Project description DEENESFRITPL EEG for early detection of ASD in infants Early diagnosis of autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) is crucial for effective intervention. Studies show that newborns with ASD have noticeably different preferences to certain social stimuli. An EEG-based index of face processing could be used as a biomarker for prediction but its measure requires the infant's EEG to be recorded in laboratory settings. The EU-funded NeuroSoNew project aims to design a portable, wireless EEG system for easy, fast and automatic testing of newborns via an ultra-low-power programmable digital platform and a wearable device adapted to newborns. This will enable easy and early diagnoses of ASD, and contribute to studies on perceptual and cognitive functions in newborns. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Predispositions to preferentially orient towards cues associated with social partners, such as face-like stimuli or biological and animate motion, appear to guide human social behavior from the onset of life and are typically impaired in children with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD). An early detector of social predispositions and their impairment in newborns might provide a valuable biomarker for ASD, an indicator of utmost relevance since infants with ASD greatly benefit from early behavioral intervention. This proposal builds on a study performed within my ERC grant in which, by designing an innovative oscillatory visual presentation of face-like patterns and perceptually equivalent controls, we identified an EEG-based index of face processing, present in each newborn tested and obtainable with less than 2 minutes of newborn’s visual attention. However, recording newborn’s EEG is currently possible only in laboratory settings, as no fully portable EEG system adapted for newborns exists in the market. The goal of this proposal is to design a portable, wireless EEG-based device that allows easy, rapid and automatic testing of face processing in newborns in any context, including their homes. This device is ground-breaking because it will combine the efficacy of our innovative experimental paradigm tailored to newborn’s restricted visual attention with a portable, low-power, wireless EEG device based on dry electrodes and an automatic algorithm that will extract on-line the EEG-based index of face processing. Its realization will enable the development of an early, objective and easy-to-test EEG-based biomarker on newborns at risk, potentially opening the way to large-scale screening protocols. Given the flexibility of the paradigm with respect to the content of the visual stimulation, this method might be used for research purposes to explore the neural bases of other perceptual and cognitive functions in newborns. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologycognitive neuroscienceengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2018-PoC - ERC Proof of Concept Grant Call for proposal ERC-2018-PoC See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant Host institution UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO Net EU contribution € 113 070,00 Address VIA CALEPINA 14 38122 Trento Italy See on map Region Nord-Est Provincia Autonoma di Trento Trento Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 113 070,00 Beneficiaries (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO Italy Net EU contribution € 113 070,00 Address VIA CALEPINA 14 38122 Trento See on map Region Nord-Est Provincia Autonoma di Trento Trento Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 113 070,00 FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLER Italy Net EU contribution € 6 250,00 Address VIA SANTA CROCE 77 38122 Trento See on map Region Nord-Est Provincia Autonoma di Trento Trento Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 6 250,00 ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA Italy Net EU contribution € 30 625,00 Address VIA ZAMBONI 33 40126 Bologna See on map Region Nord-Est Emilia-Romagna Bologna Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 30 625,00
