Elizabeth Aylward

eaylward@u.washington.edu
Professor, Department of Radiology and Research Affiliate, Center on Human Development & Disability

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Our research uses structural and functional MRI (fMRI), as well as other neuroimaging techniques, to determine what brain abnormalities characterize various neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neuroegerative disorders. We are using fMRI to identify functional brain abnormalities associated with impairments in face perception and memory in autism. Structural MRI scans are used in a longitudinal study in Huntington's disease to identify biomarkers, such as striatal atrophy, that may be useful in future clinical trials to assess treatment effectivenss. We are also assessing the association between cognitive decline in middle age and structural brain changes. Other methods of brain imaging include diffusion tensor imaging to assess the integrity of white matter tissue, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which assesses neurochemical abnormalities.