Recent advancements in autism research have primarily focused on analyzing the disorder's behavioral manifestations through techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which tracks the brain's responses to stimuli and activities. However, there has been limited exploration into the underlying causes of these responses.
Researchers at UVA's College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences have made significant strides in understanding the physiological disparities in brain structures between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Utilizing Diffusion MRI, a method that observes how water molecules move within the brain and interact with cellular membranes, the team has been able to uncover structural variances in the brains of individuals with autism.
This innovative approach has enabled the researchers to develop mathematical models of brain microstructures, facilitating the identification of differences between autistic and non-autistic brains. Lead author Benjamin Newman, a postdoctoral researcher at UVA, emphasizes the novelty of this method in elucidating the neuronal distinctions contributing to autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Building upon the pioneering work of Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley, who elucidated the electrochemical properties of neurons, Newman and his colleagues applied similar principles to investigate the conductivity discrepancies in autistic brains. By integrating cutting-edge neuroimaging data and computational methodologies, they devised a novel approach to calculating the conductivity of neural axons and their information transmission capacity.
Their study, published in PLOS One, not only demonstrates the link between these microstructural variances and participants' scores on the Social Communication Questionnaire but also highlights the potential implications for understanding the origins of ASD.
John Darrell Van Horn, a professor at UVA, underscores the significance of moving beyond subjective behavioral observations and delving into physiological metrics to comprehend the underpinnings of autism. He notes that while previous research has focused on functional MRI studies, this study delves deeper into the brain's information processing mechanisms.
The researchers, affiliated with the National Institute of Health's Autism Center of Excellence, envision their findings as laying the groundwork for a precision medicine approach to autism treatment. According to Kevin Pelphrey, the study's principal investigator, this research provides a biological target for measuring treatment response and identifies avenues for future therapeutic interventions.
Furthermore, the study's implications extend beyond autism, potentially informing the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of other neurological disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Van Horn emphasizes the novelty of this tool for measuring neuron properties and its potential applications in diverse neurological contexts.