Research Reveals Association Between Enlarged Brains and Increased Social and Communication Symptoms in Children on the Spectrum
The scientific journal Molecular Autism has recently published a study that uncovers a significant link between brain overgrowth and the severity of social and communication symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers from Brazil and the United States discovered that children with more severe ASD symptoms had brains up to 41% larger than those of typical controls. This enlargement is associated with altered activity of the enzyme NDEL1, which plays a crucial role in neuron development and has been linked to several neurological disorders. The study utilized MRI scans and brain organoids—miniature brain models grown from stem cells—and found that the mini-brains from children with the most severe symptoms were notably larger. These findings suggest that brain enlargement could serve as a biomarker for predicting ASD severity and highlight the need for further research into the biological mechanisms behind ASD.
