Introduction

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that is often recognized in the very first months of life.  This condition is characterized by impaired social skills of the affected child or adult individual.

 

The causes of autism are numerous. In most cases, it’s a combination of abnormal functioning of the cortical structures, genetic and environmental factors as well as surrounding influences.

 

Why and How Does Autism Occur?

Unlike most brain disorders, autism does not have specifically determined triggers or functioning mechanisms. This disorder influences almost all brain structures.

 

The list of triggers that are assumed to lead to autism consists of:

• Dysfunction of the synapses created between the neuronal cells in the brain;
• Birth-defects of the brain;
• Neuronal overconnectivity in some areas of the brain;
• Impairment of the excitatory-inhibitory brain network.

What Are the Most Common Traits of Autism?

 

The diagnosis of autism is often based upon the following traits and symptoms:

• The most noticeable symptom of autism is avoiding eye contact.
• There’s a delay in learning to speak. Most of the children affected by autism don’t speak, while the ones that do, display great difficulty in following and participating in a conversation.
• There’s a notable peculiarity in the pattern of speaking. The affected children or adult individuals speak in either a high-pitched or a flat and emotionless tone.
• The affected individuals tend to focus their attention on a single object or a particular part of the object.
• Autistic children or individuals do not seem to enjoy other people’s company. Most of the time, they appear to enjoy their own company while playing or during any other activity.
• Some autistic children or adult individuals tend to harm themselves by biting a part of their hand or body or by repeatedly hitting themselves.
• Behavior problems are common with autistic children or adult individuals. Resistance, lack of cooperation, or hyperactivity are typical traits.
• Autistic children or adult individuals tend to either display fear when there’s no logical reason to be afraid or not show any fear in a dangerous situation.
• Flapping with the arms, making loud noises, resisting to be touched by others, and refusing to eat particular foods are also common autistic traits.
• The affected children or adults fail to detect social cues, such as body language or the speaker’s tone of voice.
• Autistic children avoid playing with other children.
• The affected children or individuals usually express their needs not with words, but by screaming or crying.
• Disturbed sleep patterns.

Which Part of the Brain Is MostAffected by Autism?

 

There is no clear evidence that a particular brain structure is responsible for the occurrence of autism. However, starting from the fact that autistic children have a distinct problem in social communication, the hippocampus can be pointed out as the structure of the cerebral cortex closely involved in this disorder.

 

Namely, the formation and storing of autobiographical memories is the main function of the hippocampus. It supports spatial recognition as well as the consolidation and merging of short-term memories with long-term memories.

How Does Autism Impact Memory?

Autism imposes many memory-related challenges to the affected individual. This is supported by the fact that this disorder was formerly labeled as an amnestic disorder, i.e. memory deficit caused by a birth defect of the brain.

 

Autistic memory deficit is closely related to the cognitive dysfunctions of the affected individuals. Impaired memory limits their learning skills and makes them less receptive of new social experiences.

Autobiographical (Episodic) Memory And Autism

What’s the Function of the Autobiographical (Episodic) Memories?

Autobiographical (episodic) memory is where we store the personal episodes of our lives. These conscious recollections involve a specific event, place, feeling, scent, or location. By recalling them, we have an account of previous experiences that help us determine our future behavior.

 

With the help of autobiographical (episodic) memories, we can easily give meaning and determine our reaction to a new situation. They aid our conclusion on how to respond in a given social situation as well as how to adjust and what to expect out of a similar future event.

What’s the Relation Between Autobiographical (Episodic) Memories and Autism?

 

The symptomatic behavior of autistic individuals strongly points to the fact that they don’t make use of the autobiographical memories in this way. Their behavior implies that they aren’t inclined to draw on their past social experiences in order to cope with the current social challenges. This leads us to believe that the autobiographical (episodic) memory in autistic children and adults may be impaired.