Auditory precursors of language delay in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders

患有自闭症谱系障碍的幼儿语言发育迟缓的听觉前兆

• 批准号: 9913498
• 负责人: Ralph-Axel Mueller
• 金额: $ 59.21万
• 依托单位: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-04-15 至 2024-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9913498
• 关键词: Age; Anatomy; Animal Model; Anisotropy; Auditory; Auditory area; Auditory system; Basic Science; Behavioral; Brain; Brain region; Child; Complex; Data; Development; Diagnosis; Diagnostic; Diffuse; Diffusion; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Early Intervention; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Hearing; Imaging Techniques; Impairment; Individual; Intervention; Language; Language Delays; Language Development; Length; Life; Link; Literature; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Maps; Measures; Morphology; Neurites; Neuropsychology; Nursery Schools; Organizational Change; Pattern; Peripheral; Radial; Research; Research Priority; Resolution; Risk; Sensory; Sleep; Social Behavior; Statistical Methods; Structure; Symptoms; System; TEP1 gene; Techniques; Testing; Thalamic structure; Thick; Time; Toddler; auditory processing; autism spectrum disorder; autistic children; base; critical period; density; early childhood; gray matter; indexing; language impairment; longitudinal design; machine learning method; molecular modeling; multimodality; myelination; neuroimaging; novel; peer; phonology; recruit; relating to nervous system; response; sound; theories; translational impact

Abstract Language delay and impairments are common in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), as are sensory (including auditory) anomalies. Since acquisition of spoken language relies on the integrity of the auditory system, language delay and impairments may be related to sound processing abnormalities that are frequently observed in children with ASDs (despite normal peripheral hearing). However, it is not understood if and how early auditory brain anomalies may developmentally contribute to impaired language development. This project will examine the maturation of auditory and language systems in the brain across early childhood, during the critical period for language acquisition. We will employ a longitudinal design and multimodal neuroimaging, including high-resolution anatomical, diffusion, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with added frequent and extensive behavioral and neuropsychological assessments. Our central hypothesis is that early disruptions to cortical sound processing precede and predict language impairments in ASDs and may thus be considered causal contributors – a hypothesis that has been frequently considered in the literature, but never tested at the neural level. Our aims are to thoroughly characterize the structural integrity and functional differentiation of the cortical auditory and language systems (Aim 1) and their maturational trajectories (Aim 2) in toddlers with ASDs and age-matched typically developing peers. This will allow us to establish whether neural abnormalities in cortical processing of complex sounds in toddlers are predictive of language development and social behavior at the pre-school age (Aim 3). The rationale and translational significance of this project are that identification of alterations in brain development linked to language delay and impairment in the first years of life will allow for more targeted interventions in the auditory domain at a time when they are most effective.

抽象的 语言迟缓和障碍在自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 中很常见，感觉（包括 由于口语的习得依赖于听觉系统的完整性， 语言延迟和障碍可能与声音处理异常有关，这些异常经常发生 在患有 ASD 的儿童中观察到（尽管周围听力正常），但尚不清楚是否以及如何进行。 早期听觉脑异常可能会导致语言发展受损。 该项目将检查早期大脑中听觉和语言系统的成熟程度 童年时期，在语言习得的关键时期，我们会采用纵向设计和 多模式神经影像，包括高分辨率解剖、扩散和功能磁共振 成像（MRI），并增加频繁和广泛的行为和神经心理学评估。 中心假设是，皮质声音处理的早期破坏先于并预测语言 ASD 的损伤，因此可能被视为因果因素——这一假设经常被认为是 在文献中考虑过，但从未在神经水平上进行过测试。 我们的目标是彻底表征结构完整性和功能差异 幼儿的皮质听觉和语言系统（目标 1）及其成熟轨迹（目标 2） 自闭症谱系障碍和年龄匹配的典型发育同龄人这将使我们能够确定神经是否异常。 幼儿复杂声音的皮层处理可预测语言发展和社交能力 学龄前儿童的行为（目标 3） 该项目的基本原理和转化意义是： 确定与语言发育迟缓和语言障碍有关的大脑发育变化 生活将允许在最有效的时候对听觉领域进行更有针对性的干预。