Study Overview
This study is a part of Autism Centers of Excellence Network and is a collaborative effort by investigators at Washington University-St. Louis, University of North Carolina, University of Washington, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. We are conducting a longitudinal study of infants at high risk for autism (i.e., siblings of those with autism) by studying MRI images of their brain and through behavioral assessments, beginning at 3 months of age.
The goal of the study is to increase the understanding of how the brain develops and to look for abnormal patterns of brain growth. We have actually been studying brain development in autism for the past 5 years, and have been awarded funding to continue for 5 more.
Why?
During the first five years we have learned that abnormal brain and behavior can now be observed at 6 months of age. Some of these changes included differences in attention and motor behavior and abnormal white matter tracts in brain development. These tracts are bundles of neurons or “cables” forming direct, high-speed connections between distant regions of the brain. These findings helped us determine that abnormal brain and behavior patterns clearly show when infants are 6 months of age. Therefore, to understand the developmental emergence of autism, we will now be looking at infants beginning at 3 months of age to understand the course of early development more in depth.
Questions?
Contact Lisa at 1-888-845-6786 or go to www.infantsibs-stlouis.org
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