Sensory hypo- and/or hyper-reactivity is commonly reported by autistic people, and has tremendous impact on their quality of life, impacting on their cognitive function, social interactions, and participation in society. While addressing sensory difficulties is a priority for autistic people, there are currently no putative mechanisms describing how differences in sensory processing arise, and subsequently, give rise to altered cognitive function. Understanding the mechanisms that underly the sensory differences observed in autism may help us determine who may benefit from specific treatments and/or support.
We will use advanced fMRI analysis techniques, such as dynamic functional connectivity, to measure how the brain constantly adjusts to integrate new information and situations by changing between different “transient states”. These changes in dynamic functional connectivity are associated with cognitive flexibility and information processing capacity, and altered transitions between brain states have been reported in autism, including between thalamic and sensory regions. We will make the most of modern naturalistic paradigms (watching movie clips in the scanner), and the high temporal and spatial resolution fMRI acquired with ultra-high-field 7-Tesla MR, to assess the complex interaction between sensory and cognitive processing and characterise how sensory stimuli affect subsequent brain transient states related to non-sensory processing. We will also assess how fluctuations are driven by GABA and glutamatergic neurotransmission (measured with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), and how these in turn associate with sensory reactivity measured using novel behavioural approaches.
Objectives:
-Y1: Training in fMRI and data analysis methods. Characterisation of the landscape of dynamic functional connectivity (i.e., transient brain states and associated characteristics) between neurotypical and autistic participants. Association of the dynamic responses of brain activity with features of sensory reactivity (perceptual sensitivity, affective reactivity, behavioural responsivity).
-Y2: Characterisation of the brain’s non-immediate response to sensory stimuli (i.e., what happens to someone’s brain when they receive a stimulus) between neurotypical and autistic participants, and the role of neurotransmitters.
-Y3: Interaction with MRS measures. Association between autistic traits, and brain dynamics through the lifespan (leveraging pediatric data from our collaborators).
-Y4: Wrap up and writing up time. Preparation of fellowships to transition into post-doctoral phase.
A potential rotation project will focus on Year 1 work: extracting features of dynamic functional connectivity and characterise their association with features of sensory reactivity.
Our team has extensive experience training PhD candidates from diverse backgrounds in neuroimaging and advance data analysis techniques, as well as general mentorship. No previous experience is required.
