The New Neurobiology of Autism | Autism PDD
The New Neurobiology of Autism
Cortex, Connectivity, and Neuronal Organization
Arch Neurol. 2007;64:945-950.
This review covers a fraction of the new research developments in autism but establishes the basic elements of the new neurobiologic understanding of autism. Autism is a polygenetic developmental neurobiologic disorder with multiorgan system involvement, though it predominantly involves central nervous system dysfunction. The evidence supports autism as a disorder of the association cortex, both its neurons and their projections. In particular, it is a disorder of connectivity, which appears, from current evidence, to primarily involve intrahemispheric connectivity. The focus of connectivity studies thus far has been on white matter, but alterations in functional magnetic resonance imaging activation suggest that intracortical connectivity is also likely to be disturbed. Furthermore, the disorder has a broad impact on cognitive and neurologic functioning. Deficits in high-functioning individuals occur in processing that places high demands on integration of information and coordination of multiple neural systems. Intact or enhanced abilities share a dependence on low information-processing demands and local neural connections. This multidomain model with shared characteristics predicts an underlying pathophysiologic mechanism that impacts the brain broadly, according to a common neurobiologic principle. The multiorgan system involvement and diversity of central nervous system findings suggest an epigenetic mechanism.
Author Affiliations: Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology,
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(Dr Minshew); and Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Duquesne
University, Pittsburgh (Dr Williams).
I love keeping up with the latest research - thanks!
The intra-hemispheric stuff is interesting to me because one thinks of the various speech centers - some on each side - being unable to fully connect - like the first responders to 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. You have completely functionable components, but they have to coordinate to get the job done. So maybe its not that the info processing can't get across the corpus collosum (the bridge between the hemispheres), it also can't get from point a to point b inside one single side.
I know everybody loves the idea of doing a diet and everything improves, but I think that there are also ways you can train the brain to do things differently. There are specific types of therapy one does with stroke patients because they suffer their damage in different areas. The brain is not exactly a circus truck full of tutu-wearing poodles, but I do think this baby is malleable.
Interesting - thanks!
I sometimes feel like I'm hogging the board, but when I get some articles I find lots of them on the same websites that are interesting...I figured if people didn't want to read them they'd just slide off of the page. Thanks for the support.
I'm hopeless with scientific jargon, but was intrigued, so I googled up an interview with Minshew on one of my favorite websites, www.autism.about.com. Very interesting stuff.
http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/a/AutismBrain.htm
As always, thanks for posting the articles you come across. I look at them all, even if I don't always reply.
I certainly appreciate your posts as well! Thanks for all the time you take tomake us more informed!Thank you, Payne's Mom, that was quite interesting, as was Norway Mom's link, thank you as well!
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