Clinical Trial: Sensory and Connectivity Abnormalities in Autism and Language Disorders
Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Observational
Official Title: Psychophysics and Neurodynamic MEG/EEG Imaging of Sensory and Connectivity Abnormalities in Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
Brief Summary:
Among the most commonly reported symptoms of autism is heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorders often react with aversion to various sounds (e.g., by covering their ears and screaming) especially at an early age. The investigators believe that this is because autism spectrum disorders affect how sensory input is experienced. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate sensory processing abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders, or, in other words, to evaluate how and why children and adults with autism spectrum disorders experience external sensory information (vision, audition, touch) differently than healthy children and adults.
Because some of the same abnormalities are also reported in children and adults with developmental language disorders such as language delay or dyslexia, the investigators are also interested in how that population experiences external sensory information.
Detailed Summary:
To study how sensory information is processed by the brain, we primarily use an instrument called MEG (MagnetoEncephaloGraphy), which measures the magnetic brainwaves emitted by our brains. The device does not have any output (i.e., there is no magnetic field); it only measures the waves produced in the brain.
We measure those waves as the participants in the study listen to, view, or otherwise experience simple, non painful, stimuli. For instance, participants may listen to words while sitting in the MEG room, and watching a movie with the sound turned off.
We then combine this information with pictures of the brain from MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging - when available), to get an idea about both the anatomy and the function of the brain, so that we can study how the brains of populations with autism spectrum disorders or language disorders may be different from those of healthy populations.
Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
Current Primary Outcome:
Original Primary Outcome:
Current Secondary Outcome:
Original Secondary Outcome:
Information By: Massachusetts General Hospital
Dates:
Date Received: October 23, 2007
Date Started: September 2005
Date Completion: September 2010
Last Updated: May 3, 2010
Last Verified: May 2010
