Mapping brain circuits in newborns may aid early detection of autism

A new map of newborn babies' brains offers details of structure that will provide a new reference for researchers studying both typical brain development and neurological disorders. Using noninvasive, 20-minute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, researchers have revealed some of the complex and precisely organized brain architecture that emerges as the brain reshapes itself during the third trimester of pregnancy.

"We used cutting-edge methods to see microstructure throughout the brain during a critical period of maturation," said Hao Huang, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Radiology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). "In addition to characterizing typical brain development, these measurements offer the potential to detect biomarkers of autism spectrum disorder at an age that could allow early diagnosis and possibly early intervention."

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