A small number of abnormal brain connections predicts adult autism spectrum disorder : Nature Communications : Nature Publishing Group

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a major developmental disorder characterized by repetitive, restricted behaviour as well as deficits in communication and reciprocal social interactions1. ASD has attracted a great deal of attention of basic and clinical scientists in the hope that clarification of its underlying mechanisms will lead to the development of remedies for ASD as well as a better understanding of the neural substrates of important cognitive functions, including social behaviour2. Despite the significance of the disorder, no effective biomarker has been developed. The medical diagnosis for ASD has been made largely based on narrative interactions between individuals and clinical professionals. With the exception of'clear and typical' cases, such diagnostic methods without any biological grounds could run the risk of producing a high variance in diagnosis3 and delaying the detection of abnormalities4.