Withtherecentlyperceivedincreaseinincidenceofautismandtherealizationthat
"autism"mayactuallybe"autisms"withsubsetsofaffectedindividuals,researchers
have been pursuing the possibility that there may be multiple
etiologies for the
disorder.Althoughmostautismstudieshavefocusedongeneticsandadvancedn-
roimaging,thereisapaucityofresearchaimedatdeterminingtheneurochemical
basisofautism.Identifyingcoreneuralsubstratesorkeybiomarkersisessentialto
understandingthemechanisticbasisthatmayinpartunderlie"autisms."Alterations
inmolecules,proteins,receptors,andsynapticelementsaresomeofthecontrib-
ingsubstratesthatcouldresultinaltereddevelopmentalprocesses,changedsynaptic
function,andaberrationsinconnectivity.Itisnowapparentthatmultiplebrainareas
are affected in autism, and neuropathological defects have been
described within
corticalandsubcorticalnetworks.Althoughrecentprogresshasbeenmadeinid-
tifyingsomeofthegenesthatmayunderliethedisorder,muchattentionhasalso
beengiventoepigeneticand/orenvironmentalfactorsthatmaycontributetosubsets
ofautisticindividuals. The contributors to this book were hand
selected because of their expertise in their respective ?elds.
Individually each chapter presents a unique perspective into the
clinical, developmental, neurochemical, and/or physical chemical
basis of autism. The contributing authors summarize current
research ?ndings in their respective areas and also present novel
ideas and propose hypotheses and p- sible mechanisms that may be
operative during development and the potential
consequencesofhavingdefectsinspeci?cmolecules,receptors,orgenes.
Thesubtitle"FromMoleculestoMinicolumns"wasinsertedbecauseofmuch
recent attention given to alterations in the basic organization of
mini- or mic- columns of neurons in cerebral cortical areas in
autism. These especially include
prefrontalcorticalareasthatundergoanovergrowthduringearlypostnataldevel-
mentinmanyindividualswithautism.Tothisend,theworldrenownedDr.Alan
Peters,theneuroanatomistthatoriginallydescribedmini-ormicro-columnaror-
nizationinthecerebralcortex,wasrecruitedtowriteachapterinthisbookgiving
hisexpertperspectiveontheissueinautism. The book begins with highly
respected clinician, Dr. Margaret L. Bauman,
DirectoroftheLADDERSclinicintheBostonarea,withaclinicalandmedicalp-
spectiveofautismdiscussingetiologies,clinicalpresentation,earlyidenti?cation,
vii viii Preface advancementsinmedicalcare,andassociateddisorders.
Inthechapter"TheMale Prevalence in Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Hypotheses on its Neurobiological
Basis",ItalianresearchersDrs.FlavioKellerandLilianaRutapresentneuroch-
ical hypotheses as the basis for the predominance of male
prevalence in autism discussing the possible roles of estrogen,
testosterone, oxytocin, and vasopressin in the organization of
brain circuits and hemispheric specialization. Psychiatrist Dr.
Ricardo Vella relates neuropathologies in autism, in the limbic and
cereb- lar regions, to speci?c behaviors and presents a
developmental perspective and hypotheses regarding emotional and
attachment behaviors in autistic individuals.
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