A new study aims to pinpoint autism in infants as young as six month old. The cause may lie in excess amounts of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that appear in infants who later develop the disorder. In the case of autism, CSF has poor circulation that prevents it from effectively weeding out dangerous molecules. With 70 percent accuracy, CSF volume measurements at 6 months old made predictions for autism development at age 2. author Mark Shen Researchers still need to do more work to determine if CSF contributes to autism or if it is simply a related factor. Future studies will determine if MRI’s are the best option in determining proper diagnosis and treatment for autism.
