How girls' brains and development change with autism
Neural and developmental trajectories of females with autism spectrum disorder
Following nearly 100 girls with autism from early to middle childhood to track brain and behavior changes and emerging mental health issues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11306041 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child joins, researchers will bring nearly 100 girls with autism back for a fourth visit to look at brain scans and behavior over time. They use MRI brain imaging along with standardized behavioral and psychiatric measures at multiple time points to see how brain structure and symptoms change from early to middle childhood. This work builds on the Girls with Autism – Neuroimaging of Development (GAIN) group that first followed children from ages 2–6 and extends that follow-up as participants grow older. The team aims to find patterns that are specific to girls and that might help predict later challenges.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Girls diagnosed with autism in early to middle childhood (roughly ages 2–12) who can travel to the study site for MRI and behavioral visits.
Not a fit: Boys, adults, children without an ASD diagnosis, or those unable to undergo MRI scans are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help improve early identification and lead to more tailored supports or treatments for girls with autism.
How similar studies have performed: Longitudinal imaging of females with ASD has been very limited, so this work builds on earlier GAIN visits but female-specific findings remain relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nordahl, Christine Wu — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Nordahl, Christine Wu
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.