The Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders (POND) Network Imaging sub-study is currently recruiting participants.
We are conducting a research study to examine brain development in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. We will be inviting 60 children to St. Joseph’s Hamilton Healthcare for an MRI appointment, during which we will take pictures of their brains as they watch a movie and play computer games.
This study is currently recruiting participants through the POND Network study. We also welcome families who have previously participated in other imaging studies to get in touch with our team if they wish to participate.
If your child is eligible (determined by a telephone screening interview), we will schedule you and your child for a visit. During the visit, we will spend the first 45 minutes explaining the study to you and your child, signing the consent forms, and practicing for the MRI by going into the mock scanner. Next we will head over to the MRI control room for the real scan, which lasts about 1 hour. Your child will be occupied during the scan by playing computer games and by watching a movie (of their choice!).
The total time for the visit will be 2 hours and 15 minutes. We schedule visits for any time that the MRI is available (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 8am – 4pm; Wed: 10am – 6 pm), and will subsidize your parking costs with a parking voucher. Your child will receive a small gift as a token of our appreciation for participating in the study, as well as some time to look at their brain once their scan is over!
Criteria for participation:
- Children (male and female) between ages 6-18 years old
- ASD diagnosis
- Children who wear braces or have any metal implants in their body (ex. Brain aneurysm clip, cochlear implants, etc.) will NOT be eligible to participate
If you are interested in participating, contact: Kathy Ghajar at 905-525-9140 X 24784;