Scientists Develop Imaging Test for Autism Spectrum Disorder

A groundbreaking, new MRI technique used by the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute revealed how children with autism can be diagnosed using an accelerated scanning process in order to determine their facial-recognition capabilities. Designed originally to allow researchers to scan sensitive children without long periods confined in the scanning chamber, this technology quickly allowed researchers to study how autistic children perceived faces and discovered a visible cognitive difference when participants were shown images of themselves. The control group reported higher cognitive activity while viewing a self-portrait. However, the autistic participants had a drastically reduced response — which is speculated as a self-awareness difference. “We went from a slow, average depiction of brain activity in a cognitive challenge to a quick test that is significantly easier for children to do than spend hours under observation. The single-stimulus functional MRI could also open the door to developing MRI-based applications for screening of other cognitive disorders.” This new technique will allow the study of mathematical processing in cognitive disorders, as well as contributing to MRI technology with potential decreased scanning time. To learn more about this study, click here.