# False positive newborn hearing screening results and autism spectrum disorder

> **NIH NIH R01** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $328,232

## Abstract

Abstract
Biomarkers have garnered great interest in the study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to their potential
to inform etiology as well as diagnostic risk prediction. Despite the diversity of biological processes implicated
in ASD (epigenetic, metabolic, immune), final common pathways involve disruptions to prenatal and/or early
postnatal brain development. As a result, brain-based biomarkers – particularly those that can be assessed
during early infancy -- hold unique potential in advancing our understanding of the disorder.
To this end, auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) may be a biomarker worth further consideration. ABRs
exhibit strong cross-sectional associations with ASD, can be non-invasively and reliably assessed in young
infants, and are a common target of population-based newborn hearing screening programs. However, it
remains unclear whether ABR alterations precede the onset of ASD symptoms, are confounded by or interact
with known ASD risk factors (e.g., family history, perinatal risk), or generalize to other neurodevelopmental
disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
The objective of this proposal is to evaluate whether false positive, ABR-based newborn hearing screening
results (i.e., failure in the absence of hearing loss) are prospectively associated with ASD. To do this, we will
combine and analyze Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) datasets from 2004-
2020: newborn hearing screening records, birth certificates, and Medicaid claims. As part of this effort, we will
evaluate whether findings differ according to known ASD risk factors (male sex; preterm delivery; sibling ASD
diagnosis) and comorbidities (intellectual disability; epilepsy). We will also examine whether false positive
newborn hearing screening findings are associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – a
neurodevelopmental disorder that, like ASD, is linked to perinatal etiologies as well as ABR alterations.
Findings from this rigorous and well-powered population-based analysis have the potential to launch multiple
lines of research that may lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of and surveillance for ASD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10296153
- **Project number:** 1R01DC019098-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Nicole Talge
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $328,232
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10296153

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10296153, False positive newborn hearing screening results and autism spectrum disorder (1R01DC019098-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10296153. Licensed CC0.

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