Existence of a universal ASD biomarker

Determine whether a universal neurobiological biomarker common to all cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder exists and, if it does, identify and characterize that biomarker to enable objective diagnosis across the spectrum.

Background

The paper reviews evidence that functional connectivity patterns in ASD vary substantially across individuals and may depend on symptom severity, invoking the notion of an "idiosyncratic brain." This heterogeneity has prevented convergence on a single biomarker that reliably distinguishes all ASD cases from typical controls.

In this context, the authors explicitly note that despite extensive research, a universal biomarker for ASD has not been found, leaving open the fundamental question of whether such a biomarker exists at all and, if so, what it is.