Understanding the Mechanisms of Autism : an MRI and Social Cognition Study

NCT ID: NCT06334588

Last Updated: 2025-12-23

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

160 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-04-17

Study Completion Date

2031-04-30

Brief Summary

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The main goal of this study is to investigate anatomo-functional brain abnormalities associated with autism spectrum disorders using a multimodal brain imaging approach, as well as its links to social cognition difficulties measured using eye-tracking

Detailed Description

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Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders whose first manifestations appear early in childhood. Even if ASDs present a wide heterogeneity in clinical manifestations, abnormalities in social behavior, characterized in particular by a lack of preference for social information, remain the core of difficulties characteristic of autism.

Brain imaging investigations have revealed anatomo-functional abnormalities in autism, particularly in social brain regions. In parallel, eye-tracking studies have provided objective measures of social perception abnormalities in autism. These results illustrate the relevance of these research strategies in the context of ASD. Acquiring objective data on social behavior and linking them with brain imaging data opens up new avenues for research into the evolution of social skills during child development, and the brain changes underlying this process.

In this context, the main hypothesis of this study is that the investigation of the neural bases of autism spectrum disorders, using an approach combining multimodal brain imaging and the investigation of social behavior using eye-tracking, would make it possible not only to better describe abnormalities, but also to identify individual patterns at brain and behavioral level. This could help to better characterize ASDs with and without genetic abnormalities, an area which to date has received very little investigation. In addition, the objective measurements obtained with this approach would also enable the proposal of biomarkers, which would contribute not only to better monitoring of the disorder's evolution, but also to the evaluation of the effectiveness of new therapeutic interventions

Conditions

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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Keywords

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Autism spectrum disorders Multimodal brain imaging Eye-tracking Social perception Genetics Developmental trajectory

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Suspected or confirmed Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Patient with ASD or suspected ASD for whom an MRI is requested by the clinician as part of care

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

MRI

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Anatomical and functional images will be acquired and review by an experienced neuro-radiologist

Eye-tracking

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eye movements and follow a person's gaze will be recorded during visualization of stimuli presented in the screen by analyzing images of the eye captured by an infrared camera

Clinical Scales

Intervention Type OTHER

CGI, E-CAR and ABC will be used for behavior and clinical evaluation

Research of genetic anomalies

Intervention Type GENETIC

For the diagnosis of autism, patients benefit from a a genetic assessment. This is carried out as part of their care

Healthy volunteers over 3 years of age

Healthy Control Children will be recruited specifically for the research

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

MRI

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Anatomical and functional images will be acquired and review by an experienced neuro-radiologist

Eye-tracking

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eye movements and follow a person's gaze will be recorded during visualization of stimuli presented in the screen by analyzing images of the eye captured by an infrared camera

Clinical Scales

Intervention Type OTHER

CGI, E-CAR and ABC will be used for behavior and clinical evaluation

Healthy volunteers under 5 years of age

Children who have already undergone an MRI for various medical reasons and whose MRI was normal.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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MRI

Anatomical and functional images will be acquired and review by an experienced neuro-radiologist

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Eye-tracking

Eye movements and follow a person's gaze will be recorded during visualization of stimuli presented in the screen by analyzing images of the eye captured by an infrared camera

Intervention Type DEVICE

Clinical Scales

CGI, E-CAR and ABC will be used for behavior and clinical evaluation

Intervention Type OTHER

Research of genetic anomalies

For the diagnosis of autism, patients benefit from a a genetic assessment. This is carried out as part of their care

Intervention Type GENETIC

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

For subjects diagnosed with ASD or suspected of ASD :

* 3 months ≤ age \< 25 years ;
* an MRI required as part of the clinical procedures
* written consent obtained from parents or legal guardians.
* Affiliated to social security

For Healthy control subjects over 3 years of age:

* between 3 and 28 years of age
* no known neurological or psychiatric pathology
* written consent obtained from parents or legal guardian.
* Affiliated to social security

For Healthy control subjects under 5 years of age:

* age between 3 months and 5 years
* who have had an MRI scan in the pediatric radiology department at Necker Hospital, which was found to be normal.
* with no known neurological or psychiatric pathology
* no opposition from legal representative

Exclusion Criteria

* Contraindication to MRI (pacemaker, intracorporeal metallic body, claustrophobia).
* Impossibility for healthy volunteers to remain still during MRI
Minimum Eligible Age

3 Months

Maximum Eligible Age

28 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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URC-CIC Paris Descartes Necker Cochin

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Monica ZILBOVICIUS

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

INSERM INSERM ERL "Trajectoires Développementales en Psychiatrie"

Locations

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Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades

Paris, , France

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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France

Central Contacts

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Nathalie BODDAERT, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +33 1.71.39.65.30

Email: [email protected]

Victor BRUYERE, Master

Role: CONTACT

Phone: + 33 1 34 29 23 24

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Nathalie BODDAERT, MD, PhD

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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APHP240105

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

2023-A02668-37

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id