Retinal Scans for Early Detection of Childhood Autism

Article: HK scientist develops retinal scan technology to identify early childhood autism
Source: Chinese University of Hong Kong, via Reuters
Published: March 15, 2021

A scientist in Hong Kong is developing a method to use retinal scans for early detection of childhood autism. The technology uses a high-resolution retinal camera and artificial intelligence software to analyze retinal fiber layers and blood vessels to detect markers of autism. When tested on 70 children, 46 with autism and 24 without, the technology could identify those children with autism 95.7% of the time. The study size is small and it is not clear as to the severity of autism detected; nonetheless, the results are very encouraging. From a scientific standpoint, autism is added to the expanding list of neurological and systemic conditions that are detectable by eye exam. From a clinical standpoint, such a study is a big step toward bringing awareness to autism detection and intervention. As the researchers report, there is a stigma associated with mental illness, in this case with autism. That stigma might be higher in Asia. What is especially pertinent about this study is that it applies to children, whose parents could be in denial of the fact that their child needs treatment. An objective measure of biomarkers, in conjunction with professional assessment, could help to convince parents to enroll their children in therapy programs more quickly.

My rating of this study: ⭐⭐🌸