120. Eye Test For Autism, Countdown to Artemis 1, Reversible Gene-Editing Technology

Show Notes: <p><a href='https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/eye-tests-can-screen-children-for-autism'>Eye tests can screen children for autism</a> | Brighter Side News (01:11)</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>According to a study from Washington State University researchers, measuring how the eyes’ pupils change in response to light could potentially be used to screen for autism in young children.</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>Known as the <a href='https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537180/'>pupillary light reflex </a></p> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>Adjustments via the muscles connected to the lens, ciliary bodies, and muscles that make up the iris are stimulated by several nerves.</p> </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>The study builds on earlier work to support the continued development of a portable technology that could provide a quick and easy way to screen children for autism.</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>Hope to catch children earlier in their development when interventions are more likely to benefit them.</p> </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>First author on the study, Georgina Lynch, stated:</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>“We know that when we intervene as early as ages 18 to 24 months it has a long-term impact on their outcomes … Intervening during that critical window could be the difference between a child acquiring verbal speech and staying nonverbal. Yet, after 20 years of trying we still have not changed the average age of diagnosis here in the U.S., which is four years old.”</p> </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>Process of the study:</p> <ul><li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>Tested 36 children aged 6 to 17 who had been previously diagnosed with autism</p> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>Tested a group of 24 typically developing children who served as controls.</p> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;"> <p>Pupillary light reflexes were tested using a handheld monocular pupillometer device,