Autism: The Neural Substrates Of Language In Siblings
Kristen Lindgren
Boston University Medical Campus 715 Albany St, 560 Boston, Ma 021182394
Grant 1F30NS055511-01 from National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke IRG: ZNS1
Abstract: Autism is a developmental disorder with impairments in language and communication as primary diagnostic criteria. Family studies of children with autism have noted similar features, or a "broader phenotype," in some first-degree relatives, including impairments in language functioning. Recent imaging studies in children with autism have found structural abnormalities in language association cortex, white matter overgrowth in areas underlying language regions, and evidence of underconnectivity between brain regions critical for complex language. We hypothesize that abnormalities in language-related cortex and decreased structural integrity of white matter connecting these regions are heritable neurobiological markers of language impairment in autism, and the heritable nature of autism suggests that siblings of children with autism may also exhibit these abnormalities. The proposed studies will provide insight into the etiology of language impairment in autism and will help to define genetic subgroups based on neurobiological markers that will complement existing behavioral phenotypes.
Keywords: autism, language, sibling, children, white matter, clinical research
Project start date: 2006-07-01
Project end date: 2011-06-30
1F30NS055511-01 (2006): $32668
Sponsored Links Excellgen http://Excellgen.com
Grants awarded to Kristen Lindgren
AUTISM: THE NEURAL SUBSTRATES OF LANGUAGE IN SIBLINGS
Kristen Lindgren
Boston University Medical Campus, 85 East Newton Street, M-921, Boston, Ma 02118-2340
Grant 5F30NS055511-04 from National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke
Abstract: Autism is a developmental disorder with impairments in language and communication as primary diagnostic criteria. Family studies of children with autism have noted similar features, or a "broader phenotype," in some first-degree relatives, including impairments in language functioning. Recent imaging studies in children with autism have found structural abnormalities in language association cortex, white matter overgrowth in areas underlying language regions, and evidence of underconnectivity between brain regions critical for complex language. We hypothesize that abnormalities in language-related cortex and decreased structural integrity of white matter connecting these regions are heritable neurobiological markers of language impairment in autism, and the heritable nature of autism suggests that siblings of children with autism may also exhibit these abnormalities. The proposed studies will provide insight into the etiology of language impairment in autism and will help to define genetic subgroups based on neurobiological markers that will complement existing behavioral phenotypes
Keywords: 0-11 years old; 21+ years old; Adult; American Psychiatric Association; Anisotropy; Area; Area, Wernicke; Autism; Autism, Early Infantile; Autism, Infantile; Autistic Disorder; Behavioral; Brain region; Causality; Child; Child Youth; Children (0-21); Communication; Complement; Complement Proteins; Complex; Control Groups; Data; Development; Diagnostic; Diffusion MRI; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Diffusion Weighted MRI; Epidemiology, Family Medical History; Etiology; Exhibits; Family Medical History; Family Study; Family history of; Fellowship; First Degree Relative; Forecast of outcome; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Genetic; Genetic Predisposition; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic Research; Genetic Susceptibility; Hereditary; Human, Adult; Human, Child; Image; Impairment; Individual; Inferior Frontal Convolution; Inferior frontal gyrus; Inherited; Inherited Predisposition; Inherited Susceptibility; Intelligence; Kanner`s Syndrome; Knowledge; Language; Language Disorders; Language disability; Linguistic; Linguistics; Link; MR Imaging; MR Tomography; MRI; MRI, Functional; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional; Measures; Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; Methods; NMR Imaging; NMR Tomography; Names; Nature; Nervous; Neurobiology; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Pattern; Phenotype; Prevalence; Prognosis; Research; SUBGP; Siblings; Structure; Subgroup; Superior temporal gyrus; Wernicke Area; Zeugmatography; adult human (21+); association cortex; autistic Children; base; brain behavior; children; developmental disease/disorder; developmental disorder; diffusion tensor imaging; disease causation; disease etiology; disease/disorder etiology; disorder etiology; fMRI; genetic etiology; genetic mechanism of disease; genetic vulnerability; imaging; insight; language deficit; language processing; neural; neurobiological; outcome forecast; relating to nervous system; standardize measure; substantia alba; white matter; youngster
Project start date: 2006-07-01
Project end date: 2011-06-30
Budget start date: 1-JUL-2009
Budget end date: 30-JUN-2010
PFA/PA: PA-01-100
5F30NS055511-04 (2009): $56140
5F30NS055511-03 (2008): $33151
5F30NS055511-02 (2007): $32906