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Neural Mechanisms of Statistically-Guided Attention in Infancy: Awake Functional Developmental Neuroimaging

Award Number: K99HD121817
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/10/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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Neural Mechanisms of Statistically-Guided Attention in Infancy: Awake Functional Developmental Neuroimaging - Project Summary/Abstract Atypical patterns of visual selective attention are among the earliest signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), emerging in infancy, and may catalyze the divergence of neurodevelopmental trajectories. Attention is therefore an optimal presymptomatic intervention target for ASD. However, the development of successful interventions requires identification of markers that can track intervention efficacy in relation to the targeted constructs. The ability to use statistical learning to update and acquire new visual attention biases may provide such an intervention-monitoring biomarker, but little is known about the baseline distribution of individual differences in this statistically-guided attention ability in infancy or its neural correlates, which may also serve as monitoring biomarkers. The long-term goal is to develop attention-based measures that aid early clinical intervention design and foster adaptive visual attention biases that promote optimal neurodevelopment. The overall objective of this application is to identify the neural basis of individual differences in the ability to use statistical learning to guide attention in infancy by combining the power of eye tracking with awake infant fMRI. The central hypothesis is that acquisition of attention biases via statistical learning depends on functional connectivity between regions of the dorsal attention network (DAN), ventral attention network (VAN), cingulo-opercular network (CON), and default mode network (DMN). The rationale for this project is that characterizing the relationship between individual differences in statistically-guided attention and task-related functional brain connectivity in typically developing infants will provide two potential monitoring biomarkers (eye tracking and fMRI) by which to track intervention-related change, thus aiding early ASD intervention development. The central hypothesis will be tested by pursuing three specific aims: 1) use eye tracking to delineate a distribution of the strength of attention bias formation in 9-month-old infants in a statistical learning paradigm; 2) use awake infant fMRI to establish an awake infant imaging protocol supported by empirically defined distinctions between waking and sleeping activity in attention networks; and 3) use eye tracking and fMRI to define connectomic patterns of attention network activation that differentiate 9-month-olds who do and do not acquire attention biases. The proposed research is innovative in its use of the powerful new technique of awake infant fMRI to measure task-induced attention network activity. The proposed research is significant because it is expected to provide previously unattainable insights into the mechanisms by which infant attention networks support statistically-guided attention, along with potential behavioral and neural biomarkers for tracking intervention-related change in statistically-guided attention. The research and strategic training plan will support the candidate's transition to a tenure-track faculty position and pursuit of her long-term goal of establishing a productive independent research career using eye tracking, behavioral testing, and functional neuroimaging to study the neurodevelopment of attention.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $110,934 )
2026	2026	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA	2221 UNIVERSITY AVE SE STE 100	MINNEAPOLIS	MN	55414	HENNEPIN	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	9/14/2026	NEW	$110,934
														Subtotal = $110,934

Grand Total All Awards = $110,934

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Neural Mechanisms of Statistically-Guided Attention in Infancy: Awake Functional Developmental Neuroimaging

Award Number: K99HD121817

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/10/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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