King’s College Institute of Psychiatry in London have been researching the use of a brain scan to diagnose Autism, in adults stating:
“We know already that people with autism have differences in brain anatomy and some regions are just bigger and smaller or just different in shape,” said Christine Ecker of King’s College Institute of Psychiatry in London. “Our technique can use this information to identify someone with autism.”
The simple scan could take just 15-minutes to help doctors diagnose. It will identify the thickness of tissue in parts of the grey matter in the frontal and parietal lobes. These parts of the brain are responsible for language and behaviour functions.
Currently the process of diagnosis is long and ownerous for families looking for a diagnosis for their child and also for adults who have reached later life, still looking for confirmation.
By identifying structural differences in the brain can help doctors speed up diagnosis and allow the identification of at-risk children more rapidly.
The research, supported by the Medical Research Council, Welcome Trust and National Institute for Health Research, is published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Uta Frith, emeritus professor of cognitive development at University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, report: “This study shows that the subtle brain abnormalities associated with autism show a distinctive pattern.”
The concerns are however, that further time must be spent on understanding what these brain abnormalities mean.
The director of the National Autistic Society’s Centre for Autism, Carol Povey, said the study gave a valuable insight into the way people with autism process and understand the world around them. “Eventually, the researchers hope that brain scans might also be a useful diagnostic tool. While further testing is still required, any tools which could help identify autism at an earlier stage, have the potential to improve a person’s quality of life by allowing the right support to be put in place as soon as possible.”
She added: “However, diagnosis is only the first step. At the National Autistic Society, we frequently receive calls from people who have struggled to get support, leaving them anxious, frustrated and in some cases depressed or even suicidal. Research that improves our understanding of autism, is therefore part of a wider struggle to enable people with autism to access appropriate support at every stage of their life.”
Joe Powell was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, 14 years ago and before his diagnosis, he didn’t speak at all.
His brain scan confirms his ASD. He says “You need to physically see it,” and the diagnosis has really helped.
He continues: “I know the autism is still there. The progress I’ve made in managing my condition is real, but it’s still there.”
Watch Jo on video explaining his reaction to his diagnosis:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10929032?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
In summary the research team is now looking at whether the test would be effective on children.
If you have concerns about diagnosis relating to an Autistic Spectrum Disorder do not hesitate to contact Sarah Davis (Specialist Speech and Language Therapist) from Integrated Treatment Services . At ITS we have a multi – disciplinary team of experts who an support you through the diagnosis process and also clearly outline what support might benefit the person with Autism. This ranges from speech and language therapy input, through to sensory integration by our Occupational Therapists.
READ FURTHER ARTICLES:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/aug/10/autism-brain-scan
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10929032?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6951699/Brain-scan-could-diagnose-autism-early.html
Sarah Davis – Integrated Treatment Services – August 2010
