My Theory of Asperger's and it's Root Cause

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Human beings have two brains. Two separate and distinct brains. Yes, that is right. We have not one, but two brains. Each hemisphere is in fact, a self contained brain in its own right. These two entities communicate with each other primarily through a structure seated deep inside the brain called the "corpus callosum." It is my belief and personal opinion at this point in time, that the root cause of Asperger's is a result of an underdeveloped or improperly wired corpus callosum.

To put it in plain english, Aspies brains cannot communicate with each other properly. This theory would explain a great deal. The problem with the malfunctioning wiring of the corpus callosum would explain many things about AS symptoms. For example: Coordination between the two halves of the Cerebellum, resulting in motor skill problems and lack of physical coordination. Also, the visual communication skills on the right hand hemisphere cannot communicate properly with the verbal communication centers on the left hand hemisphere, resulting in the black and white social skills of aspies.

This would also explain why Asperger's syndrome can be more severe (though not always necessarily so) in males rather than females, due to the more pronounced specialization of male brains between the right and left halves, versus the more balanced distribution of function as found in female brains. Boys are girls are wired differently after all.

This simple and yet elegant theory also explains why Asperger's is uncurable by surgery, drugs, or simply trying to "self heal." You cannot go into the depths of the corpus callosum in the brain and simply fix the problem. We do not have the knowledge or the tools to rewire our own brains from the outside. The only coping mechanisms is to learn to deal with the lack of communication between the two hemispheres on a more intellectual plane, as most aspies have learned to do.

This separation and isolation of the two brains by the malfunctioning corpus callosum could also explain why aspies have anger issues. When the two brains cannot agree on a course of action or way of thinking, when something comes in to offend one hemisphere or the other, it can flare up in anger, and lack of communication can slow or prevent the other half from moderating the emotion, thus anger may explode without warning, and die down just as quickly, to the dismay of Neurotypicals in the vicinity.

This also explains the sensory sensitivity of Aspies. Since the occipital lobes handle vision, and the datastream crosses over through the optic chiasm, vision may be one of the less affected areas due to Asperger's syndrome. However, while the processing of the visual information is handled in the back of the brain, the interpretation of the visual data is handled by the frontal cortex, and this area could be of concern due to the lack of proper communication between the two brains. Now sound is handled by each hemisphere independently, and therefore could be another source of irritation in aspies. Tactile and taste and smell also come into sensory overload, also handled by two different brains.

One of the biggest and most notable symptom of Asperger's is the "Theory of Mind" problems us aspies have. Most Neurotypical people can formulate theory of mind theories about other people, in other words, what other people are thinking, feeling, etc. This very complex task requires both hemispheres to communicate quite heavily and in great detail, to work out intuitively what someone else may be thinking and or feeling. How that plays out, I am not too sure, but it makes sense that something as complex as speculation about the state of another human being's thoughts and feelings would require something called "emulation" of thoughts and feelings in yourself. This requires a powerful brain coordination, which aspies obviously do not have.

Special interests in aspies is thought to be one of our strengths. I'll grant you that. I believe that our special interest result from the lack of communication between our two brains because, when one side or the other is in deep thought, it can concentrate much harder, for much longer, and go much deeper into imagination, or logical processing, because it is not interrupted as much by communication from the other hemisphere. Does this make sense too?

For that same reason, aspies may also have an advantage in another area, that being of understanding and learning new languages, and even being able to enunciate the language in a more accurate accent and pronunciation akin to the native tongue. For example, when a Japanese woman was teaching me different Japanese phrases and words, she commended me for my accurate and good pronunciation of said words and phrases. Also, I can speak some little bit of French with a Parisian accent, not like some American with a High School French accent. And so on.

This could also explain why we aspies have problems taking things too literally, as well as not getting metaphors without intellectualizing the thought(s) being expressed. This could also explain our unusual sense of humor, or at least, my unusual sense of humor. Also, because I tended to focus on details far more than holistic viewpoints, I have developed a system of looking at the whole, resulting in a totally new point of view, outside of the normal neurotypical viewpoint, from an intellectual effort to understand my world, resulting in a unique point of view that NT's appreciate when I can communicate said holistic perspective in language they understand.

At any rate, I won't leave you with a simple theory without the means of testing its validity. Of course not. I actually did think of a way to verify or deny this theory: A brain scan.

How to test the Eric Myres Theory of Aspergers Corpus Callosum Malfunction.

Using a brain scanning device or brain scanning equipment such as MRI or CAT scanners, we would need at least a hundred asperger subjects and a hundred neurotypical subjects. We then scan their brains. Then we ask them to get out of the scanner, and do some physical exercises. All kinds of exercises, running, standing on one foot, walking a tightrope line on the ground, swimming, etc. Next, we have them get inside the machine again, and relive, rethink the experience while scanning them. If it were technologically feasible, it would be even better to have a small monitor screen in front of their face, showing a video of them doing the exercises, while they are being scanned. We would ask them to imaging themselves doing the exercises in their heads, while we scan their heads. We would have them get out again, and socialize with one another for a period of time, and get back into the scanner again, and revisit the socializing while being scanned.

Now, the scans of a NT should show a great deal of communication and activity in both hemispheres, and a particular pattern of activity in the corpus callosum connecting the two brains.

Scans of an aspie should be significantly different. The corpus callosum should show a retardation of communication, and an imbalance of activity in each of the two brains.

If these results are discovered, then the theory that the corpus callosum is the source of the problem will be verified. If not, then the search will go on.

That, in a (very long winded) nutshell, is my theory of Asperger's Syndrome, and it's root causes. I am not a medical doctor, or a scientist, nor have I ever attended college or university. I am simply a fellow aspie with as much intelligence as the rest of you, and this is my speculative theory as to why we are different. I am not certain I would want to be neurotypical, in fact, I am very glad I am different. I just want all the positive traits and none of the negative liabilities of Asperger's Syndrome. I love who and what I am, and would never change it for anyone.

Actually, I think that you are getting somewhere, but are wrong, as I believe a malfunctioning corpus callosum was was what Kim Peek had. If that was so, then it means while it causes autistic symptoms, it does not the cause of autism.

Thank you for your frank reply. Please keep the opinions coming.

I read in Scientific American that one of the causes of autism is believed to be malfunctioning mirror neurons. Perhaps these mirror neurons are also responsible for mirroring data from and to each hemisphere, and therefore are a cause of Asperger's.

One thing to clarify, is that this is a theory of Asperger's Syndrome specifically, not of all Autism Spectrum Disorders in general.

I think it's a theory worth testing, and though there may a combination of variables that contribute to autism, this could be a major one. It certainly is a good description of how my brain "feels" most of the time, and how I'm often not able to properly associate information files in my head. Thinking of one thing does not guarantee I'll think of things related to it. Interesting theory, thanks for posting!

Thank you, I really appreciate your support and positive attitude.

The problem with this theory is that much of AS manifests itself in the social sphere, and a biological theory attempts to try and reduce very intricate social behavioural issues down to the biological level, and then further still down to structural differences which are labelled 'defects'. There may be some differences, but I can't see these being uniform across the AS population, or a clear cut cause and effect relationship being established based purely from such structural differences. Nice idea, but it's too simplistic.

I think it is more likely you will find just as much communication between both sides of the brain in AS people as in NT people, but perhaps the pattern of activity, or the areas that light up to process social information, will be different.

There really is nothing simple about the human brain. It is in fact, the most complex object in the entire Universe. My thesis on the theory of asperger's is a simplistic approach. That does not necessarily mean that the actual problem within the brain is simple. Only my brief post about it seems simple. A full research paper and grant could reveal the greater complexities there within, and a fully fleshed out theory would also reveal the deeper intricacies of each individual asperger man or woman.

However, very intricate social behavioral issues can be boiled down to very basic biological issues, such as how a simple stroke can change a person's personality in a very dramatic fashion, as a single example.

I have more to say, but no more time. Please keep the comments coming.

You are halfway there. Autism is indeed caused by insufficient communication between different parts of the brain, but not in the way that you think. The human brain consists of more than just two parts. We have a so-called triune brain with three main regions that have evolved at different times in the history of animal life. Below is a very simplified schematic:



The reptilian complex is the oldest structure and controls muscle function, balance, and autonomic functions such as heartbeat and breathing. The limbic system (a.k.a. paleomammalian complex) is responsible for your emotions, urges and instincts. It handles things like pain and pleasure, fear and aggression, appetite, sex drive, sleep, smell, and emotional memories. It would be possible for us to function with these two brain areas alone, and many lower animals do just that.

Finally, there is the (neo)cortex, a.k.a neomammalian complex, which is unique to mammals. This is your conscious brain that controls intellectual, cognitive activity and stores more complex memories. It is this part that is split into a left and right hemisphere. Of course this is still a very simplistic model. In reality, each of the three brain areas (or four, if you count the neocortex as two hemispheres) are again split into several sub-structures that are specialized on different tasks, but I don't want to get lost in details.

To sum it up, the reptilian brain controls basic body functions like breathing, the limbic system is the seat of emotions, and the neocortex hosts your consciousness and intellect. What separates humans from other mammals is the enormous size of our frontal lobe, which is part of the neocortex. Most of our conscious thought happens in the frontal lobe. Or rather, the frontal lobes, seeing that the lobe is divided into two hemispheres like the rest of the cortex. But it is not a lack of connection between the hemispheres that causes AS, but rather a poor connection between the frontal lobe and the remaining brain.

M. Murias et al disovered that in people with Asperger's, the frontal lobe has weak functional connections with the rest of the cortex, whereas there is an overconnectivity within the frontal lobe itself (link). According to Murias, this could result in "local, rather than global information processing". This explains both the increased intelligence in some individuals with AS as well as our poor emotional competence and motor control. I suppose that the main difference between AS and classic autism is a better neural connectivity between the frontal lobe and the left cortical hemisphere, which controls speech and language.

Last edited by CrazyCatLord on 25 Mar 2012, 11:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

I am more than intrigued. You make me want to take neuroscience courses.

I think that our brain produces sets of algorithms at a consistent pace

Last edited by WhiteWidow on 25 Mar 2012, 11:55 am, edited 2 times in total.

That's what I have issue with, im not saying that the thesis wouldn't be complex, just that I question whether you can explain the social purely in terms of damage to the brain and not be neglecting other factors on the individual and social levels, the 'nuture' rather than 'nature' aspect. I am not denying that there is a link between brain biology and behaviours, as the stroke example shows, I am just questioning whether you can explain the social issues with just a biological perspective alone.

I think talking about entire hemispheres is just too broad. It seems more likely that autistic brains are more specialized on the small scale--the local overconnectivity/global underconnectivity model that seems to show up a lot on studies of the brains of autistic people. I don't think that's the whole picture, but it's part of it.

I've stopped reading after this. This is total BS. Please learn about basic neurobiology.

A proper understanding of brain lateralization requires the utilization of generalities. Lobber extrapolates them too far, while kojot has been intellectually groomed to reject them. Both are wrong.

I just don't like "theories". I like science. "Theory" based on BS is a waste of time.

I find it interesting that you are so confident of your theory you didn't give a 0% option in your poll.