Healthy aging for adults on the autism spectrum
Official title: Toward Healthy Aging in Adults with Autism: A Longitudinal Clinical and Multimodal Brain Imaging Study
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11117170 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows autistic and non-autistic adults over time to learn how physical health, mental health, thinking skills, and the brain change with age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | September 6, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $4,503,915 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1MH132218-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11117170 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are autistic adults aged 21 and older, including both men and women, as well as siblings and age- and sex-matched non-autistic adults for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
Children and people under 21, or anyone unable or unwilling to attend imaging and follow-up visits, would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be followed over several years with regular health checkups, thinking and mood tests, and brain scans. The project also collects blood samples to look at biological markers of aging and includes siblings and matched non-autistic adults for comparison. Visits are coordinated across an Autism Center of Excellence network using a shared protocol so data can be compared across sites. The team aims to track both group trends and individual changes to understand who does better or worse as they age.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians spot health risks earlier and develop better supports and care plans for autistic adults as they get older.
How similar studies have gone: Prior population studies have shown increased health risks in autistic adults, but large longitudinal studies combining brain imaging and biological aging measures are relatively new and less common.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lainhart, Janet Elizabeth — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Lainhart, Janet Elizabeth
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.