Parents have long reported that the signs of autism subside when children with the disorder run a fever. Now scientists are attempting to make use of this phenomenon in their quest to treat autism.

They’re focusing on a part of the brain called the locus coeruleus, which regulates fever and affects the way people interact with one and other. In a paper published recently in Brain Research Reviews, researchers theorize that problems in this area of the brain could actually be what makes people with autism different from others. They believe that environment and toxic chemicals as well as stress may be behind a malfunction in the locus coeruleus.

Should there be truth to this theory, it could lead to medications targeting this area of the brain, reports Time Magazine. To read more click here.

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