Autism, mind, and brain

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that allows a unique window on the relationship between mind and brain. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication as well as repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. The consensus of this disorder for everyday life adaptation are extremely variable. Studies indicate that the number of diagnosed cases of Autism, or autistic spectrum disorder, is increasing with around 0.6% of the population affected. Though infantile autism was first described almost 60 years ago and autism has been the subject of intense research activities even since, the origin of the condition is still not understood.

In a volume being reissued perhaps because this puzzling neurodevelopmental disorder continues to attract scientific and public attention, Firth (cognitive neuroscience, U. College London) and Hill (psychology, U. of London) note that autism's definition remains in question. Exploring the issues that autism raises, contributors to 13 chapters present the latest research evidence (e.g., hypoactivity in a face-recognition area of the brain) and theory (including the extreme male brain theory). Originally published as part of an issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (Series B, v.358, 275-427). Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Michael Joel Schrift, D.O., M.A.(University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine)
Description:The is an exceptional new book (originally published as an issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Series B, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B (2003) 358, 275-427) on the scientific status of research of a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder, autism. Written and edited by an outstanding array of internationally recognized researchers in the field, this book is an important contribution to the field.
Purpose:The purpose is to bring to the reader ...examples of the cutting edge of research and highlights some of the burning questions. Indeed the editors and authors have produced an extremely interesting and up-to-date account of the current research questions that are being pursued in this field.
Audience:The primary audience, although not specifically stated, includes researchers of neurodevelopmental disorders and clinicians in child psychiatry, developmental psychology, adult psychiatry (these individuals grow up), child neurology, and any mental health practitioner who wants to become aware of the major research ideas in this fascinating field.
Features:The introductory section and chapter 1 are essentially summaries of the book providing an overview of the current research ideas in autistic disorder. Chapter 2 is an interesting retrospective analysis of Hans Asperger's clinical case records. Chapter 3 focuses on putative neurocognitive phenotypes of autistic disorder. Chapter 4 summaries the literature on joint attention as a pivotal skill in autism. Chapter 5 evaluates the hypothesis of impaired involuntary eye gaze in autism. In chapter 6 the authors suggest why congenital blindness may relate to the pathogenesis of autism since the experience of two-way interactions appears critical. Chapter 7 looks at why individuals with high-functioning autism find social situations difficult. Chapter 8 focuses on the high-level cognitive processes of empathizing and systematizing in normals and in autistic individuals. Chapter 9 reviews the literature of a putative neurocognitive defect in autism: weak central coherence. Chapter 10 attempts to disentangle two of the putative neurocognitive deficits in autism: weak central coherence and executive dysfunction. Movement disturbances are reviewed in chapter 11 and individual differences in brain abnormalities are explained in chapter 12. Chapter 13 reviews the role of the fusiform face area in the temporal lobe in the pathophysiology of autism. Each chapter ends with useful and relevant citations of the literature. The index section is helpful.
Assessment:This book is an excellent presentation of the recent research literature in this very interesting field. Anyone interested in the brain and mind should read this book.

Cover Page......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 ISBN 0198529236, 0198529244......Page 5 Contents (with page links)......Page 8 List of Contributors......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 1. Understanding autism: insights from mind and brain......Page 22 2. A retrospective analysis of the clinical case records of ‘autistic psychopaths’ diagnosed by Hans Asperger and his team at the University Children’s Hospital, Vienna......Page 42 3. Identifying neurocognitive phenotypes in autism......Page 64 4. Why is joint attention a pivotal skill in autism?......Page 88 5. Does the perception of moving eyes trigger reflexive visual orienting in autism?......Page 110 6. The pathogenesis of autism: insights from congenital blindness......Page 130 7. The enactive mind, or from actions to cognition: lessons from autism......Page 148 8. The systemizing quotient: an investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism, and normal sex differences......Page 182 9. Towards an understanding of the mechanisms of weak central coherence effects: experiments in visual configural learning and auditory perception......Page 208 10. Disentangling weak coherence and executive dysfunction: planning drawing in autism and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder......Page 232 11. Autism and movement disturbance......Page 246 12. Investigating individual differences in brain abnormalities in autism......Page 268 13. The role of the fusiform face area in social cognition: implications for the pathobiology of autism......Page 288 D......Page 316 L......Page 317 S......Page 318 W......Page 319 Plate Section......Page 320 A comprehensive overview of the latest research on autism that highlights new techniques that will progress future understanding. With contributions from leaders in autism research, the book describes the latest advances, discusses ways forward for future research, and presents new techniques for understanding this complex disorder This is a comprehensive review of research on autism and describes the latest advances, discusses ways forward for future research and presents new techniques for understanding this complex disorder.