Brains of Children with Autism Produce More Information at Rest

Amy Taylor February 03, 2014

Scientists from the Case Western Reserve University and University of Toronto found that the brains of children with autism generate more information when at rest – to about 42 per cent more, on average.

This study was a follow-up on previous research suggesting that brain connections are different in autistic children. It determined that the differences account for the increased complexity within their brains.

"Our results suggest that autistic children are not interested in social interactions because their brains generate more information at rest, which we interpret as more introspection in line with early descriptions of the disorder," said Roberto Fernández Galán, PhD, senior author and associate professor of neurosciences at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.

Through the magnetoencephalography (MEG), the researchers found that when at rest, the brains of autistic children generate more information than non-autistic children. This may help explain their lack of interest in external stimuli, including interactions with other people.

The researchers also quantified interactions between brain regions, i.e., the brain’s functional connectivity, and determined the inputs to the brain in the resting state allowing them to interpret the children’s introspection level.

"This is a novel interpretation because it is a different attempt to understand the children’s cognition by analyzing their brain activity," said José L. Pérez Velázquez, PhD, first author and professor of neuroscience at University of Toronto Institute of Medical Science and Department of Paediatrics, Brain and Behaviour Centre.

"Measuring cognitive processes is not trivial; yet, our findings indicate that this can be done to some extent with well-established mathematical tools from physics and engineering."

The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroinformatics, support the relatively new "Intense World Theory" which describes the disorder as a result of hyper-functioning neural circuitry, leading to a state of over-arousal.

In future research, Galán and his team will be using the same approach to patients with schizophrenia.

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Study Shows Autistic Brains Create More Information at Rest