Autism

6 Pages 1615 Words

e scrutinizing the structures and functions of the brain for slues as to how a brain with autism differs from the normal brain. In one line of study, researchers are investigating potential defects that occur during initial brain development. Other researchers are looking for defects in the brains of people already know to have autism.
Scientists are also looking for abnormalities in the brain structures that make up the limbic system. Inside the limbic system, an area called the ammygdala is known to help regulate aspects of social and emotions behavior. One study of high-functions children with autism found that the amygdala was indeed impaired but that another area of the brain, the hippocampus, was not. In another study, scientists followed the development of monkeys whose amygdala was disrupted at birth. Like children with autism, as the monkeys grew, they became increasingly withdrawn and avoided social contact.
Differences in neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the nervous system, are also being explored. Fore example, high levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin have been found in...