Tracking brain and behavior in autism from infancy through adolescence
A Longitudinal Brain and Behavior Study of Autism From Infancy Through Adolescence
Researchers are following children at higher and lower familial risk for autism from infancy into their teenage years to learn how early brain and behavior patterns relate to later autism and mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11395092 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project follows about 400 children—most with an older sibling with autism and some low-risk comparisons—who have had brain scans and behavior tests at many ages from infancy through early childhood. The team will bring these same children back now in adolescence (about 13–16 years old) for more brain imaging, standardized behavioral evaluations, and mental health checks to see how earlier findings connect to teen development. Visits typically include MRI scans, questionnaires, and interviews with families to track symptoms, learning, and social changes over time. By comparing children who did and did not develop ASD, researchers hope to map developmental pathways that could guide earlier supports and better-tailored care during the teen years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children who were enrolled as infants because they had an older sibling with autism (high familial risk) or were low-risk controls and are now available for follow-up in adolescence (about 13–16 years old).
Not a fit: People seeking an immediate treatment benefit, adults with no personal or family history of autism, or children who cannot travel for in-person imaging are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier identification of autism-related brain patterns and better-targeted supports and treatments during adolescence when psychiatric challenges often increase.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work from this network has already found brain features detectable by 6 months that predict later ASD, and this project builds on those successful longitudinal findings by extending follow-up into adolescence.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Piven, Joseph — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Piven, Joseph
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.