Tag Archives: Research

CDI Miami | Wednesday February 22, 2017

MRIs can determine which babies will develop autism as toddlers

The first-of-its-kind study used MRIs to image the brains of infants, and then researchers used brain measurements and a computer algorithm to accurately predict autism before symptoms set in.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in infants with older siblings with autism, researchers from around the country were able to correctly predict 80 percent of those infants who would later meet criteria for autism at two years of age.

“Our study shows that early brain development biomarkers could be very useful in identifying babies at the highest risk for autism before behavioral symptoms emerge,” said senior author Joseph Piven, MD, the Thomas E. Castelloe Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. “Typically, the earliest an autism diagnosis can be made is between ages two and three. But for babies with older autistic siblings, our imaging approach may help predict during the first year of life which babies are most likely to receive an autism diagnosis at 24 months.”

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD) have characteristic social deficits and demonstrate a range of ritualistic, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors.

Using MRIs to screen infants gives parents powerful resources to address, if not prevent disorders. By taking MRIs of brain volume, surface area, cortical thickness at 6 and 12 months of age, and sex of the infants, in conjunction with a computer program; can help potentially identify infants who will later develop autism, before the symptoms of autism begin to consolidate into a diagnosis.

According to Dr. Piven, “Putting this into the larger context of neuroscience research and treatment, there is currently a big push within the field of neurodegenerative diseases to be able to detect the biomarkers of these conditions before patients are diagnosed, at a time when preventive efforts are possible,” Piven said. “In Parkinson’s for instance, we know that once a person is diagnosed, they’ve already lost a substantial portion of the dopamine receptors in their brain, making treatment less effective.”

CDI Miami | Tuesday July 21, 2015

MRIs and Peace – One Scan at a Time

At MIT, a collaboration is underway making the MRI scanner a new tool for resolving war and conflict. The goal of the lab is to use current knowledge of neuroscience to develop innovative, science-based conflict resolution strategies.

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