2-Minute Neuroscience: Autism

Autism is characterized by impairments in social communication and interaction and restricted and repetitive behaviors. In this video, I discuss the neuroscience of autism along with potential factors and mechanisms involved in the development of autism.

TRANSCRIPT:

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder, is characterized by symptoms that include impairments in social communication and interaction and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Although the neuroscience of autism is still poorly understood, autism is considered to be a complex developmental disorder that involves atypical brain organization starting early in development.

Individuals with autism often experience a period of unusually rapid brain growth in infancy and early childhood. This accelerated brain growth is linked to an atypical pattern of connectivity between brain regions. A number of studies report that alterations in brain circuitry involved with social interaction and attention can be detected well before the symptoms of autism begin to appear. At this point, however, it’s unclear how brain overgrowth and atypical connectivity might be linked to the occurrence of autism symptoms.

Research suggests that the risk of autism is strongly influenced by genetics, yet studies consistently report that environmental factors also play a large role. Although a number of potential environmental factors have been identified, the risk factors for autism are far from definitive, and it remains unclear which factors are responsible for causing an increase in autism risk, and which are associated in a non-causal way. The risk factors that are most strongly linked to autism are associated with the prenatal or perinatal period. Thus, it’s possible they might be responsible for disruptions to typical neural development, leading to symptoms of autism months or years later. How these risk factors might interfere with neural development is still uncertain, but hypotheses have suggested potential mechanisms such as epigenetic effects, inflammation, oxidative stress, or damage caused by oxygen deficiency. More work needs to be done, however, to fully elucidate the genetic and environmental risk factors for autism, as well as the mechanisms for the development of autism symptoms.

REFERENCES:

Lord C, Brugha TS, Charman T, Cusack J, Dumas G, Frazier T, Jones EJH, Jones RM, Pickles A, State MW, Taylor JL, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020 Jan 16;6(1):5. doi: 10.1038/s41572-019-0138-4. PMID: 31949163.

Lord C, Elsabbagh M, Baird G, Veenstra-Vanderweele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Lancet. 2018 Aug 11;392(10146):508-520. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31129-2. Epub 2018 Aug 2. PMID: 30078460; PMCID: PMC7398158.

Modabbernia A, Velthorst E, Reichenberg A. Environmental risk factors for autism: an evidence-based review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Mol Autism. 2017 Mar 17;8:13. doi: 10.1186/s13229-017-0121-4. PMID: 28331572; PMCID: PMC5356236.

Muhle RA, Reed HE, Stratigos KA, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. The Emerging Clinical Neuroscience of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018 May 1;75(5):514-523. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4685. PMID: 29590280.

[neurochallenged]

**IMPORTANT NOTE** While this video uses terminology that is common in the scientific and medical community, it's important to note that many who are part of (or connected to) the autism community prefer to describe autism in a non-pejorative manner that does not imply that autism is a pathology. This has led to the avoidance of terms like disorder and disability when describing autism. An alternative is to describe autistic individuals as neurodiverse, and non-autistic individuals as neurotypical.

The neurodiversity movement points out that variation in neurological development is common, and the resultant differences in functioning are not necessarily pathological. Indeed, in some cases, the differences in brain function that occur in autism can offer advantages over typical brain function, especially in certain environments.

Many clinicians and autism researchers are thus adjusting their perspectives on autism to at least incorporate a neurodiversity perspective into the traditional medical model of autism. Doing so has the potential to improve how autistic individuals are treated, both in medical and societal settings.

Additionally, I have learned since posting this video that many find the puzzle piece symbolism to be objectionable for various reasons (e.g., due to its association with Autism Speaks, due to the implication that autistic individuals are "missing something"). I was unaware of these issues with the puzzle piece symbol, and I chose it simply because I thought it meant autism was a puzzle we are still trying to figure out (the same could be said for almost any aspect of brain function). I apologize if anyone finds my use of this symbol offensive; if I knew it had a negative connotation I would not have used it.

[beyondthehiddenbth]

As an autistic person I want to say this for all others out there. We are built different, not incorrectly.

I think it's time for me to add something after a few years have passed. I'm not going to say autism isn't a struggle. It very much can be and is so, even for myself. But, while it can be a challenge and feel like a curse to some. I don't want anyone, for any reason, to see autistic people as a diseased group, a people that need to be "fixed". Because that's not the case. We have our struggles, we have our problems. But that doesn't mean that what we are is wrong.

[jessicamontaperto]

Years ago I was disgonzed with low functioning autism today I am talking verbally! Parents don’t lose hope ur son or daughter ll find their voice don’t give up never never give up they re in there!

[stephg]

Kids with autism aren't stupid or broken. They need a different environment to thrive. They learn differently and no one knows how to teach them. They socialize differently and no one can talk to them. They have different needs and no one knows how to help them. They aren't stupid, but they are at a disadvantage because they are usually alone in their lives

[aluuvie]

I am autistic . I am a 15 year old girl and struggle a lot with communication and am sometimes non verbal . Whilst this is hard, I would not say that I am challenged, I am gifted by this condition . I am extremely academically smart and am predicted A* and A**s in every one of my exam subjects . Autism also has resulted in me being very good at art . I can replicate perfectly any picture in any media such as pencil or digital art and, because of this skill and my creative abilities, I also find things such as video editing and photo editing come naturally to me . Sometimes I do wish that I was “normal” ; my oddities no longer effecting my relationships with others and how I view the world . However I now see my condition as a gift and am working on accepting how my brain works and the way that I am .

[miriambucholtz]

I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at the age of 69 nearly 6 years ago. Prior to that, I had been misdiagnosed as a schizophrenic (while I was institutionalized, mind you) and wasted the prime of my life cowering in the shadow of that conclusion. My proper diagnosis was extremely liberating, particularly since it made me realize that a diagnosis is an explanation, not some life-defining label. This had the added effect of almost eliminating the depression I had had all my life. I came across a meme on FB that asked the question, in three words, what advice would you give to your 18-year-old self? Mine would be, Normal is Overrated. There are gifts that can be found in an autistic brain.

[kaciewolverton]

One hypothesis is that autistic brains are far more plastic than a "neurotypical" brain. This would seems to align with the atypical connectivity mentioned. This can be a major strength in terms of having a unique perspective and being able to integrate information from diverse sources to solve problems in innovative ways.

What wasn't addressed in the video is why autistic brains seem to run more on a manual, logic-based framework rather than an automatic social-hierarchy based framework. Neurotypical people seem to innately grasp distinct social interaction behaviors and reinforce social hierarchy, while autistic one's require a clear logic framework and step-by-step procedures in order to inform and execute their actions. This would explain the difficulty in innately understanding social norms, since most "norms" are largely arbitrary (as evidenced by widely differing norms across different societies) and many processes are never explicitly explained.

For example, I never understood the point of small talk or how a back and forth conversation functionally worked. Once I learned that humans evolved as a close-knit tribal species, the importance of knowing the current emotional state of others and the ability to predict the behavior of others through data collected via conversation became clear. I then could integrate this model of the purpose of social conversation and create a protocol to follow in real life. It sounds ridiculous typed out, but this was a game-changer. Decades of observing others never yielded an innate understanding like it does for non-autistic people.

The comorbitities that come along with autism are also very interesting (delayed audio processing, hypermobility, queerness, sensory issues, etc.). As the root causes get parsed and the structural function is mapped it will be very interesting to see what we find. It wouldn't be surprising if there are multiple causes that are currently only lumped together under ASD due to similar external presentation.

[crookedclown]

I was diagnosed back in 2003 with asperger syndrome. And honestly despite all the people saying that it's a strength, that normal is overrated, etc. I can honestly say I hate it.

I feel like it's held me back a lot, not just socially, but in other areas of development. I struggled a lot with schoolwork outside of a handful of subjects that interested me and lagged behind in every other class. I had to finish highschool a year and a half late simply because it was difficult to even attempt classes I wasn't interested in. I couldn't focus.

There are a couple of sensory issues that are a problem as well. Certain noises trigger a disproportionate amount of anger or discomfort. Taste is another, I only really eat the same seven foods over and over with only occasional differences because nearly everything else just tastes gross to me. Which is a shame since I love cooking, but not eating.

I often wonder how different my life would have been if I didn't have this (in my opinion) mess in my head. I don't feel special, I feel broken.

[MUERTE-zmiq]

My older brother has autism, sometimes it's very difficult, a lot of people laugh at him, but for me he's the best of them all. Thanks for the video❤️

[MrFossilabgfyth]

I have a couple friends who are Autistic. I like them just the way they are. I think people should accept others who are different and be more open to them. We're all different and human.

[godrxys]

I'm autistic, I was diagnosed at 4 years old and for most of my life I've been bullied for it. They said my brain was "formed incorrectly" but I like to think of it as "formed a slight bit differently", it's not a superpower like some media presents it as, but it's not a thing that puts a stop to my everyday life. I think it's just the thing that makes me who I am, and I wouldn't wanna swap it for the world!

[NiyxRa]

Growing up, I kept hearing stories about parents who would rather have dead kids than autistic ones (looking at you, anti vaxxers) and that led me to believe autism was something like a death sentence, where if you "had" it you'd never be able to live a regular life. Then I was diagnosed with it at sixteen. For a while I was devastated, I thought I was always going to need support, that I would never be able to live on my own, but as time went on and I talked with my therapist I slowly came to realise that wasn't true at all. It's not a death sentence, it's not something bad or something to fear in yourself or in others. It's taken a long time but I'm learning more every day and now I can finally look back and say, "it all makes sense now"

[ledpryr]

Sometimes I think it's really cool that I can have 3 different thoughts running concurrently. One thought doing logics and problem solving, one thought running my physical body, retaining spacial awareness and can sometimes even carry out conversations, and another thought strictly for keeping myself entertained, daydreaming, stuff like that. I would say that it helps me stay productive, but only happens when there's something I care about. I struggle to find topics I genuinely care about, but when I am passionate about something, I flourish.

[EduardoRodriguez-duvd]

Being autistic, I have noticed that neurotypicals are more confident that the majority have accurate concepts about reality. That many acquaintances of a neurotypical believe something makes it easier for them to accept that concept as true. This characteristic allows them to save mental processing. I find it more laborious to calculate the probability that something is true. I am not so confident about concepts that represent aspects of reality. But I can spend a lot of time developing a concept.
I am completely veiled in recognizing the subtlest body language meanings and even obvious gestures such as a smile barely dent my awareness of their meaning. I see it but I don't assign it as much relevance. That instinct is very broken in me.

[tjcj]

I’m a 56 year old male, classed as high functioning, but everyday life is still very difficult. The more videos put out there concerning autism will help people better understand what we are all about.
Thank you.

[ryanrake]

I have very high functioning autism, nobody really ever suspected me of having autism. Taking the IQ test basically doctors discovered my literacy/ English levels were lower(in the low 90s or average) while my physics and mathematics understanding was in the 120s region(qualify as genius). I’ve found ways around problems that others never thought to be possible and will go far deeper into a subject I genuinely care about than many people would. I am not a socially dependent person, but I’ve spent a lot more time with friends recently and it’s been great. Every once in a while we reach a long pause and I can’t figure out what to say(that’s my biggest issue). But autism has never harshly effected my everyday life.

[joelabner]

As someone who was diagnosed with severe autism when I was around 2-3, this a massive help in understanding how people with autism work in the world. Thanks a lot for this!

[theredguy]

I'm an autistic male and I'm 23 years old, and I feel like I'm more observant than a lot of people around my age. I can't tell if it's my autism or if it's just how I have grown up. Either way, it doesn't help with my depression because I overanalyse a lot which can sometimes make me see things that aren't there.

[clownpieceenjoyer]

16 year old female here! I was diagnosed as autistic a long time ago (3rd grade or so) since I'm lucky enough to have parents who noticed I was diffrent from other kids; this feels relieving to hear some of the exact science behind it, it's so validating and comforting to know that I'm not "broken" like how adults in my life have called me; I'm just wired differently.

though while I'm on the topic it makes me curious, since I struggle with this lots: does anyone else struggle with understanding hygiene? I've always had the hardest time comprehending it; I can't brush my hair by myself properly and my mon always tells me I never bathe myself properly when she notices my state of hygiene, no matter how hard I've tried it never turns out right when it's apparently so simple, and I wonder if this is a thing that's due to autism or something else entirely.

[cryzzn]

I was just diagnosed with autism at 29. I’m glad I have a diagnosis, because it will help me develop better coping mechanisms now that I have a foundation upon which to build treatment and support. I’ve already started the healing process from the social and emotional trauma I endured in my childhood, and am on the road to fully accepting and understanding myself. I also no longer associate my autistic traits with just cons to my personality they should be repressed, but normal occurrences in regards to my brain and working with them or through them.