(Press-News.org) Contact information: Sandy Van
sandy@prpacific.com
808-526-1708
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Neurons in brain's 'face recognition center' respond differently in patients with autism
Neuroscientists and neurosurgeons collaborate to determine why patients suffering from autism focus more on the mouth and less on the eyes to collect and process information
LOS ANGELES (STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL NOON EST ON NOV. 20, 2013) – In what are believed to be the first studies of their kind, Cedars-Sinai researchers recording the real-time firing of individual nerve cells in the brain found that a specific type of neuron in a structure called the amygdala performed differently in people who suffer from autism spectrum disorder than in those who do not.
Autism spectrum disorder and autism are general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development that affect social interactions, communication skills and behaviors.
"Many studies have found that people who have autism fail to focus on the eye region of others to gather social cues and process information about emotions," said Ueli Rutishauser, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and director of Human Neurophysiology Research at Cedars-Sinai, and first author of an article in the Nov. 20 issue of the journal Neuron. "The amygdala – which is critical for face recognition and processing of emotions – is thought to be one of the principal areas where dysfunction occurs, but this is the first time single neurons in the structure have been recorded and analyzed in patients with autism."
Researchers in Cedars-Sinai's Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Neurology, with colleagues from the California Institute of Technology and Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, "listened in" and recorded the firing activity of individual nerve cells in the amygdalae of two patients with a high-functioning form of autism as they viewed pictures of entire faces or parts of faces on a screen. Each face expressed an emotion – fear or happiness – and the patients were asked to look at the pictures to decide which emotion was expressed.
The research team then compared recordings from neurons in the patients with autism to recordings from neurons in patients who did not have autism, which led to the discovery that a specific type of neuron performed atypically in those with autism.
Different neurons respond to different aspects of a task. In the amygdala, which is known to be important for emotional memory, certain neurons fire when a person looks at a whole face; another population responds when viewing parts of faces or certain facial features such as an eye or mouth. In the two patients with autism, "whole-face" neurons responded appropriately, but the "face-part" neurons were much more active when the patients were shown the mouth region compared to when they were shown the eyes.
"A subpopulation of neurons in these patients with autism spectrum disorder showed abnormal sensitivity to the mouth region. The amygdala neurons appeared normal from an electrical point of view, and the whole- face-sensitive neurons responded normally. Thus, the subset of face-part-sensitive neurons was specifically abnormal in autism," Rutishauser said.
The article's senior author, Ralph Adolphs, PhD, Bren Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Caltech, said the study presents new insights into mechanisms underlying the symptoms of autism and opens the door for further studies.
"Are there genetic mutations that lead to changes in this one population of neurons? Do the cell abnormalities originate in the amygdala or are they the result of processing abnormalities elsewhere in the brain? There are many questions yet to be answered, but this study points us in a specific direction that we believe will help understand autism," he said.
Observing the activity of single neurons in the human brain is very challenging and only rarely done, but it is the only way to explore what is happening in the brain at the very instant a person thinks. A collaboration of neuroscientists and neurosurgeons allows these rare opportunities to be used to advance knowledge of how the brain works. Similar nerve cell studies have been done in animals, but they are imperfect representatives of human thought and behavior, and without direct human feedback, neuroscientists have had to make assumptions when interpreting animal responses. Progress in finding answers for autism has been limited because no animal model exists for the highly complex human disorder.
The autism study was made possible by patients being treated for epilepsy who underwent surgery to have depth electrodes implanted in their brains to monitor seizure-related electrical activity. Two of the patients also suffered from a high-functioning form of autism spectrum disorder.
"The amygdala is a routine target for depth electrodes to localize epileptic seizures. This provides a unique opportunity to record activity from the amygdala, a brain structure that is important for the processing of emotions and suspected to be abnormal in autism. However, until our recent discovery, it was unknown whether the human amygdala contained face-sensitive neurons," said Adam Mamelak, MD, professor of neurosurgery and director of Functional Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai.
In an intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) study, each time a targeted neuron is active it fires an "action potential" – a chemical and electrical change that can be recorded for later analysis. Like never before, the researchers can witness in human subjects and in real time single cells in the brain reacting when a subject mentally processes a visual image.
Rutishauser, Adolphs and their colleagues published several recent articles on face recognition that led up to this research on autism. In one, they recorded the activity of single neurons as patients' brains processed cues from facial expressions. In another, they reported that when memory-related neurons fire in a coordinated way with certain brain waves the resulting image recognition and memories are stronger than if this synchronization does not occur.
###
The autism study was funded by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a Conte Center grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Simons Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Autism Speaks.
Citation: Neuron, "Single-neuron correlates of atypical face processing in autism," Nov. 20, 2013.
EMBARGOED until Noon EST Nov. 20, 2013.
Neurons in brain's 'face recognition center' respond differently in patients with autism
Neuroscientists and neurosurgeons collaborate to determine why patients suffering from autism focus more on the mouth and less on the eyes to collect and process information
2013-11-20
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Listen to this: Stanford research upends understanding of how humans perceive sound
2013-11-20
Listen to this: Stanford research upends understanding of how humans perceive sound
STANFORD, Calif. — A key piece of the scientific model used for the past 30 years to help explain how humans perceive sound is wrong, according to a new study by researchers ...
Size, connectivity of brain region linked to anxiety level in young children, Stanford study shows
2013-11-20
Size, connectivity of brain region linked to anxiety level in young children, Stanford study shows
STANFORD, Calif. — Prolonged stress and anxiety during childhood is a risk factor for developing anxiety disorders and depression later in life. ...
Mental stress + heart disease: Stronger presence in women under 50
2013-11-20
Mental stress + heart disease: Stronger presence in women under 50
Patients with recent heart attack tested with public speaking task
Researchers have found that women younger than 50 with a recent heart attack are more likely to experience restricted blood flow ...
Top hospitals reduce readmissions by preventing complications across all diagnoses
2013-11-20
Top hospitals reduce readmissions by preventing complications across all diagnoses
Checking back into the hospital within 30 days of discharge is not only bad news for patients, but also for hospitals, which now face financial penalties for high readmissions. The key ...
Financial decision makers need weather and climate information to manage risks
2013-11-20
Financial decision makers need weather and climate information to manage risks
Maximizing returns on financial investments depends on accurately understanding and effectively accounting for weather and climate risks, according to a new study by the American ...
USC Viterbi engineers cut time to 3D-print heterogeneous objects from hours to minutes
2013-11-20
USC Viterbi engineers cut time to 3D-print heterogeneous objects from hours to minutes
New 3D printing process speeds up fabrication of multiple-material objects
Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a faster 3D printing process and ...
Focusing on faces
2013-11-20
Focusing on faces
Researchers find neurons in amygdala of autistic individuals have reduced sensitivity to eye region of others' faces
Difficulties in social interaction are considered to be one of the behavioral hallmarks of autism spectrum ...
Spanish scientists identify a new ancestral enzyme that facilitates DNA repair
2013-11-20
Spanish scientists identify a new ancestral enzyme that facilitates DNA repair
PrimPol allows cells to make copies of their DNA even when it is damaged, and prevents breaks in the chromosomes
Every day, the human body produces new cells to regenerate ...
Scientists create perfect solution to iron out kinks in surfaces
2013-11-20
Scientists create perfect solution to iron out kinks in surfaces
A new technique that allows curved surfaces to appear flat to electromagnetic waves has been developed by scientists at Queen Mary University of London.
The discovery could hail ...
Novel material stores unusually large amounts of hydrogen
2013-11-20
Novel material stores unusually large amounts of hydrogen
X-ray study reveals the formation of iridium trihydride at high pressure
This news release is available in German. An international team of researchers has synthesized a new material ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Patients who had cataracts removed or their eyesight corrected with a new type of lens have good vision over all distances without spectacles
AI can spot which patients need treatment to prevent vision loss in young adults
Half of people stop taking popular weight-loss drug within a year, national study finds
Links between diabetes and depression are similar across Europe, study of over-50s in 18 countries finds
Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of its characteristics
Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima
AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk
New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs
MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health
Working together, cells extend their senses
Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking
Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure
Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage
University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources
Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change
Measuring the quantum W state
Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells
Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging
Funding for training and research in biological complexity
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025
ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research
Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury
Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows
Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior
OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech
Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia
Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults
Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children
Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults
[Press-News.org] Neurons in brain's 'face recognition center' respond differently in patients with autismNeuroscientists and neurosurgeons collaborate to determine why patients suffering from autism focus more on the mouth and less on the eyes to collect and process information