In 1997, the NICHD, in collaboration with the
, started a five-year, $45 million, international Network on the Neurobiology and Genetics of Autism. The Network included 10 Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism (CPEAs) that would conduct research to learn about the possible causes of autism, including genetic, immunological, and environmental factors.
In 2002, the NICHD and NIDCD renewed funding for the CPEA Network, agreeing to provide $60 million over a period of five years.
The CPEAs link 129 scientists from 23 universities in the United States, Canada, Britain, and five other countries, and more than 2,000 families of people with autism. In fact, as a result of the CPEAs, researchers now have data on the genetics and outward characteristics of the largest group of well-diagnosed persons with autism in the world.
In 2003, the CPEA Network launched a Data Coordinating Center in Medford, Massachusetts, to provide data management and statistical support for Network activities. The Center will also maintain a Web site to ease communication and coordinate activities among the CPEAs. Three groups are managing different tasks in the Data Coordinating Center: DMSTAT, Inc.; the Boston University Statistics and Consulting Unit; and the Department of Biostatistics at the Boston University School of Public Health.
The Center will provide combined support for the CPEA Network and for the eight sites of the
, a five-year, $65 million effort supported by five NIH Institutes, including the NICHD. Such support will allow more data to be processed quickly and compared, which may increase the speed of discoveries from these research efforts.
What
collaborative projects have been supported by the CPEAs?
The table below lists several CPEA projects, the sites involved, and the scientific publications that resulted from each.
Project Title
Lead Site
Resulting Scientific Publication
Effectiveness of secretin for autism
University of Washington
(NICHD/NIDCD initiated in response to public health needs)
Unis AS, Munson JA, Rogers SJ, Goldson E, Osterling J, Gabriels R. Abbott RD, & Dawson G. (2002). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of porcine versus synthetic secretin for reducing symptoms of autism. [Comment]. Journal of the Am Acaf of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 41(11):1315-21.
Study of porcine secretin treatment of autism
University of California, Irvine
(Funding from the M.I.N.D. Institute and support from CPEA)
Owley T, McMahon W, Cook EH, Laulhere T, South M, Mays LZ, Shernoff ES, Lainhart J, Modahl CB, Corsello C, Ozonoff S, Risi S, Lord C, Leventhal BL, & Filipek PA. (2001). Multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of porcine secretin in autism. Journal of the Am Acad of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(11):1293-1299.
Regression and vaccines in autism
University of Michigan
(NICHD/NIDCD initiated in response to public health needs)
Luyster R, Richler J, Risi S, Han-Ling H, Dawson G, Bernier E, Dunn M, Hepburn S, Hyman SL., McMahon W, Nice-Gougie J, Minshew NJ, Rogers S, Sigman M, Spencer MA, Tager-Flusberg H, Volkmar FR, & Lord C. (In press). Early regression in social communication in autism spectrum disorders: A CPEA study. Developmental Neuropsychology.
Richler J, Luyster R, Risi S, Hsu WL, Dawson G, Bernier R, Dunn M, Hyman S, McMahon W, Goudie J, Minshew N, Rogers S, Sigman M, Spence M, Tager-Flusberg H, Volkmar F, & Lord C. (In press). Is there a regressive "phenotype" of Autism Spectrum Disorder associated with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine? A CPEA study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
DNA collection on autism probands
Genetics subcommittee(NICHD/NIDCD initiated in response to public health needs)
Ongoing data collection for next five years.
HOXA gene and autism
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington
Devlin B, Bennett P, Cook EH Jr., Dawson G, Gonen D, Grigorenko EL, McMahon W, Pauls D, Smith M, Spence MA, Schellenberg GD, & the CPEA Genetics Network. (2002). No evidence for linkage of liability to autism to HOXA1 in a sample from the CPEA network. [Journal Article. Multicenter Study] American Journal of Medical Genetics, 114(6):667-72.
Reelin gene and autism
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington
Devlin B, Bennett P, Dawson G, Figlewicz D, Grigorenko EL, McMahon W, Minshew NJ, Pauls D, Smith M, Spencer MA, Rodier PM, Stodgell C, Schellenberg GD, & the CPEA Genetics Network. (2004). Alleles of a reelin CGG repeat do not convey liability to autism in a sample from the CPEA network. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics,126B:46-50.
Genetic sibling linkage study of autism
University of Washington
Yu
CE, Dawson G, Minson J, D'Souza I, Osterling J, Estes A, Leutenegger AL, Flodman P, Smith M, Raskind WH, Spencer MA, McMahon W, Wijsman EM, & Schellenberg GD. (20020. Presence of large deletions in kindreds with autism. American Journal Human Genetics, July; 71(1):100-115.
(Ongoing data collection years 05-10)
Head circumference in autism
University of Utah
Data analysis in progress.
Cognitive profiles in preschool aged children with autism
University of Washington
University of California, Davis
University of California, Los Angeles
Manuscript in preparation.
Executive functions in autism
University of Utah
Ozonoff S, Cook I, Coon H, Dawson G, Joseph RM, Klin A, McMahon WM, Minshew NJ, Munson JA, Pennington BF, Rogers SJ, Spence MA, Tager-Flusberg H, Volkmar FR, & Wrathall D. (2004). Performance on Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Subtests sensitive to frontal lobe function in people with autistic disorder: Evidence from the Collaborative Programs of Excellence in Autism Network. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(2);139-150.
Language function in autism
Boston University
Tager-Flusberg H, McGrath L, Cook E, Dawson G, Dunn M, Hyman S, Lord C, Rodier P, McMahon W, Minshew NJ, Sigman M, Spence S, Williams D, & Volkmar F. (Under revision). A CPEA study of developmental history and language outcomes in autism, asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified.
Cognitive Profiles in Children
Boston University
Joseph RM, Tager-Flusberg H, & Lord C. (2002). Cognitive profiles and social-communicative functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 43:6; 807-821.
Peter Szatmari, M.D., MSc
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioural
Neurosciences
Associate Member, Clinical Epidemiology
and Biostatistics
McMaster University, Faculty of Health Sciences
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation
Chedoke Site, Patterson 207
Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5
Email: szatmar@mcmaster.ca
Alan C. Evans, Ph.D.
McConnell Brain Imaging Centre
Montreal Neurological Institute
3801 University St
Montreal, QC
CANADA, H3A 2B4
Email: alan@bic.mni.mcgill.ca
Nick Lange, Sc.D.
Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics
Laboratory for Statistical Neuroimaging
McLean Hospital
115 Mill Street, Room 312
Belmont, MA 02478
Email: lange@mclean.harvard.edu
Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, M.D.
Medical Epidemiologist
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MS F-15, 4770 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724
E-mail: mxy1@cdc.gov
Eric London, M.D.
Vice President - Medical Affairs; National Alliance for
Autism Research
99 Wall Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
E-mail: naarlondon@patmedia.net
Raquel E. Gur, M.D.
Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Psychiatry
10 Gates Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283
Email: raquel@bbl.med.upenn.edu
assistant stacem@bbl.med.upenn
Peter C. Mundy, Ph.D.
University of Miami
Department of Psychology
PO Box 249229
Psychology Annex
Coral Gables, FL 33124-0721
Email: pmundy@miami.edu
Steve Warren, Ph.D.
University of Kansas
Life Span Institute
1000 Sunnyside Ave
Lawrence, KS 66045
Email: sfwarren@ku.edu
Eric
Fombonne, M.D.
Department of Psychiatry
Montreal Children's Hospital
4108 Ste-Catherine West
Montreal, Cancad H3Z 1P2
Email: Eric.fombonne@mcgill.ca
Linda Daly
342 N. Bowling Green Way
Los Angeles, CA 90049
E-mail: LindaDaly03@aol.com
Portia Iversen
Cure Autism Now
5455 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 715
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Email: Portia@CureAutismNow.org
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