Two new studies suggest that patterns of brain activity in people with autism remain remarkably consistent over seconds and even years. The findings may help explain contradictory reports of both underconnectivity and overconnectivity in the brains of individuals with autism. One study found that patterns of connectivity remain stable in autistic adolescents, while they tend to change in controls. Another study discovered that connections between brain regions last longer in people with autism compared to controls, particularly in networks related to sensory processing, attention, and self-reflection.
The research focused on functional connectivity, which measures the synchronization of brain activity between different brain areas. The timing of brain connections may be a key abnormality in autism, rather than the strength of the connections. Measuring brain activity over varying time periods and at different ages is crucial for understanding connectivity in autism and providing insights into its development.
In one study, researchers scanned the brains of adolescents with autism and controls, measuring connectivity between brain networks associated with autism. They found that while connectivity increased between certain brain networks during adolescence in controls, it remained stable in the autism group. This altered development may be genetic or influenced by experiences, and social struggles could impact brain development in autistic adolescents.
The other study analyzed data from 579 individuals with autism and 823 controls. It revealed that connectivity between brain regions lasts longer in individuals with autism, particularly in networks related to sensory processing, attention, and self-reflection. Brain networks in individuals with autism have overly stable activity, holding on to brain activity for too long. This persistence of brain states can enhance certain types of processing but hinder complex processing involving multiple brain regions, such as social interactions.
The findings provide further evidence of overly stable brain activity in autism, and researchers suggest that identifying patterns associated with autism features may aid in targeted treatments. Ongoing studies aim to investigate the timing of connectivity shifts during development and track connectivity patterns into adulthood.