BACKGROUND: The biological changes that lead to autism likely occur during prenatal life. Although earlier identification of the disorder has occurred within the past decade, the mean age of diagnosis is still not made before a mean age of 3 years. This is because autism remains a behaviorally defined disorder, placing limits on the age at which a confident diagnosis can be made. The study of the biological basis of autism prior to age 3 is essential and can most directly be achieved with prospective research designs. METHODS: The literature on the early identification of autism is discussed, including the timescale for the onset of social symptoms. Also discussed is a new method for the prospective study of autism called the "1-Year Well-Baby Check-Up Approach," which allows for the prospective study of the disorder in simplex families with infants as young as 12 months of age. RESULTS: Although likely present at subtle, subclinical levels, early social abnormalities are not clearly detectable prior to 12 months in age in infants later diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Using the 1-Year Well-Baby Check-Up Approach or other prospective design, examining early biomarkers related to early brain overgrowth, cerebellar development, gene expression patterns and immune system function may be key to early diagnosis efforts under 3 years. We also note the importance of comparing and contrasting the early "signature" of autism in children from singleton versus multiplex families, which may be etiologically distinct.
BACKGROUND: The biological changes that lead to autism likely occur during prenatal life. Although earlier identification of the disorder has occurred within the past decade, the mean age of diagnosis is still not made before a mean age of 3 years. This is because autism remains a behaviorally defined disorder, placing limits on the age at which a confident diagnosis can be made. The study of the biological basis of autism prior to age 3 is essential and can most directly be achieved with prospective research designs. METHODS: The literature on the early identification of autism is discussed, including the timescale for the onset of social symptoms. Also discussed is a new method for the prospective study of autism called the "1-Year Well-Baby Check-Up Approach," which allows for the prospective study of the disorder in simplex families with infants as young as 12 months of age. RESULTS: Although likely present at subtle, subclinical levels, early social abnormalities are not clearly detectable prior to 12 months in age in infants later diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Using the 1-Year Well-Baby Check-Up Approach or other prospective design, examining early biomarkers related to early brain overgrowth, cerebellar development, gene expression patterns and immune system function may be key to early diagnosis efforts under 3 years. We also note the importance of comparing and contrasting the early "signature" of autism in children from singleton versus multiplex families, which may be etiologically distinct.
Authors: K B Nelson; J K Grether; L A Croen; J M Dambrosia; B F Dickens; L L Jelliffe; R L Hansen; T M Phillips Journal: Ann Neurol Date: 2001-05 Impact factor: 10.422
Authors: Eric M Morrow; Seung-Yun Yoo; Steven W Flavell; Tae-Kyung Kim; Yingxi Lin; Robert Sean Hill; Nahit M Mukaddes; Soher Balkhy; Generoso Gascon; Asif Hashmi; Samira Al-Saad; Janice Ware; Robert M Joseph; Rachel Greenblatt; Danielle Gleason; Julia A Ertelt; Kira A Apse; Adria Bodell; Jennifer N Partlow; Brenda Barry; Hui Yao; Kyriacos Markianos; Russell J Ferland; Michael E Greenberg; Christopher A Walsh Journal: Science Date: 2008-07-11 Impact factor: 47.728
Authors: M R Herbert; D A Ziegler; C K Deutsch; L M O'Brien; N Lange; A Bakardjiev; J Hodgson; K T Adrien; S Steele; N Makris; D Kennedy; G J Harris; V S Caviness Journal: Brain Date: 2003-05 Impact factor: 13.501
Authors: Jonathan Sebat; B Lakshmi; Dheeraj Malhotra; Jennifer Troge; Christa Lese-Martin; Tom Walsh; Boris Yamrom; Seungtai Yoon; Alex Krasnitz; Jude Kendall; Anthony Leotta; Deepa Pai; Ray Zhang; Yoon-Ha Lee; James Hicks; Sarah J Spence; Annette T Lee; Kaija Puura; Terho Lehtimäki; David Ledbetter; Peter K Gregersen; Joel Bregman; James S Sutcliffe; Vaidehi Jobanputra; Wendy Chung; Dorothy Warburton; Mary-Claire King; David Skuse; Daniel H Geschwind; T Conrad Gilliam; Kenny Ye; Michael Wigler Journal: Science Date: 2007-03-15 Impact factor: 47.728
Authors: Karen Pierce; Eric Courchesne; Stephen J Glatt; Ming T Tsuang; Mary Winn; Sharon D Chandler; Melanie Collins; Linda Lopez; Melanie Weinfeld; Cindy Carter; Nicholas Schork Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2012-08-02 Impact factor: 8.829