At Elevated Likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Early Infancy

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Peter Marschik; Professorin Dr. Luise Poustka
• Subject Area: Clinical Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 456967546

Despite significant advancements in understanding the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the underpinnings and unfolding of this complex disorder remains to a large extent a puzzle. Only few studies have explored the very first months of life in infants later diagnosed with ASD. The proposed project aims to fill in this knowledge gap and systematically investigate the development during 4-20 weeks post-term age. We will recruit infants with at least one older sibling already diagnosed with ASD (i.e., infants at elevated likelihood for developing ASD; EL) and compare them with infants at typical likelihood for receiving an ASD diagnosis (TL).The first months of life are marked by rapid and dramatic changes in structure and function of the nervous system, which set the stage for and cascade the unfolding of developmental capacities heralding more complex functions. A major transformation across developmental domains (e.g., motor, verbal, social, visual) appears near the end of the second month of life when multiple neural functions change or gradually set in. Numerous infant behaviours gradually converge from spontaneously generated to more volitional patterns (e.g., involuntary smiling to social smiling). These remarkable changes occur within merely a few weeks. Their interdependencies and temporal entwinement, especially their implication for further development, are still far from being understood. Even less is known about this transformation period in infants later diagnosed with ASD.In this project, we will undertake an in-depth and comprehensive exploration of the transforming period in early infancy. We will focus on four developmental domains (i.e., motor, verbal, social communication, and visual attention). Close-meshed neurofunctional assessments in each domain in lab- and home-settings will be carried out during 4-20 weeks post-term age.Outcome measurements at 12, 24, and 36 months will be adopted following the established clinical and research protocols of the major international ASD sibling consortia. By this means, findings from the current project can be integrated into the existing knowledge pool, and will complement it with initial development data before 6-month-old.By longitudinally characterising and profiling distinct constellations of potential liabilities across domains in young ASD sibling infants, the proposed project may elucidate the initial pathway to ASD and its subphenotypes, and will contribute to early identification of ASD and inform targeted intervention.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants