autism brain differences

Autism Brain Differences You Should Know About

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Autism is a very prevalent condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 54 children has an autism spectrum disorder or ASD. Yet, even so, our modern civilization still seems so far behind in understanding what it really is.

For us, understanding starts with the brain. Join us as we explore autism brain differences and look at a potential intervention: Brain Retrain.

What Is Autism?

Before moving on, allow us to provide our working definition of autism. Autism is not an illness or disease. Rather, it is a developmental disability characterized by difficulties in communication, social interaction, and self-control.

There are varying degrees of it, an entire spectrum. Hence, it is more formally known as an autism spectrum disorder.

While this condition doesn’t really include cognitive functions, people with autism still have issues with learning, memory, and other tasks that require cognitive abilities. Why is that? We believe that the clue lies within the autistic brain structure.

How Does Autism Affect the Brain?

Until recent years, it has been quite difficult to diagnose autism by just observing the brain’s architecture. According to a study published by the journal Nature Communications, that’s because findings were previously limited and inconsistent. It was impossible back then to answer the question, “How does autism affect the brain?

Thanks to the Enhancing Neuro-Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis or ENIGMA Consortium, it has been made possible for researchers to collaborate on an international scale and get more accurate findings. This initiative helped make way to conclude the following:

  • The brain of a person with ASD is slightly more symmetrical than the average brain. Apparently, the asymmetry of the left and right hemispheres of the human brain plays a role in its function and development.
  • An autistic brain also has more folds, particularly in the left parietal and temporal lobes. An article published by the Boston University states that the unique folding pattern of an autistic brain structure only proves how different their development path is compared to the typically developed brain.

Further research is necessary to explain why these happen and why they result in autism. Let us further look into the things that we know for now.

What Part of the Brain Is Most Affected by Autism?

A paper published by Experimental Neurobiology details the different parts of the brain affected by autism, namely:

  • Frontal and Temporal Lobes: It seems that children with ASD have a higher brain volume compared to typically developing kids, especially in their frontal and temporal lobes.
  • Cortical Area: They have also observed an accelerated expansion of the brain’s cortical surface area but not its thickness. Cortical folding is also increased with ASD.
  • Left Hemisphere: When asking “What part of the brain does autism affect?”, a published article pointed out that people with ASD have a reduced function and development of the left hemisphere. That explains why a lot of people with autism are left-handed.

Honestly, asking what part of the brain does autism affect is a bit short-sighted. Keep in mind that brain processes cannot be completely isolated from each other.

What Happens in an Autistic Brain?

Ever wondered what happens in an autistic brain? Technologies like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) allow us to explore the brain functions of someone with ASD. Here are just some of its atypical processes:

  • Delayed Language Development: Social interaction and language development are critical neurobiological processes that develop quite early in life. Any delays in this aspect are one of the primary warning signs of ASD.

To further complicate communication-related abilities, people with autism also find it hard to perceive facial reactions and body gestures一two essential aspects of effective communication.

  • Repetitive Behavior Patterns: MRI observations reveal that children with ASD also demonstrate hypoactivity in brain regions that support sequence learning and response monitoring. It can lead to restricted and repetitive behavior patterns and excessive sensitivity to change.
  • Abnormal Frequency and Connectivity: It was observed that people with ASD also have different brain frequencies and connectivity compared to a typically developing brain. They either have significantly increased or decreased brain activity in these aspects. Coincidentally, the learning program that we’ll feature deals closely with brain frequencies.

Autism Brain Differences

To sum up everything we’ve discussed so far about autism brain differences, below are the main points that differentiate autistic from non-autistic brains.

Symmetry and Lobes

Autistic brains anatomically develop in a different way than non-autistic ones. They have more pronounced temporal lobes, frontal lobes, and cortical areas.

The human brain is naturally asymmetrical, but autistic brains are oddly more symmetrical than not. 

Folds, Development, and Aging

Autistic brains also have more folds. These anatomical differences also come with developmental issues. For instance, people with autism experience language challenges and repetitive behaviors.

Finally, it is also important to note that autistic brains age differently compared to non-autistic ones. 

facts on autism brain differences

How Does an Autistic Brain Age?

Some of the tell-tale signs of autism are the following:

Increased Degeneration

There is a markedly increased brain growth during the early years of life. According to a study published in the journal Brain Research, this rapid pace of growth will then reach its peak and begin its accelerated degeneration starting from adolescence forward.

In another paper by the Autism Science Foundation, it was stated that this rate of degeneration is demonstrated by the slowing down of amygdala growth and a decrease in neurons.

Enhanced Amyloid Beta Formation

They have also found that aging autistic brains experience an increase in the formation of Amyloid beta, the protein responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.

Other Health Issues

Finally, Spectrum points out a few more health issues that adults with autism are faced with due to the aging process of their brain:

  • People with autism are at a higher risk of developing immune disorders. That includes allergies and respiratory ailments like asthma.
  • They are also at a higher risk of metabolic disorders like diabetes and heart disease. Researchers believe that this is linked to repetitive behaviors related to eating.
  • They also found that adults with autism are at a strikingly increased risk for many psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenic disorders are so common that they are frequently mistaken for autism or the other way around, even when both are present.
  • Meanwhile, adults with autism are also more likely to get severely depressed and five times more likely to get suicidal than others who have no ASD.

Sadly, while awareness of ASD in children is widespread, we cannot say the same for autism in adults. Misinformation is still rampant even in this age of information. For instance, adults displaying odd and repetitive behavior are sometimes misdiagnosed with psychosis when they should have been diagnosed with ASD instead.

How To Manage ASD

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is currently no cure for ASD. We believe that it’s because autism is not a disease. It is a disability, and thus, should be treated like one.

Instead, one should focus on interventions geared towards reducing symptoms, improving cognitive function, and finding one’s place in the community.

ABA and CBT

Various therapies have already been developed. Applied behavior analysis or ABA and cognitive behavior therapy are just some of the most popular methods. Diet changes and medication are also used to increase one’s growth and development while decreasing symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and seizures.

We understand why certain treatments have proven controversial throughout the years, even if some of them have indeed proven effective. Side effects are a big factor, especially in particular prescription medicine. It’s best to discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Brain Retrain

Brain Retrain CTA 4

You might want to consider complementary and alternative medicine treatments as well. One such intervention is Brain Retrain, a learning program specially designed to help children with autism. It has the potential to repair the parts of the brain affected by autism.

It was developed by DreamWeaver House and SFK Media Corp, organizations dedicated to autism treatment for children. The DreamWeaver House Autism Spectrum Care Center, for instance, is known for its years of community service, free consultations, evaluations, and care for children with autism.

They acknowledge, though, that not all families have the privilege of visiting their headquarters. That motivated them to work with SFK Media Corp to create Brain Retrain. It is a learning program that uses brainwaves to stimulate the brain and trigger its natural healing abilities.

It is actually an upgrade of their previous program, Reading Movies, a series of book movies that use DreamWeaver’s patented Action Caption technology. This method, combined with frequency brainwaves, makes Brain Retrain a potent learning tool.

As an added benefit, it’s convenient and can easily be used at home. There’s no need to visit DreamWeaver’s headquarters in New York anymore.

Non-invasive and non-ingestible, Brain Retrain is a safe intervention that children with ASD can try to decrease symptoms and improve cognitive function, especially as their brain continues to mature.

Final Thoughts

Have you ever wondered why people with autism behave the way they do? That is mainly due to the differences in their brain’s anatomical structure, development, and functioning.

For instance, an autistic brain tends to be more symmetrical than a non-autistic brain. It also has more pronounced frontal and temporal lobes.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that the brain of an autistic person doesn’t improve as it matures. It can even degenerate further, especially if no interventions were made to deal with its symptoms.

There are a lot of methods that can help people deal with autism. Therapies and prescription medications are the most popular options. Alternative interventions are also available, like the Brain Retrain learning program that uses frequencies to stimulate brain repair and development.

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