Aggression and autism have this thing in common – Know what!

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New Delhi: According to US researchers, a new study has found a connection between aggression and autism.

The smaller the brain stem, the greater the likelihood of aggression in children, with autism.

According to researchers from Brigham Young University in the US, there is an inverse correlation between aggression and brain stem volume in children with autism and the study will provide clues into the link between aggression and autism that will eventually lead to more effective intervention.

The finding is significant because "the brain stem is really involved in autonomic activities - breathing, heart rate, staying awake - so this is evidence that there`s something core and basic, this connection between aggression and autism," said study author Kevin Stephenson.

They examined MRI images from two groups of children with autism - one that exhibited problematic levels of aggression and other that did not."Identifying the brain stem as having at least a partial involvement in aggression helps to lay a foundation for better treatment," said another researcher Terisa Gabrielsen.

"If we know what part of the brain is different and what function that part of the brain controls, that can give us some clues into what we can do in the way of intervention," Gabrielsen stated.

(With ANI inputs)