Brain overgrowth dictates autism severity, new research suggests
- Toddlers with autism showed a correlation between abnormal BCO growth and disease presentation, leading to more severe social and language symptoms and larger brain structure on MRI.
- Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., emphasized that bigger brains do not always equate to better outcomes in autism, as the severity of autism in toddlers was linked to rapid BCO growth and excess neurons.
- Researchers discovered that toddlers with autism had significantly larger BCOs, about 40% more, compared to neurotypical peers, leading to atypical brain volume in social, language, and sensory areas.
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Researchers give insight into how brain overgrowth dictates autism severity
Autism Severity: Researchers used blood-based stem cells from 10 toddlers, ages 1 through 4, with idiopathic autism (in which no single-gene cause was identified) to create brain cortical organoids (BCOs), or models of the fetal cortex. They also created BCOs from six neurotypical toddlers.


Researchers give insight into how brain overgrowth dictates autism severity | Science-Environment
Researchers give insight into how brain overgrowth dictates autism severity Some children with autism face severe, long-term challenges such as developmental delays, social issues, and even the inability to communicate. Others report milder symptoms that improve with time. Until now, experts have been unable to explain the gap in outcomes. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have published the first study on the subject in t…
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