Major step in autism testing
Researchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital and the University of Utah have developed the best biologically based test for autism to date. The test was able to detect the disorder in individuals with high-functioning autism with 94 percent accuracy. The study will be published online this week (Nov. 29) in Autism Research. The test, which uses MRI to measure deviations in brain circuitry, could someday replace the subjective test now used to identify those with the disorder. It could also lead to a better understanding of autism and to better management and treatments of affected individuals. “This is not yet ready for prime time use in the clinic yet, but the findings are the most promising thus far,” said lead author Nicholas Lange, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and director of the Neurostatistics Laboratory at McLean. “Indeed, we have new ways to discover more about the biological basis of autism...