While most researchers agree that autism is triggered by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, no one has been able to pinpoint the triggered neurological mechanism that ultimately results in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, new researchmayexplain this longstanding mystery.
In the study, researchers found that the brains of people with ASD had a significantly higher number of brain synapses — the information-transferring connections between brain cells — than brains of people without ASD.
As children at a very young age begin to experience the world around them, their brains produce a remarkable number of synapses to help them process their environment. The brain normally prunes any extra synapses that may lead to over-stimulation for the child, around the same age that many children with ASD begin to show symptoms of autism.
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More and soruce: http://blog.theautismsite.com/SynapsePruning/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=autaware&utm_campaign=SynapsePruning&utm_term=20141106
