Autism originates from brain changes in the fetus?

The discovery of arrays of brain cells is markedly altered in children with autism revealed, the disease is more likely to begin in the fetus from birth, in brain development stages in the last 6 months of pregnancy. .

In a new brain tissue study published in the New England Journal of medicine , scientists examined samples of donations from 11 autistic children and 11 children without the disease, in their age. 2 - 16. The team then used special techniques to detect certain types of neurons in the outermost layer of the brain - the cortex.

Analysis of brain tissue of autistic children reveals fragments of disorganized menstrual cells.(Photo: Live Science)

They found dense arrays of irregularly shaped neurons, residing in the wrong places in the cortex. These arrays are 5 - 7mm long and exist in the temporal and prefrontal cortical regions of 10 of 11 autistic children and only 1 in 11 children are not ill.

The finding showed a deviation in the development of cortical layers in the last 6 months of pregnancy. The human cortex consists of 6 layers and each layer contains certain types of neurons. These cells have a unique name or genetic signature.

Some previous studies on human embryos have shown that the cortical layers develop and become different from the rest from about 19 to 30 weeks of pregnancy. Serious abnormalities in this stage of development can lead to disorders that make the brain look different, sometimes very clearly.

Researchers also discovered that autistic children have 60% more brain cells than normal children. They are still unclear what can affect the normal development of the cortex. However, it is most likely a combination of genetic factors with the fetal condition.