia University Libraries and JSTOR.
3. Tangibility/Community
Benefit The initial community I hoped to benefit from my research was those affected by pediatric epilepsy and Autism by offering potential causes and establishing some hope for further research. However, as my project evolved, I realized that I could make a similar impact through age-inclusive education. I was never exposed to more “niche” STEM fields, so I want to help introduce kids to potential new interests. To accomplish this, I have posted articles to explain my own topics of interest, as well as those that the kids I surveyed expressed interest in. These posted articles on my website, complete with simplified facts, links to further research, and try-at-home experiments are free for curious minds to explore.
Reflection
a. No, this project did not go as planned, but because of this, I learned how to change my own expectations and be flexible. I initially planned to work in a research center with a UCSF professor studying biological causes of Autism and Epliepsy, however, COVID did not allow this to happen safely. Thus, I shifted gears to demonstrate my own findings, and help include younger kids in the world of neuroscience. I look forward to continuing to update my website and including children in this field. I can work in a lab in college :)
b. The primary challenge I faced what having to shift gears. When it became apparent that all medical research was going towards vaccines and COVID research, (and rightfully so) I found it challenging to find another idea that sounded exciting and enriching to me. However, after some reflection, I went back to my roots of adoring children and found a way to keep my project alive.
c. I got excited reading and dissecting articles. I approached my research like a puzzle, searching for which pieces would fit together in order to develop a cohesive understanding.
d. This project reinforced my work ethic. I scare myself with how much I can commit to reading and developing an understanding of material--reading 136 articles and coming up with at-home experiments for kids to try. I know I have always been a self-starter and that motivation was never an issue for me, but this project made me super excited for college, when I can take more specific course work and have more freedom over my academic experience.
From the scientific approach so far:
Question: I began with researching my curiosity of the comorbidity of ASD and pediatric epilepsy, and narrowed my specific research to the physiological brain changes that may account for the comorbidity.
Literature search: I researched mostly clinical trials and scholarly articles to understand the neurotypical brain, ASD brain, and epileptic brain, and how they all coincide and explain the behavioral characteristics. I also had access to the Columbia University databases, so I took advantage of those in my literature search so far.
Hypothesis: Once I feel more concrete about the research, I plan to form a hypothesis, which will serve as the framework of whatever my product is.
- So far: The pathway of neurons is less efficient due to the larger volume of amygdala (responsible for memory-emotion association) and other parts of the brain, which causes failure to properly achieve synapse, which produces seizures
From english paper:
Narrow Topic/RQ: I have narrowed down to a very specific topic/intersection of neuroscience
Resources: I have found and evaluated many sources, and still have many to come
Write paper: If this is what I pursue, this will be my final step and will include the combination of those above as well as the scientific ones I have done.
From the data I have collected, I am now in the process of determining a deliverable. These are some of the ideas I have in mind:
- Making an Autism website/blog with the information i’ve learned (consider obtaining some personal stories)
- Writing a research paper/ghost articles
- Write a book?
- Social media account (probably in addition to other platforms)
Project Reflection-update 05/2021
- Holy Cross Values
2. Use of Research
In researching the comorbidity of ASD and epilepsy, I mostly read scientific publications, including clinical trials. In total, I consulted 136 publications to gather a comprehensive view of this subsection. However, only 24 of these articles actually discuss the comorbidity of these exact conditions. Most articles discuss anatomy, and even more specific topics, such as a certain type of seizure disorder that develops in female brains around age 5 and self-improves by 16. Therefore, I had to fine-tune my skills in concise note-taking in order to keep track of what I had learned from one source and connect it to another. I was able to access the majority of these sources through Columbia University Libraries and JSTOR.
3. Tangibility/Community
Benefit The initial community I hoped to benefit from my research was those affected by pediatric epilepsy and Autism by offering potential causes and establishing some hope for further research. However, as my project evolved, I realized that I could make a similar impact through age-inclusive education. I was never exposed to more “niche” STEM fields, so I want to help introduce kids to potential new interests. To accomplish this, I have posted articles to explain my own topics of interest, as well as those that the kids I surveyed expressed interest in. These posted articles on my website, complete with simplified facts, links to further research, and try-at-home experiments are free for curious minds to explore.
Reflection
a. No, this project did not go as planned, but because of this, I learned how to change my own expectations and be flexible. I initially planned to work in a research center with a UCSF professor studying biological causes of Autism and Epliepsy, however, COVID did not allow this to happen safely. Thus, I shifted gears to demonstrate my own findings, and help include younger kids in the world of neuroscience. I look forward to continuing to update my website and including children in this field. I can work in a lab in college :)
b. The primary challenge I faced what having to shift gears. When it became apparent that all medical research was going towards vaccines and COVID research, (and rightfully so) I found it challenging to find another idea that sounded exciting and enriching to me. However, after some reflection, I went back to my roots of adoring children and found a way to keep my project alive.
c. I got excited reading and dissecting articles. I approached my research like a puzzle, searching for which pieces would fit together in order to develop a cohesive understanding.
d. This project reinforced my work ethic. I scare myself with how much I can commit to reading and developing an understanding of material--reading 136 articles and coming up with at-home experiments for kids to try. I know I have always been a self-starter and that motivation was never an issue for me, but this project made me super excited for college, when I can take more specific course work and have more freedom over my academic experience.