Effects of biological and environmental factors and psychosocial intervention on early neurodevelopmental pathways in vulnerable children

• Grant number: 20/05964-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2021
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Agreement: CONFAP ; Newton Fund, with FAPESP as a partner institution in Brazil ; UK Academies
• Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Shephard
• Grantee: Elizabeth Shephard
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Anthony Charman ; Edward Dylan Barker ; Emily Jones ; Eurípedes Constantino Miguel Filho ; Guilherme Vanoni Polanczyk ; Helena Paula Brentani
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/06303-0 - CAMOUFLAGING IN BRAZILIAN AUTISTIC ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT CHILDREN AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON OF CAMOUFLAGING BEHAVIORS IN BRAZILIAN AND BRITISH PEERS, BP.PD; 24/00504-3 - Amplifying the scientific communication of the project: Effects of biological and environmental factors and psychosocial intervention on early neurodevelopmental pathways in vulnerable children, BP.JC; 24/00553-4 - Amplifying the scientific communication of the project: Effects of biological and environmental factors and psychosocial intervention on early neurodevelopmental pathways in vulnerable children, BP.JC; 21/06795-1 - Effects of biological and environmental factors and psychosocial intervention on early neurodevelopmental pathways in vulnerable children, BP.JP

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common and impairing neurodevelopmental conditions. The early identification of infants at risk for developing ASD and/or ADHD and the use of pre-emptive interventions to limit the emergence and impact of symptoms are important preventative strategies to reduce the burden of these disorders. The main objective of this Young Investigator project is to establish the first prospective longitudinal study of infants at familial risk for ASD and ADHD in a low-and-middle-income country (LMIC) context (Brazil). The study will investigate how familial risk for ASD and ADHD affect early neurodevelopmental trajectories in infants living in a LMIC, how alterations in early neurodevelopmental trajectories relate to ASD and ADHD outcomes in toddlerhood, and whether biological (inflammation, stress-response system function) and environmental (poverty, early-life trauma, maternal distress) risk-factors mediate the negative effects of familial ASD and ADHD risk on early neurodevelopmental pathways. The study will also test whether a pre-emptive psychosocial intervention can reduce the negative impact of familial ASD/ADHD risk and biological and environmental risk-factors on infants' neurodevelopmental trajectories. The results of this project will make a significant contribution to the existing literature from high income countries (HICs) on how familial risk for ASD and ADHD affect early child development and the generalisability of previous findings to infants growing up in disadvantaged environments. The findings will also provide crucial new evidence for the effectiveness of pre-emptive psychosocial intervention for vulnerable infants in LMICs, which is currently a global priority. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BELLATO, ALESSIO; ADMANI, MUSKAAN ALEEZA; DEAK, CAMILA; FARHAT, LUIS CARLOS; DE OLIVEIRA, MARIA CAROLINA FONTANA ANTUNES; VASCONCELOS, REBECA; MALANCHINI, MARGHERITA; SHEPHARD, ELIZABETH; MICHELINI, GIORGIA. Autonomic dysregulation and self-injurious thoughts and behaviours in children and young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JCPP ADVANCES, v. 3, n. 3, p. 13-pg., 2023-09-01. (20/05964-1)

FATORI, DANIEL; SHEPHARD, ELIZABETH; BENETTE, DANILO; NASPOLINI, NATHALIA FERRAZZO; GUZMAN, GROVER CASTRO; WANG, JAQUELINE YU TING; TOTOLO, PEDRO; MAFRA, ANTHONIETA LOOMAN; ISAIAS, CAIO; DOS SANTOS, DAVI PEREIRA; et al. Identifying biomarkers and trajectories of executive functions and language development in the first 3 years of life: Design, methods, and findings of the Germina cohort study. DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, v. N/A, p. 11-pg., 2025-03-05. (20/05964-1, 23/04619-7)

VANES, LUCY D.; TYE, CHARLOTTE; TOURNIER, JACQUES-DONALD; COMBES, ANNA J. E.; SHEPHARD, ELIZABETH; LIANG, HOLAN; BARKER, GARETH J.; NOSARTI, CHIARA; BOLTON, PATRICK; TS2000 STUDY TEAM. White matter disruptions related to inattention and autism spectrum symptoms in tuberous sclerosis complex. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL, v. 36, p. 9-pg., 2022-08-27. (20/05964-1)

GODOY, PRISCILLA BRANDI GOMES; MCWILLIAMS, LORNA; DA SILVEIRA, LETICIA RODRIGUES; BIASAO, MIRIAN DE CESARO REVERS; ALARCAO, FERNANDA SPEGGIORIN PEREIRA; SEDA, LEONARDO; CAMPOLI, RENATA GENEROSO; LIANG, HOLAN; DIVAN, GAURI; LEADBITTER, KATHY; et al. Acceptability and feasibility of a parent-mediated social-communication therapy for young autistic children in Brazil: A qualitative implementation study of Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy. AUTISM, v. N/A, p. 15-pg., 2023-01-01. (20/05964-1)

FARHAT, LUIS C.; BLAKEY, RACHEL; SMITH, GEORGE DAVEY; FUJITA, ANDRE; SHEPHARD, ELIZABETH; STERGIAKOULI, EVIE; ELEY, THALIA C.; THAPAR, ANITA; POLANCZYK, GUILHERME V.. Networks of Neurodevelopmental Traits, Socioenvironmental Factors, Emotional Dysregulation in Childhood, and Depressive Symptoms Across Development in Two UK Cohorts. American Journal of Psychiatry, v. 180, n. 10, p. 11-pg., 2023-10-01. (16/22455-8, 21/08540-0, 20/05964-1)