Exercise appears to alter the brain in ways that can reduce some of the characteristics of autism in mice. Share on Pinterest In a mouse model, exercise helped remove surplus connections between neurons, which is a hallmark of autism. In mice bred to model autism spectrum disorder (ASD), scientists at the University of Tokyo in Japan found that exercise spurred the removal of surplus connections in brain circuits and diminished autism-like behavior. In a Cell Reports paper on their work, they explain how they showed that “voluntary wheel running ameliorates the abnormalities in sociability, repetitiveness, and anxiety” in ASD mice. The findings lend weight to the idea that it may be possible to reverse some of the behavioral characteristics of ASD. Senior study author Ryuta Koyama, an associate professor in the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Tokyo, points out that they did not force the mice to exercise; the voluntary nature of the physical activity was an important feature of the study. In addition, the researchers did not explore different types of exercise and are not suggesting that people should now start using exercise as a treatment for ASD. “If children are interested,” says Koyama, “they should be encouraged to do any exercise they want, but this research does not reveal how different activities might affect the brains of children with ASD.”

ASD, brain connectivity, and exercise ASD encompasses a wide range of subtypes that share some common features to varying degrees. These features include repetitive behavior and difficulties with verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction. No two individuals on the autism spectrum will have the same combination or degree of symptoms. Each will possess a unique cluster of challenges and strengths. Some people with ASD can live independently while others will need a lot of help with daily living. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1 in 59 children in the United States have ASD, with boys four times more likely to have it than girls. Surplus connections between nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain is a hallmark of ASD. The brain naturally removes excess connections between neurons during childhood. However, children with ASD end up with a surplus. A wealth of research has shown that physical activity can result in significant brain alteration in healthy people and even delay some of the brain degeneration that accompanies aging. Scientists running small studies involving children with ASD have also noticed that exercise seems to lessen repetitive behavior and difficulties with social interaction. More recently, researchers found that connections in brain circuits persist for longer periods in people with ASD than in those without the disorder. Also, symptom severity appears to go up in line with the duration of connection.