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SUMMARY:Mapping developmental paths to neurodevelopmental conditions. - Pr
 ofessor Emily Jones\, Birkbeck
DTSTART:20241203T160000Z
DTEND:20241203T170000Z
UID:TALK220051@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Louise Gray
DESCRIPTION:Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that occurs in around
  2% of people\, and can be associated with differences in social interacti
 on\, communication and interests. Autism is connected with genetic changes
  that are present from conception\, but is often not identified until chil
 dren are in school. Prospective longitudinal studies that follow infants f
 rom near birth to childhood using brain imaging and scalable technologies 
 can reveal the earliest developmental changes that precede the later emerg
 ence of autistic traits. \n\nHere\, I describe a series of studies examini
 ng some of the earliest changes in infants with later autism and their int
 errelation over both short and long timescales. Within prospective studies
 \, we see differences in sensory reactivity across touch\, audition and vi
 sual domains\, and changes in sleep that precede an autism diagnosis. Sens
 ory differences are related to sleep differences\, and both may relate to 
 emerging trajectories of fearfulness and later anxiety\, indicating they m
 ay be important targets for supportive interventions. Further\, changes in
  sleep may be linked to alterations in daytime brain states that have been
  associated with longer-term cognitive development. \n\nTaken together\, e
 xamining changes in early sensory development and sleep may provide import
 ant insights into the early development of children with neurodevelopmenta
 l conditions. I discuss how these approaches can help us think about neuro
 development from the perspective of neurodiversity.
LOCATION:Hybrid: in-person in Cambridge &amp\; online via Teams
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