AUTI SM
HOW DOES
AFFECTTHEBRAI N? Aut i sm,oraut i sm spect r um di sor der( ASD) ,i saneur odevel opment aldi sor dert hataf f ect scommuni cat i on,soci ali nt er act i on,andbehavi or .I ti sacompl excondi t i ont hataf f ect si ndi vi dual si ndi f f er entwaysandt ovar yi ngdegr ees.Aut i sm i sof t endi agnosedi near l ychi l dhood,andi t sef f ect scanper si sti nt oadul t hood.Buthowdoesaut i sm af f ectt hebr ai n?
ABNORMALCONNECTI VI TY Resear chhasshownt hati ndi vi dual swi t haut i sm haveabnor mal connect i vi t y i nt he br ai n.Thi smeanst hatt he di f f er entr egi onsoft he br ai n maynot communi cat ewi t heachot herasef f ect i vel yast heyshoul d.Forexampl e, somest udi eshavef oundt hatt her ei sdecr easedconnect i vi t ybet weent he amygdal a,ar egi onoft hebr ai ni nvol vedi npr ocessi ngemot i ons,andot her br ai nr egi ons.Thi smayexpl ai nwhyi ndi vi dual swi t haut i sm havedi f f i cul t y wi t hsoci alcommuni cat i onandr ecogni zi ngemot i ons.
STRUCTURALDI FFERENCES St udi es have al so f ound t hati ndi vi dual s wi t h aut i sm have st r uct ur al di f f er encesi nt hei rbr ai nscompar edt oneur ot ypi cal i ndi vi dual s.Forexampl e, somest udi eshavef oundt hatt her ei sani ncr easei nt hevol umeoft hegr ay mat t eri n cer t ai nr egi onsoft he br ai n,such ast he pr ef r ont alcor t ex.The pr ef r ont alcor t ex i si nvol ved i n execut i ve f unct i oni ng,such as deci si on maki ng,pl anni ng,andwor ki ngmemor y .Thi smayexpl ai nwhyi ndi vi dual s wi t haut i sm havest r engt hsi ncer t ai nar eas,suchasat t ent i ont odet ai land pat t er nr ecogni t i on.
NEUROTRANSMI TTERABNORMALI TI ES Neur ot r ansmi t t er sar echemi cal si nt hebr ai nt hatt r ansmi tsi gnal sbet ween neur ons.St udi eshavef oundt hati ndi vi dual swi t haut i sm mayhaveabnor mal i t i esi nt hel evel sorf unct i oni ngofcer t ai nneur ot r ansmi t t er s,suchasser ot oni n and dopami ne.These neur ot r ansmi t t er spl aya r ol ei nr egul at i ng mood,emot i ons,andsoci albehavi or .Abnor mal i t i esi nt heseneur ot r ansmi t t er smaycont r i but et ot hesoci alandemot i onaldi f f i cul t i esexper i encedbyi ndi vi dual swi t haut i sm.
SENSORYPROCESSI NGDI FFERENCES I ndi vi dual s wi t h aut i sm may al so have di f f er ences i n how t hey pr ocess sensor yi nf or mat i on.Forexampl e,some i ndi vi dual swi t h aut i sm maybe hyper sensi t i vet ocer t ai nsensor yst i mul i ,suchasl oudnoi sesorbr i ghtl i ght s. Ot her smaybe hyposensi t i ve and r equi r e mor e sensor yi nputt of eelt he samesensat i onasaneur ot ypi cali ndi vi dual .Thesedi f f er encesi nsensor y pr ocessi ng may cont r i but et ot he sensor yseeki ng orsensor yavoi dant behavi or scommonl yseeni ni ndi vi dual swi t haut i sm.
I nconcl usi on,aut i sm i sacompl excondi t i ont hataf f ect st hebr ai ni nvar i ous ways.Abnor malconnect i vi t y ,st r uct ur aldi f f er ences,neur ot r ansmi t t erabnor mal i t i es,andsensor ypr ocessi ngdi f f er encesar ej ustsomeoft hewayst hat aut i sm i mpact st hebr ai n.Under st andi nghow aut i sm af f ect st hebr ai ncan hel pusdevel opmor eef f ect i vei nt er vent i onsandt r eat ment st osuppor ti ndi vi dual swi t haut i sm andi mpr ovet hei rqual i t yofl i f e.