SCIENTISTS have developed a computerised face-recognition system that can diagnose autism and other genetically inherited diseases from telltale differences in facial features.
The shape of the face and the size and position of the eyes, the ears, the nose and the lips can point to a wide range of genetic illnesses - from rare disorders of the heart and brain to more common conditions such as autism.
The differences in the features of normal and abnormal children are often so subtle even very experienced medical specialists can often only diagnose them with expensive and time-consuming DNA tests.
But now researchers at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children have developed a computer programme that can analyse and interpret the tiniest variations in face shape and features.
Professor Peter Hammond, a specialist in computational biology at the Institute of Child Health at University College London (UCL), said yesterday it could revolutionise diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting tens of thousands of people.
"Some conditions are very obvious; for example, you can spot a kid with Down's Syndrome a mile away, but there are over 700 genetic conditions that involve unusual and often very subtle facial characteristics," he said.
"These are sometimes called heart and face syndromes because the development in the embryo of the heart, the face and the brain are closely linked - and that's why if there's something unusual about the face this is often also seen in the brain or the heart. Affected children may have eyes set further apart, ears set lower on the head, a shorter nose, fuller lips, a larger tongue or a mouth narrower than in children of typical development."
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If this is true, that large grid of cameras in the UK might provide even more information than we think....
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