In research, it can be hard to get the full picture...
In brain imaging studies, individuals who like to move their bodies or who have a hard time staying still are often excluded from data analysis due to movement. When motion would occur inside the MRI scanner, the pictures would become blurry or distorted, so previous researchers wouldn't have a great idea of how the brain works.
Recent large-scale studies on pediatric MRI scans suggest that 60% of data are excluded due to strict motion criteria.
For younger children and children on the autism spectrum, we estimate this number to be even higher, with some studies excluding 80% of data.
What does this mean?
Imagine we are talking about a picture instead of data...
Removing 60% of the color would drastically change the picture and prevent you from seeing the true image with its diverse range of hues.
Removing 80% of the color would make the true image even harder to see.
About Our Research Study:
In our study, we want to increase the representation of children on the autism spectrum in MRI research so that we can improve the image researchers have of brain functioning in autism.
We are looking for 300 children ages 8–13 with and without a diagnosis of autism to help us understand how different types of brains process social information.
Children on the autism spectrum interact with other people and the world around them in a unique way. Whether you are a child on the autism spectrum or not, by being a part of this research, you are helping us learn more about autism that could help others in the future!
We work towards this goal by combining state-of-the-art statistical measures with behavioral training.
To learn more about each step of our study, click one of the buttons above.
Nebel, M. B., Lidstone, D. E., Wang, L., Benkeser, D., Mostofsky, S. H., & Risk, B. B. (2022). Accounting for motion in resting-state fMRI: What part of the spectrum are we characterizing in autism spectrum disorder? NeuroImage, 257, 119296.