MONTREAL - The hope of early diagnosis for autism took a step forward on Thursday as a new study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital showed that signs of autism may be detected in the brain of infants as young as 6 months old.

The finding, which was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, could lead to early intervention for children with autism.

Using specialized screening, the study found significant differences in the brain development of infants at high risk for autism starting as early as 6 months.

And the study illustrates how an emerging area of brain imaging research may lead to a much better understanding of how the brain is wired and connected.

This is not just about autism, it has ramifications across the board, said Alan Evans, a lead researcher on the study from the Neuro who is also director of the Montreal Consortium for Brain Imaging Research. We are standing on the threshold of a whole new approach to brain science.

After hearing about the human genome all these years, we now have the connectome. Evans says this is the next phase in neuroscience, that it offers a more complex and rewarding characterization of the brain.

Developing these new technologies offer us a noninvasive window into normal and abnormal brain development which was basically impossible 10 years ago, he said in an interview.

The study used a special type of MRI scan, known as diffusion tensor imaging, which allows for more sophisticated analysis and imaging. It showed abnormal brain development may be detected before the appearance of autism symptoms in an infants first year of life. Autism is typically diagnosed around the age of 2 or 3 years when symptoms appear, such as problems with communication, social interaction and behaviour.

But research shows that symptoms can improve with early intervention so early diagnosis is key.

Evans doesnt foresee this type of scanning to be used on every infant, as it would be very costly. But he does believe if the research is reproduced these types of scans will one day be routine for siblings of children with autism, who have about a 15-per-cent likelihood of developing the disorder.

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Autism can be detected in the brain of infants as young as 6 months old.