Children with autism have abnormalities in the brain’s reward zone, according to a new American study. These deficiencies would explain their low appetite for social interactions.
We now know a little more about autism. According to a new American study published this Tuesday in the medical journal Brain, children with autism have structural and functional abnormalities in the area of the brain related to social interactions.
To arrive at this conclusion, researchers at Stanford University of Medicine examined, via MRI scans, the neural cables of 24 autistic children and 24 children with so-called “normal” development while they looked at images of character. social or not (faces or landscapes). They then performed the same experiment, this time focusing on the functional brain connections of 16 children with autism and 20 children without the affliction. Finally, they subjected the participants (all between the ages of 8 and 13) to an IQ test.
After these analyzes, the scientists noticed that the density of the bundles of nerve fibers in the meso-limbic reward circuit was lower in children with autism. The latter also presented weaker functional connections in this circuit linked to social interactions. Ultimately, the degree of abnormality in this path was similar to the social difficulties of a child with autism.
These findings therefore support the theory that social interactions are inherently less attractive to people with autism. “This is the first time that we have concrete evidence to support this theory,” said lead study author Kaustubh Supekar, a researcher at the Stanford Institute for Translational Neurosciences.
A neuronal difference at the origin of a vicious circle for children with autism
In the past, a study carried out on mice had already shown that disrupting the meso-limbic reward pathway of these animals reduced their social behavior, but it was not yet known to what extent this circuit was linked to social skills in people. “This is one of the first neurobiological evidence in children that this mechanism could explain social difficulties,” explains Supekar.
This difference in the brains of children with autism could be at the origin of a vicious cycle, according to the researchers. Indeed, in order to learn to understand the emotions of others, children must have social interactions. However, if they find them interesting, they will have fewer opportunities to develop complex social skills.
“Social interactions are normally inherently rewarding. This is not rewarding enough for a child with autism, which could have effects on other neural pathways, the paper explains.“ Our findings suggest that it is a brain mechanism which should be taken into account very early in clinical treatments “, note the authors who would now like to launch a study to see if the same neuronal abnormalities can be detected in younger autistic children. early treatment allows greater progress and avoids the appearance of over-handicaps.
In France, 700,000 people are affected by autism
This study is an interesting starting point for new treatments for autism. Existing therapies use different rewards to encourage children to engage in social interactions, but we still do not know whether this strengthens neural reward circuits or not.
Indeed, during follow-ups, specialists try to encourage autistic children to interact with the world around them and to adapt to it. In France, where 700,000 people, including 100,000 under the age of 20, are affected by autism, the children concerned receive play-based psycho-educational care to help them develop their language and skills. sensory and motor skills, to adapt their behavior and to manage their emotions. The ultimate objective is to give the patient the tools to acquire autonomy. Today, the major challenge is to educate autistic people and help them integrate into society instead of confining them to specialized institutions.
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