Autism and Developmental Disorders Colloquium Series

"Magnetoencephalographic Studies of Autism Spectrum Disorders"

Anthony Bailey, MD

Cheryl and Reece Scott Professor of Psychiatry, University of Oxford

University Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Park Hospital for Children

6:00 pm, Wednesday, February 15, 2006
MIT Building 46-3002 (auditorium), followed by a reception

Building Address: 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

Please RSVP to lmavros@mit.edu

Over the last 10 or so years there have been considerable advances in our understanding of the brain basis of autism. The focus of neurobiological research has shifted from subcortical abnormalities to neocortical development and the possibility of abnormal neuronal connectivity. Neuroimaging is particularly important for understanding abnormal mechanisms at the level of neuronal systems. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) provides an approach that complements fMRI, particularly with respect to high temporal resolution and the capability to undertake experiments that are not feasible with fMRI. Traditional and novel analytical approaches have been applied to MEG studies of face processing and reading in individuals with ASDs. The findings indicate abnormal neuronal mechanisms underlying a range of cognitive processes. The implications of the MEG findings for understanding the full range of phenotypic expression and developmental change will be considered.

Hosted by Professor John Gabrieli

Supported by the Simons Foundation and the Anne and Paul Marcus Family Foundation