Autism in the brain, region by region

Recent articles

four brain areas marked with flags: Cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum

Brain structure changes in autism, explained

Autistic people have distinct patterns of brain development, which sometimes result in differences in brain structure. Here's what we know about those differences.

By Angie Voyles Askham
15 October 2020 | 6 min read
Illustration showing the human brain made out of flower shapes with the brainstem labeled.

Brain’s center of automatic body functions has autism links

The brainstem controls such disparate functions as breathing, sensation and sleep — all of which can be altered in autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
20 August 2020 | 8 min read
An illustration of the brain shows the amydala highlighted in green among botanical forms that look like neurons.

Amygdala, the brain’s threat detector, has broad roles in autism

The amygdala has long been a focus of autism research. But its exact role in the condition has been unclear.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
14 July 2020 | 8 min read

How the cerebellum is linked to autism

In this video, professors Sam Wang and Peter Tsai explain the role of the ‘little brain’ in cognition, social skills, emotion control and repetitive behaviors.

By Chelsey B. Coombs
22 June 2020 | 4 min watch
Illustration showing the human brain with neurons made out of flower shapes and the cerebellum highlighted in gold and yellow.

Brain’s motor hub plays unsung role in social skills, cognition

Long known as the director of movement, the cerebellum may also coordinate social and cognitive abilities, including those central to autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
9 March 2020 | 7 min read
brain form in the shape of white flowers on black background with the striatum in red

Striatum, the brain’s reward hub, may drive core autism traits

Associated primarily with its role in movement, the striatum may also influence the social difficulties of autistic people.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
17 February 2020 | 5 min read

Brain’s prefrontal cortex conducts symphony of social players

A brain region that orchestrates responses to social cues and aids decision-making may be off tempo in autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
20 February 2019 | 1 min watch

Brain’s bridge could yield clues to faulty wiring in autism

Decoding distortions in the brain’s largest nerve tract could lay bare basic problems with long-range neural connections in autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
27 February 2017 | 1 min watch

Memory hub could underlie social, cognitive quirks of autism

The brain's memory center, the hippocampus, may provide clues to features of autism as disparate as personal relationships and decision-making.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
24 August 2016 | 0 min watch

Brain’s social ‘river’ carries clues about autism

Researchers are homing in on the superior temporal sulcus, a groove in the brain that collects social information, as a key player in autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
29 February 2016 | 1 min watch

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of inputs into a single neuron in the mouse visual cortex.

‘Unbelievably beautiful’ evidence extends Nobel Prize-winning model of vision

Orientation tuning—the ability to distinguish a horizontal line from a vertical one or something in between—originates in the visual cortex, according to new mouse synapse imaging experiments.

By Claudia López Lloreda
29 May 2026 | 5 min read
Illustration of people connecting basic science.

Bringing basic biology back to INSAR

As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.

By Diana Kwon
28 May 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of scale balancing Petri dish and test tubes.

Every neuroscience lab needs an ethicist

The ethics issues that arise in neuroscience research are usually novel, unresolved and understudied. Embedding ethicists in labs helps scientists navigate these challenges and develop strategies in real time to prevent harm.

By Timothy E. Brown
27 May 2026 | 5 min read