EVALUATION OF THE BRAIN STEM USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING HISTOGRAM ANALYSIS IN ASD

Abstract

A neurodevelopmental illness called ASD affects roughly 1 in every 60 American kids. ASD is thought to involve the cerebral cortex and cerebellum, although our knowledge of the brainstem's function in ASD in young children is still in its infancy. Given the high correlation between ASD and brainstem pathology in terms of sensory and motor symptoms, it is vital to understand the role of brainstem neurotransmission in ASD. Since the brainstem seems to play a significant role in ASD, this review sought to synthesize data from a variety of sources. Examining the data through the lens of hierarchical brain development allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of ASD as a neurodevelopmental condition. This assessment of the research suggests that, given what we know now, developmental abnormalities in the brainstem might have knock-on effects on cortical and cerebellar formation, which in turn might induce ASD symptoms. Both epidemiological studies in humans and animal models of autism reveal a possible association between defects in brainstem substructure development, namely during the maturation of the brainstem's monoaminergic centers, and ASD or autism-like behaviors. Evidence from human histology, psychophysiology, and neuroimaging is also discussed that suggests aberrant brainstem development and maturation in ASD may be associated to significant ASD symptoms such sensorimotor features and social reactivity. It is evident from this analysis that more research is needed to validate the early identification of brainstem-based somatosensory and psychophysiological activities that occur in infancy, and to examine the brainstem across the lifetime while taking age into account. It is clear that earlier diagnosis and better therapy for ASD might be achieved with more awareness of the brainstem's role in the disorder, although this study is still in its infancy.