The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Blog recently referenced a study Jason Wolff, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology’s special education program and Jed Elison from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development worked on with colleagues across the country. The NIH post, “Autism spectrum disorder: progress toward earlier diagnosis,” discusses the groups’ research using functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) to monitor brain activity in infants less than six months old. Their study suggests certain biomarkers may help us predict which high-risk infants will develop autism by age two.
“For those parents who still find themselves worrying about a possible connection between ASD and vaccines, despite study after study showing there’s no link, these new findings come as further reassurance,” NIH director, Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. writes in his post. “The biological foundations for ASD are present in the brains of children who will develop ASD-related behaviors from very early in life,” he continues. “The best way to keep all kids healthy and protected is to have them vaccinated on schedule.”
