New findings described in an article by Laidman (2014) hint at causes and treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Eric Courchesne and his colleagues at the University of California, San Diego conducted a small study that compared 11 brains of children with autism who died between the ages of 2 and 15 to 11 brains of children who died without the diagnosis. The study explored 25 genes in brain slices taken from different areas of the brain.
The researchers found “disorganized patches” of brain cells primarily in the prefrontal cortex of 10 out of the 11 children who had autism. This finding is notable because the prefrontal cortex of the brain is associated with higher-order communication and social interactions, common deficits found in the disorder. The presence of these patches of disorganized cells at such a young age suggests that brain development may not proceed as expected in children who eventually develop Autism. Interestingly, the patches were placed randomly throughout the brain, which may help explain why symptoms can differ dramatically among individuals.
This most recent finding builds on Courchesne’s past research on the brains of children with Autism, which is increasingly suggesting an important developmental time frame within the second and third trimester of prenatal development for these deficits. Such information may soon lead to future preventive interventions.