Dissecting the Association Between Autism and Body Weight in Children
Multiple studies have suggested that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) seem to increase the risk of overweight and obesity, while other studies have disputed this claim and even indicated that ASD increases the risk of being underweight rather than overweight.
In his presentation, Dr. Kahathuduwa will present the results of two systematic reviews and meta-analyses that examined the validity of these claims. He will also present the results of a concurrent secondary neuroimaging data analysis that explored the neurophysiological correlates of the association between ASD and body weight.
Dr. Kahathuduwa serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Science and Primary Care, SHP and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, SOM, TTUHSC. Dr. Kahathuduwa's research focuses primarily on studying neurophysiological mechanisms underlying human cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying human ingestive behavior as it relates to obesity and metabolic derangements and also developmental disorders such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. These research interests are built upon the clinical experience he gained working as a Medical Doctor in several neurology and neurophysiology units in Sri Lanka, supplemented by the training in cognitive neurophysiology, neuroimaging, nutritional sciences and statistical methods.
