Early Identification of Autism Using Cry Analysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Retrospective and Prospective Studies.

Cry analysis is emerging as a promising tool for early autism identification. Acoustic features such as fundamental frequency (F0), cry duration, and phonation have shown potential as early vocal biomarkers. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of cry chara...

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Publicado en:Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Vol. 56; no. 8; pp. 2950 - 2969
Autores principales: Pusil, Sandra, Laguna, Ana, Chino, Brenda, Zegarra, Jonathan Adrián, Orlandi, Silvia
Formato: meta analysis research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Springer Nature Aug2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Aug2026
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        10.1007/s10803-025-06757-4
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        atl: Early Identification of Autism Using Cry Analysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Retrospective and Prospective Studies.
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          Pusil, Sandra
          Laguna, Ana
          Chino, Brenda
          Zegarra, Jonathan Adrián
          Orlandi, Silvia
        affil: https://ror.org/02f9zrr09 Zoundream AG, Novartis Campus - SIP Basel Area AG, Lichtstrasse 35, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
      sug:
        subj:
          Crying Evaluation
          Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis
          Early Diagnosis
          Machine Learning
          Diagnosis, Computer Assisted
          Biological Markers Diagnostic Use
          Voice Quality Evaluation
          Pediatric Care
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Infant
          Child, Preschool
          Child
          Systematic Review
          Meta Analysis
          Embase
          Acoustics
          Phonation
          Analysis of Variance
          Neurodevelopment
          Infant Development
          Precision
          PubMed
          Psycinfo
          DSM
          Support Vector Machine
          Random Forest
          Confidence Intervals
          T-Tests
          Pearson's Correlation Coefficient
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Infant: 1-23 months
          Child, Preschool: 2-5 years
          Child: 6-12 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Cry analysis is emerging as a promising tool for early autism identification. Acoustic features such as fundamental frequency (F0), cry duration, and phonation have shown potential as early vocal biomarkers. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of cry characteristics and the role of Machine Learning (ML) in improving autism screening. A comprehensive search of relevant databases was conducted to identify studies examining acoustic cry features in infants with an elevated likelihood of autism. Inclusion criteria focused on retrospective and prospective studies with clear cry feature extraction methods. A meta-analysis was performed to synthesize findings, particularly focusing on differences in F0, and assessing the role of ML-based cry analysis. The review identified eleven studies with consistent acoustic markers, including F0, phonation, duration, amplitude, and voice quality, as reliable indicators of neurodevelopmental differences associated with autism. ML approaches significantly improved screening precision by capturing non-linear patterns in cry data. The meta-analysis of six studies revealed a trend toward higher F0 in autistic infants, although the pooled effect size was not statistically significant. Methodological heterogeneity and small sample sizes were notable limitations across studies. Cry analysis holds promise as a non-invasive, accessible tool for early autism screening, with ML integration enhancing its diagnostic potential. However, the findings emphasize the need for large-scale, longitudinal studies with standardized methodologies to validate its utility and ensure its applicability across diverse populations. Addressing these gaps could establish cry analysis as a cornerstone of early autism identification.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        meta analysis
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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