How to Participate
How to Participate
Call (323) 391-8795 or email ucla.scan.lab@gmail.com to set up a time to complete a short 15 minute telephone interview. During this call, a research team member will ask you questions about your child’s mental and developmental history in order to confirm study eligibility.
What to Expect at your Study Visit
1
After passing our screening interview, we will then schedule you for an intake visit in our lab. Here are some things that we often complete during that initial visit:
- Mock MRI scan: We will complete a practice scan with your child to make sure that they are comfortable laying still and to give them a chance to get acquainted with the MRI environment before the real scan. During this practice, your child will play 2 video games while wearing a motion-tracking headband.
- Cognitive assessment: Your child will complete a few puzzles and games with a research team member.
- Clinic visit (For participants with Autism): You and your child may be asked to complete some diagnositic assessments (ADOS/ADI-R) at the UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental Clinic.
2
After a successful intake visit, you will then be scheduled for your study visit! This visit may include the following tasks:
- Parent and Participant Questionnaires
- Psychophysiological Sensory Assessment: Your child will play with a variety of sensory games and tasks while we record their heart rate, sweat response, and brow furrow response.
- Brain Scans (MRI): During the 45-90 minute MRI scan, your child will participate in several tasks. For some of the scans, your child will get to watch a movie, use a set of buttons to identify emotions, or listen to different sounds and feel a scratchy brush or fabric on their arm.
- Tactile Discrimination Task: Your child will feel vibrations on their fingertips, and will be asked to detect aspects of the sensation, such as which finger felt the stronger vibration.
3
If you are participating in a longitudinal project, you may be asked to come back to UCLA to complete some additional tasks. At the end of study participation, you will be compensated for the tasks that you completed. We will also send you a picture/video of your child’s brain, and you may request an individualized report on your child’s sensory responsiveness!
