What happens in the right brain of autistic children?
The brain network involved in social interaction, understanding others’ minds, and Theory of Mind (TOM) is called the “Mentalizing Network” or “Mind Network”.
This network is extensive, consisting of the frontal lobe, the lateral sides of both the right and left hemispheres, and the inner part of the brain. In the figure, it is the part in the green frame. Think of it simply as the entire eastern region, which contains many provinces (DMPFC, MMPFC, VMPFC, RTPJ, LTPJ, RSTS, temporal lobe, posterior cingulate – full names are below).
In autistic children who have problems with social interaction, distinguishing between normal and abnormal situations in society, and understanding themselves and others, these brain areas work less than normal, especially on the right side, which has been reported in more than 10 previous studies.
This study will show a “movie”, which is much more complex than previous studies that only showed pictures, words, or sounds. The reason is to simulate real-life situations more closely. Autistic children who can communicate (high-functioning autism) were placed in an fMRI machine and watched a 20-minute movie.
The movie contains a variety of emotions, multiple camera angles, and strange jokes. Data was collected on which scenes the children felt were “different from normal society” and scored. The scores were then linked to the images from the fMRI magnetic resonance imaging.
The results showed that in normal children (top figure), when there is a scene that feels “different from normal society”, the various parts of the brain in the Mentalizing Network work more clearly. They are seen as orange, red, and yellow, and there is also the occipital lobe visual cortex in the back.
However, in autistic children (bottom figure), the entire network of this brain works less than normal children, especially the right side from top to right ear (RTPJ, RSTS), which is consistent with more than 10 previous studies that these two points are related to social problems in autistic children.
Summary
The ability to understand social norms, empathize with others, and live harmoniously in society requires the coordinated functioning of the frontal, lateral (especially the right RTPJ), and posterior regions of the brain. Children with autism have reduced activity in these brain regions, leading to social difficulties.
Research in the past decade has revealed that the brain does not function in isolated “points” as previously thought, but rather as a complex “network” of interconnected regions. Therefore, stimulating a single point is not enough; it is necessary to stimulate the entire network involved in the problem.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a direct method of stimulating the brain. In over 80% of cases, we have observed improvements in children’s social skills after TMS treatment. They are better able to play with others, read facial expressions, smile, laugh, and respond to others. They are also better able to integrate into social situations.
However, it is important to note that TMS is not a standalone treatment. It is like taking an expressway; you still need to engage in other therapies such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, and other treatments.
Full Name
- DMPFC = dorsomedial prefrontal cortex
- MMPFC = middle medial prefrontal cortex
- VMPFC = ventromedial prefrontal cortex
- RTPJ = right temporoparietal junction
- LTPJ = left temporoparietal junction
- RSTS = right superior temporal sulcus
- fMRI = functional magnetic resonance imaging
- TOM = Theory of Mind
