Promise for finding brain biomarkers among infants at high familial risk for developing autism spectrum disorders

摘要

while it is widely accepted that early intervention is critical for achieving the best outcome among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the median age at earliest diagnosis is approximately 4.5 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control (1). One reason for this is that developmental trajectories in the core deficits seen in autism-language, social interaction, and stereotyped behaviors-are so variable in infants and toddlers. The diagnosis of ASDs is currently based on observations of behavior years after the complex interactions among genetic influences and environmental factors have taken their toll, potentially bypassing treatment or prevention opportunities during the critical first few years of life. Therefore, one of the key goals of the ASD research community has been to identify biomarkers that may predict future diagnosis.