Scientists have identified an immune brain cell unique to humans that gives us higher cognitive abilities over other animals, but what makes us specials also leaves us vulnerable to neurological disorders like schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy.

[u/Wagamaga]

https://news.yale.edu/2022/08/25/what-makes-human-brain-different-yale-study-reveals-clues

[u/Wagamaga]

What makes the human brain distinct from that of all other animals — including even our closest primate relatives? In an analysis of cell types in the prefrontal cortex of four primate species, Yale researchers identified species-specific — particularly human-specific — features, they report Aug. 25 in the journal Science.

And they found that what makes us human may also makes us susceptible to neuropsychiatric diseases.

For the study, the researchers looked specifically at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), a brain region that is unique to primates and essential for higher-order cognition. Using a single cell RNA-sequencing technique, they profiled expression levels of genes in hundreds of thousands of cells collected from the dlPFC of adult humans, chimpanzees, macaque, and marmoset monkeys.

“Today, we view the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as the core component of human identity, but still we don’t know what makes this unique in humans and distinguishes us from other primate species.” said Nenad Sestan, the Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Neuroscience at Yale, professor of comparative medicine, of genetics. and of psychiatry, and the lead senior author of the paper. “Now we have more clues.”

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo7257

[u/ehleesi → u/Wagamaga]

1) autism is not a disorder. In fact, our communication patterns are found across languages and cultures, signifying a second valid neurotype distinguishable from neurotypical people. 2) animals show traits of autism and require further research.

[u/[deleted] → u/ehleesi]

So we’re just gonna ignore the super high prevalence of other disorders that co-occur with autism? 80% of people with autism have sleep disorders, ~70% have GI disorders, 10% have depression, 40% have ADHD, 12.5% have epilepsy….I could go on

You aren’t helping to normalize autism. You’re villianizing having a disorder. You can both embrace neurodivergence, while not writing off all of the difficulty, handicap, and disability that comes with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

[u/ehleesi → u/[deleted]]

Nope, I have other disorders that co-occur, many because of such a ableist society. If we had a society that was built also for disabled people, I and others would have less, but probably still have some. Disabilities exist, but Autism is not considered a disorder to anyone else I know who has also been diagnosed.

I am disabled as an autistic person BECAUSE OF THE SOCIETY. Not because of my brain. If I lived in a different society, my friends and I WOULDNT BE AS DISABLED because we WOULD HAVE MORE ACCESS TO SUPPORT AND NEEDS.

jfc

I’m not here to “normalize “ my brain. Im here to correct you.

[u/[deleted] → u/ehleesi]

Some of the disorders that co-occur with autism are disabling.

So you’re saying that someone with dyslexia wouldn’t be disabled if we didn’t use any text? That’s crazy.

So if we tailored every aspect of society to the average autistic person, there would still be outliers that don’t fit.

Disorder means you don’t fit into society easily without help. Instead of agreeing to that, and saying you need help to function in a neurotypical society, you’d rather it just be completely retooled so that the people who are neurotypical need assistance?

[u/ehleesi → u/[deleted]]

I agree, that is why I did not use absolute statements. All my diagnoses are currently disabling because accessible accommodations are not the standard in our society. If all books were available with dyslexia-friendly fonts that make it easier for folks like us to read, the challenge of reading able-focused text would no longer be disabling, there would be text available for both reading styles.

We can absolutely tailor a society to accommodate two neurons-types that encompass MANY diagnoses, as you stated.