#HAVE-screened eye pics diagnosis childhood #autism with 100% accuracy https://t.co/Symei4Djzh
— Global Green (@GlobalGreenGame) December 18, 2023
At the back of the eye, the retina and optic nerve connect at the optic disc. As an extension of the central nervous system, this structure is a window into the brain – and researchers have begun to harness its ability to easily and non-invasively access this part of the body to obtain important brain-related information.
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Os researchers recruited 958 participants with an average age of 7/8 years and photographed their retinas, obtaining a total of 1.890 images. Half of the participants had been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the other half consisted of age- and sex-matched controls.
A convolutional neural network, a deep learning algorithm, was trained using 85% of retinal images and symptom severity test scores to build models to track ASD and its symptoms. The remaining 15% of images were retained for testing.
“Our models have shown promising performance in differentiating between children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and typically developing children using retinal photographs,” the scientists said.
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Based on their findings, the researchers say their AI-based model could be used as an objective screening tool.
Because the newborn's retina continues to grow until four years of age, more research is needed to determine whether the tool would be accurate for younger participants.
“Although future studies are needed to establish generalizability, our study represents a notable step in the development of objective ASD screening tools that may help address pressing issues such as the inaccessibility of specialized evaluations in child psychiatry due to limited resources.” , investigators said.
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