Scientists have noticed that a key brain structure appears to undergo an strange maturation jet between six and 12 month in babies that go on to recrudesce autism .
Reported in theAmerican Journal of Psychiatry , scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill glance over the brains of over 400 kids , including 58 babe with an increased likeliness of prepare autism ( due to having an old sibling with autism ) who were subsequently diagnosed with autism , 212 infants at increased likelihood of autism but who did not uprise autism , 109 controls , and 29 babe with “ fragile X ” syndrome , a genetic precondition that induce a range of developmental problems including read disablement and cognitive impairment .
They find that the amygdala underwent an strange increment spurt in child between six and 12 calendar month of years that went on to develop autism . This blowup then continues until the child reaches the age of two , an age where behaviors associated with autism can jump to be seen .
The amygdala is an Prunus dulcis - work cluster of cells found buried in the middle of the nous that ’s associated with the processing of societal behavior , fear , and aroused responses . investigator havepreviously knownthe amygdala is unco with child in children with autism , but this is the first field to foreground how and when that enlargement occurs .
“ We also find that the rate of amygdala overgrowth in the first class is linked to the child ’s societal deficits at age two , ” Mark Shen , first study author and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill and mental faculty of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities , say in astatement . “ The quicker the amygdala grew in early childhood , the more societal trouble the child show when diagnosed with autism a twelvemonth later . ”
The question remains : what causes the amygdala to swell and the development of autism ? The research worker believe their piece of work ca n’t answer that yet , but some of their other research may provide some clues . One of their previous study found that infantswho go on to develop autism have problems with optic stimuli in their surroundings . They mistrust that early problems with processing ocular and sensory entropy may put strain on the amygdala , forcing it to overgrow .
For the time being , the researchers trust their late determination might assist people hit an autism diagnosing before and potentially offer new ways to cope the condition .
“ Our inquiry suggests an optimal sentence to start interventions and support youngster who are at highest likeliness of developing autism may be during the first twelvemonth of life sentence . The focussing of a pre - symptomatic intervention might be to better visual and other sensory processing in babies before social symptoms even come along , ” concluded Joseph Piven , senior study author and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .
