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Neuroimaging as an identification method.

mrs.snooks

I've been looking into the research into neuroimaging to identify autism as part of clinical trials.

Wondered if anyone can point me in the direction of any sites with a summary of what is known so far and what research is being done.

I am trying to convince my husband of the differences structurally and functionally of the autistic brain.

I have mixed feelings about this new diagnostic method. Particularly about some of the potential outcomes. However, hopefully I won't upset too many people on here, by bringing it up.

Thanks in advance,

Mrs Snooks

  • in reply to Bunny

    It’s an interesting article but the potential identification of a link to gene mutations in autism isn’t conclusive. Moreover, it is potentially limited to a small percentage of people with severe learning disabilities within the autistic community. 

    “It is now widely accepted that there is a strong genetic component to autism. But which genes are involved and how their expression is influenced by other factors are only just starting to be unravelled” (The genetic mystery of why some people develop autism, BBC Future)

    I am an autistic woman, not a woman who has autism, and I am glad that the article was balanced with recognition of the need to collaborate with the autistic community. Some autistic people have fears over how potential autistic gene mutation identification could be used in harmful ways. 

  • in reply to Jalapeno
    Jalapeno said:
    is there an autistic gene ? 

      shared an interesting article on that subject here, yesterday:

    BBC article on autism and genetics

  • in reply to Jalapeno

    To date, there isn’t a known autistic gene variant.

  • I found a Neuropsychopharmacology paper from 2015 published in Nature Magazine. I believe Nature is a reputable magazine for peer reviewed journals and the article is fully referenced. Unfortunately the wording uses the medical model of talking about ‘social deficits’ etc, but I can’t find anything more recent that is fully referenced.

    The Channel 5 Baby Lab link at Birkbeck might be of interest. 

    https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2014172

    https://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/new-channel-5-documentary-highlights-birkbecks-ground-breaking-autism-research

  • They were doing some on the recent Channel 5 program on Autism - think it was just looking at child brain development, which probably ain't you typing on this forum Grinning.  But if they're doing anything beyond early years - don't know.  Let us know if you find anything 

    If other say largely genetic - is there an autistic gene ? 

  • I'd be interested in this too. I did see an image of autistic brain activity vs allistic and there were some marked differences. Lots more stimulation in the autistic one, which would explain why we experience so much overload etc, but I'm not sure where it was from.

    If you find anything then please do post it in. Blush