Autism may begin when certain brain cells fail to properly mature within the womb, according to new research by U.S. scientists.
The scientists, studying postmortem brain tissue taken from children, found that those diagnosed with autism lacked key genetic markers for brain cells that are supposed to develop prior to birth.
The phenomenon occurred in regions of the brain that control emotion, communication, language and social comprehension — all functions impaired in autism — the researchers reported Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.