Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded Washington University in St. Louis a Project Grant valued at $450,797 under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) with an award date of June 3, 2026, and completion date of June 2, 2028. This research initiative aims to establish motor imitation as a specific biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to improve diagnostic accuracy and deepen understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the condition and its comorbidities. The project addresses a critical gap in ASD diagnosis by developing and validating an automated, objective assessment method that can reliably distinguish motor imitation deficits associated with ASD from similar motor impairments observed in co-occurring conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Intellectual Disability (ID).

The primary deliverable is advancement of a Computerized Assessment of Motor Imitation (CAMI) tool, which represents a significant improvement over traditional labor-intensive methods requiring subjective assessment by trained clinicians. By establishing the specific neural mechanisms contributing to imitation deficits in individuals with ASD, this research will provide clinicians and researchers with a cost-effective, objective, and reliable diagnostic instrument that addresses longstanding challenges in differentiating overlapping developmental conditions. The work is anticipated to contribute to improved early identification of ASD and enhanced understanding of how motor control deficits relate to core social-communicative impairments characteristic of the disorder.