Autism as a disorder of neural information processing: directions for research and targets for therapy

Belmonte, MK ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4633-9400, Cook, EH, Anderson, GM, Rubenstein, JLR, Greenough, WT, Beckel-Mitchener, A, Courchesne, E, Boulanger, LM, Powell, SB, Levitt, PR, Perry, EK, Jiang, YH, DeLorey, TM and Tierney, E, 2004. Autism as a disorder of neural information processing: directions for research and targets for therapy. Molecular Psychiatry, 9 (7), pp. 646-663. ISSN 1359-4184

Preview

Text 219561_PubSub1974_Belmonte.pdf Download (243kB) | Preview

Abstract

The broad variation in phenotypes and severities within autism spectrum disorders suggests the involvement of multiple predisposing factors, interacting in complex ways with normal developmental courses and gradients. Identification of these factors, and the common developmental path into which theyfeed, is hampered bythe large degrees of convergence from causal factors to altered brain development, and divergence from abnormal brain development into altered cognition and behaviour. Genetic, neurochemical, neuroimaging and behavioural findings on autism, as well as studies of normal development and of genetic syndromes that share symptoms with autism, offer hypotheses as to the nature of causal factors and their possible effects on the structure and dynamics of neural systems. Such alterations in neural properties may in turn perturb activity-dependent development, giving rise to a complex behavioural syndrome many steps removed from the root causes. Animal models based on genetic, neurochemical, neurophysiological, and behavioural manipulations offer the possibility of exploring these developmental processes in detail, as do human studies addressing endophenotypes beyond the diagnosis itself.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Molecular Psychiatry
Creators:	Belmonte, M.K., Cook, E.H., Anderson, G.M., Rubenstein, J.L.R., Greenough, W.T., Beckel-Mitchener, A., Courchesne, E., Boulanger, L.M., Powell, S.B., Levitt, P.R., Perry, E.K., Jiang, Y.H., DeLorey, T.M. and Tierney, E.
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Place of Publication:	London
Date:	2004
Volume:	9
Number:	7
ISSN:	1359-4184
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1038/sj.mp.4001499 DOI
Rights:	Copyright © 2004 by the authors listed [above]. All rights reserved.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 10:30
Last Modified:	18 Jul 2022 14:41
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/13931

Actions (login required)

Edit View

Statistics

Views

Downloads