in the united states. This discovery creates hope for a more timely diagnosis in the future.
The researchers, led by dr. Jurgen Hahn of the Polytechnic Institute of ΡενσελάεÏ, made the relevant publication in the journal of computational biology, “PLoS Computational Biology”, according to the agency Reuters and the New Scientist.
From the disorders of the autism spectrum suffers almost 1% of children (about one child in 68). The symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Most children are not diagnosed before the age of four years, mainly through the observation of their behaviours, such as the difficulty of communication with those around them. Experts consider that the earlier the diagnosis, the greater are the chances of the disorder to be treated with the appropriate interventions.
The researchers studied 83 children aged three to ten years of age who were diagnosed with autism through traditional methods, as well as 76 children without autism. The scientists measured the levels of 24 proteins, and biochemical markers that have been associated with autism and found that, with the right combination, can predict the disorder. The specific combination was in 97,6% of the children with autism, while absent in 96.1% of children without autism.
But other scientists appeared skeptical, noting on the one hand, that the sample of children is small, and on the other, that it is not certain that the same combination of proteins will be present in toddlers. In addition, it is not clear whether such a test will make the diagnosis only of autism or to more general brain problems such as epilepsy.
After various tests, or other νευÏοαπεικονιστικÎÏ‚ techniques that at times have been promised timely diagnosis, but for the moment, without tangible clinical results, some scientists have doubts now whether it will ever be possible to develop a simple diagnostic test, given the complex and mysterious nature of autism.
Experimental blood test promises early diagnosis of autism
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