Infants’ pupil responses may help predict later ASD

The pupillary responses of infants to changes in light may help researchers diagnose autism spectrum disorders (ASD) very early in life, according to a new study. 

Pär Nyström and colleagues compared the pupil responses of 147 9- to 10-month-old infants at high risk for autism (because they had an older sibling with the condition) to the responses of 40 neurotypical controls. Of the high-risk children, 29 later met criteria for ASD by 36 months of age. 

While other studies show that the pupillary responses of older children with autism to changes in light are weaker than usual, the researchers found that they were stronger in infants later diagnosed with ASD than in controls or in high-risk children who did not receive a later ASD diagnosis. Moreover, the amount of pupil restriction in infancy correlated with the severity of later autism symptoms. 

The researchers conclude, “This study indicates an important role of sensory atypicalities in the etiology of ASD, and suggests that pupillometry, if further developed and refined, could facilitate risk assessment in infants.”

Citations

“Enhanced pupillary light refl ex in infancy is associated with autism diagnosis in toddlerhood,” Pär Nyström, Teodora Gliga, Elisabeth Nilsson Jobs, Gustaf Gredebäck, Tony Charman, Mark H. Johnson, Sven Bölte, and Terje Falck-Ytter,  Nature Communications, May 7, 2018 (open access). Address: Terje Falck-Ytter, Uppsala Child & Babylab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, SE-75142 Uppsala, Sweden, [email protected]. 

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 “New study links strong pupillary light refl ex in infancy to later autism diagnosis,” news release, Uppsala University, May 7, 2018.