The neural underpinnings of speech and nonspeech auditory processing in autism: Implications for language

自闭症患者言语和非言语听觉处理的神经基础：对语言的影响

• 批准号: 10827051
• 负责人: Hannah Thomas
• 金额: $ 4.77万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STORRS
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-01-07 至 2026-01-06
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10827051
• 关键词: Address; Adult; Age; Anatomy; Auditory; Behavioral; Categories; Clinical; Cognitive; Collaborations; Communication; Communities; Community Outreach; Connecticut; Dedications; Development; Discrimination; Early Intervention; Education; Educational workshop; Electrophysiology (science); Environment; Feedback; Fellowship; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Funding; Goals; Grant; Impairment; Individual; Institution; Intervention; Knowledge; Language; Language Delays; Language Development; Learning; Linguistics; Manuscripts; Mediating; Mentorship; Methodology; Motivation; National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; Pattern; Perception; Performance; Phonetics; Population; Process; Property; Reporting; Research; Research Activity; Research Personnel; Research Priority; Research Project Grants; Research Proposals; Resources; Role; Science; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sensory; Social Functioning; Speech; Speech Discrimination; Stimulus; Symptoms; Techniques; Testing; Training; United States National Institutes of Health; Universities; Work; adult with autism spectrum disorder; auditory categorization; auditory discrimination; auditory processing; autism spectrum disorder; autistic; behavioral study; brain behavior; cognitive neuroscience; community setting; comparative; design; early experience; experience; functional outcomes; habituation; improved; innovation; interest; language impairment; language outcome; neural; neural circuit; neuroimaging; neuromechanism; novel; peer; phonology; pre-doctoral; preference; programs; psychologic; repetitive behavior; response; responsible research conduct; skills; social; social attention; social influence; speech processing; statistics; symposium; theories; training project; word learning

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impairments in social functioning and the presence of restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests, including atypical sensory response patterns. In addition to these core features, language abilities are one of the most clinically important and heterogeneous features of autism. Language impairment is one of the earliest noted symptoms, associated with functional outcomes, and less responsive to treatment than other behavioral domains. Critically, it remains unclear what contributes to these variable language trajectories; competing theoretical frameworks propose either low-level perceptual or higher-order social influences. Though evidence suggests atypical auditory processing at the neural level as a potential mechanism disrupting language in autism, no prior work to date has systematically examined these brain-behavior relationships. The current project will test theoretically driven hypotheses using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to clarify the neural features of speech and nonspeech auditory discrimination in autism and probe for relationships with language; results have the potential to inform language interventions in autism. Fifty adults (25 autistic, 25 neurotypical; NT) will complete a repetition suppression fMRI design to achieve three Specific Aims: (1) Contrast behavioral performance and neural processing of nonspeech tone discrimination in autism vs NT; (2) Contrast behavioral performance and neural processing of speech discrimination in autism vs NT; and (3) Examine the predictive role of neural features and the mediating role of behavioral discrimination abilities for language skills. The proposed research addresses one of NIDCD’s top research priorities of characterizing the neural circuits involved in sensory processing that contribute to communication deficits; the study has the long-term potential to improve language outcomes in autism. Training Plan: The individually tailored training plan dovetails with research activities and includes methodological training in neuroimaging and statistics; conceptual education in language, autism, cognitive neuroscience, and the responsible conduct of research; and professional development in scientific and community settings. Proposed activities include coursework, interdisciplinary mentorship, methodological workshops, professional seminars, community outreach activities, conference presentations, and manuscript development. Environment: The applicant’s mentorship team has a proven record of NIH funding, including collaborations between them. The University of Connecticut is a Carnegie Research I public institution and the Department of Psychological Sciences is ranked in the top 10 for U.S. grant funding. UConn boasts a large community of interdisciplinary researchers within the language sciences and houses a research-dedicated neuroimaging center that prioritizes supporting and training graduate-level researchers. The applicant is ideally situated to accomplish the current fellowship proposal.

项目摘要 /摘要 自闭症谱系障碍是一种神经发育状况，其特征是社会障碍 功能以及限制或重复行为或兴趣的存在，包括非典型感觉 响应模式。除了这些核心功能外，语言能力是临床上最重要的一种 和自闭症的异质特征。语言障碍是最早的符号之一， 与其他行为领域相比，与功能结果相关，对治疗的反应较少。 至关重要的是，目前尚不清楚什么对这些可变语言轨迹有什么贡献。竞争理论 框架提出低级感知或高阶社会影响。尽管有证据表明 在神经层面上的非典型听觉处理是一种潜在的机制，破坏了自闭症的语言，否 迄今为止的先前工作已系统地检查了这些大脑行为的关系。当前项目将测试 理论上使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）阐明中性的假设 语音和非语音听觉歧视的特征在自闭症中以及与语言关系的探测； 结果有可能告知自闭症的语言干预措施。五十名成年人（25名自闭症，25个神经型； nt）将完成重复抑制fMRI设计以实现三个特定目标：（1）对比行为 自闭症与NT中非语调歧视的性能和神经处理； （2）对比行为 自闭症与nt中语音歧视的性能和神经处理； （3）检查预测 神经特征的作用以及行为歧视能力对语言技能的中介作用。这 拟议的研究介绍了NIDCD表征神经回路的主要研究优先事项之一 参与有助于沟通缺陷的感官处理；该研究具有长期潜力 改善自闭症的语言结果。培训计划：单独量身定制的培训计划与 研究活动，包括神经影像学和统计的方法论培训；概念教育 语言，自闭症，认知神经科学以及负责任的研究行为；和专业 科学和社区环境的发展。拟议的活动包括课程，跨学科 精神训练，方法论研讨会，专业半手，社区外展活动，会议 演示和手稿开发。环境：申请人的攻击团队已有验证 NIH资金的记录，包括它们之间的合作。康涅狄格大学是卡内基 研究I公共机构和心理科学系在美国排名前10位 赠款。 UConn拥有大量的语言科学跨学科研究人员 并设有一个研究的神经影像学中心，该中心优先考虑支持和培训研究生级别 研究人员。适当的位置是实现当前的奖学金建议。