[Early detection of autism spectrum disorders: emerging symptoms and biomarkers]

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Early recognition of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) before 24 months is crucial for improving child prognosis.
• Identifying early behavioral and neurophysiological precursors is a key research focus.
• Infant siblings of children with ASD are at higher risk, making them a focus for longitudinal studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review clinical and neurophysiological studies on early markers of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• To identify precursors associated with the emergence of autistic symptoms in children.
• To summarize findings from longitudinal high-risk sibling studies of ASD.

Main Methods:

• Review of prospective and longitudinal studies.
• Analysis of clinical assessments for behavioral precursors.
• Examination of neurophysiological investigations in at-risk infants.

Main Results:

• Studies investigate early behavioral and neurophysiological markers in infants.
• High-risk sibling studies follow cohorts with an older sibling diagnosed with ASD.
• 10-20% of infants in high-risk sibling studies are diagnosed with ASD by age three.

Conclusions:

• Early identification of ASD is critical for intervention and prognosis.
• Understanding early markers aids in developing predictive tools for ASD.
• Research in high-risk siblings provides valuable insights into ASD development.