The brain cells from the individuals with autism were filled with damaged parts and deficient in signs of a normal breakdown pathway called “autophagy.” Cells use autophagy (Greek for “self-eating”) to breakdown components – include synapse connections.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/brain-study-finds-evidence-autism-involves-too-many-synapses
Dr. Sara Jane Webb is exploring the mechanisms beneath these problems with research that could illuminate how the brain in children with autism functions, and could improve how physicians understand and treat the disorder.
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/about/stories/unraveling-how-autism-affects-the-brain/
The synapse, a point of communication between two nerve cells. In Fragile X syndrome—associated with autism in at least a third of cases—the problem is somewhat the opposite. The affected gene makes FMRP, a protein that restricts the manufacture of many proteins at synapses.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/research-and-innovation-features/breaking-into-the-autistic-brain
But the disconnected brain development may not arise only from anatomic problems of the synapse, axon or dendrites. Autism may also involve a disconnect between the brain and its external environment—an inability of the brain to change properly based on input from the outside world.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/research-and-innovation-features/breaking-into-the-autistic-brain
Dr. Tang measured the abundance of synapses in a small section of cortical tissue from each brain. She found that, by late childhood, the density had dropped by about half in the brain tissue unaffected by autism.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/brain-study-finds-evidence-autism-involves-too-many-synapses
As further evidence, the researchers found large amounts of overactive mTOR in the postmortem brain tissue of the individuals with autism. Though hundreds of genes have been linked to autism, the researcher conclude, many if not most of them may affect this mTOR/autophagy pathway.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/brain-study-finds-evidence-autism-involves-too-many-synapses
In addition, many genes linked to autism are known to affect the development or function of brain synapses. Indeed, the idea that individuals with autism have excess synapses has been proposed before. To test this hypothesis, Columbia researcher Guomei Tang analyzed brain tissue from 26 children and young adults affected by autism. Thirteen of the children were between the ages of 2 and 9 when they died.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/brain-study-finds-evidence-autism-involves-too-many-synapses
“It’s not that we think of these disorders as being part of autism,” Nelson explains. “It’s that a sizeable number of the kids with these syndromes wind up looking like they have autism.”. There’s one main reason why single-gene disorders are such a powerful research tool: mouse models.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/research-and-innovation-features/breaking-into-the-autistic-brain
Although different genes are affected in each disorder, some commonalities are coming into focus. Each gene encodes a control knob of sorts—a molecule whose activity influences the production or survival of other molecules in the brain.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/research-and-innovation-features/breaking-into-the-autistic-brain
Seeds for study. Some of the greatest advances in autism biology have come from studying a handful of rare neurologic disorders that are caused by a single gene and sometimes include features of autism. Four of the best examples are Rett syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex and Angelman syndrome.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/news-and-events/research-and-innovation-features/breaking-into-the-autistic-brain
what areas of the brain are affected by autism
Brain synapses is an area of the brain that is affected by autism. Synapses are the areas of the brain that are affected by autism.