Autism | Improving prediction and understanding through needed studies

Understanding Autism and hopeful studies | New findings from the University of Miami could be another link to improving response rates to treatment for children with ASD.

New research sheds light on the changing patterns of brain connectivity observed in people with autism spectrum disorder compared to typically developing (TD) peers.

Disrupted cortical connectivity is thought to underlie the complex cognitive and behavior profile observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Published in the journal NeuroImage Clinical, their findings indicate that differences in brain connectivity in ASD correlate to developmental stage, building on previous findings where patterns of both hypo- and hyper-connectivity of signaling networks have been observed in people with ASD.

Children aged 7 to 11 exhibited hyper-connectivity within large-scale brain networks and decreased between-network connectivity compared to TD children. Adolescents with ASD (age 11 to 18), however, did not differ from TD age-matched controls in within network connectivity, but had decreased between network connectivity. Adults with ASD aged older than 18 showed neither within or between-network differences in functional connectivity compared to TD controls.

Ultimately, alterations in functional brain connectivity in the cerebral cortex may be at the heart of behavioral characteristics observed across the lifespan in ASD. With that, the researchers are currently working to characterize the developmental transition that occurs during the onset of puberty in people with ASD. 

As Researchers continue to strive to better understand the causes underlying the brain changes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this will lead to better predictions of those at higher risk, and how to evolve therapies and treatments that improve the quality of life for those suffering with mental health related issues.