Brain activity test detects autism severity, UCLA study finds

FINDINGSUCLA researchers have discovered that children with autism have a tell-tale difference on brain tests compared with other children. Specifically, the researchers found that the lower a child ’s peak alpha frequency — a number reflecting the frequency of certain brain waves — the lower their non-verbal IQ was. This is the first study to highlight peak alpha frequency as a promising biomarker to not only differentiate children with autism from typically developing children, but  also to detect the variability in cognitive function among children with autism. BACKGROUNDAutism spectrum disorder affects an estimated one in 68 children in the United States, causing a wide range of symptoms. While some individuals with the disorder have average or above-average reasoning, memory, attention and language skills, others have intellectual disabilities. Researchers have worked to understand the root of these cognitive differences in the brain and why autism spectrum disorder symptoms are so diverse.An electroencephalogram, or EEG, is a test that detects electrical activity in a person ’s brain using small electrodes that are placed on the scalp. It measures different aspects of brain activity including peak alpha frequency, which can be detected using a single electrode in as little as 40 seconds and has previously been linked to cognition in healthy individuals.METHODThe researchers performed EEGs on 97 children ages 2 to 11; 59 had diagnoses of autism spectrum di...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news