12 Oct 07

The first brain-imaging centre in the world purpose-built for the study of autism spectrum disorders is to be opened today in Oxford by the Princess Royal.

A special brain scanner at the University centre will allow researchers to study the brains of children and adults with autism in ‘real time’, as they think or complete tasks. This approach will lead to a better understanding of how the brains of people with autism spectrum disorders work differently, and ultimately perhaps to better treatments.

The scanner will also facilitate more general insights into how the brain works and the brain basis of other neurodevelopmental conditions.

The new £2.3m Oxford Neurodevelopmental Magnetoencephalography Centre, sited at Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry at the Warneford Hospital, houses one of only a few MEG scanners in the country. The Princess Royal will see this and other facilities at the new centre, and talk to people affected by autism spectrum disorders and research staff.

The scanner will help Oxford University’s autism research group, led by Professor Anthony Bailey, to understand the brain basis of autism. The Centre, a joint project between Oxford University, Derby University and The Open University, will also be a resource for researchers from all over the UK, studying normal brain function as well as various brain disorders.

Around 20 Oxfordshire people have already been scanned as part of research projects, including a project studying how adolescents and adults with and without autism spectrum disorders use context when reading.

MEG (magnetoencephalographic) scanners measure the tiny magnetic fields generated by brain activity. They allow researchers to view brain activity whilst a particular task is performed, showing both where and when different parts of the brain are active. MEG scanners are silent and allow the patient or subject to sit upright and unenclosed – particularly useful for minimising stress for children and vulnerable adults. They also provide millisecond time resolution.

Uniquely, the new centre has both an active scanner and a ‘practice’ scanner to let participants get accustomed to the machine and tasks and feel at ease before they take part in actual research. The design of the new building, with large windows and wooden fittings, creates an airy, natural feel to further make research participants, especially children, feel relaxed.

Until now, Oxford University’s autism research group, part of the Department of Psychiatry, has travelled to Finland for MEG scanning. Research there has shown that human faces are processed in a quite different way in children and adults with autism. 'The next step is to understand why there is this difference and how it changes with development,' said Professor Bailey. 'Ultimately we aim to develop more effective treatments.'

The Unit has been made possible by generous support from the philanthropist Ed Scott, the Henry Smith Charity, the Dunhill Medical Trust, the EPA Cephalosporin Fund, PF Charitable Trust and Sir Samuel Scott of Yews Trust, together with substantial funding from the Derby University and the Open University. The University has provided major funding from the recent Higher Education Funding Council Science Research Infrastructure Fund allocation.