A team from the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck University in London, co-led by the Centre for Research in Autism and Education at the Institute of Education, measured the brain activity of babies aged six-ten months old at greater risk of developing autism because they had an older brother or sister with the condition.
Sensors were used to measure children’s brain activity while they were shown faces that switched from looking at them to looking away from them or vice versa.
The usual response of the human brain is to show characteristic patterns of activity in reaction to eye contact with another person, whereas older children diagnosed with autism show unusual patterns of eye contact and brain responses to social interaction such as eye contact.
The study revealed that the children who were at risk of developing autism already processed social information in a different way to the usual response.
However, some babies who showed these differences in brain function were not later diagnosed, and for this reason the researchers say the method will need refining and other factors considered.
They go on to say that as there are no behavioural markers of autism evident in children as young as six months, measurements of brain function could act as a more ‘sensitive indictor of risk.’
The research was funded by UK Medical Research Council and the BASIS funding consortium led by Autistica, a charity which funds biomedical research with the aim of improving the lives of families affected by autism.
Christine Swabey, chief executive of Autistica, said, ‘Autism currently affects 1 per cent of the UK population and the hope is that this important research will lead to improved identification and access to services for future generations. Ultimately, the earlier we can identify autism and provide early intervention, the better the outcomes will be in later childhood and adult life.’
Professor Christopher Kennard, chair of the MRC’s Neuroscience and Mental Health funding board, said, ‘This is a very interesting study which suggests that early signs of brain responses to eye contact can contribute to an earlier diagnosis for children at high risk of autism, crucial for ensuring that they receive appropriate care.
'An investment like this can improve our understanding of the basis of autism, which hopefully will lead to new ways of treating those affected in the future and so dramatically affect the quality of life for patients and their families.’
