Neuronal and glial cell number is altered in a cortical layer-specific manner in autism.
Carmen Falcone, Natalie-Ya Mevises, Tiffany Hong and 4 others
PMID 34107793WHAT IT FOUND
Postmortem brains from people with autism showed more neurons and fewer astrocytes in a specific cortical layer.
This suggests a developmental shift in cell production, not a treatment target. It does not change therapy for living patients.
Key findings
01Neuron number was increased and astrocyte number decreased in layer II of the prefrontal cortex in autism.
02Changes were most widespread in Brodmann area 47, affecting neurons and glia across multiple layers.
03The study did not find a significant correlation between age and cell number or percentage.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
This is a postmortem study, so it cannot show how these changes affect living patients or their response to therapy. The sample size was small (10 cases per group analyzed) and mostly male, so findings may not generalize to females or the broader population. Most participants were adults or adolescents, limiting insights into early childhood development. Tissue quality varied, requiring the exclusion of some cases and potentially introducing bias. Cell identification relied on morphology with Nissl staining, which is less specific than immunohistochemical markers.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these cellular changes as a cause of symptoms that can be targeted by current therapies. This study describes brain structure in deceased individuals and offers no evidence for any clinical intervention.