Brain imaging study of autism, family members, and healthy volunteers

Researchers are using specialized brain imaging (MRI scans) to study how the brains of people with autism spectrum disorder differ from their relatives and from people without autism. This French study has already enrolled over 600 people since 2010 and is looking for 1,000 total participants. By comparing brain structure and function across these three groups, scientists hope to better understand what causes autism and how it runs in families.

Autism affects how the brain develops and functions, but doctors and scientists still don't fully understand the brain differences involved. This study aims to identify these differences and see how they might be inherited, which could eventually lead to better diagnosis and understanding of the condition.