Autism can be diagnosed with a simple EEG test, says study
A new study found that a simple EEG test can diagnose autism in children.
A simple EEG test may be all that is needed to find autism in children, says a new study.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, in a study of 1000 children, were able to find patterns in brain activity in those who have autism, reported Fox News.
An EEG test, or Electroencephalography, looks at electrical activity in the brain using electrodes that are fitted on to the scalp of the patient.
Autism is difficult to detect and appears differently with varying severity in people.
A common symptom is difficulty with social interaction.
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According to Medical News Today, the study found that those children with autism had poor short range connectivity in the left hemisphere of the brain.
They also found increased connectivity in other regions.
BBC reported that researchers suspect that the brain's increased connectivity in some parts were compensating for reduced connectivity in other parts.
The study may help diagnose autism earlier in life and even test whether treatment for the illness is working.
The research was published in the journal PloS One.
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