Why Autism Must Be Taken Apart

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2014 Jan 7

PMID 24390538

Citations 28

Authors

Lynn Waterhouse

Christopher Gillberg

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Although accumulated evidence has demonstrated that autism is found with many varied brain dysfunctions, researchers have tried to find a single brain dysfunction that would provide neurobiological validity for autism. However, unitary models of autism brain dysfunction have not adequately addressed conflicting evidence, and efforts to find a single unifying brain dysfunction have led the field away from research to explore individual variation and micro-subgroups. Autism must be taken apart in order to find neurobiological treatment targets. Three research changes are needed. The belief that there is a single defining autism spectrum disorder brain dysfunction must be relinquished. The noise caused by the thorny brain-symptom inference problem must be reduced. Researchers must explore individual variation in brain measures within autism.

Citing Articles

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Insights from losing the autism diagnosis: Autism spectrum disorder as a biological entity.

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