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.
Brain Scans Differentiate Suicidal from Non-Suicidal Patients with Bipolar Disorder
People with bipolar disorder are at high risk for suicidal behavior beginning in adolescence and young adulthood. A 2017 study by Jennifer A. Y. Johnston and colleagues in the American Journal of Psychiatry uses several brain-scanning techniques to identify neurobiological features associated with suicidal behavior in people with bipolar disorder compared to people with bipolar disorder who have never attempted suicide. Clarifying which neural systems are involved in suicidal behavior may allow for better prevention efforts.
The study included 26 participants who had attempted suicide and 42 who had not. Johnston and colleagues used structural, diffusion tensor, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to identify differences in the brains of attempters and non-attempters.
Compared to those who had never attempted suicide, those who had exhibited reductions in gray matter volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. They also had reduced white matter integrity in the uncinate fasciculus, ventral frontal, and right cerebellum regions. In addition, attempters had reduced functional connectivity between the amygdala and the left ventral and right rostral prefrontal cortex. Better right rostral prefrontal connectivity was associated with less suicidal ideation, while better connectivity of the left ventral prefrontal area was linked to less lethal suicide attempts.
Concentrated Blueberry Juice Daily Improves Brain Function
A small study in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism showed an improvement in cognitive function, bloodflow to the brain, and brain activation in older people who drank concentrated blueberry juice every day for 12 weeks.
The 26 participants were healthy adults between the ages of 65 and 77. People who consumed more than 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables were excluded from the study. Twelve participants consumed 30mL (less than a quarter cup) of the concentrated juice each day, while the other 14 received a daily placebo instead.
The participants did a variety of cognitive tests before and after the study period. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans collected information about bloodflow and brain function during these tests.
Participants in the blueberry juice group showed statistically significant increases in brain activity by the end of the study compared to those in the placebo group.
The study was led by researcher Joanna Bowtell.
