Signs of Autism Identified in Brains of Babies as Young as Six Months

Researchers in the United States have identified signs of autism in the brains of six month old babies and said that the condition develops from that stage onwards as the babies grow old. According to the report published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers from Washington and North Carolina universities analyzed the brain scans of more than 90 babies at six months and conducted behavioral assessments at two years of age.

The researchers found that around 28 of the infants exhibited behavioral patterns similar to autism spectrum disorders. On checking the brain scans, the researchers also found changes in the pathways that connect brain regions to one another, especially in the pathways to the white matter.

“We were surprised that there were so many differences so early in infancy. As this study moves forward, we may want to scan babies at even younger ages so that we can try to see how early this pattern is emerging”, co-author of the study, Kelly Botteron said.


Source-Medindia