Breakthrough in the early detection of autism

Currently the condition cannot be diagnosed until after the age of two, by observing a child’s behaviour.

The new discovery is likely to improve scientists’ understanding of autism, and may help families in the future, experts believe.

Researchers used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to study the brain activity of two groups of infants, one of which had older brothers or sisters with autism.

The technique relies on the way more or less active parts of the brain absorb long-wavelength light differently. Probes attached to the skin surface fire beams of light which are able to pass through the skull. After scattering through the brain, they are picked up by receptors to provide a measure of brain activity.

The babies were tested as they watched videos of socially interesting human actions, such as incy-wincy spider. Scans were also carried out while the infants listened to vocal sounds such as laughter and yawning, or non-human sounds such as toys rattling.

Autism is a wide-ranging brain condition that affects a person’s ability to communicate and socialise. An estimated 600,000 children and adults in the UK suffer from autism, which is four times more likely to affect boys than girls.

Lead researcher Dr Sarah Lloyd-Fox, from Birkbeck, University of London, said: “Our findings demonstrate for the first time that direct measures of brain functioning during the first six months of life may help further our understanding of the development of autism.”