MRI images of more than 1,000 people with autism are examined by Rutgers neuroscientists and found out that constant instances of involuntary "micro-movements" all over the body are important symptoms of the disorder. Despite medication, these motor abnormalities continue as disclosed by Associate Professor of Psychology Elizabeth Torres.
These symptoms are not visible to the naked eye. The patient is also not aware that there are such movements, but they are harmful to the nervous system. The random noise is the irritant happening inside. The disturbing part is, medications can worsen the problem, she added. Torres clarified that the movements do not cause autism, but they must be investigated.
In exploring autism with avatars, Rutgers uses virtual reality tools in testing kids for the condition. One out of 50 children in New Jersey is diagnosed with autism is quite alarming. Torres, who specializes in sensory-motor integration research, see the need to make people know about this finding, as reported scientifically by Nature.
In any MRI procedure, the patient is instructed not to move. That should not be the case because people breathe, heart beating, and digesting which are all motion. Torres learned that the evidence of micro-movements is scrubbed from images to minimize blurs. That triggers her to check on the clean data. They are consistent in all 1,000 MRI patients who had been diagnosed with autism.
She discovered they have more movements than normal. The overwhelming sensors from the motions exhaust the brain. This finding has matched what patients always say that their body has a mind of their own. This is not dumbness at all. It's the typical response of an overwhelmed brain, according to NJ.
The research focuses on bio-rhythms instead of genetics or behavior. This is why this is worth investigating further. Science is geared towards the cause of autism. Improving the lives of these people should be the priority because the condition already exists.
