TSRI Scientists Found Clues To Unusual Brain Connections In Autism

Scientists of The Scripps Research Institute or TSRI from the Florida campus have discovered, while using an animal model, that transmutations in PTEN affected the creation of the connections between two brain areas concerning the process of the interaction of humans. These two brain areas are the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain which is associated with a variety of complex behaviors such as interacting with other people, and the amygdala, which percepts our fear and other emotions.

According to a report on the Heal Alerts, TSRI Associate Professor Damon Page said we find that neurons that appear from the prefrontal cortex to the amygdala are overgrown and make more synapses when PTEN is transmuted. In this occurrence, more synapses are not necessary a good thing because this contributes to unusual activity in the amygdala and deficits in interacting with other people.

The journal Nature Communications published a study on November 15 which showed that targeting the activity of the mTOR pathway can block the appearance of abnormal amygdala activity and social, behavioral deficits which happen during after a stage when neurons are creating connections between these brain areas as cited on News Medical, To reverse these symptoms, we can lessen activity neurons that project between these areas in adulthood.

TSRI Graduate Student Wen-Chin Huang, the first author of the study, said that given that the operating connection between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala is mostly maintained between humans and mice. We expect that the therapeutic plans recommended here may be applicable to people on the autism spectrum.

In concluding findings from animal models to humans, caution is always guaranteed. These discoveries for individualized approaches to treating autism still have implications. Page noted that different ways might be appropriate to treat the symptoms of autism in early development, even within humans unprotected to the same risk factor.