The Autism Brain Is Different, with Dr. Manuel Casanova

This is the first of three episodes featuring autism expert and polymath Dr. Manuel Casanova, who recently retired after an illustrious career in neuroscience and neuroanatomy. The author of 18 books and innumerable papers, Dr. Casanova is known for his pioneering work identifying abnormalities of neural growth and migration in developing autism brains, and irregularities in connectivity and the critical excitation-inhibition balance. He is also known for his work discovering abnormalities of "minicolumns" in the cerebral cortex. They also discuss the prospects for a true biomarker of autism. In this somewhat technical discussion he explores the pathologies seen in autism brains with host Jill Escher.
Brought to you by the National Council on Severe Autism
Website: NCSAutism.org

[@shelleymartin1169]

Thank you for this, you make a really complex topic approachable. With a nephew who is verbal but severely autistic and a family that has multiple generations of learning 'disorders' I related to alot of what you said. Especially the umbrella image. As an Occupational Therapist studying The structure and function of brain morphology differences in ASD I have struggled with the fact that many refuse to view those that have structural and functional changes as being whole people but infer these huge so called facts out of not even half cloth but one or two primed outcomes where they seem to have actually made the result come out the way they want.

[@fabianaes5473]

Dr. Casanova is one of the best 🙏🏻

[@suntzu6122]

When hes talking about not having the umbrella that really makes sense to me. If i go to a crowded bustling place, i will be completely worn out in 20 minutes. Things like high pitched noises or loud noises really drain me. I also suspect just looking at people, esp in eyes, is also somehow draining for me. A "full time job" for me is less than 25 hr per week because of my stimulus sensitivity.

[@sarahb.6475]

I have both Ehlers Danlos (hEDS) and autism (type 1 / aspergers).. I also have celiac too. And a corn allergy.

[@marjorieforgues7916]

We really did not need the translation, but thank you for trying, but most of us really do understand him very very well

[@craygraydeb1916]

Sadly, she keeps trying to him to downgrade his speaking. Some of us actually understand him better than her 6th and 8th grade references.

[@whateveryousaypeople]

Thank you!

[@paulamarie7976]

Very interesting about the excitatory neurons and lack of inhibitory neurons, which really makes sense of my 20yr old severely autistic sons difficulties and behaviours. A year ago in the UK, my son was put on the medication Lorazepam as PRN, it seemed to help his agitation at first but over a couple months, his distress and agitation/aggression increased dramatically, far more severe than before, culminating in two tonic clonic seizures, he'd never had any seizure before. We refused to give benzodiazepines to him again, and he has been fine since. I have heard of others with autism and severe learning disability, who have also had a paradoxical reaction to benzodiazepines. It would be interesting to know why this might happen to some individuals. Most doctors dismissed the possibility that the medication could have caused such a reaction, but it was no coincidence.

[@manuelcasanova727]

Paradoxical reactions to benzodiazepines are well known. It has been my contention for many years that they are especially common in autism. These reactions are definitely not coincidences.

[@suntzu6122]

My best guess is he is overstimulated. No umbrella like was said in this video. Im the same way just not as bad. Be mindful of environmental stimulation. I would imagine even a messy house or a house filled to the brim with decorations could be a lot to look at. For me its mostly sound and people who wear me out.

[@AnnGoslinn]

Great episode.

[@jimmyh3108]

Brilliant 😃 so my htz are are a little bit off..thank you dr. Casanova..very educational..just saw the other talk on magnetic stimulation to the brain god bless your brain and all your great work 🙏🙂👍

[@gregoryburne5251]

Due to his accent, I can’t make out any new words he uses, eg I heard him say “body ability” when in fact he said:”variability.”. There were many, esp the biological words. Just saying.

[@jimmyh3108]

He is brilliant I understand perfectly 😂🙏it's like he is pronouncing every syllable individualy

[@rosannekatonwalden1620]

Put on closed captions! That might help you past his accent.