Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
2010-2011

Principal Investigator: Marylou Jackson, MD

Vision Rehabilitation Collaborative Outcome Study

The most common goal for patients with vision loss who present for vision rehabilitation is to be able to read, and the video camera magnifier (a device which combines a video camera and a screen to view the print being magnified) is the device which most often allows individuals to read successfully for extended periods of time. Previous studies of outcomes of vision rehabilitation have not identified which components of the rehabilitation intervention are effective. The hypothesis of this project is that providing a video camera magnifier, with basic training in operating the device, will allow patients to enhance both objective reading ability and subjective report of reading competence.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory, Cambridge , MA
2008-2011

Principal Investigators: Rosalind Picard, Sc.D. and Matthew Goodwin, Ph.D.

Assessing and Communicating Movement Stereotypy and Arousal Telemetrically in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Stereotypical motor movements or stereotypies are one of the most common and least understood behaviors occurring in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Stereotypies are complex and thought to serve a multiplicity of functions. While no one theory has obtained overwhelming support, there is evidence for biological, operant, and homeostatic interpretations. Of particular importance to the current project, a small number of studies support the notion that there is a functional relationship between movement stereotypy and arousal in individuals with ASD, such that changes in autonomic activity either precede or are a consequence of engaging in stereotypies. Thus, it appears to be the case for some individuals that stereotypic movements are adaptively employed to help regulate stress, which in turn may help regulate attention, emotion, and social behaviors. Unfortunately, it is difficult to generalize these findings since previous studies fail to report reliability statistics that demonstrate accurate identification of movement stereotypy start and end times, and use autonomic monitors that are obtrusive and thus only suitable for short-term measurement in laboratory settings. This project aims to explore the relationship between movement stereotypy and autonomic activity in persons with ASD by combining state-of-the-art ambulatory heart rate monitors to objectively assess arousal across settings and wireless, wearable motion sensors (accelerometers) and pattern recognition software that can automatically and reliably detect stereotypical motor movements in individuals with ASD in real-time. Obtaining detailed and accurate information on the occurrence, type of movement, frequency, duration, and setting events associated with movement stereotypy is critical to understanding this behavior. Moreover, assessing and communicating stereotypical movements and arousal telemetrically may facilitate more precise intervention efforts before they are entrenched in an individual's repertoire.

MIT Media Lab

Wearable Wireless Toolkit for Measurement and Communication of Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Autism

While many scientists have recognized the importance of characterizing stress and other Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) responses associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), traditional measurements have been limited to snapshots taken in a laboratory setting, and to group averages that ignore the highly dynamic patterns in an individual's ANS responsivity during daily activities. The key problem is that existing measurement devices have not been usable in a continuous, unobtrusive way outside the laboratory.  This research will utilize state-of-the-art knowledge in technology, especially in wearable sensors and wireless communication technology, to construct a comfortable, low-cost toolkit that makes it possible for people on the autism spectrum and their caregivers to continuously monitor and communicate autonomic arousal in daily life, including activity at home, school, and in community settings.  Participants can also, if they choose, share their ultra-dense data with scientists, providing an unprecedented opportunity for analysis of the everyday dynamics of ANS reactivity in persons diagnosed with ASD. The investigators will design, build, test, deploy, and evaluate the use of a toolkit consisting of a wrist-worn set of ANS sensors, together with a tiny low-power wireless radio, software analysis tools, communication controls, and visualization tools to enable persons on the autism spectrum and their caregivers to communicate ANS state information to trusted others, and to visualize and compare patterns in their data across time and different daily activities.  Examining these patterns, they will evaluate their potential for alerting people to states of interest that are helpful to predict, such as seizures, given that the condition of repeated seizures (epilepsy) is conservatively estimated to occur in 25% of ASD cases.  They will also evaluate the presence of other dynamic patterns that may be person-dependent, but useful for communicating states that are conducive to learning, attention, and successful social interaction.

MIT Media Lab

University of Cambridge Autism Research Centre, Cambridge , UK
2004-2009

Principal Investigator: Simon Baron-Cohen, Ph.D.

Do Children with Autism Have Elevated Fetal Testosterone?

Neurologist, Norman Geschwind, suggested that fetal testosterone may shape sex differences in brain development. Males produce more of this because it is generated by the testes, but females also produce it. Geschwind thought that the action of fetal testosterone on the brain might explain why girls tend to talk earlier than boys and why boys are overrepresented in clinics for language disorders and conditions such as autism. Human fetal testosterone can be measured through a method called amniocentesis. In this study, amniotic fluid taken from 3,000 women during their pregnancies will be studied with respect to levels of fetal testosterone. Dr. Baron-Cohen will determine how many of their children, who are now 4 years or older, have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition, or score highly on an autism spectrum scale, and will test if these 'affected' children had abnormally high levels of fetal testosterone.  Earlier studies in the general population have linked this hormone to social and language development. It is important to investigate whether it plays a role in the development of autism.

Autism Research Centre

Simon Baron-Cohen