Neuroimaging Markers for Atypical Brain Development in Autism v1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Study of different developmental pathways into autism using advanced magnetic resonance imaging

• IRAS ID

  172368

• Contact name

  Jonathan Green

• Contact email

  jonathan. green@manchester.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Manchester

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  STU-FRM-1, NIHR/WT Manchester CRF Application Form Reference No: ; Project 5239 version 7, MAHSC - Pan-Manchester R&D Notification Form; T16/0574, Application Review Committee Manchester CRF

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 7 months, 15 days

• Research summary

  Autism Spectrum Disorders (i.e. autism) is an early onset neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social impairments, restricted and repetitive behaviors and sensory interests. Different developmental abnormalities are being recognized as a potential cause of the autism phenotype; that is, autism symptomatology has been reported in a range of syndromes with a clear genetic origin. The project was designed to comparatively evaluate atypical brain development in cohorts that exhibit equivalent behavioral phenotypes of autism, but with differing aetiology. The neurobiological underpinnings of autism will be examined across three pediatric cohorts: 1) familial idiopathic and 2) neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and 3) typically developed controls. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques will investigate structural, functional, metabolic and perfusion abnormalities in the brain. The scanning protocol for this comparative study has already been developed and tested in the NF1 paediatric cohort via the SANTA study. In this current study we wish to collect, through a single visit, imaging data from 30 children with idiopathic autism, which will be used in conjunction with the already acquired NF1 imaging data to investigate autism-related brain abnormalities. In addition we would like to recruit 30 normally developed children as control sample. This comparative research design has the strength to reveal candidate imaging markers for autism, which could signify possible routes into the phenotype and exemplify the relationship between manifestation of autism symptoms and abnormal brain development. The ultimate goal of this research is to address the need for an MRI-based diagnostic tool for autism screening, which will be based upon identification of neural system correlates of autism symptomatology. At the present time no one agreed MRI-based biomarker for autism diagnosis exists. Consequently, research pertaining to atypical brain development in autism with the use of advanced neuroimaging methodology is of utmost significance and value for both theoretical conceptualization of autism and direct clinical translation.

• REC name

  North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/NW/0371

• Date of REC Opinion

  14 Jun 2016

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion