Autism and the amygdala: An endocrine hypothesis

Children become oriented to the world, in part, by coming to understand something of the experiences of others. The facial expressions that people make are an avenue for understanding something about them, as are the diverse forms of bodily responses emitted and interpreted by individuals. People with autism often find bodily communications to be aversive, thereby limiting what they can learn from others during social interactions. The amygdala is an important area of the brain, amongst others, for integrating the internal milieu with the social ambiance. Individuals with autism consistently demonstrate dysregulation of amygdala function. Diverse regions of the amygdala, which contain neuropeptides, figure in the appraisal systems that underlie behavioral approach and avoidance responses. One neuropeptide linked to social recognition and approach behaviors is oxytocin (which is known to be decreased in autistic individuals) and another neuropeptide corticotropin releasing hormone is tied to avoidance behaviors. A neuroendocrine hypothesis is suggested to account for some of the features associated with autism.