Dear AuntMinnie Member,
U.S. researchers may be shedding light on the origins of autism by using MRI to detect early changes in neural anatomy that could be a precursor to the disease.
In a study of autistic children and a group of normal controls, MRI was able to detect enlargement of as much as 6% in the autistic patients in several parameters representing brain size and head circumference, according to an article we're featuring this week by staff writer Shalmali Pal in our MRI Digital Community.
In some cases the differences were seen in children as young as 12 months old, leading the researchers to speculate that abnormal growth in brain volume and head circumference could begin not long following birth in children who later develop autism. Get the rest of the details by clicking here.
In another article on MRI's value as an early prognostic tool, Dutch researchers found that MRI can detect atrophy of the hippocampus and amygdala in patients who later develop dementia -- before they show signs of cognitive impairment. View that story by clicking here.
Finally, a third article indicates that functional MRI may be able to detect subtle differences in brain physiology that could predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease -- years before it develops. Read about it by clicking here, or visit our MRI Digital Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
