MRI Study - Nueromotor core Autism trait, not comorbid

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Rutgers neuroscientists have established that problems controlling bodily movements are at the core of autism spectrum disorders and that the use of psychotropic medications to treat autism in children often makes such neuromotor problems worse.

The findings, published recently in Nature Scientific Reports, are contrary to the conventional medical understanding of autism – that it is a mental illness and that neuromotor problems, while often occurring at the same time as autism, are not at its biological core.

The findings, published recently in Nature Scientific Reports, are contrary to the conventional medical understanding of autism – that it is a mental illness and that neuromotor problems, while often occurring at the same time as autism, are not at its biological core.

This article appears to have been written by very ignorant journalists who have grossly distorted important parts of the research and background in order to construct a good news story.



The conventional medical understanding of autism is NOT that it is a mental illness. Neurological differences involving multiple systems within the central nervous system including motor and sensory systems have long been understood to be part of autism. This is where the "pervasive" part of PDD comes from.

The authors of the study don't seek to replace the conventional medical understanding of autism but to add motor issues to the diagnostic criteria. They also want more care in the prescription of drugs to autistic patients that may negatively impact motor control, because they have seen an heightened response to those drugs in their autistic subjects.

This is the kind of reporting that makes journalists look bad.