JOURNAL of MULTISCALE NEUROSCIENCE

REVIEW  

Understanding genetics and environmental influences in autism has been explored in greater depth in the past decades.  However, the mechanism by which they converge that lead to autism still needs to be explored further. An autism diagnosis in DSM-5 results from a neurodevelopmental disorder having an adverse effect on normal brain function, affecting communication and social interaction combined with restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. This paper reviews current work investigating how the underlying mechanism of the brain structure and function relate to the complex and aberrant behavioral manifestations of autism. Mapping this connection can provide us with a better understanding of the autism signs and symptoms, obtaining the process of accurate diagnosis more straightforward. As a complex neurobehavioral condition, autistic individuals process the environment and their interactions with others differently from those without autism. So, they make different perceptions and connections between themselves and the environment. Consequently, they will have difficulty communicating, forming relationships, and responding appropriately to their environment. It is due to this lifelong neurobehavioral dysfunction that prevents autistic individuals from adequately understanding what they perceive and the emotional expression of others. There will be differences in their mental states, how their brain works, and how their thinking processes will be affected by a neurodevelopmental disability.

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Keyword: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), brain growth, development, cognitive shifting, impaired communication, social behavior, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, neuroanatomy, neurobehavioral disorder, neurobiological mechanisms. 

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Conflict of Interest

The author declares no conflict of interest

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Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Neural Press.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the CC BY 4.0 license.

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Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, Neural Press™  or the editors, and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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