A simple brain trace can identify autism in children as young as two years old, scientists believe.

科学家相信，一个简单的脑部测试就可以检测出低至两岁的儿童是否患自闭症。

The researchers found 33 EEG patterns linked to autism
A US team at Boston Children's Hospital say EEG traces, which record electrical brain activity using scalp（头皮，战利品） electrodes, could offer a diagnostic test for this complex condition.

EEG clearly distinguished¹ children with autism from other peers in a trial involving nearly 1,000 children.

Experts say more work is needed to confirm the BMC Medicine study results.

Early detection

There are more than 500,000 people with autism in the UK.

Autism is a spectrum² disorder³, which means that it is not a single condition and will affect individuals in different ways.

Commonly, people with autism have trouble with social interaction and can appear locked in their own worlds.

It can be a difficult condition to diagnose and can go undetected for years.

The latest study found 33 specific EEG patterns that appeared to be linked to autism.

These patterns consistently（一贯地） spotted⁴ autism in children across a range of age groups, spanning from two to 12 years old.