Mirror Cells’ Fading Spark: Empathy-related neurons may turn off in autism
By Bruce Bower
The social detachment and isolation that characterize autism may stem, at least in part, from a breakdown of brain cells that have been implicated in people’s ability to imitate others and to read their thoughts and feelings.
A new brain-imaging investigation tested high-functioning children with autism—kids who score in the normal range on intelligence tests and display only mild-to-moderate social difficulties. As these youngsters view and imitate facial expressions, brain cells called mirror neurons show meager activity, say neuroscientist Mirella Dapretto of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine and her colleagues. Children free of developmental problems exhibit robust responses by these neurons during the same tasks.