At present, neuro-modulating approaches mainly rely on behavioral therapies. With her research, Dr. Kaat Alaerts will explore novel avenues for enhancing neuro-modulation of the social networks in the autistic brain. Initial promising results have emerged for intranasal administration of the ‘social’ neuropeptide oxytocin for promoting social functioning. Also strong therapeutic potential is anticipated for applying noninvasive excitatory brain stimulation over key brain loci in the autistic brain. A specific interest of Dr. Alaerts lies in assessing whether these novel intervention approaches can enhance the neural communications or ‘connectivity’ within social brain networks. In normal development, the neural circuits that underlie human social behavior are not fixed, but constantly change from interactions with our surroundings. This project will define whether plastic neural changes can be specifically enhanced from neuropeptide treatments and/or non-invasive brain stimulation.
