# Investigating the Neural Bases of Language Processing during a Live Social Interaction: A fNIRS Study of Preschoolers With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder

> **NIH NIH F31** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2022 · $35,504

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Although language abilities vary across the autism spectrum, the majority of children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD) have language deficits that emerge early in life and have long lasting negative impacts on
other domains of functioning. Previous work suggests that differences in how the brain processes language
(i.e., reduced activation/response and functional connectivity) may contribute to the development of language
deficits in ASD. However, only a handful of neuroimaging studies have explored the neural bases of language
processing in children with ASD during the preschool years, a sensitive period in language development.
Additionally, all of these studies measured brain response while children were asleep and socially-isolated, a
context that is not generalizable to real-world language environments. The proposed research project will build
upon the findings of these foundational neuroimaging studies by investigating how the brains of preschoolers
with and without ASD function during a live social interaction. We will use functional near-infrared spectroscopy
(fNIRS), a sensory-friendly neuroimaging method, to measure children’s brain activity during two conditions – a
live condition and a recorded condition. During the live condition, a live experimenter will interact with the child
by reading him/her a scripted story from an illustrated book. During the recorded condition, the child will listen
to a recording of a scripted story while viewing illustrations on a screen. A sample of 50 children with ASD and
50 typically developing (TD) controls, 36- to 60-months-old, will be used to address three research aims. The
first aim is to determine how live social interaction modulates brain response to language in preschoolers with
and without ASD. We hypothesize that TD controls will have greater brain response during the live condition
compared to the recorded condition, while children with ASD will have similar brain response across both
conditions. The second aim is to examine whether functional connectivity (FC) during a live social interaction
(i.e., the live condition) differs between preschoolers with and without ASD. We hypothesize that the ASD
group will have reduced inter- and intra-hemispheric FC. The third aim is to investigate the relation between
measures of brain function (brain response and FC) and language abilities, communication skills, and autism
severity. We hypothesize that greater brain response and FC during the live condition will be related to better
language abilities and communication skills, but lower autism severity. Findings from this innovative project will
demonstrate how the brains of preschoolers with and without ASD, an understudied age group, function during
everyday social interactions. Exploring individual differences in brain function will elucidate the neural
mechanisms underlying language deficits and heterogeneous language outcomes in ASD. Clinically, findings
may provide in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10425274
- **Project number:** 5F31DC019562-02
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** Meredith Pecukonis
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $35,504
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10425274

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10425274, Investigating the Neural Bases of Language Processing during a Live Social Interaction: A fNIRS Study of Preschoolers With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder (5F31DC019562-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10425274. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*