A new study conducted by researchers at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, reveals that the brains of individuals with autism exhibit a unique form of neural organization. This configuration reflects different and innovative ways of processing information and solving problems, contradicting prior beliefs that such brains experience impairment.
The researchers utilized brain scans to examine information processing in a sample of 14 adults with autism and 15 adults with typical neurodevelopment. They focused on changes in blood oxygen levels to map brain activity, enabling identification of the distinct neural pathways used by individuals with autism in problem-solving.
The results indicated that autistic brains can solve cognitive problems with the same efficiency as typical brains, employing neural pathways that reflect diverse thinking strategies rather than dysfunction.
Dr. Moussa Soukanbi, a lecturer in medical physics at the university, noted that these findings suggest a different brain organization and represent alternative neural strategies that remain poorly understood. He emphasized that the study challenges the traditional view that sees autism as an impairment compared to neurotypical individuals.
It is important to highlight that autism is characterized as a neurodevelopmental disorder that leads affected individuals to interact differently from others, often causing anxiety in social situations and difficulty in understanding the thoughts or feelings of others.
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