What role might the brain stem nuclei play in causing or contributing to autism?
If we go by the assumption that autism is caused by sensory impulses not completing the full processing circuit, so that they are not properly integrated into coherent, meaningful perceptions, it stands to reason that the earlier these impulses are interrupted in the processing circuit, the more basic the information that is going to be sacrificed. The most basic information the brain receives is from our skin. Sensations of touch, temperature, texture, pain and pressure are conveyed from skin receptors through the peripheral nerves to the spinal cord and up to the brain stem. At the brain stem, these sensations feed into the reticular core or formation; a tangled web of nuclei that acts as an arousal center for the nervous system. When stimulated these nuclei wake, calm, alert and excite us. They send messages on to the hypothalamus to regulate heartbeat, breathing and digestion. They also send messages up to the cortex, signaling it to shift our attention from one thing to another. I
