Brain Scans & DNA Testing: The Roadmap to a Better World
Featured Charity: St. Judes Children’s Hospital
Ages 0-6 are the Most Crucial of Years of Personal Development. Within this range, we must do our part not only in raising our kids to the best of our abilities, but we must identify any problems that may be occurring as soon as possible so we can stunt their growth before they reach an age where treating the problem becomes exponentially harder.
Thankfully, we are living in a time where it is easier than it’s ever been before to make such diagnoses with the help of technological advancements in brain scanning and DNA testing.
For Brain Scanning, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans and fMRI have provided insights into the neural mechanisms underlying mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are used to study brain function in cognitive neuroscience, facilitating research on attention, memory, and language processing. A meta-analysis published in Neuropsychologia found that EEG-based brain-computer interfaces have achieved an average classification accuracy of 78% in communication tasks for individuals with severe motor disabilities. (Sources Underlined Above). In Short, Brain Scanning can be critical in identifying numerous mental illnesses and motor disabilities. Plus, It can be critical in revealing individual pertaining to the respective child’s attention, memory, and ability to process language.
As for DNA Testing, over 75% of Genetic Diseases are identifiable via our modern genetic testing technology. (Source: National Institute of Health).
As for the million dollar question: Yes, it is safe to do Brain Scanning & DNA on Kids in the age range of 0-6. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), and the The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI: part of the NIH): have universally concluded that such practices are safe for young children provided that proper safety measures are taken and that Parents give their consent to the practices beforehand. Again, Parental Consent MUST be Given beforehand: This cannot be enforced by law! However, such options should be discussed with and provided by proper medical facilities for as many children as possible in the age range listed above so that parents can have the best possible understanding of their specific child’s needs and so the child’s needs can be best met by school staffing & trained professionals in the respective areas of need.
As for cost, it is being recommended that brains scans & DNA are fully covered by health insurance so that every child who could stand to benefit from these options is able to do so! This alleviates the stress of financial debt from the family while providing a critical need of diagnosing and treating problems for kids in the earliest possible stages. The best way to solve such problems is to get ahead of them and treat them ASAP to ensure that our children have the best possible lives going forward!
This post was researched with the assistance of ChatGPT.