2022 – Nordahl Lab

Infographic for the IQ trajectories article. Section 1: MRIs can be challenging for autistic individuals with intellectual disability. This means less is known about their brain development. Section 2: Out of 47,400 autistic individuals in the National Database for Autism Research, only 11% had an IQ less than 85. Less than 1% of those had brain scans. Section 3: The Autism Phenome Project at the UC Davis MIND Institute is a research study that is following a group of autistic children as they grown up from age 3 to age 12 30% of participants are autistic children with intellectual disability. The study team developed techniques to collect MRI scans on individuals with all levels of intellectual ability. Section 4: The researchers found 3 groups of kids: IQs in the average range throughout childhood. IQs in the intellectual disability range throughout childhood. IQs in the intellectual disability range as toddlers and the average range by age 8. Section 5: The study used MRIs to look at networks in the brain. Networks are parts of the brain that work together to do a job. Researchers found a network that is different between those whose IQ changed over time and those whose IQ stayed the same over time. Section 6: This research might help us to predict patterns of IQ change across childhood and develop targeted interventions to help children with intellectual disability.

IQ trajectories in autistic children through preadolescence

The study team developed techniques to collect MRI scans on individuals with all levels of intellectual ability. We found a brain network that is different between children whose IQ changed over time and those whose IQ stayed the same over time.

A text-based graphic describing brain connections. At the center is "Amygdala." Small arrows connect that to "Lower Brain." Larger areas connect Amgydala to 3 boxes. Box 1: Temporal (includes superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, superior temporal pole, middle temporal pole, fusiform gyrus, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex. Box 2: Insula and Cingulate (includes insula, subgenual anterior cingulate, and subcallosal anterior cingulate). Box 3: Frontal (includes lateral-fronto-orbital gyrus, middle-fronto-orbital gyrus, and gyrus rectus).

Featured Publications / Publications

Sex differences in areas of the brain connected to the amygdala

This study found sex differences between the network of regions that are monosynaptically connected to the amygdala.

Featured Publications / Publications

Differences in brain networks in 3-year-old autistic children

This study found differences between 3 year old autistic males and females in three networks that have been widely implicated in autism.

Presentations

Autism in girls and the GAIN study (30 min)

Facebook Live (2022) with Christine Wu Nordahl and Brianna Heath

Presentations / Uncategorized

What neuroscience tells us about autism in children (50 min)

Dot to Dot Behind the Person Podcast (2022) with Christine Wu Nordahl Episode information: https://dot-to-dot-behind-the-person.simplecast.com/episodes/what-neuroscience-tells-us-about-autism-in-children-with-dr-wu-nordahl

Presentations

The Autism Phenome Project: Identifying subgroups of autism (45 min)

Facebook Live (2022) with David G. Amaral, Christine Wu Nordahl, and Marjorie Solomon

Presentations

Language Matter: Using Respectful Language in Autism Research (27 min)

Facebook Live (2022) with Christine Wu Nordahl, Patrick Dwyer, and Kiki Godfrey