Autism as a Minicolumnopathy

Autism is a brain disorder characterized by abnormalities in how a person relates to others. Both postmortem and neuroimaging studies indicate the presence of increased brain volume and, in some cases, an altered gray/white matter ratio. Research findings suggest widespread cortical abnormalities explainable within the context of a minicolumnopathy. Characterization of these minicolumnar abnormalities suggests a deficit of surround inhibition and/or the possibility of ephaptic interactions. Due to the orientation of inhibitory fibers in the peripheral neuropil of minicolumns some of these deficits may be amenable to therapy with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Minicolumnar abnormalities also account for a diminution of the gyral window. The resulting space constrain biases the ratio of short and long corticocortical connections in the brain. A significant portion of these retractive events occur postnatally. This bias in corticocortical connectivity characterizes elements of a cognitve style and some of the regressive events observed in autistic patients.