They say eyes are the windows to the soul. Our eyes may also be windows to autism.
Scientists have developed a new app which can detect autism using just a mobile phone. The app uses short films and gaze detection technology to pick up on whether children look more at objects or human characters, a tell-tale sign of the condition.
While the technology is in early stages, the Duke University team behind it believe it could be easily scaled up and used on any smartphone or tablet.
“We know that babies who have autism pay attention to the environment differently and are not paying as much attention to people,” says co-senior author Dr. Geraldine Dawson, director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, and co-senior author of a study, in a statement. “We can track eye gaze patterns in toddlers to assess risk for autism. This is the first time that we’ve been able to provide this type of assessment using only a smart phone or tablet. This study served as a proof-of-concept, and we’re very encouraged.”
Dawson and colleagues, including lead author Dr. Zhuoqing Chang, began working on the app several years ago. But in this latest version, the researchers strategically designed movies that would allow them to assess a young child’s preference for looking at objects more than at people.
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