DeCure for Developmental delay with autism spectrum disorder and gait instability
DeCure's autonomous Psychiatry AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for developmental delay with autism spectrum disorder and gait instability — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleDevelopmental delay with autism spectrum disorder and gait instability maps to a 1-gene Open Targets module — the target space DeCure's AI scientist screens approved drugs against.
DeCure.ai methodSignature reversal (LINCS) plus network proximity (STRING) rank already-approved drugs likely to perturb this module — the same engine that produces DeCure.ai's repurposing hypotheses.
Repurposing thesisScreening approved medicines against this disease module, then publishing the evidence for the strongest candidate. Known pharmacology and human exposure data make the first question sharper — they do not establish safety or efficacy in a new indication.
Research record
01
ResearchComing soon
Candidate research + dossier — target rationale, drug-repurposing thesis and evidence pack.proof: Published dossier + on-chain hash
02
ValidationComing soon
In-vitro biological validation at a contract research org (CRO).proof: CRO contract + in-vitro report
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Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Current lead
No approved-drug candidate for developmental delay with autism spectrum disorder and gait instability is corroborated in the literature DeepSearch retrieved. Some conditions are managed with non-pharmacological care — a device, surgery or physical therapy — rather than a medicine; that may be the case here, or the literature we found may simply be too sparse yet to support a drug-repurposing angle.
Molecular view
HECT and RLD domain containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 2 (HERC2) — HERC2 is one of the genes genetically linked to this disease in Open Targets — shown as context, not as a drug target we're pursuing: no approved-drug candidate for this disease is yet corroborated in the literature we found.
Loading structure…
helix sheet apo structuredrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 7Q42 · 1.95002486823 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Gait abnormalities are consistently documented across multiple studies of autism spectrum disorder, though the specific features and their causes remain debated. A 2006 study of 11 newly diagnosed children with autism (mean age 5 years 10 months) found spatiotemporal gait patterns compatible with cerebellar ataxia, including greater difficulty walking along a straight line and variable stride length and duration, alongside postural abnormalities in the head and trunk suggesting additional involvement of the fronto-striatal basal ganglia region. A 2021 study of 11 older children and adolescents with autism (mean age 13 years) reported a shorter stride length (1.18 ± 0.11 m vs 1.26 ± 0.06 m, p = 0.04), greater cadence (121 ± 8 steps/min vs 113 ± 4 steps/min, p = 0.03), greater breaking ground reaction force during loading response (0.16 ± 0.04 BW vs 0.14 ± 0.02 BW, p = 0.03), and a decreased vertical ground reaction force during push-off (1.00 ± 0.07 BW vs 1.04 ± 0.06 BW, p = 0.07). A 2025 pilot study of 12 autistic toddlers aged 18-30 months found increased gait variability across parameters, with significant differences in stride length, step length, stance time, and stride time variability compared to 9 typically developing toddlers.
The 2023 study of Phelan-McDermid syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by SHANK3 haploinsufficiency that includes autism spectrum disorder, compared 46 affected children to 11 with idiopathic autism and 10 typically developing controls. Gait abnormalities were significantly higher in the Phelan-McDermid syndrome group than in either comparison group. However, when intellectual quotient/developmental quotient was included in the analysis, the effect of diagnostic group was no longer significant, while the effect of IQ/DQ was significant. This suggests that the degree of intellectual disability, which was highest in Phelan-McDermid syndrome, may drive the observed gait differences rather than autism diagnosis per se.
A 2022 study developed a deep-learning-based assay for mouse gait analysis across 62 strains and demonstrated that multiple autism spectrum disorder models show gait and posture deficits, implying this is a general feature of ASD in rodents. A 2021 perspective paper argues that developmental gait biomechanics might serve as a motor phenotype and biomarker that could be correlated to neuronal network maturation in both typical and atypical development. The 2006 study concluded that abnormal gait features are stable across key developmental periods and promising for clinical screening, while the 2025 pilot study notes that early identification of atypical gait patterns could aid in designing interventions targeting motor development. What remains missing are larger replication studies, particularly in toddlers, standardised gait assessment protocols that can be compared across sites, and prospective longitudinal data linking early gait abnormalities to later developmental outcomes. No drug treatment for gait abnormalities in autism or related conditions is mentioned in any of these abstracts.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Cell Reports · 2022 · 100 citations · open access
Stride-level analysis of mouse open field behavior using deep-learning-based pose estimation
AbstractGait and posture are often perturbed in many neurological, neuromuscular, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Rodents provide a tractable model for elucidating disease mechanisms and interventions. Here, we develop a neural-network-based assay that adopts the commonly used open field apparatus for mouse gait and posture analysis. We quantitate both with high precision across 62 strains of mice. We characterize four mutants with known gait deficits and demonstrate that multiple autism spectrum disorder (ASD) models show gait and posture deficits, implying this is a general feature of ASD. Mouse gait and posture measures are highly heritable and fall into three distinct classes. We conduct a genome-wide association study to define the genetic architecture of stride-level mouse movement in the open field. We provide a method for gait and posture extraction from the open field and one of the largest laboratory mouse gait and posture data resources for the research community.
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology · 2006 · 76 citations
Gait function in newly diagnosed children with autism: cerebellar and basal ganglia related motor disorder
AbstractWe investigated gait in newly diagnosed children with autism. From our previous study with 6‐ to 14‐year‐olds, we hypothesized that motor symptoms indicative of basal ganglia and cerebellar dysfunction would appear across the developmental trajectory of autism. Two groups were recruited: children with autism (eight males, three females; mean age 5y 10mo [SD 9mo]; range 4y 4mo‐6y 9mo) and a comparison group of typically developing children (eight males, three females; mean age5y 9mo [SD 1y 1mo]; range 4y 3mo‐7y 2mo). The GAITRite Walkway was used to gather data from average gait and intra‐walk measurements. Experienced physiotherapists analyzed gait qualitatively. Groups were matched according to age, height, weight, and IQ; although not statistically significant, IQ was lower in the group with autism. Spatiotemporal gait data for children with autism were compatible with findings from patients with cerebellar ataxia: specifically, greater difficulty walking along a straight line, and the coexistence of variable stride length and duration. Children with autism were also less coordinated and rated as more variable and inconsistent (i.e. reduced smoothness) relative to the comparison group. Postural abnormalities in the head and trunk suggest additional involvement of the fronto‐striatal basal ganglia region. Abnormal gait features are stable across key developmental periods and are, therefore, promising for use in clinical screening for autism.
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · 2021 · 9 citations · open access
Could Gait Biomechanics Become a Marker of Atypical Neuronal Circuitry in Human Development?—The Example of Autism Spectrum Disorder
AbstractThis perspective paper presents converging recent knowledge in neurosciences (motor neurophysiology, neuroimaging and neuro cognition) and biomechanics to outline the relationships between maturing neuronal network, behavior, and gait in human development. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represents a particularly relevant neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) to study these convergences, as an early life condition presenting with sensorimotor and social behavioral alterations. ASD diagnosis relies solely on behavioral criteria. The absence of biological marker in ASD is a main challenge, and hampers correlations between behavioral development and standardized data such as brain structure alterations, brain connectivity, or genetic profile. Gait, as a way to study motor system development, represents a well-studied, early life ability that can be characterized through standardized biomechanical analysis. Therefore, developmental gait biomechanics might appear as a possible motor phenotype and biomarker, solid enough to be correlated to neuronal network maturation, in normal and atypical developmental trajectories-like in ASD.
Gait Abnormalities in Children with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome
AbstractBackground: Phelan-McDermid syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the SHANK3 gene on chromosome 22q13.3 and is characterized by autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, speech and language abnormalities, hypotonia, and mild dysmorphic features. Early literature in Phelan-McDermid syndrome did not include gait abnormalities as part of the syndrome although recent prospective studies report that the prevalence of gait abnormalities ranges from 55% to 94%. We compared gait abnormalities in individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome, idiopathic autism spectrum disorder, and typically developing controls, and explored associations between gait abnormalities, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual functioning. Method: The study cohort consists of 67 participants between the ages of 3 and 18 years, divided into 3 groups: Phelan-McDermid syndrome (n = 46), idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (n = 11), and typically developing controls (n = 10). Gait was recorded using a video camera and scored across 26 gait features using a “Gait Clinical Observations scale” designed specifically for this study. Results: Gait abnormalities were significantly higher in the Phelan-McDermid syndrome group as compared to idiopathic autism spectrum disorder or typically developing controls. The number of gait abnormalities across groups was also significantly correlated with Intellectual Quotient/Developmental Quotient (IQ/DQ). In analysis of covariance including IQ/DQ, the effect of group was not significant, but the effect of IQ/DQ was significant. Conclusions: Overall differences in gait abnormalities were determined by the degree of intellectual disability, which was significantly higher in Phelan-McDermid syndrome.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Higher Intraindividual Gait Variability in Autistic Toddlers: A Pilot Study
AbstractPURPOSE: Motor impairments are pervasive in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with atypical gait patterns often observed but understudied in early development. The aim of this pilot study was to analyze spatiotemporal gait parameters and variability in toddlers with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) peers. METHODS: The study included 12 ASD and 9 TD male toddlers, aged 18-30 months, walking independently. We extracted spatiotemporal gait parameters from laboratory recordings of walking. Gait variability was assessed via coefficients of variation for each parameter. Group differences were tested and exploratory correlations between gait parameters and motor skills were assessed. RESULTS: Results indicated increased gait variability in the ASD group across parameters, suggesting less consistent motor control. Significant differences in variability were observed in stride length, step length, stance time, and stride time. CONCLUSION: This pilot study confirms that an objective assessment of gait is feasible in toddlers with ASD. Future research is needed to replicate the results in a larger sample, to explore underlying neurological mechanisms, as well as the impact of atypical gait maturation on other developmental domains. Early identification of atypical gait patterns could aid in designing interventions targeting motor development, potentially improving broader developmental outcomes in ASD.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2021 · 0 citations
Gait Patterns Of Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder
AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a series of neurodevelopmental disorders typically diagnosed during childhood. Individuals with ASD not only show impairments in communication and social interaction, but also motor deficits. It is unclear how older children and adolescents with ASD develop gait patterns resulting from possible motor deficits. A complete description of gait biomechanics demonstrated by older children and adolescents with ASD is necessary for developing effective rehabilitation programs. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine gait patterns of older children and adolescences with ASD compared to a group of typically developing children. METHODS: 11 children and adolescents with ASD and 11 age- and gender-matched typically developing children were recruited (age: 13 ± 2 years). Participants walked on a force-instrumented treadmill at a constant speed for five minutes (speed range: 1.1 m/s ~ 1.2 m/s) while motion capture was performed via a 15-camera Vicon system at 100 Hz. Visual 3D was used to perform data processing. Paired t-tests were performed to examine differences in gait parameters between the ASD group and the control group. Significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Individuals with ASD exhibited a shorter stride length (1.18 ± 0.11 m vs. 1.26 ± 0.06 m) (p = 0.04) and a greater cadence (121 ± 8 steps/min vs. 113 ± 4 steps/min) (p = 0.03) compared to the control group. In addition, the individuals with ASD experienced a greater breaking ground reaction force (GRF) (0.16 ± 0.04 BW vs. 0.14 ± 0.02 BW) (p = 0.03) during loading response and a decreased vertical GRF during push-off (1.00 ± 0.07 BW vs. 1.04 ± 0.06 BW) (p = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Older children and adolescents with ASD demonstrated a unique gait pattern signified by a reduced stride length and increased cadence with a concomitant reduction in GRF at push-off. This unique gait pattern may be a movement strategy used by the individuals with ASD to adapt to a possible general weakness associated with their leg muscles. Interventions to address these deficits are critical given an increase of breaking GRF may elevate the chance of tripping and increase fall risk. Supported by a Tucker Family Autism Research Grant from the BSU Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works (targeted per-candidate search), resolved on OpenAlex.
DeCure is a research and publication project, not medical advice and not a treatment. "DeCure for X" describes a research goal, not a claim that a cure exists. Backing a cure is a contribution to fund the research — it is not an investment, and confers no yield, royalty, equity or IP ownership. Papers are published open-access by the DeCure.ai DAO.
