Detecting autism in children is an inexact science, based on behavioral analysis by experts.

Normally, a diagnosis of autism is not made before the age of four and when not, it is decided to wait until the age of six. Before this moment, children who suffer from it may be suffering this situation in silence without any understanding from their environment, given their lack of knowledge.

However, on August 15, new research by Robertson et al. published in "Current Biology", a scientific journal, informs us of a test that uses a phenomenon called binocular rivalry to facilitate its early detection: it has been analyzed that each eye is presented with a different image and that the perception of This one moves differently. In addition, the authors of the research had previously discovered that the brains of children with autism change images more slowly.

They link this fact to a shortage of the neurotransmitter GABA, which filters sensory stimuli. Therefore, the researchers analyzed brain waves from an electrode over the visual cortex and were able to identify adults with autism with 87% accuracy in their detection. They also predicted that the severity of autism could be determined from the speed of image change. The authors acknowledge that autistic people have different visual sensitivities, but the evidence is encouraging. The next step will be to develop it for pre-verbal children and possibly also for the 30% of autistic adults who are non-verbal.

Summary of the article: SLOWER BINOCULAR RIVALRY IN THE AUTISTIC BRAIN – Text adapted by MARIONA ALSEDÀ FLORENSA

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdfExtended/S0960-9822(19)30871-1