Scientists have found a way to detect a tendency to autism and schizophrenia in the fetus before birth
Siberian scientists together with their American colleagues have found a way to determine the prerequisites of the fetus to the development of schizophrenia and autism.
The method is based on determining the degree of myelination of the brain. Myelination is the process of covering nerve endings with special multi-layer cell membranes.
It is anomalous changes in the myelin, according to scientists, that lead to the development of severe mental disorders and an autistic spectrum disorder after birth.
A variety of factors can cause disruption of the process of myelination, for example, diseases of influenza and acute respiratory viral infections during pregnancy, other infections, smoking of the expectant mother, her use of medicines that were not allowed by the doctor.
Other external and internal factors may also affect the state of the myelin layer.
Conventional brain examinations, such as MRI or neurosonography, are not able to determine myelination problems until the baby is born. In addition, myelin in a child in the prenatal period of its development is very small.
To evaluate the myelin membranes, the scientists decided to apply the new method - MPF (macromolecular proton fraction).
This method allows you to track the signals that are produced by cell membranes.
If a child has a risk of developing mental illness or autism, already in the womb its myelin membranes will be patchyaccordingly, the signals from them will also differ from those of a healthy fetus.
In the very near future, they decided to start using the method to determine malignant brain tumors in the fetus.
While the technique is being tested on the basis of the tomographic center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Tomsk State University. Specialists from the University of Washington (USA) also take part in the creation of the method and its testing.
