What does the brain have to do with autism? The neurodevelopmental disorder (autism) has something to do with the brain, but scientists didn’t know the exact connection until now. The amygdala is a deep part of the brain associated with the perception of fear. It has been found that men with severe autism have smaller amygdalas than healthy men. Autistic men are fearful in social situations, this hyperactivates their amygdala and leads to toxic adaptation that kills amygdala cells. As more cells die over the years, the amygdala becomes smaller and the person’s ability to perceive dangerous situations decreases. Several studies have been conducted at the University of Wisconsin and the study group members with a small amygdala had trouble discerning fearful, happy and sad facial expressions. On average, they took 40% longer to recognize emotional facial expressions than the healthy control group. Many tests proved that a smaller amygdala lead to delay in social interaction, which is the biggest symptom of autism.

Read more information on autism and small amygdala

-Amy Shah

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