( between the ages of 7 and 17 as well a...)Autistic Individuals can Be 'trained' to Comprehend Visual and Vocal Cues,Health

between the ages of 7 and 17, as well as a control group of 18 typically developing (TD) boys, viewed cartoon drawings of children in conversational settings while listening to short vignettes that ended with a potentially ironic remark.

Researchers found that, compared with the TD control group, the ASD children had reduced activity in two areas of the brain - the medial prefrontal cortex and right superior temporal gyrus. But when the researchers gave both groups explicit instructions to pay attention to the speaker's facial expression and tone of voice, only the ASD children showed a significant increase in activity in the medial prefrontal cortex.

"The typically developing kids recognized and interpreted these cues automatically when trying to infer if a speaker's remark was sincere or sarcastic, so their brains were already responding appropriately," said Dapretto.

"But not so with the ASD kids, who did not show activity in this area when specific instructions weren't provided. This is the first study to show that you can normalize activity in a key region of the so-called 'social brain' in individuals with autism by simply directing their attention to these important social cues," Dapretto said.

The study, that is available online, is published in the current issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.


'"/>




Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Study Proves That MMR Vaccine Is Not Connected To Autistic Babies
2. Autistic traits evident in relatives
3. Novel Device Developed To Help Autistic Individuals Communicate Better
4. MMR Vaccine May Be A Reason Behind Autistic Children, Study Finds
5. Ontario Continues Support for Autistic Children
6. Fewer Neurons in Amygdala of Autistic Males
7. Caregiver Charged In Autistic Boys Death
8. Autistic Children Need Sense of Equality: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
9. Risperdal Cleared By FDA To Treat Autistic Children
10. FDA Gives the Nod to Risperdal For Use in Autistic Children
11. Autistic Children May Lag behind in ‘Categorization of Objects