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Scientists have devised a universal test for autism in babies that uses a single strand of hair.
It works by analyzing the sample for levels of metals such as mercury, lead, and aluminum, which are higher in autistic children.
The test involves sending a hair sample to a lab for analysis and was shown to accurately predict autism 81 percent of the time in a peer-reviewed study.
The test is already considered a “breakthrough” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is speeding up its application, although it may still be at least a year away from hitting shelves.
The new test scans hair for warning signs of the condition due to genetic risk factors.
Other scientists heralded the test as a “groundbreaking” development for the notoriously difficult-to-diagnose condition that affects 5.4 million Americans and 700,000 Britons.
Because there is no standard test for the condition, doctors must rely on the child’s developmental history and behavior.
As such, children in the US typically only receive an official diagnosis at age four, while in the UK the average is six years.
But scientists at the New York-based startup, called LinusBio, said their new test should be used in conjunction with other methods, not by itself.
But they insist it could help shorten the diagnostic window.
“We can detect the clear rhythm of autism with just one centimeter of hair,” said Manish Arora, the company’s co-founder and chief executive officer. nbc news.
‘The problem with autism is that it is diagnosed at the age of four on average. By that time, a lot of brain development has already happened.
“We want to allow early intervention.”
For the test, scientists first use a laser to remove the top layer of hair.
A second, more powerful laser is then passed through the length of the hair, taking measurements at 650 points per centimeter. This also turns the strand into plasma.
Look for substances linked to autism, including metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic.
Autistic children have higher levels of metals like lead and arsenic in their hair.
Researchers aren’t sure why this happens, although it may be related to genetic factors or exposure to toxic metals in the environment.
The results are then entered into a computer program that looks for patterns that indicate autism.
It was developed using studies on hundreds of people in Sweden and the US.
Just one centimeter, less than half an inch, records about a month of environmental exposure.
The scientists tested their method on strands of hair collected from 468 Japanese children when they were around one month old.
The results were then compared to the clinical diagnosis of autism, completed when the children were around four years old.
The scientists found that their test correctly identified autism in 394 cases (81 percent of the total).
It correctly identified autism in 96.4 percent of the children and correctly approved 75.4 percent of the children who did not have autism.
The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Medicinewith the developers now working on a new, expanded studio involving 2,000 people.
Scientists not involved in the research supported the test, but said more research was needed.
“The technology is incredibly novel,” said Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, an environmental health scientist at Columbia University in New York City.
‘The use of the hair and the type of measurements they are doing with the hair is innovative. It’s innovative.
Dr. Scott Myers, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at the Geisinger Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, added: “Certainly, much more work remains to be done before concluding that this test is a valid measure of autism spectrum disorder risk.” .
Autism is something that people are born with, which leads to their brain working differently than other people.
People with the condition may have difficulty communicating, find it difficult to understand how others think or feel, or become anxious and upset by unfamiliar social events and situations.
Scientists are unclear as to what causes the condition, although environmental and genetic factors are thought to be involved.
Britain’s health service, the NHS, says it is not caused by poor breeding, vaccinations, diet or infection.
Treatment focuses on providing those affected with plans to help their neurological and social development.
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