Your Donations In Action: Seyedmehdi Payabvash, MD

Sensory processing disorders (SPD), which refers to the inability to organize sensory input for appropriate use, affects up to 16% of the pediatric population. Children with SPD may demonstrate delayed intellectual, language and motor milestones. Sensory processing problems are also characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder and often coexist with ADHD.

In his 2017 Silver Anniversary Campaign Pacesetters Research Fellow Grant project, Seyedmehdi Payabvash, MD, examined the structural connectome of children with autism and sensory processing disorder using edge density imaging.

Dr. Payabvash and his research team found reduced density of connectome edges in the white matter tracts of children with autism and those with sensory processing disorder, which likely reflects reduced number of traveling neural fibers. They also demonstrated the feasibility of connectome-based machinelearning algorithms in identification of these children.

“Applying machine learning algorithms can help improve our understanding of neuroanatomical origin and microstructural changes associated with SPD,” Dr. Payabvash said. “And potentially help with development of new imaging biomarkers for objective diagnosis and differentiation of SPD.”