Scientists have begun to recruit patients for a new clinical trial that will use transcranial magnetic brain stimulation on patients who have autistic disorders. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a novel way of non-invasively altering the functioning of the brain using electromagnetism. The electromagnetic pulse can generate an electric current in a very specific brain region. This allows scientists to either decrease or increase activity in the target brain area by changing the pulses frequency.
People who have autistic spectrum disorders may often have theory of the mind deficits. This means they are much less able to read the faces and intentions of other people. Those with Asperger's disorder, for instance, have trouble reading other people's facial expressions. People are much less decipherable and this can lead to a variety of social impairments.
The medial prefrontal cortex is an important region of the brain that is needed for a person to be able to read the intentions of other people. The scientists are going to use this non-invasive brain stimulation technique to increase activity there. This should allow for improved social functioning among those with autistic spectrum disorders.
People who have William's syndrome often have increased empathy towards other people. They also usually have much less social anxiety. Doctors think that this may in part stem from having overactivity in the medial prefrontal brain cortex. So stimulation of this brain area may be able to enhance empathetic awareness towards other people.
Deep transcranial brain stimulation targeted to this brain area may have the capacity to also enhance the intensity of emotions that a person experiences. Those people on the autistic spectrum may often have difficulty understanding their own unique emotional feelings. This type of state is known as alexithymia. Targeting the medial frontal region may be able to increase the capacity for understanding their own emotions.
The medial prefrontal cortex could also be targeted to improve schizophrenic symptoms. Those people who have schizophrenic type symptoms often have both positive symptoms such as hallucinations and negative symptoms such as apathy and emotional blunting. The negative symptoms seem to overlap with many symptoms on the autistic spectrum and so they may also be improved by stimulating this brain area.
The medial prefrontal brain area can also be a very rewarding brain region if it is stimulated by certain drugs or electricity. This is another region in comparison to the more well known pleasure area, the nucleus accumbens. So stimulating this area may be able to improve the inability to experience pleasure associated with certain depressive disorders.
In the future, disorders on the autistic spectrum may be treated with this type of brain manipulation technique. It is far too premature to tell absolutely whether this brain manipulation mechanism will have the desired effect. However, the eventual outcome of the clinical trial should certainly be interesting. - 15438
People who have autistic spectrum disorders may often have theory of the mind deficits. This means they are much less able to read the faces and intentions of other people. Those with Asperger's disorder, for instance, have trouble reading other people's facial expressions. People are much less decipherable and this can lead to a variety of social impairments.
The medial prefrontal cortex is an important region of the brain that is needed for a person to be able to read the intentions of other people. The scientists are going to use this non-invasive brain stimulation technique to increase activity there. This should allow for improved social functioning among those with autistic spectrum disorders.
People who have William's syndrome often have increased empathy towards other people. They also usually have much less social anxiety. Doctors think that this may in part stem from having overactivity in the medial prefrontal brain cortex. So stimulation of this brain area may be able to enhance empathetic awareness towards other people.
Deep transcranial brain stimulation targeted to this brain area may have the capacity to also enhance the intensity of emotions that a person experiences. Those people on the autistic spectrum may often have difficulty understanding their own unique emotional feelings. This type of state is known as alexithymia. Targeting the medial frontal region may be able to increase the capacity for understanding their own emotions.
The medial prefrontal cortex could also be targeted to improve schizophrenic symptoms. Those people who have schizophrenic type symptoms often have both positive symptoms such as hallucinations and negative symptoms such as apathy and emotional blunting. The negative symptoms seem to overlap with many symptoms on the autistic spectrum and so they may also be improved by stimulating this brain area.
The medial prefrontal brain area can also be a very rewarding brain region if it is stimulated by certain drugs or electricity. This is another region in comparison to the more well known pleasure area, the nucleus accumbens. So stimulating this area may be able to improve the inability to experience pleasure associated with certain depressive disorders.
In the future, disorders on the autistic spectrum may be treated with this type of brain manipulation technique. It is far too premature to tell absolutely whether this brain manipulation mechanism will have the desired effect. However, the eventual outcome of the clinical trial should certainly be interesting. - 15438
About the Author:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation and acquired brain head damage are among the topics covered on my neurotech blog.
