Developing a novel treatment for restricted inflexible behavior

开发一种新的治疗方法来治疗受限的僵化行为

• 批准号: 8114289
• 负责人: MARK H LEWIS
• 金额: $ 21.53万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-04-07 至 2013-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8114289
• 关键词: Age; Animals; Autistic Disorder; Behavior; Behavior Therapy; Behavioral; Brain; Caregivers; Characteristics; Child; Child Behavior; Code; Complex; Data; Development; Environment; Family; Foundations; Goals; Human; Individual; Intervention; Laboratories; Laboratory Study; Learning; Measures; Methodology; Methods; Neurodevelopmental Disorder; Neuronal Plasticity; Observational Study; Parents; Pattern; Procedures; Psychological reinforcement; Reinforcement Schedule; Research; Resistance; Shapes; Testing; Work; autism spectrum disorder; base; behavior observation; community setting; cost effective; effective intervention; experience; flexibility; innovation; interest; novel; programs; response; therapy development

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are defined, in part, by behavior that can be characterized as restricted and inflexible. Such behavior is exemplified by the so-called "higher order" restricted repetitive behaviors characterized by their insistence on sameness or resistance to change. Behaviors characterized in this way are pervasive in children with ASD and can significantly interfere with opportunities to develop functional behaviors and more complex repertoires. Thus, restricted, inflexible behavior likely adversely impacts brain and behavioral development, and intervention directed toward such behavior should have significant positive impact on neuroplasticity and neurodevelopmental trajectories. The overall goal of the proposed project is to initiate a program of research to develop a novel treatment approach to restricted, inflexible behavior, a clinically important and highly understudied problem in neurodevelopmental disorders in general and autism in specific. Rather than target a particular compulsive, restricted, or repetitive behavior for modification, our proposed strategy is to promote the development of flexibility and variability using age appropriate, functional activities. As such, the proposed project is highly translational as our approach to intervention is based on a body of animal and human laboratory studies that have established the empirical foundation for such an approach. Effective interventions are hypothesized to have generalizable effects on development and will be highly translatable to other neurodevelopmental disorders. Thus, we propose to assess restricted, inflexible behavior in children with ASD and typically developing controls and then pilot test an experiential intervention to determine if it will directly promote variable and flexible adaptive responding in children with ASD. This project is highly innovative in targeting flexibility and variability as goals of the intervention. No systematic efforts have been made to develop effective methods for the behavioral treatment of the general rigidity/inflexibility that is most characteristic of autism and common in related neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, the proposed project represents a translational effort to take laboratory-based animal and human studies and apply them to a focused intervention directed at restricted, inflexible behavior that can ultimately be conducted in a community setting. If successful, the proposed treatment approach should have considerable potential for becoming a widely used, cost effective treatment approach. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are defined, in part, by behavior that can be characterized as restricted and inflexible. No systematic attempts have been made to develop effective methods for the behavioral/educational treatment of the higher-order ritualistic repetitive behaviors and general rigidity/inflexibility that are most characteristic of autism. Establishing assessment methods for restricted, inflexible behavior and interventions to increase variability and flexibility in responding will be of significant benefit to individuals with autism and their families.

描述（由申请人提供）：自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的定义，在某种程度上，可以被描述为限制和不灵活的行为。这种行为的例子是所谓的“高阶”限制性重复行为，其特征是坚持不变或抵制变化。以这种方式表征的行为在自闭症谱系障碍儿童中很普遍，并且会显着干扰发展功能性行为和更复杂行为的机会。因此，受限的、不灵活的行为可能会对大脑和行为发育产生不利影响，针对这种行为的干预应该对神经可塑性和神经发育轨迹产生显著的积极影响。拟议项目的总体目标是启动一项研究计划，以开发一种新的治疗方法，以限制，不灵活的行为，一个临床上重要的和高度欠研究的问题，在神经发育障碍的一般和自闭症的具体。我们提出的策略不是针对特定的强迫性、限制性或重复性行为进行修改，而是使用与年龄相适应的功能性活动来促进灵活性和可变性的发展。因此，拟议的项目是高度转化的，因为我们的干预方法是基于动物和人类实验室研究的主体，这些研究为这种方法建立了经验基础。有效的干预措施被假设为对发育具有可推广的影响，并将高度转化为其他神经发育障碍。因此，我们建议评估ASD儿童的限制性，不灵活的行为，通常发展控制，然后进行试点测试的经验性干预，以确定它是否会直接促进ASD儿童的可变和灵活的适应性反应。该项目在将灵活性和可变性作为干预目标方面具有高度创新性。尚未进行系统的努力来开发有效的方法来治疗自闭症的最典型特征和相关神经发育障碍中常见的一般僵硬/僵硬。最后，拟议的项目代表了一个转化的努力，以实验室为基础的动物和人类的研究，并将其应用到一个集中的干预针对限制，灵活的行为，最终可以在社区环境中进行。如果成功，拟议的处理方法应该有相当大的潜力，成为一个广泛使用的，具有成本效益的处理方法。 公共卫生相关性：自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的定义，在某种程度上，可以被描述为限制和不灵活的行为。对于自闭症最典型的高阶仪式性重复行为和一般性刻板/易变性，目前还没有系统的尝试来开发有效的行为/教育治疗方法。建立评估方法，限制，不灵活的行为和干预措施，以增加响应的可变性和灵活性，将显着有利于自闭症患者及其家庭。