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Although previous research has identified genes associated with autism, scientists still can not explain the development of the disease. In this sense, the results of a study conducted by researchers from Columbia University, suggest that structural differences in the cerebellum may be related to some aspects of autism spectrum disorder.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers performed scans. in 20 children with autism and 18 neurotypical children, and comparing the level of activity, size and structure of the cerebellum.
To examine this structurally complex region of the brain, researchers applied a high resolution 3D fractal analysis to the data. MRI, to estimate the fractal dimension, a measure of the structural complexity, the outer layer of the cerebellum.
Scans showed that autistic children had a significantly flatter surface on the right side of their cerebellum, a section that is known to be involved in language processing.
The researchers also They also discovered that a flatter cerebellum was associated with differences in thinking and communication skills, two skills often affected by autism.
In general, children with autism who had better social communication skills had a more normal cerebellar structure, as well as those with higher verbal skills compared to lower verbal skills.
Dr. Kristina Denisova, assistant professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University and senior author of the research, said:
"Although the study did not prove that the structural differences observed in the cerebellum is the cause of autism, and even so, our results suggest that we may need to rethink the role of cerebellar function and structure in individuals at risk for atypical brain development. "
researchers have explained that although the cerebellum occupies only 10% of the total brain volume, brain contains 80 percent of all neurons. It was believed that this area largely governed motor function, but recent research suggests that it also regulates implicit learning, sensory development, and thinking skills.
Despite this, the majority of studies on autism focused on the brain, which is larger than the cerebellum although it has fewer neurons. In part, this is due to the unique and irregular shape of the cerebellum, which is difficult to analyze with conventional imaging techniques.
The study authors point out that a possible interpretation of the results is that, increasing the structural complexity of the cerebellum can enhance the implicit learning in children with a atypical development.
Reference: Reduced structural complexity of the right cerebellar cortex in male children with autism spectrum disorder. Plos One, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196964
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