Magnetoencephalography, or MEG for short, measures magnetic fields in the brain, magnetic fields that are generated by brain nerve cells. According to researchers in children suffering from autism these magnetic fields have a special signature and if they are right, MEG technology could be used in diagnosing children with autism earlier than it was possible until now.

Autism is usually diagnosed by observing the child’s behavior and based on the parent’s comments. Diagnosing a child with autism is usually done when the infant turns two, but using MEG technology, this could be done as early as after one year of existence.

According to the researchers, these specific magnetic fields cause the autistic child to hear sounds with a specific period of delay. This explains why autistic children have so many problems communicating. If every syllable is heard with a certain amount of delay, just try to imagine how a whole sentence would sound.

Experts say that one in 150 children in the US suffer from this condition, which causes poor verbal communication, repetitive behavior and anti social behavior. There is no known cure for autism but some medication can help lessen the symptoms. This is why scientists are so excited that there might be a possibility of discovering the condition early in a child’s life.

Using MEG technology there is a chance that autism is detected earlier and special measures and treatments can be applied. MEG technology has proven useful in detecting tumors and epilepsy, and now it proves useful in detecting autism in children of an early age.