In new research that may shed light on the roots of autism, Columbia University Medical Center scientists have found children with the disorder have an oversupply of synapses in some parts of their brains, which may affect their ability to process information.
The finding, published in the journal
Neuron, provides clues to how autism develops and may partly explain why some people with autism have oversensitivity to noise, problems in social experiences, and epilepsy,
The New York Times reports.
The study examined tissue from the brains of children and adolescents, half of whom had autism. The results showed temporal lobes — an area of the brain involved in social behavior and communication — had had more spines on the neurons in children with autism.
Spines branch out from one neuron and receive signals from other neurons through connections called synapses, so more spines indicate more synapses.
In normal brain development, there is an explosion of synapses early in life and then it tapers off. That process is necessary to ensure that different areas of the brain can develop specific functions and are not overloaded with stimuli. But that pruning may not happen in children with autism.
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