Neurobiobehavioral markers of stress, saliency, and multisensory dysfunction in autism
Funded at San Diego State University · NIH-11360635 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH project looks at how children with autism process multisensory information and stress, and how that relates to anxiety and other symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Diego State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $752,431 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH128419-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11360635 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children aged 7–10 years with ASD who can participate in sensory processing tasks and noninvasive stress measurements, and their typically developing peers.
✕Less likely to help
Children who cannot participate in the sensory tasks or who have conditions that interfere with stress measurements may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
The study will enroll 230 children aged 7 to 10 years, including 115 with autism spectrum disorder and 115 typically developing peers. Researchers will examine how visual, auditory, and touch cues are integrated and how this processing relates to stress markers like cortisol and to internalizing symptoms. Using tasks and measurements that tap into multisensory integration, salience detection, and stress reactivity, the project aims to map how atypical processing may contribute to cognitive and emotional challenges in ASD. Insights from this work could help in designing interventions that reduce sensory overload and improve social functioning for children with ASD.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could inform targeted strategies to reduce sensory overload and anxiety in children with ASD, improving everyday social interactions and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked sensory processing and stress to ASD features, but this study seeks to clarify the relationships in a well-defined age group with a balanced control group.
Where this research is happening
-
San Diego State University
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jao Keehn, R. Joanne — San Diego State University
- Study coordinator: Jao Keehn, R. Joanne
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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.