Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional...

[Pedro]

Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional development'

The find by U.S. researchers helps explain why autistic children often develop larger brains
By GRAHAM SMITH
Last updated at 10:47 AM on 9th November 2011

Children with autism appear to have too many cells in a key area of the brain needed for communication and emotional development, scientists said today.
The find helps to explain why young children with autism often develop brains that are larger than normal.
The study by U.S. researchers suggests the condition starts in the womb because brain cells in this area known as the prefrontal cortex typically develop during the second trimester of pregnancy.

The research could help narrow the search for a cause of autism, which affects one in every 150 children born in the U.S., or about 1 per cent of the population.
Lead researcher Dr Eric Courchesne, of the University of California San Diego Autism Center of Excellence, said: 'We found a really remarkable 67 per cent increase in the total number of brain cells in the prefrontal cortex.'
Dr Courchesne and his team carefully counted the number of brain cells in tissue from seven boys with autism who had died and six boys who did not have autism at the the time of their deaths.

They focused on the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain which is thought to grow too large and too fast in children with autism.
Dr Courchesne said: 'It's a part of the brain that's important for social, emotional and communication functions, and it composes about 25 to 30 per cent of the cerebral cortex.'
In 2003, the researchers were the first to link rapid growth in head circumference in the first year of birth with autism.
He said the finding of excess brain cells in the prefrontal cortex explains brain overgrowth in autism, and hints at why brain function in this area is disrupted.
'This isn't just a simple increase in neurons,' Dr Courchesne said. 'It means a huge increase in potential connections and, therefore, a potential for miswiring which would lead to abnormal function.'

Autism is a spectrum of disorders ranging from a profound inability to communicate and mental retardation to relatively mild symptoms such as with Asperger's syndrome.
Scientists have found dozens of genes that may raise the risk of autism. But genetic causes only explain 10 per cent to 20 per cent of cases, and recent studies have pointed to environmental factors, possibly in the womb, as a potential trigger.
Dr Courchesne said: 'For years, it's been a big puzzle from the standpoint of evidence. Where is the evidence that autism has a prenatal origin?
'For the first time, we have something really solid.'
The team found excess brain cells in each child with autism they studied, Dr Courchesne said. And the brains of the autistic children also weighed more than those of typically developing children of the same age.
Lizabeth Romanski, of the University of Rochester Medical Center and who was not involved in the study, said the findings show that the origins of autism occur very early.
She said: 'The generation of new neurons, what we call proliferation, occurs prenatally during the second trimester. That is when these neurons are being born.'
She said the finding of a large number of these neurons in children with autism suggests something occurred during this period to change the way the brain develops.
The researchers acknowledge that their study, which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is small.
Dr Courchesne said it is difficult to find brain samples from young people with autism, and his study included some from very young children, ranging from ages two to 16.
He said: 'This really says prenatal life is a very important time to study and mechanisms there will eventually lead to our understanding of how autism comes about.'

Source/Original article: here

 

[BruceCM]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

Too MANY? Odd!

 

[Droopy]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

Like the article said, it was a small study but I think that it's a step in the right direction in terms of research.

 

[epath13]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

I've read somewhere about this "brain overgrowth" issue and it appeared that only small amount of people with Autism have bigger brains. And I love how researchers jump to conclusions after checking just a few people but anyway thanks for sharing, interesting article.

 

[King_Oni]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

Too many could be a reason that the "other side" can't select which cells to connect to which ones. That's some theory I once heard... the fact that one half is overdeveloped makes it harder to make "normal" connections with right and left.

 

[BruceCM]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

None of which will, in any case, make much, if any practical difference. Since it's already simultaneously supposed to be 'blame the Aspergers' but we can learn some things to improve our situation. Until you try to do so, when it's 'there's no cure' & that's it. Yawns, sorry.

 

[King_Oni]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

While it might seem a bit on the negative side, I do agree with you BruceCM. Having a lot of research into the why doesn't really help the "how to handle it" much. Fact is you're still having a "malfunction" (and I don't mean it in a condescending way; probably just the wrong word) and you'd have to work from there.

 

[BruceCM]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

Waits for any such approach to be presented. Since nobody's supposed to think they're 'perfect', everybody has 'malfunctions'.

 

[King_Oni]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

I actually thought most people were to regard themselves as "good" and especially not as a "faulty example".

I don't know if you should patiently wait for approaches... I rather be pro-active about it.

 

[BruceCM]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

It wasn't my idea! Where the line between not thinking you're perfect & actively thinking you're faulty is would be one of those you're supposed to be able to draw for yourself. In which case, no reason for me to get diagnosed in the first place, is there? But then I'd not be here. So, when there's a way to tell when you're 'malfunctioning', specifically, we can discuss what to do about it & how. Except there's no reason to trust anything said after accepting the starting point & even less otherwise.

 

[King_Oni]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

Well, you don't have to be diagnosed... and to be honest, it's the same thing that I posted as a comment on a blog here where the author compared it to swimming. Yes, I can swim, I can get to shore alive, but do not ask or judge me HOW I swim... and there's the big conundrum with people on the spectrum I believe.

In that way I do think that the "malfunction" is only a problem halfway, it's not me (or you, or anyone else) that is a problem, I actually think there is a problem where you're not being accepted the way you are. And let's face it.. if that's a reason to label someone as "handicapped"... give me a break. It's beyond stupid. I think it kinda belongs to the list of "first world problems" actually... but yeah, who am I? Apparently the norm decides, and if the majority decides brown eyed people are a "malfunction" and we should not accept them... it's probably the same.

But we're drifting a bit off-topic here.

 

[BruceCM]

Re: Autistic children have 'too many cells in brain region responsible for emotional.

I wouldn't be here if I hadn't been diagnosed, as I said; I wasn't speaking for anybody else. If others are supposed to 'accept me as I am' (although that's a commonly heard idea), you'd have to be saying they're 'faulty' for not doing so. But that makes everybody else at 'fault', which is hardly proactive & hardly practical, either. It's as relevant here as anywhere else in the forum but feel free to start a new thread about it, if you prefer.

 

[Madame Catfish]

The frontal cortex is heavily involved with the analyzing and processing of selected information- maybe its over development has something to do with our obsessions- latching onto our favourite ideas and analyzing them over and over?

 

[Spiller]

'It means a huge increase in potential connections and, therefore, a potential for miswiring which would lead to abnormal function.'

Why is the assumption that of miswiring? Could it not also mean greater capacity?
Among all the species on Earth, the most intelligent are those with larger brains in relation to body mass; human, dolphin, octopus, crow, etc.
Is this not the old argument: ASD disorder Vs difference?

 

[Harrison]

'It means a huge increase in potential connections and, therefore, a potential for miswiring which would lead to abnormal function.'

Why is the assumption that of miswiring? Could it not also mean greater capacity?
Among all the species on Earth, the most intelligent are those with larger brains in relation to body mass; human, dolphin, octopus, crow, etc.
Is this not the old argument: ASD disorder Vs difference?

The majority will never announce that the minority is 'better', it never has.