People with autism struggle to view self

[n2doc]

Ewen Callaway, reporter

People with autism, conventional wisdom goes, have trouble reading the emotions of others. However, brain scans suggest they also have difficulties getting in touch with their inner selves.

In a study published yesterday in the journal Brain, Michael Lombardo at the University of Cambridge reports scanning the brains of 66 males - half with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), half developmentally normal - while they thought and made judgements about themselves and, separately, Queen Elizabeth.

For the non-autistic subjects, two brain areas linked to self-reflection proved more active when they thought about themselves, compared with thinking about the queen.

Not so for those with ASD. One region, the ventralmedial prefrontal cortex, tended to respond similarly to regal and personal judgements, while the second region, the middle cingulate cortex, proved more active when ASD patients thought about the queen.

more:
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/12/autism-creates-struggle-with-i.html

[zazen]

1. fascinating--and it's not that they lack empathy; they lack understanding

At least with Asperger's, the "sufferers" (or neuro-atypicals) are usually mortified once they finally comprehend that an action of theirs has been insensitive or hurtful to someone else. Then they have tons of empathy. They just have a hard time conceptualizing someone else's perspective enough to understand that what they say is hurtful in the first place.

Thanks for the link!

[HuckleB]

2. Interesting study.

I was just about to post a different link to it...

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173909.php

Cheers!

[Chemisse]

3. It is hard to fathom what it must be like

To be so isolated, and not even have a rich inner life.