AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life

Final project Submission

WHAT IS AUTISM?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopment conditions that are characterized by alterations in social communication, reciprocal social interaction accompanied by repetitive and stereotyped behaviors.

Since DSM V is out, Autism Spectrum Disorder is considered as continuous that goes from severe to light affectation.

World prevalence is about 1 in 100 people and it appears in a relation of 1 female for 3 or 4 males.

Comorbidity with other conditions is really common and high: intellectual disability (80% of the cases) , epilepsy (25%-35%), sensory disorders (almost de 90%), motor problems. Also others genetic pathologies such as X fragile Syndrome and Down Syndrome

Is a lifelong developmental disability and, until now, there is no cure

People with this diagnosis can improve with treatment and gain a lot of abilities that can make quality of life much more better for them and people around.

Scientist from all over the world are investigating the cause of Autism.

The Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurobiological condition, related with genetic and possible mutation of genes.

The cause might be also related with environmental factors.

This neurodevelopment disorder is present from thebeginning of life and the symptoms are shown in different intensity and frequency during the early years.

SYMPTOMS

Three áreas are affected:

Social interrelation

Communication and language

Presence of restricted and stereotyped behaviors and activities.

How much these areas are altered, depends on which grade of the affection the person has.

Verbal language: from non verbal or poor development of language to preserved development language but withoutunderstanding abstract language (ironies, jokes, sayings, proverbs)

Difficulties in understanding and representing non verbal communication, gestures, facial expressions.

Difficulties in developing social skills (also eye contact) and empathy.

Presence of inappropriate behavior. They don’t consider (because they can’t or they don’t know) the social standards of behavior of the situation.

Most of them better process the information that come from visual pathways.

Adherence to routine, obsession with themes and activities, rigid and inflexible behavior are present. Motor Mannerisms.

NERVOUS SYSTEM, FUNCTIONS AND

AUTISMSimon Baron - Cohen (from the Autism Research Center - Cambridge University) explained that the autistic brain is an extreme male brain.

Characterized by being systematized and rigid functioning.

There are studies showing that the autistics brain are bigger in volume than the ones of persons without autism. The way the brain develops is also atypical.

Others studies have shown that the structure of the neurons is different, in this case they are not as trees with intercommunication through the dendrites. It seems more like raisins with poor intercommunication.

The communication between distant areas in the brain is also interfered.

Frontal lobes: where the executive functions are located. This area which connects and process the emotions and language, is affected in the ASD. It is also related with the mental flexibility which is restricted at ASD.

The Amygdala: associated with emotions can be affected both at the incoming emotional input and at the response the person produces.

The Basal Ganglia: Involved in motor modulation, supports routine and sequence behavior, and with thought selection and perceptual selection. Since they are extremely good at routine learners, we teach them in a sequence and apportion way. (Is the basal ganglia and the inhibition of movements affected in the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome?)

The Cerebellum: Access all the information from the environment and it’s involved in every single movement. Motor learning, execution and coordination depends on the cerebellum.

Cerebral cortex: Cognition, perception (it’s common to find hyper o hypo sensory disorders in people with ASD), language interpretation, understanding and production. Prosody is affected, there is no emotional tone or is not well modulated. The loudness, and the pragmatic association between language and the situation is also impaired.

Theory of Mind: is one of the psychology theories that intends to explain the ASD. Involves the cerebral cortex functions, the possibility to feel (by the mirror neurons system) the same state that the one in front of me is feeling. The social resonance is obstructed, they have a lot of difficulty in trying to mimic and resonate with other person emotions.

THIS COURSE…

Was really useful to me, because I reached a major level of understanding of the brain and functions. From now on I will be able to comprehend more in detail how the Autistic brain works, and therefore I’m capable of helping my patients in a much more rich way.

This course made me question things I never thought before, and it left me full of questions which I am anxious to answer. Therefore I will keep studying and searching for those answers.

Thank you!!!

REFERENCES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ93HTeKc98

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs9JOiW47q0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvcuakJ7JiI

http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/autism-and-asperger-syndrome-an-introduction/what-is-autism.aspx

http://www.autismresearchcentre.com

Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth edition. American Psychiatric Association.