The central theme of this program is that autism is a disorder that disproportionately impacts complex information processing and results from abnormal development of integrative circuitry in neural systems and specialization of local circuitry in neocortex. This is exhibited in deficient higher order cognitive processes, reduced fMRI activation of executive and semantic processing regions during complex information processing, and a local processing approach to cognitive tasks. Project I will focus on concept abstraction as it applies to object categories, face recognition (gender and identity) and facial affect recognition. Project II will investigate the perceptual competence of the ventral visual stream and its development using microgenetic analysis to examine the behavioral and neural mechanisms mediating face and object recognition and the capacity of subjects to derive configurations from local elements. Project III will investigate disturbances in oculomotor control, sensory hyperacuities, lateralized disturbances of brain function, and the developmental acquisition of executive cognitive functions in childhood and adolescence. Project IV will investigate brain connectivity by evaluating the synchronization of activity across brain regions involved in language comprehension tasks, and the development of reasoning and problem solving abilities. In addition to laboratory studies, Projects II to IV will use MRI to evaluate disturbances in brain maturation and functional cortical integration. The Administrative Core will provide administrative, fiscal, and scientific oversight for the program project and a nidus for scientific interactions and training of junior scientists. It will also support our participation in network governance and cross-site studies. The Subject & Genetics Core will recruit the subjects for the projects, complete the network and other measures as needed for network studies, and conduct the CPEA Network Genetics studies. The Statistical Analysis and Image Processing Core will provide statistical support to the projects and continue statistical research on methods for improving the processing and analysis of fMRI data.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Program--Cooperative Agreements (U19)
Project #
5U19HD035469-10
Application #
7085538
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHD1-MRG-C (10))
Program Officer
Kau, Alice S
Project Start
1997-06-01
Project End
2008-05-31
Budget Start
2006-06-01
Budget End
2008-05-31
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$1,853,348
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004514360
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213
Lynn, Andrew C; Padmanabhan, Aarthi; Simmonds, Daniel et al. (2018) Functional connectivity differences in autism during face and car recognition: underconnectivity and atypical age-related changes. Dev Sci 21:
Heymann, Perrine; Northrup, Jessie B; West, Kelsey L et al. (2018) Coordination is key: Joint attention and vocalisation in infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Lang Commun Disord 53:1007-1020
Iverson, Jana M; Northrup, Jessie B; Leezenbaum, Nina B et al. (2018) Early Gesture and Vocabulary Development in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 48:55-71
West, Kelsey L; Leezenbaum, Nina B; Northrup, Jessie B et al. (2017) The Relation Between Walking and Language in Infant Siblings of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Child Dev :
LeBarton, Eve Sauer; Iverson, Jana M (2016) Associations between gross motor and communicative development in at-risk infants. Infant Behav Dev 44:59-67
Focaroli, Valentina; Taffoni, Fabrizio; Parsons, Shelby M et al. (2016) Performance of Motor Sequences in Children at Heightened vs. Low Risk for ASD: A Longitudinal Study from 18 to 36 Months of Age. Front Psychol 7:724
O'Hearn, Kirsten; Velanova, Katerina; Lynn, Andrew et al. (2016) Abnormalities in brain systems supporting individuation and enumeration in autism. Autism Res 9:82-96
LeBarton, Eve Sauer; Iverson, Jana M (2016) Gesture development in toddlers with an older sibling with autism. Int J Lang Commun Disord 51:18-30
Mosconi, Matthew W; Sweeney, John A (2015) Sensorimotor dysfunctions as primary features of autism spectrum disorders. Sci China Life Sci 58:1016-23
Northrup, Jessie B; Iverson, Jana M (2015) Vocal Coordination During Early Parent-Infant Interactions Predicts Language Outcome in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Infancy 20:523-547

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