A new study has revealed that children with autism have varying densities of neurons in different areas of their brains when compared with peers who do not have an autism diagnosis. The study results were recently published in the respected journal Autism Research.
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The research team is comprised of several professionals working at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester in New York, USA. They began the study by collecting brain imaging data from over 11,000 children between the ages of 9 and 11 years old; 142 of the children in that group have autism. When comparing the imaging of the children with autism to the group as a whole, statistically significant differences in neuron density were noticed.
Within several regions of the cerebral cortex, the autistic children in the study were found to have a lower density of neurons. These brain regions are involved in a number of tasks related to problem-solving, reasoning, learning and memory. Conversely, autistic children had higher neuron density in other regions of the brain, most notably the amygdala which is heavily involved in the processing of emotions.
As well as comparing brain imaging scans of autistic children to those with no neurodevelopmental diagnosis, the researchers also compared the former group with children who have been diagnosed with psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and ADHD. The results were broadly similar, which suggests that the differences in neuron densities are specific to autism.
The fact that the differences noted were not found in 'children with other psychiatric conditions' allowed the researchers to conclude that a 'distinct neurological profile' was indicated. Findings from the study are set to help 'enhance understanding of autism’s development' as well as to 'potentially guide targeted therapies for children on the spectrum'.
The imaging data that was used to facilitate this groundbreaking research was collected from the database of ABCD (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development), which is described as being the 'largest long-term study of brain development and child health.' 21 different organisations, including the University of Rochester, are collecting data for this revolutionary database, which was started in 2015.
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