Other Research Studies

Epidemiologic Research on Autism in China

Funding Source: 

National Institutes of Health

Abstract:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a severe, brain-based, developmental disability whose prevalence appears to be on the rise in the developed countries but whose prevalence in China is largely unknown. Launching research efforts in populations where the genetic background and exposure distributions may differ from populations already studied should hasten progress toward revealing important heritable and nonheritable risk factors. 

The Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders Epidemiology (CADDE) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Institute of Reproductive and Child Health (IRCH) at Peking University are planning an epidemiologic study on ASD in China.  This planning and pilot research project is funded by a two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health in the United States.  The CADDE-IRCH partnership will assess and evaluate conduits and barriers to launching epidemiologic research on ASD in China, build capacity to conduct this research, and conduct pilot research activities to support future, larger-scale, epidemiologic research activities.  

Planning activities will include translating and adapting ASD screening and diagnostic tools, building capacity within the existing infrastructure for screening and data collection, and conducting training on use of the diagnostic tools. Pilot research activities will include implementation of a small-scale, pilot prevalence study in the WeiCheng District of WeiFang that uses the newly adapted tools. This will allow for both field-testing of recruitment and data collection processes and evaluation of the adapted screening/diagnostic methods through expert review.  

The scope of the pilot prevalence study will be a sampling of approximately 5,000 of the 10,000 children age 3-5 years in the WeiCheng District of WeiFang. Children in this age group will be identified from the national household registry system. Recruitment of children in urban areas will be through the kindergarten system, where 90 percent of the children attend. The remaining 10 percent of children can be sought out individually in homes. Children in rural areas will be recruited through village health workers, who will visit the homes of the identified children.  

Active ascertainment of possible cases of autism will be carried out through a two-stage screening process using the translated ASD screening tools. Children who screen positive for ASD will have their case status confirmed through clinical exam. Planning for larger-scale epidemiologic research activities will be informed and guided by the findings from the pilot research activities.

Visit the John E. Fogarty International Center to learn more about this and other international research projects on brain disorders.