Article Summary #14

Author Unknown. Brain clue may explain condition's 'hug avoidance'. BBC News. 12 Feb 2010.

Why people with autism do not like hugs could be linked to delays in the development of the brain when the child is still in the womb. A study was done with mice that have fragile X syndrome, and researchers found that the part of the brain that responds to touch is formed late. These findings might be able to explain why people with the condition are hypersensitive to physical contact, and could lead to key stages when treatment is most effective.

Fragile X syndrome is caused when a gene in the X chromosomes interferes with protein production of FMRP. If the gene wasn’t interfered, the protein usually directs the formation of other proteins that build synapses in the brain. Boys usually are more severely affected with this condition, which is in fact the leading cause of autism.

Researchers recorded electrical signals in the brains of the mice and found that something in the sensory cortex was late to mature. The study also found changes in the brain’s connections occur midway through a baby’s development in the womb. This suggests that there could be a window for treatments for fragile X and autism that could be most effective. Autism is common in people with fragile X syndrome, however there are other causes, most of which are not fully understood. But, understanding how the brain works in a person who has fragile X could help put together some ideas about what is going on in the brain when a person has autism.