Neural Variablity in Autistic Spectrum Conditions
18th December 2018
RESEARCH PROJECT: NEURAL VARIABILITY IN AUTISM SPECTRUM CONDITIONS
We are currently recruiting children and adolescents between 6-14 years old with a formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) for a study on neural variability.
The aim of the study is to gain a greater understanding of autism spectrum conditions (ASC). An important part of this research will involve investigating how brain responses vary in ASC. “Neural variability”- how variable the neural response of the brain is - has been suggested as a potential measurable indicator of the presence of ASC. Research has shown that responses of individuals with ASC show greater neural variability compared to individuals without ASC. This study will help us understand what factors influence neural variability in ASC. Some of those factors could be the severity of the social communication difficulties, repetitive and restricted patterns of behaviour or sensory sensitivities. It is hoped that the information obtained will shed light into the causes of ASC with further implications for diagnosis and treatment.
The study involves 1 session per child: The researcher will visit the child at home or at their school where they will take part in an EEG experiment. EEG is a non-invasive method of studying the human brain and it involves placing a cap on the child’s head to measure electric currents coming from the brain. This session will involve the child looking at a computer screen displaying simple black and white shapes and filling in some questionnaires. Parents will also be asked to complete a few questionnaires, providing vital information about the child’s functioning.
We hope that this work will prove to be very important for early diagnosis of autism and for understanding whether there are different types of autism! Please get in contact if you would like to get involved in the research!
To express interest in the study or ask questions please contact Katerina Giannadou, PhD researcher: AGiannadou1@sheffield.ac.uk , 07842425607
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