SchaferAutismReport: Diagnostic Brain Scans: Hope Or Hype?

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RESEARCHDiagnostic Brain Scans: Hope Or Hype? By Virginia . From Simon Foundation Autism Research

Initiative.

Scan signals: When listening to speech, children with autism have less activity in one part of the temporal lobe (red) compared with healthy children. In the past year, several studies have suggested that brain scans could soon help clinicians diagnose autism. Many experts disagree, saying these scans

are far from — and may never be — ready for use as diagnostic tests. "[scans] give us insight into underlying mechanisms and heterogeneity, rather than actual diagnosis," says ph Piven, professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The diagnostic angle "is so naïve and oversold," Piven says. "It kind of misses the point of what this research should be about." Advocates often claim that brain imaging could offer a more objective way to diagnose autism than behavioral tests, which cost around $1,000 per child and cannot definitively diagnose the disorder before age 3. A diagnostic scan could conceivably identify signs of the disorder in the first year of life for a comparable price. The studies in question compare brain activity of children with autism to that of healthy children and pinpoint distinctive patterns, or

'signatures,' in the autism groups. The research runs the gamut of technologies, from scanners that trace the shape of brain structures and neural connections to scalp electrodes that measure split-second blips in brain waves. The latest of these studies appeared 31 May in Radiology1. Joy Hirsch of Columbia University and colleagues reported that, when listening to speech, children who have both autism and significant language problems show less activity in a word

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RESEARCHDiagnostic Brain Scans: Hope Or Hype?Diagnosed Autism Is More Common in an IT-Rich Region, Study FindsWeaker Brain 'Sync' May Be Early Sign of AutismAlmost Half of Young Children With Autism WanderGestures May Play Role In Autism DiagnosisMothers With Infants Invited to Participate in Autism StudyTREATMENTNovel Agent Shows Promise in AutismPUBLIC HEALTHFood Allergies Affect 1 In 12 Kids: StudyEDUCATIONFour Parents Of Autistic Children Sue Philadelphia School DistrictPEOPLEHacking Suspect Cleary Was A 'Great Power On The Internet'

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