Also, muscle hypotonia is likely to clinically correlate with an altered sensoriality and, in fact, discomfort or early muscle fatigue are often reported in ASDs. Alterations in brain connectivity are common to various developmental disorders, including ASD, and for this reason here we put forward the hypothesis that alterations in the physiological activity of microglia could be implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD. The connective tissue shares a close relationship with the central nervous system, the musculoskeletal system and the immune system. Depending on its different anatomical sites, the connective tissue performs functions of connection and support furthermore, it acts as a barrier between the external and internal environments, regulating the interchange between the two and performing immunological surveillance. The connective tissue, a common thread linking all these structures, may have a pathogenetic role in the multisystem involvement of ASD. However, recent scientific literature has shown that ASDs also affect many body systems and apparatuses such as the immune system, the sensory-motor system, and the gut-brain axis.

The classical approach to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is often limited to considering their neuro-functional aspects.

4Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

3Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Integrated University Hospital Verona, Verona, Italy.

2Autism Spectrum Disorders Regional Centre of Verona, Verona, Italy.

1Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital Verona, Verona, Italy.

Leonardo Zoccante 1,2 *, Marco Luigi Ciceri 1,2, Luigi Alberto Gozzi 1,2, Gianfranco Di Gennaro 3 and Nicoletta Zerman 4

Ei systems 3086 manual muscle