{"title":"Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?","authors":"Gerry Leisman, Robert Melillo","doi":"10.3390/brainsci15091010","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that manifests in early childhood and persists throughout an individual's life. Characterized by a range of symptoms affecting social interaction, communication, and behavior, ASD presents a spectrum of varying degrees of severity and presentation. Recent research emphasizes the importance of understanding the diverse manifestations of ASD across different populations. Core features include social communication differences and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs), often linked to co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and ADHD. The study of ASD has evolved significantly, highlighting the need for individualized approaches to diagnosis and intervention. This paper explores current knowledge on ASD, examining the latest research findings and discussing future directions for improving the lives of those affected by the disorder. The purpose is to present a map of the field and an evidence-strength framing of what is known and unknown, and where the evidence is equivocal. Key areas of focus include behavioral, psychological, genetic, metabolic, immunological, and neurological features, as well as developmental and maturational factors. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of what is known, what remains unclear, and where future research should be directed.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"15 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12468522/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Brain Sciences","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15091010","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that manifests in early childhood and persists throughout an individual's life. Characterized by a range of symptoms affecting social interaction, communication, and behavior, ASD presents a spectrum of varying degrees of severity and presentation. Recent research emphasizes the importance of understanding the diverse manifestations of ASD across different populations. Core features include social communication differences and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs), often linked to co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and ADHD. The study of ASD has evolved significantly, highlighting the need for individualized approaches to diagnosis and intervention. This paper explores current knowledge on ASD, examining the latest research findings and discussing future directions for improving the lives of those affected by the disorder. The purpose is to present a map of the field and an evidence-strength framing of what is known and unknown, and where the evidence is equivocal. Key areas of focus include behavioral, psychological, genetic, metabolic, immunological, and neurological features, as well as developmental and maturational factors. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of what is known, what remains unclear, and where future research should be directed.
期刊介绍:
Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles, critical reviews, research notes and short communications in the areas of cognitive neuroscience, developmental neuroscience, molecular and cellular neuroscience, neural engineering, neuroimaging, neurolinguistics, neuropathy, systems neuroscience, and theoretical and computational neuroscience. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. There is no restriction on the length of the papers. The full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced. Electronic files or software regarding the full details of the calculation and experimental procedure, if unable to be published in a normal way, can be deposited as supplementary material.