Brainwave Test Could Improve Autism Diagnosis and Classification

In a recent study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University found that measuring how fast the brain responds to sights and sounds could help in objectively classifying people on the autism spectrum and may help diagnose the condition earlier. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 68 children have been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is diagnosed based a patient’s behavioral characteristics and symptoms. “These assessments can be highly subjective and require a tremendous amount of clinical expertise,” said the study’s lead author. “We clearly need a more objective way to diagnose and classify this disorder.” The study was intended to see whether sensory processing varies along the autism spectrum. Forty-three children with ASD ages six to 17 were presented with either a simple auditory tone, a visual image (red circle), or a tone combined with an image, and were instructed to press a button as soon as possible after hearing the tone, seeing the image or seeing and hearing the two stimuli together. Continuous EEG recordings were made via 70 scalp electrodes to determine how fast the children’s brains were processing the stimuli. The results of the study showed the speed with which the subjects processed auditory signals strongly correlated with the severity of their symptoms. The finding is in line with studies that show the microarchitecture in the brain’s auditory center in people with ASD differ from that of neurotypical developing children. Additionally, the study shows that EEG recordings may help diagnose ASD earlier.  To read more about this study, click here.