Infantile autism and computerized tomography brain-scan findings: specific versus nonspecific abnormalities.

Doctors took CT brain scans of autistic kids and same-age peers. They ran computer counts of ventricle size, brain width, and other shapes.

The team hoped one clear cut-off would pop out and flag autism.

No single CT measure split the groups. Put together, the scans looked slightly different, but the pattern was too messy to use as a test.

The authors called the changes "nonspecific"—background noise, not a signature.

Burgess et al. (1986) used EEG, not CT, and saw slower waves in autistic kids. Their positive finding shows electrical scans can pick up group traits that early CT missed.

Christensen et al. (2024) returned to the same question with modern DWI. They spotted tiny neurite shifts in the right cerebellum—proof better tools now catch what 1989 CT resolution could not.

Song et al. (2024) and Yao et al. (2025) also report mostly null MRI results, backing the core message: gross brain size is still a weak marker.

Skip the hunt for a "brain picture" diagnosis. CT, and even current MRI, rarely give you clear autism flags you can act on. Spend your assessment time on behavior and learning history. If you order imaging, use it to rule out rare medical causes, not to confirm ASD.