The test, which uses a conventional MRI, detected 94-percent of individuals with a high-functioning form of autism. The MRIs were used to analyze the microscopic fiber structures that make up the brain circuitry. It found males with autism showed differences in the white matter circuitry in two regions of the brain, the areas involved with language, emotion, and social skills.
Currently, there is no biological test for autism. Diagnosis is done through a lengthy examination involving questions about the child's behavior, language, and social functioning.
The study appears in the online edition of Autism Research.
