RESEARCH

Cognition and Neuroimaging in Females with Autism Spectrum Conditions

Meng-Chuan Lai, Mike Lombardo, Bhismadev Chakrabarti, John Suckling, Ed Bullmore, Simon Baron-Cohen, Amber Ruigrok

This project is a follow-up study of the MRC Autism Imaging Multicentre Study (AIMS). The latter focused exclusively on males, and this follow-up focuses exclusively on females with ASC. This is because females with ASC are a neglected group in ASC research. The study is scanning female adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) or high functioning autism (HFA) and age-matched female controls using structural MRI, resting and task fMRI, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Participants also undergo a set of comprehensive cognitive and behavioural assessments.

The study is being conducted in collaboration with Prof. Declan Murphy and Dr. Michael Craig at the Institute of Psychiatry, London.