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| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Language: | en |
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Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz
2001
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| Online Access: | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=58232402 |
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| _version_ | 1866586242108358656 |
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| author | Karen M. Weidenheim |
| author_facet | Karen M. Weidenheim |
| contents | Neurobiology of autism: An update Karen M. Weidenheim Medicina Autism s syndrome Asperger’ Rett disorder Consideration of available studies suggests that many cases of autismare caused by a neurodevelopmental disorder. In other cases, a knowndisease entity is found, either during life or at autopsy. A commonfactor linking primary idiopathic autism with double syndromecases having autistic behavior may be malfunction in specificneuroanatomic systems, defects in which give rise to the clinicallydefined autistic symptomatology. The available evidence suggeststhat the limbic system is abnormal in most cases of autism, and thatthe hippocampus, basal forebrain, cingulate and orbitofrontalcortices are specifically involved. Evidence for neocorticalinvolvement is less strong; additional investigations will be necessaryto define the role of neocortical pathology observed in some, butnot all, individuals with autism. Similarly, the role of the thalamusand hypothalamus and their subdivisions needs to be better defined.The role of the cerebellum in the causation of autistic symptoms iscontroversial. However, the consistency of the findings of the Bostongroup suggest that additional study, especially studies focused onthe connections of the cerebellum to the diencephalic andtelencephalic structures, is warranted.The evidence, then, suggests that autism is a disorder ofconnectivity, often but not exclusively arising during the gestationalperiod and ongoing degeneration of involved neural systems mayoccur in some individuals. Since different investigators, who studydifferent populations of autistic individuals, have found involvementof multiple neuroanatomic sites, neural network(s) may be involvedin pathogenesis of this complex behavior. A defect at any point inthe network could produce autistic behavior, and differences in thespecific network defect between individuals might account forobserved differences in clinical phenotype. The recent identificationof abnormalities in serotonin synthesis in autistic individuals suggeststhat serotonergic systems are likely involved (23). However, thecomplexity of the brain’s circuitry, especially in the limbic system(56), and the presence of multiple neurotransmitters in any givenanatomic site in the brain, suggests that investigations of additionalneurotransmitter systems might be useful as well.While autism is now accepted to be an intrinsic disorder of thebrain, much additional work needs to be done to elucidate theprecise biochemical and physiologic defects that lead to the observedpathologic changes. Application of basic neuroscience methods toclinical material will hopefully elucidate the pathogenesis of thisdisorder and lead to effective therapy. 2001 artículo científico 0185-3325 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=58232402 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=582 Salud Mental application/pdf Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz Salud Mental (México) Num.3 Vol.24 |
| format | Artículo científico |
| id | redalyc_58232402 |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 2001 |
| publisher | Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz |
| spellingShingle | Neurobiology of autism: An update Karen M. Weidenheim Medicina Autism s syndrome Asperger’ Rett disorder Neurobiology of autism: An update Karen M. Weidenheim Medicina Autism s syndrome Asperger’ Rett disorder Consideration of available studies suggests that many cases of autismare caused by a neurodevelopmental disorder. In other cases, a knowndisease entity is found, either during life or at autopsy. A commonfactor linking primary idiopathic autism with double syndromecases having autistic behavior may be malfunction in specificneuroanatomic systems, defects in which give rise to the clinicallydefined autistic symptomatology. The available evidence suggeststhat the limbic system is abnormal in most cases of autism, and thatthe hippocampus, basal forebrain, cingulate and orbitofrontalcortices are specifically involved. Evidence for neocorticalinvolvement is less strong; additional investigations will be necessaryto define the role of neocortical pathology observed in some, butnot all, individuals with autism. Similarly, the role of the thalamusand hypothalamus and their subdivisions needs to be better defined.The role of the cerebellum in the causation of autistic symptoms iscontroversial. However, the consistency of the findings of the Bostongroup suggest that additional study, especially studies focused onthe connections of the cerebellum to the diencephalic andtelencephalic structures, is warranted.The evidence, then, suggests that autism is a disorder ofconnectivity, often but not exclusively arising during the gestationalperiod and ongoing degeneration of involved neural systems mayoccur in some individuals. Since different investigators, who studydifferent populations of autistic individuals, have found involvementof multiple neuroanatomic sites, neural network(s) may be involvedin pathogenesis of this complex behavior. A defect at any point inthe network could produce autistic behavior, and differences in thespecific network defect between individuals might account forobserved differences in clinical phenotype. The recent identificationof abnormalities in serotonin synthesis in autistic individuals suggeststhat serotonergic systems are likely involved (23). However, thecomplexity of the brain’s circuitry, especially in the limbic system(56), and the presence of multiple neurotransmitters in any givenanatomic site in the brain, suggests that investigations of additionalneurotransmitter systems might be useful as well.While autism is now accepted to be an intrinsic disorder of thebrain, much additional work needs to be done to elucidate theprecise biochemical and physiologic defects that lead to the observedpathologic changes. Application of basic neuroscience methods toclinical material will hopefully elucidate the pathogenesis of thisdisorder and lead to effective therapy. 2001 artículo científico 0185-3325 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=58232402 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=582 Salud Mental application/pdf Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz Salud Mental (México) Num.3 Vol.24 |
| title | Neurobiology of autism: An update |
| topic | Medicina Autism s syndrome Asperger’ Rett disorder |
| url | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=58232402 |