Expanding Autism Research: Bringing Mobile EEG Testing to Families

Author: Ashley Lopez-Hernandez

    Thirteen-year-old AJ Peterman is one of many children benefiting from mobile EEG testing, a groundbreaking approach pioneered by psychologist Caitlin Hudac at the University of South Carolina. As part of her research in the Brain Research Across Development (B-RAD) lab, Dr. Hudac and her team bring their equipment directly into participants’ homes, making it easier for families—especially those in underserved areas—to participate in autism and neurodevelopmental research.
​  According to Erskine (2025) in the article "USC Psychologist Uses Mobile EEG to Break Down Barriers," Hudac and her team share AJ’s experience as a participant in their study. AJ, who is autistic, first joined the research after his mother, Akira Peterman, sought resources for autistic children in their community. Living in Sumter, South Carolina, the Peterman family faces long commutes to access specialized services. To address this challenge, Hudac’s team set up their mobile EEG lab in the Petermans’ home, allowing AJ to comfortably undergo his eighth EEG test while engaging in familiar activities, such as watching videos and interacting with family members.
   

A More Accessible Approach to Research

This mobile approach was born out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic when travel restrictions disrupted Hudac’s initial research plans. Rather than pause her research, she traveled across the country, testing more than 55 participants with rare genetic conditions such as GRIN2B, SCN2A, and SETBP1 in 90 days. This shift not only made participation easier for families but also improved the testing experience—children felt more at ease in their familiar surroundings, especially those with complex medical symptoms like epilepsy, motor delays, and autism.
Now, with funding from the SETBP1 Society, the Orphan Disease Center, and a McCausland Faculty Fellowship, Hudac’steam continues to expand its reach. While studying rare genetic conditions linked to autism, they also rely on neurotypical and autistic participants like AJ to form comparison groups, helping researchers build a more complete picture of autism and neurodevelopmental differences. By comparing EEG measurements across different ages and diagnoses, they aim to understand how rare genetic conditions influence development and their connection to autistic symptoms.
Hudac, S. (2025, March 14). "There's a lot of evidence to suggest that all autism is genetic. It's just a matter of have we discovered it or not," Hudac explains. "We currently know about a quarter of autism cases are linked to a known genetic etiology, which is important to emphasize." In Laura Erskine, USC psychologist uses mobile EEG to break down barriers to research.
While Hudac’s team has traveled across the U.S. to test children with the SETBP1 gene variant, their long-term goal is to expand internationally to reach more families affected by rare disorders.

Expanding and Representation in Science

Dr. Hudac's goal is to make mobile EEG testing accessible not only to participants with rare genetic disorders but also to individuals like AJ’s family in rural communities who face challenges traveling to USC’s lab. By bringing research directly to families, Hudac aims to broaden participation in neuroscience studies and ensure more inclusive representation in autism research.

Reference

Erskine, L. (2025, March 14). USC psychologist uses mobile EEG to break down barriers to research. University of South Carolina. https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2025/03/hudac-mobile-eeg-research.php