Researchers at King’s College London have found that MRI scans of the fetal brain can detect early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results of the study published In the journal Nature Communications (part of the Nature group).
The authors found an association between autistic features and isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, a common antenatal brain anomaly. Ventriculomegaly is the excessive accumulation of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) in the ventricles of the brain and their increased volume. It is associated with an imbalance between the production and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid or the difficulty of its exit into the spinal cavity. Isolated ventriculomegaly is characterized by an increase in only the ventricles of the brain without any other developmental pathology.
The study included two groups of children, one of whom consisted of 24 healthy participants, and the second – 10 people with an anomaly. As part of the study, the scientists made several assessments of children’s cognitive and social development, in addition to fetal MRI: at two years of age, usually when the first signs of ASD appear, and at primary school age.
“About 40% of boys diagnosed with ventriculomegaly scored higher for a diagnosis of ASD. For example, in preschool age, they experienced a significant delay in the development of speech skills, difficulties in maintaining attention, observing the norms of behavior, memory problems.
The obtained results may open new possibilities for early prediction of ASD. In the future, scientists will continue to examine the relationship of ASD to abnormalities in brain development.