EXC 2049/1: Towards Precision Medicine in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Neurobiological Mechanisms and Predictors of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults With High-Functioning ASD (AG Dziobek)


German project description
Moving towards precision medicine in ASD, this project aims to identify neural, endocrine and neurometabolic markers that can serve as biomarkers for treatment responses of individuals with ASD, and to assess to which degree neural activity, e/i-equilibrium and OXT/AVP status can forecast behavioral improvements in an RCT of the the Freiburg Asperger Specific Therapy for adult patients (FASTER) 15 and the Social COgnition Training Tool (SCOTT) 4. This NeuroCure application is an ancillary mechanistic study to a large multicenter RCT lead by Dziobek and Tebartz van Elst, which was recently funded by the DFG and will launch in Oct 2019.
Specifically, the project will address the following aims:
Aim 1: To explore if treatment response to FASTER and SCOTT in patients with ASD is accompanied by changes in structure, function and neurochemistry (Glutamate/GABA equilibrium) as well as connectivity of the brain in relevant social cognition CNS networks by using resting state and task-based functional MRI.
Aim 2: To determine if neuroanatomical and neurofunctional markers as well as endocrine markers predict treatment outcome in FASTER and SCOTT.
If successful, this project will provide important insight into the cause-effect relationship between social symptomatology and CNS dysfunction and a first step towards biomarker informed precision medicine in ASD psychotherapy.

English project description
Moving towards precision medicine in ASD, this project aims to identify neural, endocrine and neurometabolic markers that can serve as biomarkers for treatment responses of individuals with ASD, and to assess to which degree neural activity, e/i-equilibrium and OXT/AVP status can forecast behavioral improvements in an RCT of the the Freiburg Asperger Specific Therapy for adult patients (FASTER) 15 and the Social COgnition Training Tool (SCOTT) 4. This NeuroCure application is an ancillary mechanistic study to a large multicenter RCT lead by Dziobek and Tebartz van Elst, which was recently funded by the DFG and will launch in Oct 2019.
Specifically, the project will address the following aims:
Aim 1: To explore if treatment response to FASTER and SCOTT in patients with ASD is accompanied by changes in structure, function and neurochemistry (Glutamate/GABA equilibrium) as well as connectivity of the brain in relevant social cognition CNS networks by using resting state and task-based functional MRI.
Aim 2: To determine if neuroanatomical and neurofunctional markers as well as endocrine markers predict treatment outcome in FASTER and SCOTT.
If successful, this project will provide important insight into the cause-effect relationship between social symptomatology and CNS dysfunction and a first step towards biomarker informed precision medicine in ASD psychotherapy.

Principal investigators
Dziobek-Ferber, Isabel Prof. Dr. (Details) (Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction)

Financer
DFG Excellence Strategy Cluster

Duration of project
Start date: 12/2019
End date: 02/2024

Research Areas
Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology

Research Areas
Psychologie

Last updated on 2025-16-01 at 11:15