Statistical approaches to improving functional connectivity estimates with an application to autism

Active Project Grant Awarded Last action

Award ID
R01MH129855
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$6,289,766

Award facts

Assistance listing
93.242 Mental Health Research Grants
Completion date 91% complete
Place of performance
Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

As the agency reported it.

Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) is used to estimate the correlations between brain regions. DE- spite the many insights into brain function provided by fmri, the ELD is currently experiencing a reproducibility crisis. For instance, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is thought to be the result of disordered brain connections, but the ASD literature contains conicting reports of both hypo- and hyper-connectivity. Participant head motion is a crucial factor, and the exclusion of high-motion participants can reduce the impacts of motion. However, motion quality control removes more than 50% of data in pediatric fmri studies. In ASD, the most severely IM- paired children tend to be removed - we are characterizing a limited part of the autism spectrum. In addition, methodological development and empirical studies have focused on functional connectivity measured at rest. Children move less during some tasks, such as watching a movie. Dynamic connectivity during a task may offer crucial insights into diseases of brain connectivity with larger effect sizes, but popular methods do not utilize task information during model tting. The overall objective of this grant is to develop statistical methods that decrease bias and improve efciency in functional connectivity studies. Our proposal is motivated by a resting-state fmri study on ASD with hundreds of children from the kennedy krieger institute and johns hopkins university. We will assess external validity in an independent test dataset that will be collected at the marcus autism center and emory university, where we will also conduct a study of engagement during a movie with social interactions. To achieve our objective, we propose the following: 1) develop a missing data method for deconfounding to reveal functional connectivity signatures of ASD. This aim addresses sampling biases due motion quality control. 2) develop a causal mediation framework for signal decomposition of functional connectivity and motion. This aim will be used to disentangle neural versus motion contributions to function connectivity in ASD. 3) develop a novel covariance regression model for dynamic functional connectivity during a task. This aim will test the scientic hypothesis that the neural underpinnings of engagement differ in children with ASD compared to typically devel- oping children. We will develop software so that the proposed methods can be broadly applied to neuroimaging studies including neurological disorders and mental health. Completing these aims will 1) provide tools that will improve reproducibility in functional connectivity studies and 2) reveal the neural underpinnings of ASD. This can aid in the development of treatments and educational strategies.

Transactions

Action Obligated Date
Amendment $694,033
Amendment $106,836
Amendment $106,836
Amendment $605,406
Amendment $605,406
Amendment $70,914
Amendment $70,914
Amendment $638,231
Amendment $638,231
Amendment $638,231
Amendment $706,285
Amendment $706,285
Original award $702,158
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Subawards

Subrecipient Amount Awarded
Marcus Autism Center, Inc. Statistical approaches to improving functional connectivity estimates with an appl $75,048
Marcus Autism Center, Inc. $124,957

Quick answers

Who received award R01MH129855?

R01MH129855 was awarded to Emory University by National Institute of Mental Health (National Institutes of Health) on April 1, 2022.

How much is award R01MH129855 worth?

$6,289,766 has been obligated on R01MH129855.

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