Autism: Brain activity as a biomarker

Researchers from Jülich, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, and the UK have discovered specific activity patterns in the brains of people with autism. These consistent patterns of functional connectivity might be used in the long term as therapeutic biomarkers. The idea behind this is that in future, doctors would be able to investigate whether certain treatments can shift brain patterns in the direction of healthy patterns, potentially achieving an improved state of health. The results of the study, which included more than 800 patients with autism in four cohorts, were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Autism still poses many mysteries to science: The disease, which is defined by profound developmental disorders, is neither curable nor are its causes fully understood. The general term "autism spectrum disorder" (ASD) is used to cover the entire spectrum of autistic disorders. "In our study, we were able to identify a common pattern of brain connectivity for ASD," explains Dr. Juergen Dukart from Forschungszentrum Jülich's Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), the last author of the study. The results might help in optimizing existing treatments or evaluating new treatment options.

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