Research raises hope of 15-minute scan for autism

CHILDREN could in future be screened for autism using a 15-minute brain scan developed by British scientists.

The technique, which assesses structural changes in the brain, has already been tested on adults and shown to have an accuracy of 90%.

In as little as two years it could start to revolutionise the way psychiatrists diagnose the developmental disorder, which affects about 15 people in every 10,000.

Not only is the method far quicker than conventional ways of identifying autism, but up to 20 times more cost effective.

At present, the disorder is chiefly diagnosed by observing behavioural traits using a battery of tests. The process can take a full day, involve a team of clinicians and can cost £2,000 (€2,500). The brain scans take a matter of minutes and cost between £100 and £200 (€250).

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name given to a range of conditions caused by abnormalities in brain development.

The new technique developed by scientists at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, involves taking pictures of the brain with an MRI scanner.

The scans are reconstructed into 3D images and analysed by computer software programmed to spot hallmarks of autism in the structure of different brain areas.

Five key parameters are assessed including levels of folding and volume, some of which directly relate to autistic symptoms.

For instance, changes in the volume of the basal ganglia, which regulates movement, may result in repetitive behaviour.

Dr Christine Ecker, a leading member of the Institute of Psychiatry team, said: “The value of this rapid and accurate tool to diagnose ASD is immense. It could help to alleviate the need for the emotional, time consuming and expensive diagnosis process which ASD patients and families currently have to endure.

“We now look forward to testing if our methods can also help children.”

The structural signatures of autism were even more pronounced in children than they were in adults, she said: “If it works in adults we think it will work even better in children.

“We can use available hospital scanners that you use to diagnose a broken arm or leg.

“Its very practical. All you need is a little bit of extra software installed on the scanner. The data can be collected from anywhere in the country and sent to us in London for analysis.

“Potentially, it’s 20 times quicker and 20 times more cost effective than conventional diagnosis.”

The results of testing the technique on 20 adults with autism and the same number of healthy “control” volunteers were published yesterday in The Journal of Neuroscience.

All those taking part were men aged between 20 and 68.

After first being asked to undergo the conventional diagnostic procedure, each participant had his brain scanned. The outcomes of both techniques were then compared.

The brain scan method was 90% accurate in correctly identifying the autistic patients. It also showed a negative result for healthy controls in 80% of cases.