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The brains of children with autism contain 67% more neurons
Last reviewed: 29.11.2021
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The bark of the prefrontal region of the brain, which is responsible for higher nervous functions, in people with autism, contains 67% more neurons than the average person. This excessive number of neurons prevents the brain from functioning properly and performing its work.
Back in 2003, American scientists (the University of California in San Diego) discovered a feature in the development of autistic children - within the first year after birth, these children grew very fast. Earlier, scientists believed that such growth is associated with abnormal brain development, but what exactly happens to the brain in such children, researchers were able to determine just now.
Scientists have analyzed the neural tissue of the prefrontal zone of the brain in seven children aged 2 to 16 years who suffer from autism. Control samples of similar nervous tissue were produced by healthy peers. The cortex of the prefrontal zone of the brain occupies about 1/3 of the total gray matter and is responsible for the performance of almost all higher nervous functions: speech, cognitive functions, social behavior. The disease of autism manifests itself as a violation of each of these functions.
The authors of the study found that in the cortex of the prefrontal region of the brain, autism had 67% more nerve cells than in the brains of healthy children. Therefore, the brain in children with autism has a more severe brain healthy children, which is manifested by an increase in the skull after birth. New nerve cells of the cortex are formed during prenatal development, between the 10th and 20th week of pregnancy. According to the researchers, autistic children have a mechanism that blocks the destruction of unnecessary neurons, which is triggered before the birth of the child and continues for some time after birth. In healthy children this mechanism is absent, due to which about half of the neurons are eliminated.
Superfluous neurons, and accordingly excess of neural circuits lead to disruption of the work of the "information space", which leads to inadequate performance of higher nervous functions.
This study shows that a large proportion of cases of autism are associated with impaired embryonic development of the child.