The neurobiology of autism: Theoretical applications

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurological disorders characterized by heterogeneity in skills and impairments. A variety of models have been developed to describe the disorders and a wide range of brain processes have been implicated. This review attempts to integrate some of the consi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in autism spectrum disorders 2010-10, Vol.4 (4), p.555-564
Main Authors: Schroeder, Jessica H., Desrocher, Mary, Bebko, James M., Cappadocia, M. Catherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autism
Autism spectrum disorder
Brain
Brain Hemisphere Functions
Cerebellum
Cerebral cortex
Cognitive Processes
Interpersonal Relationship
Literature Reviews
Mirror neuron system
Neurological Impairments
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Psychological Patterns
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Theory of mind
Weak central coherence
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Summary:Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurological disorders characterized by heterogeneity in skills and impairments. A variety of models have been developed to describe the disorders and a wide range of brain processes have been implicated. This review attempts to integrate some of the consistent neurological findings in the research with three of the dominant models of core deficits of ASDs: the weak central coherence model, the theory of mind model, and the mirror neuron system model. A review of the literature suggests that the cerebellum and the frontal lobes may be implicated in all three of the models, while the temporal lobe is associated with the theory of mind model and the mirror neuron model. In particular, the theory of mind model and the mirror neuron system model both implicate the inferior frontal gyrus and the superior temporal sulcus. This review indicates that each model appears to be heavily substantiated by neurological research, suggesting that each may capture important aspects of ASDs.
ISSN:1750-9467
1878-0237
DOI:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.01.004