< Back to previous page

Project

Uncertainty monitoring in autism: From basic research in young children and dogs to early diagnosis

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent mental condition in modern industrial societies showing a rising trend in the last 20 years. Its hallmarks are impairments in everyday social interaction and communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Various existing (and expensive) therapeutic interventions yield very limited relief, and there is no specific cure or a clear-cut biological or cognitive marker for early detection, mainly because there is no clear understanding about the nature of the underlying functional mechanisms. In the last few years a related series of promising theories have been put forward1,2,3 but the critical empirical tests still remain to be done.

Our objectives are: 1. to experimentally test a new theory explaining a general features of ASD ; 2. to introduce the dog as a new animal model for ASD ; 3. to develop and validate a diagnostic and rehabilitation device for early detection of ASD.

Date:1 Oct 2017 →  30 Sep 2019
Keywords:autism, uncertainty, predictive brain
Disciplines:Animal experimental and comparative psychology, Applied psychology, Human experimental psychology