University of Trento

Brain Scans Reveal Two Distinct Biological Subtypes of Autism

- Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology and Child Mind Institute identified two distinct autism subtypes through brain connectivity patterns, representing about 25% of individuals with autism studied. - One subtype showed reduced brain communication (hypoconnectivity) linked to synaptic pathways, while the other displayed increased connectivity (hyperconnectivity) associated with immune-related biological systems. - The findings were validated across 940 autistic individuals and multiple independent datasets, with mouse models providing biological confirmation of the underlying mechanisms. - The hyperconnectivity group showed higher autism severity scores on social affect measures, suggesting brain-based markers reveal distinctions not captured by current behavioral assessments.