Denis Sukhodolsky, PhD

Behavior therapy for irritability and aggression in adolescents with autism (AR190136). This clinical trial will test the effectiveness of a novel behavioral intervention for irritability and aggression (BTIA) in adolescents with autism complicated by disruptive behaviors such as anger outbursts and low frustration tolerance.  BTIA consists of 15 ninety-minute weekly sessions that are  conducted with the teens and their parents by experienced therapists. The goal of BTIA is to help adolescents on the autism spectrum acquire emotion regulation and problem-solving strategies for managing frustration.  Funded by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, this 4-year clinical trial will enroll 126 participants in the age range from 12 to 18 years with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and co-occurring behavioral difficulties. Study participants are randomly assigned to BTIA  or a supportive psychotherapy control condition and outcome measures are conducted before, during and after treatment by a blinded rater. 

Neural mechanisms of CBT for anxiety in autism (R01 HD083881). This is a randomized controlled trial of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) versus Psychological education and Supportive Therapy (PST) for anxiety in children, ages 8 to 14, with autism and moderate to severe anxiety. The study utilizes fMRI to identify CBT-invoked changes in levels of activity/functional connectivity within the neural circuits involved in emotion regulation and social perception.

Multimodal developmental neurogenetics of females with ASD (R01 MH100028). This is a multi-site, longitudinal study of sex differences in ASD at the levels of gene structure and expression, neural dynamics, brain function and connectivity. The ACE network has curated an unprecedented sex-balanced, age-, IQ- and severity-matched cohort of cognitively-able school-age boys and girls with ASD, and age- and IQ-matched typically developing children and unaffected siblings. The second five-year period of this ACE network study is conducted to understand neurodevelopmental sex differences in ASD during transition to adulthood.