“The brain digs its own grave”….?!?!!

by Kristina Chew, PhD on December 8th, 2006

“Autism: The Brain Digs Its Own Grave” is the title of a Medindia.com article on the recently reported research about the shrinking amygdala in the brains of some autistic persons. This is the phrase used in context:

Autistic children avoid eye contact and tend to be withdrawn. A new study has shown the connection between the extents of impaired social behavior, the sign of autism, and the reduction in the size of the amygdala, the portion of the brain in charge of response to emotions. This has tickled scientists’ thinking, to probe if the brain in autistic patients is overly strained that it begins to dig its own grave, by igniting a battle with its own cells. [my emphasis]

Not sure if the image of the brain self-destructing is the best way to describe neurological function in autism……

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Mike
Dec 8, 2006 at 1:37 pm

They studied 28 people ranging from ages 8 to 25. Sounds like the kind of studies I do at family gatherings where I inconclusively prove that woman prefer pie and men prefer cake for dessert at holiday parties.
weary-worn
Dec 8, 2006 at 3:07 pm

Combat.

Declare War.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16097274/
[Congress Passes First-Ever Autism Bill]

Battle Plan.

War Against.

Law of the Land.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099753/site/newsweek/
[Families Cheer as Autism Bill Passes]

And now,
Digging a Grave.
Stephen Drake
Dec 8, 2006 at 5:19 pm

Charming. I think that somehow autism stimulates the brains of some neurotypicals - at least the regions related to generating metaphors. The “epidemic” of autism appears to have caused a companion epidemic in outrageous generation of absurd metaphors by (I assume) otherwise normal and unimaginative people.

/sarcasm
Kristina Chew, PhD
Dec 8, 2006 at 6:32 pm

Another metaphor is coming in the next post…..