Autism Research may Help Identify Biomarkers for Autism Risk Leading to Early Detection

According to a release from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a new Autism study found significant differences in brain development starting at age 6 months in high-risk infants who later develop autism, compared to high-risk infants who did not develop autism. This new information may help doctors detect Autism in children much sooner, by using biological markers, than through behavioral observation. The study also may help in developing more effective treatments.

The study, led by Dr. Paterson and Robert Schultz, PhD, was based on research from the Infant Brain Imaging Network, which includes researchers at the Center for Autism Research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Published in the February 17th edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry, the results are the latest from the ongoing Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS).

“It’s a tremendously exciting finding,” said Sarah Paterson, PhD, director of the Infant Neuroimaging Lab at CHOP’s Center for Autism Research. “We found that the brains of the children who developed autism were markedly different even prior to the onset of behavioral symptoms of autism. Thus, our findings, while requiring replication, are a very important first step towards identifying a biomarker for autism risk. This would enable specialists to diagnose autism much earlier than what is currently possible through behavioral observations.”

According to the study, researchers have found that autism actually develops over time during infancy. By identifying the markers early on and then applying what they refer to as “intensive early intervention,” the outcomes in children with developmental delays and autism appear to be improved.

“This research raises the possibility that we might be able to intervene even before a child is 6 months old, to blunt or prevent the development of some autism symptoms,” said Paterson.

A similar study, conducted in London published in Current Biology, found that infants at high risk for autism who were later diagnosed with the condition showed different brain responses from low-risk babies, or from high-risk babies that did not develop autism when shown images of faces looking at or away from the baby. According to Paterson, the findings at CHOP lends credence to the London research and is encouraging evidence that scientists are on the right track towards finding markers for identifying autism much earlier than is currently possible.

Other institutions which participated in the research for the study, in addition to CHOP, included The University of North Carolina, University of Utah, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Washington, McGill University, and the University of Alberta.