Teenage brain development in children with autism
Brain and Behavioral Development in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Researchers are following children with autism from preschool into their teen years to learn how their brains change around puberty.
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-11098661 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project continues the Autism Phenome Project by bringing participants back for a fifth visit in middle adolescence (ages 14–17) to get MRI brain scans and clinical measures. Children first had scans at ages 2–3.5 and up to three more times between about 4 and 12, and the team will compare those earlier images to the new teen scans. The work includes children with a full range of autism severity and common co-occurring conditions, and uses pediatrician-based Tanner staging to link brain changes with pubertal development. Comparing autistic participants with typically developing peers should reveal different brain development paths that emerge during adolescence.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Best candidates are children with a diagnosis of autism (including those previously in the Autism Phenome Project) now entering or in middle adolescence, along with age-matched typically developing controls.
Not a fit: People without prior early-life data from this cohort or those unable to undergo MRI (for example due to metal implants or severe scanner anxiety) may not be able to participate or gain direct benefit from this follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help clinicians and families by identifying distinct brain development patterns in adolescence that point to more personalized supports or timing for interventions.
How similar studies have performed: Longitudinal MRI work beginning in early childhood exists but is uncommon, and extending those cohorts into adolescence is relatively novel though earlier APP scans have produced informative results.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Amaral, David G — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Amaral, David G
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.