Grant: Project Grant

Autism presents a diverse array of behavioral phenotypes and brain abnormalities among individuals. Previous research indicates alterations in brain network organization in autism; however, these studies have relied on group-based methods, overlooking vital individual differences in brain anatomy and function. To advance our understanding of the neural bases of behavioral deficits in autism to the next level, an individualized brain imaging approach is essential. In this project, we aim to elucidate how brain network organization differences are associated with behavioral symptoms in children with autism, using a novel individualized approach that combines multimodal precision neuroimaging, ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and naturalistic movie paradigms. In particular, we will investigate the organization of the brain networks that underlie social inferencing, language and memory functions. We will identify these networks within in each individual in a group children with autism and age-matched children without autism. Our precision imaging approach will acquire multi-session data within the same individuals and apply analytical methods that preserve individual differences in brain anatomical details. We will test a novel hypothesis linking social deficits with atypicality in the development of the higher-cognitive networks in the brain at the individual level. The proposed work can lead to a new framework of the neural basis of social deficits in autism, with important clinical implications for novel interventions.