Questions and answers about the relationship between autism and the neocortex of the human brain

A team of researchers in the United States is working on posing questions and trying to provide answers related to the development of a part of the human brain known as the “neocortex” and the relationship of this part to some disabilities and mental illnesses that affect humans, such as autism.

The research team from Texas A&M University School of Medicine confirms that the new study enriches our knowledge of the role of the neocortex of the human brain in explaining the mental and intellectual superiority of humans compared to other mammals, and the relationship of this part to the injury of some people with intellectual disabilities such as "Autism spectrum disorders".

Scientists have realized for many years that there is a strong relationship between the degree of intelligence of mammals and that new layer of cells in the upper part of the brain known as the neocortex, and this part of the brain is responsible for the higher functions of humans such as understanding, cognition and language.

The flat surface area of ​​the new cortex reflects the evolution of the mental capabilities of different species of mammals.

It is worth noting that the neocortex in the human brain, for example, is only three times thicker than the mouse brain, although it contains a thousand more layers than the mouse cortex.

Scientists believe that autism spectrum disorders are among the mental illnesses that are related to the development of this part of the human brain.

One of the main factors determining the basis for the growth of the new cortex is the distribution and number of neural stem cells that serve as the building blocks of the brain.

"There are a lot of what we call 'individual processing units' in the brain that are lined up horizontally within the new cortex, and the larger the area of ​​​​the cortex, the greater the processing capabilities of the

human brain," says researcher Vitas A. Pankaitis, a professor at the American A&M University School of Medicine.

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He added in his statements, which were reported by the American website "Satic Daily", which specializes in scientific research: "The question there is about why the thickness of the new cortex in the brain increases as we go up in the mammalian ascendant tree, and why neural stem cells spread in the horizontal direction on the cerebral cortex instead of accumulating on top of each other vertically?

"One of the most prominent genetic causes of intellectual disabilities is the presence of a mutation in a gene called LES1," said researcher Shijiang Zhi, assistant professor at the College of Medicine and one of the study participants. The surface is smooth, a phenomenon associated with intellectual disabilities.

Among the traditional observations in people with mental illnesses is that their new cortex is thicker than usual, and recent studies have observed that among the common differences in the brain of patients with autism is that their new cortex is abnormally thicker.

Scientists have known for some time that neural stem cells divide, and that the nuclei of these cells move up and down the cell body in a function known as the cell cycle.

The nuclei of the cells move in a network known as the cytoskeleton, which acts like a rail on which the cells travel up and down in a controlled manner.

But it is still unknown why cells move in this way, and what role this system plays in the development of the neocortex in the brain of healthy and sick people.

In the framework of the study, which was funded by the National Institute of Health in the United States and the Robert A. Welch Foundation and reported in the scientific journal "Cell Reports", researchers Vitas A. Pankaitis and Shijiang Zi are trying to answer these questions.

Pankitis tries to explain this scientific phenomenon, saying: “This phenomenon can be visualized like a tube of toothpaste, when you hold the tube and press on it from the bottom up, the tube flattens and extends, and this is basically the same as what happens inside the new shell... There are upward forces And other downward pressures on the nucleus of the cells and lead to the spread of cells on the new cortex of the brain.”

During the study, Pankaitis and Shijiang Zhi showed that cells in the neocortex expand by linking together along specific pathways where they band together to "tell" new neuron stem cells where to go along the cerebral cortex.

"I think this study shows for the first time that cell pathways and how they are controlled within the brain are associated with neurodevelopmental deficiencies in some," Pankaitis says.

The researchers stress that the results of this study reveal an important factor in determining the risk of developing autism and other mental illnesses.

Also, understanding the rules that regulate the growth of the new cortex of the brain can improve the chances of creating better drugs and treatments for some neurological and mental diseases.

"While there may be many reasons to explain why the new cortex of the brain gets thicker rather than wide, our research study opens up a new avenue of explanation for why autistic patients with mental disorders have a new, thicker cortex," said Shijiang Zi.

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