Early Detection, Intervention and Neurobiology in Autism

自闭症是一种以大脑为基础的障碍，其特征是在存在刻板印象的兴趣和活动的情况下，沟通和情感理解/表达明显受损。它通常直到3岁才被诊断出来。然而，有证据表明，自闭症的大脑异常起源于产前或出生时。该项目旨在通过促进获得早期干预和确定早期干预的关键目标来改善自闭症幼儿的结局。四组学步儿童将参与这项前瞻性的、纵向的自闭症研究：自闭症儿童的兄弟姐妹，由当地专业人员推荐的晚说话的人(没有自闭症家族病史)，患有非家族性自闭症的学步儿童，以及典型的发展中的对照组。将对一般发展、沟通和与人际同步有关的功能(共同注意、偶然模仿、共同的积极情感)进行评估。我们的 初步证据表明，在18个月大的时候，自闭症和语言延迟可以根据与人际同步相关的功能(共同注意力、共同的积极情感)来区分。这个项目将扩展现有的证据，即人际同步的中断可能会区分自闭症和学步儿童的语言延迟。我们将测试这一假设，即在早期干预中以这些人际同步目标为目标可能会加速语言和沟通的发展，并最终改善自闭症儿童的结果。该项目还旨在确定可能导致改善自闭症医疗干预的早期神经生物学机制。

Autism is a brain-based disorder characterized by significant impairment in communication and emotional understanding/expression in the presence of stereotyped interests and activities. It is typically not diagnosed until 3 years of age. Yet there is evidence that the brain abnormality in autism has its origin in prenatal life or at birth. This project aims to improve outcome in toddlers with autism by facilitating access to earlier intervention and by identifying critical targets for early intervention. Four groups of toddlers will participate in this prospective, longitudinal study of autism: siblings of children with autism, late talkers referred by local professionals (having no family history of autism), toddlers with non-familial autism, and typically developing controls. Assessments of general development, communication, and functions related to interpersonal synchrony (joint attention, contingent imitation, shared positive affect) will be conducted. Our preliminary evidence suggests that, by 18 months of age, autism can be differentiated from language delay based on functions related to interpersonal synchrony (joint attention, shared positive affect). This project will extend existing evidence that a disruption in interpersonal synchrony may differentiate autism from language delay in toddlers. We will test the hypothesis that targeting these interpersonal synchrony goals in early intervention may accelerate language and communication development, and ultimately improve outcomes for children with autism. This project also aims to define early neurobiological mechanisms that may lead to improved medical interventions for autism.