Computer scientists revive eugenics tool to spot brain damage
(SS scientists studied Tibetans' facial characteristics on an early expedition.)
University of Missouri computer scientists are sure to anger “neuro-diversity” advocates with this one: Hypothesizing that autistic kids have unique physical features, they will create a roadmap with head size and facial feature measurements for diagnosticians.
The research is being funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.
“Instead of looking at brain structures slice-by-slice in an MRI (magnetic resonance image), we developed tools to create 3-D representations of the structures in order to visualize and make comparisons,” said Kevin Karsch, a research assistant in Ye Duan’s computer graphics lab, in a recent announcement. “Using the 3-D representations, we are comparing the brain structures of autistic children to those of non-autistic children; no one has ever done that.”
Note: FXSmom last year blogged about using facial characteristics to diagnose genetic disorders.
MU Researchers Study Facial Structures, Brain Abnormalities to Reveal Formula for Earlier Detection of Autism | MU News Bureau
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Duan, in collaboration with researchers at the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, a $110,000 grant to create a facial imaging system that will make identical measurements of the faces of children with ASD. Additionally, the NARSAD Foundation, the world’s leading charity dedicated to mental health research, awarded Duan the prestigious Young Investigator Award and $60,000 to fund 3-D imaging of various segments of the brain in children with ASD. The projects also are supported by a $100,000 contribution from other MU sources and $30,000 in Research Scholar Funds.We are developing a quantitative method that will accurately measure these differences and allow for earlier, more precise detection of specific types of the disorder,” said Ye Duan, assistant computer science professor in the MU College of Engineering. “Once we have created a formula, we can pre-screen children by performing a quick, non-invasive scan of each child’s face and brain to check for abnormalities. Early detection is crucial in treating children and preparing families.”
To suggest that individuals with conditions that characterize maturational delay such as autism, Asperger’s and stuttering are “disorders” is wrong headed and bad science. There are physical features and neurological anomalies that characterize some forms of these conditions, but they are normal in the context of their social structure of origin, matrifocal societies. Visit http://www.neoteny.org/?cat=7 for more information.
Pingback: Boston Globe Columnist Baard on “New” Tech for Mapping Common Autistic Characteristics « Autismblogger’s Weblog
riset yang baik,
I knew that they were looking to do it with fxs and williams but not autism. If that is the case then it would bebunk the vaccine theory.
This kind of thing could easilly be abused.
To: FXSmom “If that is the case then it would debunk the vaccine theory.”
I don’t think it’s that simple. I’ve found over and over again that upon further investigation things are seldom what they seem to be.
My point: if autism is caused by vaccines it’s the mercury compounds like Thimerosal that are doing the damage. What about the possibility that any physical abnormalities could also be another symptom of the poisoning itself? In that case the only thing debunked would be this tired, recycled relic of eugenics previously known as phrenology.
Every so often this psuedoscientific spectre resurrects itself with a new name and consequent air of respectability. The Nazis used this very idea to determine Nordic or Aryan heredity in a campaign that has since come to widely be seen as one of the most laughable examples of psuedoscience run amok in defense of fanatical idealogy. The same thing happened in Rwanda with the Hutus and the Tutsis. There are many more examples available to anyone willing to put in the time and effort required.
In closing, I would like to quote the previous poster morgangreenster: “This kind of thing could easily be abused.”
Once again, history repeats itself.
Oh no, not again. Crazy eugenics society at it again. I’m sure mengele is very happy for us in hell.
the real solution is to accept everyone that has autism. nothing more, nothing less.
this is a good technology however we must also teach people to treat autistic people equally.
Pingback: statism watch » Blog Archive » Computer scientists revive eugenics tool to spot brain damage
Weird. Seems to have vague roots in the 19th century Italian anthropologist Cesare Lombroso’s notions of anthropometry. Albeit with a more altruistic bent than his criminology-focused face-measuring.
This is just bad science, plain and simple.
Maybe the money would be better spent on educating such scientists who appear to have a complete lack of understanding of neurodiversity and the positives of autism/asperger syndrome.