A systematic review and meta-analysis of handedness prevalence in the broader autism phenotype. Handedness is an easily measured, indirect index of cerebral lateralisation for language, making it an ideal first lens on asymmetry in the BAP. Status: Stage 1 Registered Report submitted to PCI-RR.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the brain-imaging literature on the broader autism phenotype. Because no studies had looked specifically at cerebral lateralisation in the BAP, we will widen the net to brain imaging more generally, using activation-likelihood-estimation meta-analysis to assess grey-matter laterality. Status: in write-up, heading for co-author review.
The heart of the project: measuring cerebral language lateralisation in autistic probands, their siblings, and neurotypical controls using fTCD, alongside behavioural handedness measures — with a visuospatial task added to check whether any differences are specific to language. The hypothesis: autism shows atypical (reduced) lateralisation, and the BAP sits somewhere in between. Status: Stage 1 Registered Report under review at Brain and Behavior.
This study will, for the first time, investigate whether computer-based laterality scores (derived from the computerised behavioural laterality battery, developed by Parker et al., [2021]) are associated with autism spectrum quotient (AQ) scores--the gold-standard behavioural measure of ASD traits.
A validation study testing whether a quick, computerised behavioural laterality battery — dichotic listening, chimeric faces, and finger tapping — can stand in for fTCD. If it holds up, it offers a cheaper, scalable tool for clinics and for large-scale research. Status: in preparation.
An online study with adults from the general population, asking whether laterality scores from the computerised battery correlate with autism-spectrum-quotient scores. Designed to be independent of Study D, it tests the laterality–BAP link at scale and entirely remotely. Status: Stage 1 Registered Report ready and awaiting final submission.