In the confines of an MRI room, a child listens to his favorite songs while waiting for the doctors to complete medical tests. What he doesn鈥檛 know is that this procedure can deliver loads of information, possibly changing the course of his life and others diagnosed with autism.
For more than 20 years, researchers have struggled with the science behind the developmental disorder that, among several behavioral traits, makes it difficult for autistic individuals to interact or communicate听with others.
One of the major obstacles to advancing autism research has been the inability to standardize data sets collected from patients worldwide鈥攗ntil last fall. Leaders in the autism research field joined together to form the (ABIDE) program.
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Recognized for its collaborative approach and strong research record, Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 was among the first research groups selected to be part of the consortium. Others include the International Neuroimaging Data-Sharing Initiative, Child Mind Institute, Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. The consortium is working with more than 1,100 autism and control data sets from a group of 16 international research labs.
It鈥檚 the hope of the scientific community that results from ABIDE鈥檚 exchange program will help researchers better understand the condition and develop treatments.
鈥淭here are so many dimensions to autism. It鈥檚 like a Rubik鈥檚 Cube, and difficult to see and understand all the different facets at once,鈥� says , professor of and director of 麻豆村鈥檚 Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. She and her colleagues believe that earlier autism diagnosis, made possible by the analyses enabled by the ABIDE consortium, will lead to better care.
鈥擫isa Kay Davis (DC鈥�09)
Related Links:
Autism Connections
Leading Autism
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