Patterns of electrical brain activity in the brain could provide a new test for diagnosing classical autism.
At present, a diagnosis is made by assessing a child’s behavior and clinical history. The new electroencephalogram (EEG) test, in which 24 electrodes are placed on a child’s scalp, was developed at Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts.
It identified 33 patterns of electrical connectivity between pairs of brain regions that were strikingly and consistently different in 430 children with autism aged 2 to 12, compared with 554 neurotypical controls (BMC Medicine). A key feature of autism is thought to be poor connectivity between areas linked to language.
The results now need to be compared against those for conditions with which autism could be confused, like Asperger’s syndrome.
–Â Andy Coghlan, New Scientist Magazine
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