The Causes & Treatments for Autism | Dr. Karen Parker

**Andrew D. Huberman** (0:00)
Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life.
I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Karen Parker. Dr. Karen Parker directs the Social Neurosciences Research Program at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The goal of her laboratory's research is to understand the biological basis of social functioning at every stage of the lifespan. So this includes the bonds that form between infant and parent or parents, as well as the bonds that occur between children as they grow up, which of course form the template for social functioning when we become adults. Dr. Parker's research is heavily focused on autism, and indeed on all forms of autism spectrum disorders. Today we discuss autism, we talk about the prominent theories and current understanding of the biological basis for autism, as well as what still remains mysterious and unresolved about the causes of autism. You may have heard that the incidence or perhaps just the diagnosis of autism has dramatically increased in the last 10 to 15 years. And today we discuss why it is in fact that the incidence, not just the diagnosis, but the incidence of autism has so dramatically increased. And perhaps most excitingly, Dr. Parker shares with us brand new research findings from her laboratory that point to a new understanding of what causes autism as well as a novel treatment for autism. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost to consumer information about science and science related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast. Our first sponsor is Eight Sleep. Eight Sleep makes smart mattress covers with cooling, heating, and sleep tracking capacity. I've spoken many times before in this podcast about the fact that sleep is the foundation of mental health, physical health, and performance. Now, a key component of getting a great night's sleep is that in order to fall and stay deeply asleep, your body temperature actually has to drop by about one to three degrees. And in order to wake up feeling refreshed and energized, your body temperature actually has to increase by about one to three degrees. One of the best ways to make sure that those temperature changes occur at the appropriate times at the beginning and throughout and at the end of your night when you wake up is to control the temperature of your sleeping environment. And that's what eight sleep allows you to do. It allows you to program the temperature of your mattress and sleeping environment such that you fall and stay deeply asleep easily and wake up each morning feeling incredibly refreshed and energized. I've been sleeping on an eight sleep mattress cover for almost three years now, and it has dramatically improved the quality of my sleep, so much so that when I travel and I'm at a hotel or an Airbnb and I don't have access to my eight sleep, I very much look forward to getting home because my sleep is always better when I sleep on my eight sleep mattress cover. If you'd like to try eight sleep, you can go to eightsleep.com/huberman to get $150 off their pod three mattress cover. Eight sleep currently ships in the USA, Canada, UK, select countries in the EU and Australia. Again, that's eightsleep.com/huberman. Today's episode is also brought to us by element. Element is an electrolyte drink that has everything you need and nothing you don't. That means zero sugar and the appropriate ratios of the electrolyte, sodium, magnesium and potassium. And that correct ratio of electrolytes is extremely important because every cell in your body, but especially your nerve cells, your neurons, relies on electrolytes in order to function properly. So when you're well hydrated and you have the appropriate amount of electrolytes in your system, your mental functioning and your physical functioning is improved. I drink one packet of element dissolved in about 16 to 32 ounces of water when I wake up in the morning, as well as while I exercise. And if I've sweat a lot during that exercise, I often will drink a third element packet dissolved in about 32 ounces of water after I exercise. Element comes in a variety of different flavors, all of which I find really tasty. I like the citrus, I like the watermelon, I like the raspberry. Frankly, I can't pick just one. It also comes in chocolate and chocolate mint, which I find tastes best if they are put into water dissolved and then heated up. I tend to do that in the winter months because of course, you don't just need hydration on hot days and in the summer and spring months, but also in the winter, when the temperatures are cold and the environment tends to be dry. If you'd like to try element, you can go to drink element spelled lmnt.com/huberman to try a free sample pack. Again, that's drink element.com/huberman.