Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011 Sep 20;12(10):603-12.
doi: 10.1038/nrn3113.

In search of biomarkers for autism: scientific, social and ethical challenges

Pat Walsh  1 , Mayada Elsabbagh, Patrick Bolton, Ilina Singh
Affiliations
Review

In search of biomarkers for autism: scientific, social and ethical challenges

Pat Walsh et al. Nat Rev Neurosci. .

Abstract

There is widespread hope that the discovery of valid biomarkers for autism will both reveal the causes of autism and enable earlier and more targeted methods for diagnosis and intervention. However, growing enthusiasm about recent advances in this area of autism research needs to be tempered by an awareness of the major scientific challenges and the important social and ethical concerns arising from the development of biomarkers and their clinical application. Collaborative approaches involving scientists and other stakeholders must combine the search for valid, clinically useful autism biomarkers with efforts to ensure that individuals with autism and their families are treated with respect and understanding.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Mar 2;107(9):4389-94 - PubMed
    1. J Med Ethics. 2010 Sep;36(9):521-4 - PubMed
    1. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2009 Jan;50(1-2):108-15 - PubMed
    1. BMC Med. 2011 May 20;9:61 - PubMed
    1. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;68(1):101-9 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources