title: The neurobiological basis of autism from a developmental perspective.
abstract: Autism is a neurobiological disorder that is diagnosed through careful behavioral assessment in early childhood. In this paper, we review recent studies that have attempted to reveal the underlying causes of autism using a variety of techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on techniques that have been used by a number of different laboratories, including structural magnetic resonance imaging and postmortem studies of neuroanatomy. Neurobiological and neuropsychological data from individuals across a wide age range are examined from a neurodevelopmental perspective. We discuss how these recent advances have led us to develop a growth dysregulation hypothesis of autism. Finally, we discuss how this hypothesis may lead to new innovations in autism research.
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000503:physiopathology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging