# A longitudinal study of brain development in children with autism

> **NIH NIH R01** · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · 2022 · $815,650

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Although differences in auditory encoding and resting-state (RS) neural activity are often reported in
children with typical development (TD) versus autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the pattern of findings
across studies is inconsistent. The PI has sought to understand the above via studying the maturation of
these processes, this work supported by his current R01 (locally referred to as the ‘Brains Change’
study). A consistent finding has been a pattern of brain development that indicates overly rapid followed
by too slow brain maturation in ASD. The continuation R01 will demonstrate that this pattern of brain
maturation in ASD continues through at least early adolescence as a basis for developing
disease-stage-specific assessment and treatment methods. In addition to continuing to map the
maturation of RS neural activity, two auditory cortex neural processes that emerge during late childhood
are targeted. First is the auditory M100 response, with findings from the current R01 already suggesting
that M100, reflecting higher-order auditory encoding, emerges too early in ASD. Second, a new 40 Hz
auditory steady-state response exam will assess the emergence and development of cortical inhibitory
interneuron and pyramidal cell excitation and inhibition processes. Maturation findings, expected to
demonstrate early accelerated then later flat development in ASD, will show a process that repeats
itself across childhood and thus leads to a patterned derailment of emerging neural processes in
ASD that extends far beyond infancy and early childhood. Tied to the above are two additional goals.
First, given group differences in brain maturation rates, studies that average findings across a large age
range will miss effects, and cross-sectional comparisons will be complicated. The PI’s research identifies
age-specific brain markers in order to provide a basis for developing disease-stage-specific assessment
and treatment targets. Second, and building upon the PIs adult studies, analysis of simultaneously
collected MEG and EEG is expected to demonstrate the advantage of obtaining regionally specific
measures when assessing group differences as well as enable identification of EEG-only assessment
methods that are routinely feasible in the clinic. Our intention is that Brains Change findings will
change the way ASD research is conducted via demonstrations that the pattern of group
differences changes across time (even across a 3-year period), and via identifying very specific
brain abnormalities in ASD with respect to age, brain location, and brain process. The current
project assesses brain function, structure, and clinical measures in children 6 to 8 years old, and then 18
and 36 months later. For the renewal R01, each child will be followed another 3 years (3 brain imaging
exams with 18 months between exams). Allowing attrition of the current sample across time, the Time 3
sample (N = 35/group) will be increased by 65+/group to start ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10584837
- **Project number:** 2R01MH107506-06A1
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA
- **Principal Investigator:** James Christopher EDGAR
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $815,650
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-03-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10584837

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10584837, A longitudinal study of brain development in children with autism (2R01MH107506-06A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10584837. Licensed CC0.

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