A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found focal disruption of cortical laminar organization in the cortexes of a majority of young children with autism.
According to the U.S. government, autism affects one in every 68 children.
In the brain tissue of healthy children, the cortex had six distinct layers, each made up of a specific cell type. The brains of children with autism had specific cells in specific layers missing.
Because the organization of the cortex starts in the second trimester during pregnancy, the study suggests the disorder is present before birth.
"So what we found is very interesting because it suggests there could be a common underlying biology that is there at the beginning, so a common time, a commonplace, a common underlying neuropathology that begins this disorder," says Eric Courchesne, an author of the paper and director of the Autism Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego. "That will really help the search for the original triggers that cause autism. And it changes the direction of research from postnatal to prenatal."
Samples of cortex were examined from 11 deceased children with autism and an 11 children who did not have the disease. Of the sample studied, 10 out of the 11 children had disorganized patches of cortex.
"It also gives clues as to what might be biomarkers for identifying autism at very young ages, perhaps as early as at the age of 1 to 2 years, so that kids can be identified at much younger ages, be referred for treatment at much younger ages, and thereby have a better outcome," Courchesne said.
Below: Eric Courchesne talks about the new findings.
By: Anel Herrera
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