Neuroscience · Cognitive Neuroscience
A systematic review of 86 studies found that artificial intelligence systems using brain MRI can distinguish people with autism from comparison groups in research settings. But reported accuracy varies substantially with the data and testing design, and the evidence is not yet strong enough for routine clinical use.
Researchers adapted the Autism Mental Status Exam into Indonesian and evaluated it as a pre-diagnostic tool among 174 children referred to a developmental specialist clinic. In this cross-sectional study, the tool showed strong reliability and diagnostic performance when compared with clinical assessment, but the findings do not establish how well it works in general community settings or as a replacement for comprehensive evaluation.
Among 6- to 10-year-old Cantonese-English bilingual autistic children, greater exposure to English at home or school was not associated with poorer working memory or inhibitory control. More Cantonese exposure at home was associated with better performance on both skills.
A qualitative study of 28 parents in Türkiye found that children with autism and intellectual disability experienced anxiety, sleep problems and behavioral regression after the February 2023 earthquakes. Parents linked the distress not only to the shaking itself, but also to shelters and response systems that did not meet their children’s needs.
Antidepressant prescribing increased from 1997 to 2023 for autistic and non-autistic adults in UK primary care records, but it rose faster among autistic adults. By 2023, 30% of autistic adults had been prescribed an antidepressant, compared with 14.7% of non-autistic adults.
This narrative review examined eating-disorder-focused family therapy for autistic children and young people. It reports that research has linked autism or high autistic traits with greater escalation to intensive care and less positive experiences of therapy, but the review does not show that therapy adaptations cause better outcomes.
A study of 167 autistic children found that language skills, amount of speech and meaningful language use do not always align. The results suggest that simple verbal or non-speaking labels can miss important differences between children.
