foodconsumer.org: Clue in autism study may help early diagnosis

Clue in autism study may help early diagnosis
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admin on 05/07/2009 02:38:00
 
Wednesday May 6, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Brain anomalies that appear in
autistic children may lead to earlier diagnosis of the disorder. Scientists hope
the findings could lead to new interventions to help strengthen social function
in autistic children.
A recent study at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill indicates that
autistic toddlers have an enlarged amygdala, the portion of the brain linked
with facial recognition and emotions, according to an ABC News report.
Using imaging technology, scientists did brain scans on 83 two-year olds, 50 who
had autism and 33 children without the condition. The autistic children had
enlarged amygdalae and the anomaly persisted in follow-up screenings two years
later, say researchers.
The amygdala is a structure in the brain that has previously been implicated in
social and emotional perception in autism, said lead researcher Dr. Joseph Piven
of the University.
Piven said that other studies have shown that the autistic brain is normal in
size until the end of the first year of life, at which time it overgrows.
He said that with the new information scientists hope to detect autism earlier
in children, which may lead to more effective interventions for brain and
behavior changes.
Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the
first two-and-a-half years of life. Most autistic children are perfectly normal
in appearance, but spend their time engaged in puzzling and disturbing behaviors
which are markedly different from other children, according to the Autism
Research Institute.
Children with autism have difficulty interacting with others, finding it
especially hard to make eye contact.
The ARI says that since the early 1990s the rate of autism has increased
exponentially worldwide with figures as high as 60 per 10,000 children.  The
Centers for Disease Control reported in 2007 that one in 150 children is
diagnosed with autism.
Findings of the study were published Monday in the Archives of General
Psychiatry.
(By Sheilah Downey, and edited by Heather Kelley)