Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors.In addition, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. A new eye test that can reveal impairment in cerebellum may help identify people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), researchers say.
Research:
- Researchers from the University of Rochester in New York, US.
- The cerebellum,part of the brain which coordinates and regulates muscular activity.
- It controls the actions of rapid eye movements made when shifting attention from one object to another,saccades.
- In healthy individuals, these saccades are rapid, precise.
- In addition,accurate, redirecting the line of sight from one point of interest to another.
- Conversely, in individuals with autism, the activity was found impaired.
- As a result of alteration in the structure of the cerebellum, said researchers.
- For the study, detailed in the European Journal of Neuroscience, the team tracked the eye movements of individuals with ASD.
- The participants were ask to track a visual target that appear in different locations on the screen.
- The experiment was design in a manner that often caused the participant’s focus to “overshoot” the intended target.
- In healthy individuals, the brain correctly adjust eye movements as the repetition of task is done.
- However, the eye movements of individuals with ASD continued to miss the target.
- Suggesting that the sensory motor controls in the cerebellum responsible for eye movement were impair.
- The inability of the brain to adjust the size of eye movement may not only be a marker for cerebellum dysfunction.
- But it may also help explain the communication and social interaction deficits that many individuals with ASD experience.
- Co-author Edward Freedman, Associate Professor at the university.
- He said,these findings suggest that assessing the ability of people to adapt saccade amplitudes.
- It is one way to determine whether this function of the cerebellum is alter in ASD
- “If these deficits do turn out to be a consistent finding in a sub-group of children with ASD.
- In addition,this raises the possibility that saccade adaptation measures may have utility.
- As a method that will allow early detection of this disorder,” Freedman added.