UW plans two research studies of infants who have autistic older siblings
Friday, April 04, 2008 (21:55:14)

Posted by lightfoot

by DEBBIE CAFAZZO

Two new University of Washington research studies seek to enroll infants from the Puget Sound region who have autistic older siblings.

One study wants to assess and monitor 100 babies beginning at age 6 months, then again at 12 and 24 months of age. Babies will be given an MRI at each age. MRI images will allow scientists to look for subtle anatomical differences in the babies’ brains at each stage of development.

The other study seeks 200 infants 6 months old or younger with autistic siblings. Babies in this study will be divided into two groups. One group will be monitored by specialists and referred for community treatment. The other group and their mothers will participate in a program at the Seattle UW Autism Center. Mothers will be trained, for example, to engage their infants in eye contact. Mother and child will be videotaped interacting once a week for nine weeks.

Children from the first study can live anywhere in the region.

But for the second study, researchers would like families that live within 45 minutes of Seattle, says Annette Estes, associate director of the UW Autism Center and one of the project researchers. That’s because researchers will visit the babies’ homes as part of the study and need to limit their travel time.

The vast majority of babies with older autistic siblings – more than 90 percent – don’t develop autism, says Estes. But previous studies have pointed toward a genetic link to the disorder.

UW researchers want to probe potential genetic factors, track infant brain development and try to intervene with babies who may be at risk of developing autism.

Most children aren’t diagnosed with autism until age 3 or 4, although diagnosis can be made as young as age 2. Researchers are beginning to search for early signs so that they can help autistic children earlier, when the brain’s connections are still being formed and when a child’s brain is more moldable.

Estes says other research has shown that the earlier the intervention, the better the outcome for autistic kids.

“Some infants show early signs, but don’t go on to develop full autism,” Estes says. “We don’t know yet what the very earliest signs are, and who needs very early intervention.”

Autism is a neurologically based condition that can affect children’s ability to communicate and interact with others and produce unusual behaviors. It includes a wide range of conditions, known as autism spectrum disorders, that can mean varying degrees of disability. Estimates of the number of American kids affected by autism vary widely, and range as high as one in every 150 children.

The UW research is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Development, part of the federal National Institutes of Health.

To join a study

If you are interested in having your baby participate in one of the University of Washington studies on autism, call 1-800-994-9701 or go to depts.washington.edu./uwautism.

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