How early brain activity shapes developing circuits linked to autism
Mechanisms Governing Activity-dependent Postnatal Brain Development
Researchers are mapping how brain activity in early life helps circuits mature to better understand autistic disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11370332 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists have created a genetic tag that marks neurons as they mature in response to activity. They clear whole brains and use high-resolution volume imaging to see when and where different brain regions finish wiring up. The team will build a spatiotemporal map showing how circuits mature across the entire postnatal brain and test how experimental interventions change that map. Although the work is done in the lab, the map is intended to help guide future studies related to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for follow-up human studies would be infants or young children with autism or at high genetic risk, but this specific grant supports laboratory mapping rather than enrolling patients.
Not a fit: Adults with long-established autism symptoms are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic lab-based project in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show when and where brain wiring goes awry in autism and point to new targets and time windows for early interventions.
How similar studies have performed: Related activity-labeling and tissue-clearing imaging approaches have produced useful local circuit data in animals, but a whole-brain spatiotemporal maturation map is a novel goal.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Yingxi — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Lin, Yingxi
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 below.