Eye-Tracking as an Early Biomarker of Autism

36 min • 23 september 2024

In this episode, we discuss eye-tracking as an early biomarker for Autism. Eye-tracking, on infants, improve assessment outcomes at young ages, as young as 14-months-old. Adding biomarkers to the assessment process is valuable, and Autism research is beginning to offer more biomarkers. We've covered biomarkers in cellular respiration, serotonin, two studies on 6-week-olds- 1) predicted profound Autism with brain cortical organoids and 2) salience network connectivity. Today, we review four scientific papers on eye-tracking being added to the assessment process.

A valuable consideration is the roles our eyes have on brain development, which we cover as well.

Pierce et al 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31034004/

Wen et al 2022 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-08102-6

Keehn et al 2024 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818669

Early Autism Evaluation (EAE) https://medicine.iu.edu/expertise/indiana-health/access-to-care/autism/care

Rudling et al 2024 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13623613231203037

The Roles of Oxytocin and Vasopressin in the Autistic Phenotype https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAtmC-s1_e0

0:00 Intro; 2 studies on 6-week-olds; Eye Development and Brain Development, Opsins

5:23 OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) scans and Brain predictors, Melanopsin and Choroid Plexus

7:06 Melanin and Melanopsin through the body and biochemistry

8:39 Fruit Tree Example from Dr. Kruse

9:29 Eye-tracking and Autism as a Biomarker; Neuroplasticity- Human's capacity to think; Autism is NEW in human evolution