Projects
Current Projects | Archived Projects
There
are 75 archived projects
in the NDRC.
Assessment of Biological & Social Risk in Preterm Infants
Diane Holditch-Davis
1.Specific Aims
The specific aims for this grant, “Assessment of Biological and Social Risk in Preterm Infants have not changed from those submitted with the proposal. They are to: determine the ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINR, NIH
Attention, Memory, and Executive Function in Fragile X
Donald Bailey
Although considerable research has examined general intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior in fragile X syndrome (FXS), only a few studies have examined specific domains of neurocognitive func... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD/NIH
Identifying newborns with Fragile X: Planning Grant
Donald Bailey
The proposed project will design and prepare to implement a large multi-state study of infants with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and their families. A multi-university, multidisciplinary team of investiga... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Unusual Sensory Experiences in Young Children with Autism
Grace Baranek
This project aims to measure developmentally related changes in responses to sensory experiences in young children with autism, nonspecific developmental disabilities and typical development, ages 2 t... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
STAART Center: Neuroimaging of Cognitive and Social Deficits in Autism
Aysenil Belger
Behavioral studies have documented deficits in executive functions, social cognition, and emotion perception in individuals with autism. Autistic disorder is generally associated with weaknesses invo... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH
Molecular organization and Function of Paranodal Junctions
Manzoor Bhat
This project is aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms that are involved in the organization of axo-glial junctions in myelinated fibers. Mutant mice with defective junctions develop ataxia,... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIGMS
Oxytocin Receptors in Human and Non-Human Primates
Maria Boccia
This K01 is designed to provide training and establish the PI as an independent researcher in the neurobiological mechanisms of social and emotional behavior development. Her previous research has fo... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Biobehavioral Analysis of Self-injury & Pain
Jim Bodfish
Head banging, hand biting, eye gouging and other forms of self-injurious behavior (SIB) displayed by persons with mental retardation, autism, and related developmental disabilities remains one of the ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Restricted Repetitive Behavior in Autism
Jim Bodfish
Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior comprise one of the core features used to diagnose autistic disorders. A wide variety of abnormal repetitive movements (dyskinesia, tics, s... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Stereotyped Movement Disorder & Novel Antipsychotics
Jim Bodfish
The introduction of the newer “atypical” neuroleptic medications (e.g., olanzapine, risperidone) has led to this class of medication becoming the most frequently used medication treatment for behavior... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS
Stereotypy & Mental Retardation: Neurobiological Basis
Jim Bodfish
Abnormal repetitive behaviors (stereotypy, self-injury, compulsions) are foremost among the varieties of aberrant behavior exhibited by individuals with mental retardation. Despite this, little is kn... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Developmental outcomes of perinatal IL-6 exposure in the CD-1 mouse
Susan Brunssen
This pilot study will explore effects of exposure of the perinatal CNS to an immune modulator, hyper-interleukin-6, on gene expression and myelination of the cerebral cortex, as well as the behavioral... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINR
Early Childhood Education: Effects on Adult Adaptation
Frances Campbell
This study is to examine the long-term effects of early childhood education on the adult adaptation of persons born into low-income families and to identify factors associated with successful outcomes... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Intergenerational Pathways to Competence in Minority Families
Frances Campbell
This study is to be a further adult follow-up of the participants in the Abecedarian study, a randomized trial of early childhood educational intervention in a full time child care setting (starting i... [More Info]
Funding Support: MCHB/DHHS
NICHD Study of Early Child Care - Phase IV
Martha Cox
This is an application to extend the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (SECC) through middle childhood (fifth grade). The major purpose of Phase 3 of the study is to understand how important contexts co... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD/NIH
Molecular Biology of Neurogenesis
Stephen Crews
This project is a comprehensive cellular, genetic, and molecular analysis of the development of the Drosophila CNS midline cells. The midline cells consist of 20 neurons and glia in each ganglion. O... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Regulation of Tracheal Fusion
Stephen Crews
This project involves molecular, cellular, and genetic analysis of the Drosophila and murine dysfusion genes. Drosophila dysfusion encodes a bHLH-PAS transcription factor and controls the migration a... [More Info]
Funding Support: NSF
Hormonal Control of Fetal Growth
Joseph D'Ercole
In culture, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) increases neuron number by stimulating progenitor proliferation and by promoting survival of neuroms and their progenitors. Mice with genomic alterati... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
IGF-I Actions in Oligodendrocytes/Myelin Injury
Joseph D'Ercole
Oligodendrocytes and the myelin sheaths that they produce are vulnerable to a variety of diseases and injuries, including multiple sclerosis (MS), undernutrition and ischemic insults. Prevention of o... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS
Mechanism of Neuronal Competence To-Die-By Apoptosis
Mohanish Deshmukh
Programmed cell death (PCD), which results in apoptosis, occurs widely during neuronal development and is also observed in pathological situations of stroke, spinal cord injury, and neurodegenerative ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS
Antipsychotic effects in models of NMDA receptor hypofunction
Gary Duncan
The “Antipsychotic actions in models of NMDA receptor hypofunction” involves assessment of behavioral and neurochemical phenotypes of a genetic model of reduced NMDA receptor function. Initial charact... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Development of a Staging System for Infantile Krabbe Disease
Maria Escolar
The aim of this project is to develop a clinical tool to stage the neurological progression of infantile Krabbe. This is a progressive demyelinating disorder because of the deficiency of galactocerebr... [More Info]
Funding Support: Hunter's Hope
Natural History of CNS disease in MPS II (Hunter’s Syndrome)
Maria Escolar
The aim of this project is to describe the natural history of CNS disease in 22 patients with MPS II ranging in age from 2 months to 26 years. This disease is an X linked recessive disease caused by t... [More Info]
Funding Support: Transkaryotic Therapies
Medical Image Presentation: Structural Image Analysis and Medical Uses
Project 3: Shape Analysis of Subcortical Brain Structures in Schizophrenia
Stephen Pizer
The MIP project consists of three projects and three cores. One of the projects focuses on development and extension of image analysis methods based on single and multiple object models at multiple le... [More Info]
Funding Support: NCI
Early Brain Development in High Risk Children
John Gilmore
This will be the first study of prenatal and neonatal brain development in children at high risk for schizophrenia – the offspring of women with schizophrenia and normal controls. The study will also... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH/NIH
Early Brain Development in Twins
John Gilmore
This project will study prenatal and neonatal brain structure in twins with ultrasound and MRI to determine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to normal brain development.... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Perinatal Vulnerability to Psychosis
Randy Ross
This R21 is a response to an RFA entitled “Child and Adolescent Interdisciplinary Research Networks”. It will establish an interdisciplinary collaboration between investigators at the University of C... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Prenatal Infection, Brain Development, and Schizophrenia
John Gilmore
The cause(s) of schizophrenia remain elusive, though there is strong evidence that pre- and perinatal. complications, including prenatal
exposure to infection, increase the risk of a person ultimatel... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH/NIH
Brain Growth and Cognition in NF1 Children
Robert Greenwood
Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is one of the most common genetic diseases in man. Nearly half of the mutations in the NF1 gene are spontaneous and many mutations are unique. The nervous system is promine... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS
A Nursing Support Intervention with Mothers of Preterm Infants
Diane Holditch-Davis
Premature infants are at risk for developmental problems, and rural, African American prematures are at higher risk for these problems than other prematures. This health discrepancy is probably due in... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINR/NIH
Selective Attention and Control Mechanisms in the Brain
Joseph Hopfinger
Accurate perception and action depend on the ability of brain attention systems to focus on the most relevant subset of stimuli in the environment. Attention can be directed in a voluntary (“top-down”... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Improving the Consent Process for Low-Literacy Parents
Frances Campbell
1.Specific Aims
a. Aims for this year were to complete modification of the two consent forms selected (with PI permission) for the simulation study. A modified print version, a video presentatio... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH - NICHD
Cocaine and Maternal Aggression:Oxytocinergic Mechanism
Josephine Johns
This project examines the biochemical mechanisms underlying the effects of gestational cocaine treatment on oxytocin system dynamics as it relates to subsequent abnormalities in maternal behavior and ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIDA
Cocaine and Maternal Neglect:Intergenerational Effects
Josephine Johns
This project examines the effects of intermittent and chronic gestational cocaine treatment on maternal behavior, aggression and oxytocin system dynamics across the lactational period in a rat model. ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIDA
Regional Differentiation during Mammalian Forebrain Development
Anthony LaMantia
This project focuses on cell biological and molecular mechanisms of patterning and cellular differentiation in the early developing forebrain. We are characterizing signaling molecules that influence... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Regulation of 22q11 genes in the Developing and Adult Forebrain
Anthony LaMantia
The project will evaluate the CNS expression, regulation and function of murine orthologues of 22q11 genes, which are deleted, as a contiguous group, in DiGeorge/Velocardiofacial syndrome.... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Cannabinoids in Early Sea Urchin Development
Jean Lauder
The project investigates effects of prenatal exposure to cannabinoids using sea urchin embryos as an animal model. The studies are based on evidence that these substances play key roles in fertilizati... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIDA
Organochlorine Pesticides and Serotonergic Development
Jean Lauder
The General Aim of this project is to determine possible consequences of maternal exposure to organochlorine pesticides, such as dieldrin and lindane, on development of serotonin (5-HT) neurons and th... [More Info]
Funding Support:
Pharmacologic Treatment of Social Deficits in a Mouse Model for Fragile X Syndrome: Do Gene-Gene Interactions Play a Role?
Jean Lauder
The General Aim of the proposed project is to investigate possible drug therapies for treating autism-like symptoms (social deficits) in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). These studies take advantage of preli... [More Info]
Funding Support: FRAXA
Serotonergic Regulation of Insulin-like Growth Factors
Jean Lauder
The GENERAL AIMS of this project are to determine whether regulation of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling plays an important role in the ability of serotonin (5-HT) to regulate mouse craniofa... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH (NIDCR)
Transcriptional Mechanisms of Hippocampal Aging
Pauline Kay Lund
This project will test a central hypothesis that aged, cognitively impaired rats (AI) exhibit more potent glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mediated transcription of hippocampal genes associated with neuro... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH
STAART Center Project 4: Gene Dissection of Autism-Related Behaviors in Mice
Terry Magnuson
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by the presence of social deficits, communication abnormalities and ritualistic-repetitive behaviors. Although the importance of hereditary factors is w... [More Info]
Funding Support:
Design of Isoform-Selective D1-like Ligands as Novel Drugs for Treatment of Negative Symptoms and Cognition
Richard Mailman
The D1-like dopamine receptors actually represent the product of two different genes (termed D1 and D5) that are expressed quite differently throughout the brain and other parts of the body. No availa... [More Info]
Funding Support: Foundation of Hope
Dopamine D1 agonists: novel treatment for autism spectrum disorder
Richard Mailman
The goal of this work is to take early and promising lead molecules discovered through NIH-funded research into dopamine receptor structure and function, and by a rational tier-wise approach select on... [More Info]
Funding Support: DOD
Molecular Regulation of D1 Dopamine Receptor Function
Richard Mailman
This work is aimed at studying how D1 agonists induce tolerance when administered repeatedly. Using a series of rigid D1 agonists, we are determining if selective conformations are promoted by differe... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS/NIH
SRC Kinases in the Developing Nervous System
Patricia Maness
The major goals of this project are to: To investigate the role of Src family tyrosine kinases in cell adhesion molecule-directed neurite growth in mouse brain and neuronal cultures; to elucidate sig... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH
Astrocyte Regulation of Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
Ken McCarthy
Neuronal hyperexcitability and excitotoxicity are thought to underlie a number of clinical disorders. Unfortunately, very little is known about the mechanisms that lead to excessive neuronal activity... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS/NIH
Neuronal-Astrocytic Communications In Vivo
Ken McCarthy
Research clearly demonstrates that astrocytes in situ sense neurotransmitters released during neuronal activity, and release neuroactive molecules in response to specific stimuli. What remains unclear... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS
Structure, Use & Expenditures for Autism Services
Joseph Morrissey
This research study seeks to develop a services research approach to understanding the structure, utilization, and expenditures for the care and treatment of autism. The three-year study, which will b... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Developmental Pathways to Skilled Remembering
Peter Ornstein
Given the critical role of memory in all aspects of successful adaptation, this project is designed to identify and characterize developmental pathways to skilled remembering in young children. It bu... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
Linking Teacher “Talk” and the Development of Children’s Memory
Peter Ornstein
During the elementary school years, children become increasingly facile users of a broad array of techniques for remembering information. For example, there are dramatic age-related changes in the use... [More Info]
Funding Support: NSF
Oxytocin, Postnatal Experience & Adult Maternal Behavior
Cort Pedersen
Brief daily maternal separations (BMS) during the early postnatal period has been known for decades to decrease acute stress responses during adulthood. Long daily maternal separations (LMS) during in... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH/NIH
Characterizing Social Cognition in Schizophrenia
David Penn
The primary goal of this project is to characterize the social cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. This will be done by comparing the non-social cognitive and social cognitive functioning of persons ... [More Info]
Funding Support: Johnson and Johnson Parmaceutical
The Neural Basis of Social Cognition in Schizophrenia
David Penn
Social information processing, or social cognition, is an aspect of cognition that is specialized for perceiving and interpreting social stimuli, suchas facial expressions and social behavior. Researc... [More Info]
Funding Support: NARSAD
Role of SOXB1 Factors in Neural Progenitors
Larysa Pevny
The overall objective of our research is to gain insight into the common molecular and cellular mechanisms that are involved in the correct differentiation of neural stem cells both during embryogenes... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
A Longitudinal MRI Study of Brain Development in Developmentally and Non-Developmentally Disordered Populations
Joseph Piven
Autism is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder that affects young children with a disability that often continues throughout life. Because of the severe impairment and duration of this disorder, autism... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Collaborative Linkage Study of Autism
Joseph Piven
We previously reported evidence of linkage to a locus on chromosome 13 (D13S800) with a maximum multipoint heterogeneity lod score of 3.7; maximum lod scores > 2.0 on chromosomes 4 and 16; suggestive ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Longitudinal MRI Study of Brain Development in Fragile X
Joseph Piven
A series of cross-sectional neuroimaging studies of older children and adults, from our collaborative group of investigators, demonstrate an association between reduced FMR1 function and a pattern of ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Molecular Genetics of Autism
Tom Wassink
This project is a collaborative study with Tom Wassink, M.D. at the University of Iowa, with a subcontract to UNC. Molecular and cytogenetics work will be conducted at the University of Iowa and clin... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH/NIH
STAART Center Project 1: The Neuropsychological Basis of the Broad Autism Phenotype
Joseph Piven
For over 15 years our research team and others have taken Kanner’s original observations about personality features characteristic of some parents of autistic individuals and developed definitions of,... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH
STAART Center Project 3: Novel Approaches for Finding Genes in Autism
Thomas Wassink
The goal of this project is to identify and characterize autism susceptibility loci and genes. While numerous linked chromosomal regions of interest have been identified in autism, the traditional app... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH
The North Carolina Child Development Research Collaborative
Martha Cox
The fundamental postulate of our theoretical framework is that development creates a hierarchy of nested systems. The CDRC will consist of an interdisciplinary group of researchers who are committed t... [More Info]
Funding Support: NSF
Predicting African American Adolescents’ School Success
Joanne Roberts
This project examines the role of race, culture, and peer relations at home and in school in influencing later elementary school age children's school competence. The specific aims of this study are ... [More Info]
Funding Support: MCHB
Speech of Young Males with Fragile X Syndrome
Joanne Roberts
This study examines the factors that affect changes in the speech intelligibility of young males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) in comparison to developmental age matched males with Down syndrome (DS) ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NICHD
An Open Label Study of Aripiprazole in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Linmarie Sikich
The purpose of this research study is to obtain pilot data about the safety and efficacy of aripiprazole (a third generation antipsychotic with a novel mechanism that appears to have fewer side effect... [More Info]
Funding Support: Sikich Gift Account, Pilot funds from GCRC
STAART Center Project 5 Study 1 – A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Citalopram for Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Conditions
Linmarie Sikich
The purpose of this research study is to learn whether or not a drug called citalopram (Celexa®) is helpful in treating repetitive and other behavior problems in children with Pervasive Developmental ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH
STAART Center Project 5 Study 2 - Early Pharmacologic Intervention in Autism: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial of Fluoxetine in Preschool Children
Linmarie Sikich
The purpose of this study is:
1) To determine if year-long treatment with fluoxetine (vs placebo) significantly changes the developmental trajectory in 30 – 58 month-old children with autism
2) To d... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIH
Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Linmarie Sikich
This project is a multisite clinical trial headed by UNC-CH that seeks to compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of two widely used atypical antipsychotics (risperidone and olanzapine) and a tr... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH/NIH
Treatment of Psychotic Disorders in Youth
Linmarie Sikich
This is a career development award that provides support for the principal investigator to gain expertise in the design, conduct and analysis of state of the art clinical trials for the treatment of p... [More Info]
Funding Support: NIMH
Roles of Growth Factor Signaling in Neural Regeneration
William Snider
The aims of this project are: 1. Compare the role of neurotrophin and cytokine signaling mediators in developmental versus regenerative sensory axon growth. Our hypothesis based on preliminary results... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS
The GSK-3β/APC Pathway in Developmental and Regenerative Axon Growth
William Snider
Links between neurotrophin signals that regulate neuronal morphology and the neuronal cytoskeleton have remained elusive. In vitro, we have identified a pathway downstream of NGF involving spatially l... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS
Experimental Pathology of Developing Nervous System
Kinuko Suzuki
The long-term goal of the proposed investigation in this grant is to study the
pathobiology of genetic neurodegenerative disorders affecting infants and
children and to explore possible therapeutic ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINDS, National Institutes of Health
Minority Families Being Screened For and Living With Genetic Conditions
Marcia Van Riper
The major aim of this study is to explore how minority families make sense of and use genetic screening results. A second aim is to explore the feasibility of using narrative accounts of genetic scree... [More Info]
Funding Support: NINR
Auditory Orienting and Language Outcomes in Children with Autism
Linda Watson
Research on typically developing children has demonstrated that features of child-directed speech can confer advantages on young language learners. However, replicated results from past research have ... [More Info]
Funding Support: NAAR
Choline, Pregnancy and Brain Development
Steven Zeisel
The studies are designed to determine if a high dietary choline consumption during pregnancy (in eggs or as phosphatidylcholine in diet):
a) increases maternal choline concentration in plasma
b) inc... [More Info]
Funding Support: American Egg Board