Annika Linke

Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Sound Processing and Language Impairment in Autism

At San Diego State University, I use resting state functional connectivity to assess how the organization of the auditory cortex and the auditory-language network relate to sensory and social symptom severity in toddlers, children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. While atypical sound processing is extremely common in individuals with autism, its cause and developmental trajectory are currently unknown. Since early disruption of auditory cortical processing can have cascading impacts on language and social development, understanding the changes in brain function and organization that cause atypical sensory processing might ultimately allow for earlier diagnosis and more targeted interventions.