Study: Autism affects all brain functions
August 16, 2006A U.S. study has provided evidence that autism affects the functioning of the entire brain, not just communication, social behavior and reasoning.
The National Institutes of Health research found autism also affects a broad array of skills and abilities, including those involved with sensory perception, movement and memory.
The senior author of the study -- Dr. Nancy Minshew of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine -- said people with autism tend to display three characteristic behaviors, which are the basis of the diagnosis of autism. The behaviors involve difficulty interacting socially, problems with verbal and non-verbal communications, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests.
Traditionally, Minshew said, researchers studying autism have concentrated on those behavioral areas.
"Our paper strongly suggests that autism is not primarily a disorder of social interaction, but a global disorder affecting how the brain processes the information it receives -- especially when the information becomes complicated," Minshew said.
The study appears in the journal Child Neuropsychology.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
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