(c) flickr & theseanster93
脳波を用いた方法により、ごく低年齢から自閉症の診断が可能になるかもしれない。2歳から12歳の自閉症児430名と神経学的機能が正常な子供554名について、脳の内部の連絡性を検討するため、子供たちの頭に複数の電極を付けて脳波のシグナルが同調する度合いを計算した。すると、自閉症児の脳では正常な子供の脳と比べて脳内の連絡性が変化しており、特に言語領域では減少していることが分かった。低年齢の子供では行動に基づいた自閉症の診断が困難だが、この研究結果が低年齢から使える客観的で確定的な診断方法につながると期待される。（吉田素子）
Computer Analysis of EEG Patterns Suggests a Potential Diagnostic Test for Autism
Largest, Most Unbiased Analysis to Date Finds Distinguishing EEG Features
Widely available EEG testing can distinguish children with autism from neurotypical children as early as age 2, finds a study from Boston Children’s Hospital. The study is the largest, most rigorous study to date to investigate EEGs as a potential diagnostic tool for autism, and offers hope for an earlier, more definitive test.
Researchers Frank H. Duffy, MD, of the Department of Neurology, and Heidelise Als, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital, compared raw EEG data from 430 children with autism and 554 control subjects, ages 2 to 12, and found that those with autism had consistent EEG patterns indicating altered connectivity between brain regions -- generally, reduced connectivity as compared with controls.
While altered connectivity occurred throughout the brain in the children with autism, the left-hemisphere language areas stood out, showing reduced connectivity as compared with neurotypical children, consistent with neuroimaging research. Findings were published June 26 in the online open-access journal BMC Medicine.
Duffy and Als focused on children with “classic” autism who had been referred for EEGs by neurologists, psychiatrists or developmental pediatricians to rule out seizure disorders. Those with diagnosed seizure disorders were excluded, as were children with Asperger’s syndrome and “high functioning” autism, who tend to dominate (and skew) the existing literature because they are relatively easy to study. The researchers also excluded children with genetic syndromes linked to autism (such as Fragile X or Rett syndrome), children being treated for other major illnesses, those with sensory disorders like blindness and deafness and those taking medications.
［単語和訳］
EEG：脳波 Diagnostic Test：診断検査 Autism：自閉症 Unbiased：偏りのない to Date：今までで Distinguishing：特徴的な
neurotypical：神経学的機能が正常な rigorous：厳密な definitive：確定的な
Researchers：研究者 MD：医師 Neurology：神経学 PhD：博士 Psychiatry：精神医学 control subjects：対照被験者 consistent：一貫した connectivity：接続性（連絡性） brain：脳
left-hemisphere：左半球 language areas：言語領域 consistent with：～と一致したneuroimaging：神経画像 online：オンライン上の open-access：オープンアクセスの
focused on：～に重点的に取り組んだ neurologists：神経学者 psychiatrists：精神医学者 developmental pediatricians：発達小児科医 rule out：～を（そうである可能性から）除外する seizure disorders：痙攣性疾患 diagnosed：診断された were excluded：除外された Asperger’s syndrome：アスペルガー症候群 high functioning autism：高機能自閉症 dominate：～に支配的である skew：～を歪める genetic syndromes：遺伝的症候群 Fragile X syndrome：脆弱X症候群 Rett syndrome：レット症候群 sensory disorders：感覚障害 blindness：失明 deafness：難聴 medications：薬剤
