Scans reveal differences in autistic brains

Researchers at the University of Washington's Autism Center have found new evidence that some regions in the brains of people with the developmental disorder autism may not communicate with each other as efficiently as they do in other people.

They are referring to the part of the brain which processes complex thought and say the brain cells in some parts of the cerebral cortex of people with autism have too many connections, while other parts do not have enough.

In the first study to measure neural activity in this group of patients, the researchers examined the EEG (electroencephalography) of 18 adults with autism, and 18 adults without autism, ranging in age from 19 to 38.

Autism, a spectrum of developmental disorders, is the most common developmental disorder in the United States.

It affects one in every 166 children and is characterized by an inability to communicate and interact with other people.

Those afflicted typically have a restricted range of activities and interests; there is no known cure and current treatments rely on managing strategies and behaviour therapy and in some cases medication.

The study leader Dr. Michael Murias says the scans indicated differences in coordinated neural activity, implying poor internal communication between parts of the brain which is suggestive of inefficient and inconsistent communication inside the brains of people with autism.

During the scans all the participants were seated in a relaxed position, for two minutes, with their eyes closed.

The scientists say the scans revealed that the adults with autism had abnormal brain cell connection patterns in the temporal lobe, the part of the brain that processes language.

The scientists hope their research will eventually lead to the critical, early and accurate identification of autism in patients.

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.