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Mechanism |
Brain Development Disorders are some of the most feared cognitive conditions that can occur to any person regardless of his or her health or hereditary records. Autism is one of the brain development disorders in which several parts of human brain are affected. It is often proposed that autism is caused by abnormal genetic structures inside the brain. It has also been suggested that this development disorder may have its root firmly attached to birth time deformities. But none of these theories has been substantiated by any credible scientific evidence. Childhood vaccinations are held responsible as well.
The mechanism of this disorder is not at all well defined. A lot of investigation and research have gone into unearthing the precise causes, but nothing has thrown up any plausible answer so far. Any study conducted to explore the mechanism of autism basically involves two approaches: pathophysiological and neuropsychological.
Pathophysiological Mechanism
Autism seems to occur from developmental agents that make an impact on various parts of the brain. Neuroanatomical examinations indicate that the mechanism of autism incorporates a change in brain development immediately after fertilization. Several environmental factors play a major role in this process. As studies have revealed, the development of the cerebral cortex becomes impaired. In autistic infants, the size and weight of the brain tend to be greater than normal children. The conjectures that have been made so far include:
- Perturbed neuronal migration in the initial phases of pregnancy
- Atypical formation of dendritic spines and synapses
- Lack of equilibrium in excitatory-inhibitory networks
- Redundancy in number of neurons
More than one neurotransmitter abnormalities have been found in autism. It has also been observed that the blood level of serotonin get significantly higher in autistic children.
The Minor Neuron System (MNS) theory of autism speculates that aberration in the growth of the MNS intervenes with imitation and results in the characteristic features of autism, including social behavioral disorders and other peculiarities.
Neuropsychological Mechanism
There are a couple of theories that have been proposed as probable reasons of autism. Both these theories attempt to establish a link between autistic behavior and autistic brains. The first theory is based on the shortcomings in social or environmental cognition. According to this hypothesis, an autistic individual can perfectly cope with his or her internal self. Only the external stimulations generated by foreign agents that he or she cannot interpret or decipher due to developmental impairments in the brain. The fact that an autistic patient lacks the power to plan a course of action systematically is explained through the second theory of the mechanism of autism. The famous and much debated Weak Central Coherence Theory speculates over possibilities which are related to one of the major symptoms of autism.
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