Magnetic Brain Stimulation For Autistic Disorders
February 14th, 2009 Posted in Science and Technology
by John Webb
Doctors are planning to use a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that is named deep transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS) to improve sociability among autistic patients. Deep magnetic brain stimulation can non-invasively deactivate or activate practically any area of someone's brain. Deep TMS uses an electromagnetic pulse to adjust brain chemistry for beneficial effect.
Those who autistic disorders often have a number of severe social difficulties that may make life tough for them. They often have what is referred to as theory of the mind deficits. Theory of the mind refers to the ability to recognize the mental states being exhibited by other people. This capacity is much lesser in people who have Asperger's disorder or other autistic type symptoms.
The medial prefrontal cortex is an important area of the brain that is required for a person to be able to read the intentions of other people. The doctors are actually going to use this non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation technique to upregulate activity there. This will be done to improve social functioning among those people who have autistic disorders.
Researchers in the past have also correlated the medial prefrontal brain area with the ability to empathize with other people. In the disorder named William's syndrome, afflicted patients often have an increased capacity for empathy due to overactivity of this brain area. They are often much more sympathetic and sociable to other people.
Deep TMS has the potential to increase the capacity for understanding one's own emotions. Lowered functioning of the medial prefrontal brain region may be associated with alexithymia. Alexithymia refers to a reduced ability to describe a person's own experienced emotions.
The medial prefrontal cortex could also be targeted for schizophrenic symptoms. People with schizophrenic type symptoms have both positive symptoms such as hearing unreal voices and negative symptoms such as emotional blunting and apathy. The negative symptoms seem to overlap with many symptoms on the autistic spectrum and so they may also be improved by activating this brain area.
Altering activity in the medial prefrontal brain area may be able to improve the symptoms of anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure. The medial prefrontal cortex can be rewarding if activity there is altered. Electricity and certain drugs have the capacity to induce pleasure in this region.
Brain manipulation has the potential to improve the lives of many who have autistic disorders. It could alter the workings of the brain for a beneficial effect and lead to increased ability to socialize. It is far too soon to say for certain whether this trial will be really successful. However, the end results should definitely be interesting.
About the Author:
New ways to treat acquired head damage can be found on my new neurotech blog. Methods to alter the functioning of the brain are also talked about.
Tags: brain, health, medicine, mental health, mental illness, neuroscience, neurotechnology, psychology, science, Science and Technology, technology
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