Brain Growth in Infancy Predicts Autism
A 2017 article in the journal Nature suggests that brain scans during infancy can predict which kids at risk for autism will go on to develop the disorder, leading to earlier treatment. Studies have shown that children with autism have enlarged brains. The new research zeroes in on the time period when this overgrowth occurs.
Researcher Heather Cody Hazlett and colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to measure brain growth in 106 high-risk infants with siblings who have autism spectrum disorder and 42 infants at low risk. The scans were performed when the infants were 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months old.
In 15 infants diagnosed with autism at 24 months, the researchers saw hyperexpansion of cortical surface area between 6 and 12 months and brain overgrowth between 12 and 24 months. The overgrowth coincided with symptoms of autism appearing, and with symptom severity.
The reseachers were able to create a computer algorithm that could predict whether an infant would develop autism based on images of brain growth. The algorithm corrected predicted autism 81% of the time.
Studies have suggested that starting interventions to treat autism early provides the best benefits, so using MRI to diagnose or predict autism before symptoms appear might allow for even earlier treatment that could be more effective.
The study also identified the sites of unusual brain development, which may help researchers determine what mechanisms lead to brain overgrowth in autism and eventually develop treatments that prevent these changes.
