Autism detectable in brain long before symptoms appear

[nitpicker]

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38955872

Autism detectable in brain long before symptoms appear

By James Gallagher
Health and science reporter, BBC News website

15 February 2017

From the section Health

Brain scans can detect autism long before any symptoms start to emerge, say scientists. The earliest that children tend to be diagnosed at present is at the age of two, although it is often later. The study, published in the journal Nature, showed the origins of autism are much earlier than that - in the first year of life. The findings could lead to an early test and even therapies that work while the brain is more malleable.
(snip)

The study looked at 148 children including those at high risk of autism because they had older siblings with the disorder. All had brain scans at six, 12 and 24 months old. The study uncovered early differences in the part of the brain responsible for high level functions like language - the cerebral cortex - in children who went on to be diagnosed with autism.
(snip)

The study opens up possibilities for big changes in the way autism is treated and diagnosed. Giving children brain scans, particularly those in high-risk families, could lead to children being diagnosed earlier.

In the long run, it might be possible to do something similar for all infants if DNA testing advances enough to become a useful tool to identify children at high risk.

If it can be diagnosed early, then behavioural therapies such as those that train parents in new ways of interacting with an autistic child can be introduced earlier when they should be more effective.
(snip)