# Neural Signatures of Tactile Processing and Sensorimotor GABA in Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder

> **NIH NIH K01** · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · 2020 · $165,591

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMMARY
The sense of touch plays a central role in healthy human development. In addition to serving as a primary
means through which infants learn about their physical environments, touch from caregivers provides children
with social-emotional messages, serving as a foundation for the development of more sophisticated social and
communication skills. A high proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit abnormal
reactions to touch, although the neural mechanisms underlying these abnormalities are poorly understood. The
purpose of this Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) is to support the candidate in
establishing an independent line of research focused on elucidating the neural mechanisms of tactile
abnormalities in children with ASD. Better understanding in this area is needed to inform the development of
new interventions and identify biological markers that could be used for early detection and more targeted
treatment of sensory features in autism. Training will focus on the acquisition of new skills and knowledge in
magnetoencephalography (MEG) source localization, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), ASD clinical
assessment, and sensory features in ASD. Training in these areas will be accomplished in part through
completion of the proposed research, which aims to identify neural correlates of atypical tactile processing in
children with ASD using multimodal neuroimaging. In the first of two studies, neural responses to mechanical
and affective forms of tactile stimulation will be obtained from 6- to 10-year-old children with ASD and typically
developing (TD) controls using magnetoencephalography (MEG). In-vivo estimates of cortical metabolites in
sensorimotor cortex will be acquired from these same participants using edited MRS. The MRS analysis will
focus on concentrations of gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which plays a key role in regulating neural
responses to sensory stimuli and has been implicated in the pathology of ASD. Parent report and observational
assessments of sensory processing will be administered for all children in order to decipher associations
between the acquired brain measures and individual differences in tactile reactivity and tactile perception. In a
second study, the same MEG and MRS measures will be acquired from TD infants between 3 – 24 months of
age to provide a scientific and methodological foundation for future studies to extend the current research on
the neurobiological mechanisms of tactile abnormalities in ASD to infants at increased risk for the disorder.
Longitudinal prospective studies with this population are promising for identifying biomarkers for early, pre-
symptomatic detection and stratification into appropriate treatment groups. In addition to completing the
proposed research, the principal investigator will complete a structured career-development plan that includes
mentorship, courses, workshops, and scientific meetings. By the completion of th...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9949803
- **Project number:** 5K01MH118378-02
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Joni N. Saby
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $165,591
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-11 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9949803

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9949803, Neural Signatures of Tactile Processing and Sensorimotor GABA in Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder (5K01MH118378-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9949803. Licensed CC0.

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