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Geng X, Kang X, Wong PCM. Autism spectrum disorder risk prediction: A systematic review of behavioral and neural investigations. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 173:91-137. [PMID: 32711819 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
A reliable diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is difficult to make until after toddlerhood. Detection in an earlier age enables early intervention, which is typically more effective. Recent studies of the development of brain and behavior in infants and toddlers have provided important insights in the diagnosis of autism. This extensive review focuses on published studies of predicting the diagnosis of autism during infancy and toddlerhood younger than 3 years using behavioral and neuroimaging approaches. After screening a total of 782 papers, 17 neuroimaging and 43 behavioral studies were reviewed. The features for prediction consist of behavioral measures using screening tools, observational and experimental methods, brain volumetric measures, and neural functional activation and connectivity patterns. The classification approaches include logistic regression, linear discriminant function, decision trees, support vector machine, and deep learning based methods. Prediction performance has large variance across different studies. For behavioral studies, the sensitivity varies from 20% to 100%, and specificity ranges from 48% to 100%. The accuracy rates range from 61% to 94% in neuroimaging studies. Possible factors contributing to this inconsistency may be partially due to the heterogeneity of ASD, different targeted populations (i.e., high-risk group for ASD and general population), age when the features were collected, and validation procedures. The translation to clinical practice requires extensive further research including external validation with large sample size and optimized feature selection. The use of multi-modal features, e.g., combination of neuroimaging and behavior, is worth further investigation to improve the prediction accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujuan Geng
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
| | - Xin Kang
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong; Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
| | - Patrick C M Wong
- Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong; Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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Courchesne E, Gazestani VH, Lewis NE. Prenatal Origins of ASD: The When, What, and How of ASD Development. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:326-342. [PMID: 32353336 PMCID: PMC7373219 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a largely heritable, multistage prenatal disorder that impacts a child's ability to perceive and react to social information. Most ASD risk genes are expressed prenatally in many ASD-relevant brain regions and fall into two categories: broadly expressed regulatory genes that are expressed in the brain and other organs, and brain-specific genes. In trimesters one to three (Epoch-1), one set of broadly expressed (the majority) and brain-specific risk genes disrupts cell proliferation, neurogenesis, migration, and cell fate, while in trimester three and early postnatally (Epoch-2) another set (the majority being brain specific) disrupts neurite outgrowth, synaptogenesis, and the 'wiring' of the cortex. A proposed model is that upstream, highly interconnected regulatory ASD gene mutations disrupt transcriptional programs or signaling pathways resulting in dysregulation of downstream processes such as proliferation, neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and neural activity. Dysregulation of signaling pathways is correlated with ASD social symptom severity. Since the majority of ASD risk genes are broadly expressed, many ASD individuals may benefit by being treated as having a broader medical disorder. An important future direction is the noninvasive study of ASD cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Autism Center of Excellence, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Vahid H Gazestani
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Autism Center of Excellence, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92037, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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Lord C, Brugha TS, Charman T, Cusack J, Dumas G, Frazier T, Jones EJH, Jones RM, Pickles A, State MW, Taylor JL, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Autism spectrum disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2020; 6:5. [PMID: 31949163 PMCID: PMC8900942 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-019-0138-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 574] [Impact Index Per Article: 143.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a construct used to describe individuals with a specific combination of impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviours, highly restricted interests and/or sensory behaviours beginning early in life. The worldwide prevalence of autism is just under 1%, but estimates are higher in high-income countries. Although gross brain pathology is not characteristic of autism, subtle anatomical and functional differences have been observed in post-mortem, neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies. Initially, it was hoped that accurate measurement of behavioural phenotypes would lead to specific genetic subtypes, but genetic findings have mainly applied to heterogeneous groups that are not specific to autism. Psychosocial interventions in children can improve specific behaviours, such as joint attention, language and social engagement, that may affect further development and could reduce symptom severity. However, further research is necessary to identify the long-term needs of people with autism, and treatments and the mechanisms behind them that could result in improved independence and quality of life over time. Families are often the major source of support for people with autism throughout much of life and need to be considered, along with the perspectives of autistic individuals, in both research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Lord
- Departments of Psychiatry and School of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Traolach S Brugha
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Guillaume Dumas
- Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, University of London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca M Jones
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, New York, NY, USA
- The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew W State
- Department of Psychiatry, Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julie Lounds Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Lombardo MV, Eyler L, Moore A, Datko M, Carter Barnes C, Cha D, Courchesne E, Pierce K. Default mode-visual network hypoconnectivity in an autism subtype with pronounced social visual engagement difficulties. eLife 2019; 8:47427. [PMID: 31843053 PMCID: PMC6917498 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social visual engagement difficulties are hallmark early signs of autism (ASD) and are easily quantified using eye tracking methods. However, it is unclear how these difficulties are linked to atypical early functional brain organization in ASD. With resting state fMRI data in a large sample of ASD toddlers and other non-ASD comparison groups, we find ASD-related functional hypoconnnectivity between ‘social brain’ circuitry such as the default mode network (DMN) and visual and attention networks. An eye tracking-identified ASD subtype with pronounced early social visual engagement difficulties (GeoPref ASD) is characterized by marked DMN-occipito-temporal cortex (OTC) hypoconnectivity. Increased DMN-OTC hypoconnectivity is also related to increased severity of social-communication difficulties, but only in GeoPref ASD. Early and pronounced social-visual circuit hypoconnectivity is a key underlying neurobiological feature describing GeoPref ASD and may be critical for future social-communicative development and represent new treatment targets for early intervention in these individuals. Many parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) spot the first signs when their child is still a toddler, by noticing that their child is less interested than other toddlers in people and in social play. These early differences in behavior can have long-term implications for brain development. The brains of toddlers with little interest in social stimuli will receive less social input than those of other toddlers. This will make it even harder for the brain to develop the circuits required to support social skills. But even among children with ASD, there are large differences in children's interest in the social world. One way of measuring these differences is to track eye movements. Lombardo et al. presented toddlers with and without ASD with images of moving colorful geometric shapes next to videos of dancing children. The majority of toddlers, including most of those with ASD, spent more time looking at the children than the shapes. But about 20% of the toddlers with ASD spent most of their time looking at the shapes. These toddlers also had the most severe social symptoms. To find out why, Lombardo et al. measured the toddlers' brain activity while they slept. During sleep, or when at rest, the brain shows stereotyped patterns of activity. Groups of brain regions that work together – such as those involved in vision – fire in synchrony. Lombardo et al. found that toddlers who preferred looking at shapes over people showed different patterns of brain activity while asleep compared to other children. In the toddlers who preferred shapes, brain networks involved in social skills were less likely to coordinate their activity with networks that support vision and attention. These findings suggest there may be multiple subtypes of ASD, with different symptoms resulting from different patterns of brain activity. At present, all children who receive a diagnosis of ASD receive much the same behavioral therapy. But in the future, studies of brain networks could allow children to receive more specific diagnoses. This could in turn lead to more effective and personalized treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States.,VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States
| | - Adrienne Moore
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Michael Datko
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Debra Cha
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
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Swanson MR, Hazlett HC. White matter as a monitoring biomarker for neurodevelopmental disorder intervention studies. J Neurodev Disord 2019; 11:33. [PMID: 31839003 PMCID: PMC6912948 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-019-9295-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early intervention is a valuable tool to support the development of toddlers with neurodevelopmental disorders. With recent research advances in early identification that allow for pre-symptomatic detection of autism in infancy, scientists are looking forward to intervention during infancy. These advances may be supported by the identification of biologically based treatment and outcome measures that are sensitive and dimensional. The purpose of this review is to evaluate white matter neurodevelopment as a monitoring biomarker for early treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as used as exemplars. White matter has unique neurobiology, including a prolonged period of dynamic development. This developmental pattern may make white matter especially responsive to treatment. White matter develops aberrantly in children with ASD and FXS. Histologic studies in rodents have provided targets for FXS pharmacological intervention. However, pharmaceutical clinical trials in humans failed to garner positive clinical results. In this article, we argue that the use of neurobiological monitoring biomarkers may overcome some of these limitations, as they are objective, not susceptible to placebo effects, and are dimensional in nature. SHORT CONCLUSION As the field moves towards earlier detection and early intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders, we encourage scientists to consider the advantages of using neurobiological features as monitoring biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan R Swanson
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, GR41, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, TX, 75080-3021, USA.
| | - Heather C Hazlett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599, NC, USA
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56
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Andrews DS, Lee JK, Solomon M, Rogers SJ, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. A diffusion-weighted imaging tract-based spatial statistics study of autism spectrum disorder in preschool-aged children. J Neurodev Disord 2019; 11:32. [PMID: 31839001 PMCID: PMC6913008 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-019-9291-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are widely theorized to result from altered brain connectivity. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) has been a versatile method for investigating underlying microstructural properties of white matter (WM) in ASD. Despite phenotypic and etiological heterogeneity, DWI studies in majority male samples of older children, adolescents, and adults with ASD have largely reported findings of decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) across several commissural, projection, and association fiber tracts. However, studies in preschool-aged children (i.e., < 30-40 months) suggest individuals with ASD have increased measures of WM FA earlier in development. METHODS We analyzed 127 individuals with ASD (85♂, 42♀) and 54 typically developing (TD) controls (42♂, 26♀), aged 25.1-49.6 months. Voxel-wise effects of ASD diagnosis, sex, age, and their interaction on DWI measures of FA, mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD) were investigated using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) while controlling mean absolute and relative motion. RESULTS Compared to TD controls, males and females with ASD had significantly increased measures of FA in eight clusters (threshold-free cluster enhancement p < 0.05) that incorporated several WM tracts including regions of the genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum, inferior frontal-occipital fasciculi, inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi, middle and superior cerebellar peduncles, and corticospinal tract. A diagnosis by sex interaction was observed in measures of AD across six significant clusters incorporating areas of the body, genu, and splenium of the corpus collosum. In these tracts, females with ASD showed increased AD compared to TD females, while males with ASD showed decreased AD compared to TD males. CONCLUSIONS The current findings support growing evidence that preschool-aged children with ASD have atypical measures of WM microstructure that appear to differ in directionality from alterations observed in older individuals with the condition. To our knowledge, this study represents the largest sample of preschool-aged females with ASD to be evaluated using DWI. Microstructural differences associated with ASD largely overlapped between sexes. However, differential relationships of AD measures indicate that sex likely modulates ASD neuroanatomical phenotypes. Further longitudinal study is needed to confirm and quantify the developmental relationship of WM structure in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Sayre Andrews
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Joshua K. Lee
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Sally J. Rogers
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - David G. Amaral
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA USA
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Stoica T, Knight LK, Naaz F, Ramic M, Depue BE. Cortical morphometry and structural connectivity relate to executive function and estradiol level in healthy adolescents. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01413. [PMID: 31568680 PMCID: PMC6908880 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emotional and behavioral control is necessary self-regulatory processes to maintain stable goal-driven behavior. Studies indicate that variance in these executive function (EF) processes is related to morphological features of the brain and white matter (WM) differences. Furthermore, sex hormone level may modulate circuits in the brain important for cognitive function. METHODS We aimed to investigate the structural neural correlates of EF behavior in gray matter (GM) and WM while taking into account estradiol level, in an adolescent population. The present study obtained neuroimaging behavioral and physiological data from the National Institute of Health's Pediatric Database (NIHPD). We analyzed the relationship between cortical morphometry and structural connectivity (N = 55), using a parent-administered behavioral monitoring instrument (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-BRIEF), estradiol level, as well as their interaction. RESULTS Executive function behavior and estradiol level related to bidirectional associations with cortical morphometry in the right posterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (pDLPFC) and primary motor cortex (PMC), as well as fractional anisotropy (FA) in the forceps major and minor. Lastly, the interaction of EF behavior and estradiol level related to decreased volume in the right PMC and was linked to altered FA in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (iFOF). CONCLUSIONS The study provides evidence that the relationship between EF behavior and estradiol level related to bidirectional GM and WM differences, implying estradiol level has an influence on the putative structural regions underlying EF behavior. The findings represent a crucial link between EF behavior and hormonal influence on brain structure in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Stoica
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Lindsay Kathleen Knight
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Farah Naaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Melina Ramic
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Brendan E Depue
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.,Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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Girault JB, Piven J. The Neurodevelopment of Autism from Infancy Through Toddlerhood. Neuroimaging Clin N Am 2019; 30:97-114. [PMID: 31759576 DOI: 10.1016/j.nic.2019.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) emerges during early childhood and is marked by a relatively narrow window in which infants transition from exhibiting normative behavioral profiles to displaying the defining features of the ASD phenotype in toddlerhood. Prospective brain imaging studies in infants at high familial risk for autism have revealed important insights into the neurobiology and developmental unfolding of ASD. In this article, we review neuroimaging studies of brain development in ASD from birth through toddlerhood, relate these findings to candidate neurobiological mechanisms, and discuss implications for future research and translation to clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica B Girault
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 101 Renee Lynne Court, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 101 Renee Lynne Court, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been hypothesized to be a result of altered connectivity in the brain. Recent imaging studies suggest accelerated maturation of the white matter in young children with ASD, with underlying mechanisms unknown. Myelin is an integral part of the white matter and critical for connectivity; however, its role in ASD remains largely unclear. Here, we investigated myelin development in a model of idiopathic ASD, the BTBR mice. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that fiber tracts in the frontal brain of the BTBR mice had increased volume at postnatal day 6, but the difference reduced over time, reminiscent of the findings in young patients. We further identified that myelination in the frontal brain of both male and female neonatal BTBR mice was increased, associated with elevated levels of myelin basic protein. However, myelin pattern was unaltered in adult BTBR mice, revealing accelerated developmental trajectory of myelination. Consistently, we found that signaling of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα) was reduced in the frontal brain of neonatal BTBR mice. However, levels of microRNA species known to regulate PDGFRα signaling and myelination were unaltered. Together, these results suggest that precocious myelination could potentially contribute to increased volume and connectivity of the white matter observed in young children with ASD.
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Cheng Q, Roth A, Halgren E, Mayberry RI. Effects of Early Language Deprivation on Brain Connectivity: Language Pathways in Deaf Native and Late First-Language Learners of American Sign Language. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:320. [PMID: 31607879 PMCID: PMC6761297 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has identified ventral and dorsal white matter tracts as being crucial for language processing; their maturation correlates with increased language processing capacity. Unknown is whether the growth or maintenance of these language-relevant pathways is shaped by language experience in early life. To investigate the effects of early language deprivation and the sensory-motor modality of language on white matter tracts, we examined the white matter connectivity of language-relevant pathways in congenitally deaf people with or without early access to language. We acquired diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from two groups of individuals who experienced language from birth, twelve deaf native signers of American Sign Language, and twelve hearing L2 signers of ASL (native English speakers), and from three, well-studied individual cases who experienced minimal language during childhood. The results indicate that the sensory-motor modality of early language experience does not affect the white matter microstructure between crucial language regions. Both groups with early language experience, deaf and hearing, show leftward laterality in the two language-related tracts. However, all three cases with early language deprivation showed altered white matter microstructure, especially in the left dorsal arcuate fasciculus (AF) pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Cheng
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Austin Roth
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Eric Halgren
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Rachel I. Mayberry
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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61
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Jung M, Mody M, Fujioka T, Kimura Y, Okazawa H, Kosaka H. Sex Differences in White Matter Pathways Related to Language Ability. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:898. [PMID: 31555075 PMCID: PMC6723765 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence from functional imaging studies points to a role for gender in language ability. However, recent studies suggest that sex differences in the neural basis of language are still unclear, reflecting a complex interaction between sex and language ability. We used diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging and global probabilistic tractography to investigate white matter (WM) pathways between 32 male and 35 age- and IQ-matched female adult participants in relation to their verbal abilities. Males showed higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left anterior thalamic radiations (ATR), right cingulum-angular bundle, right corticospinal tract, bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus-temporal terminations, bilateral uncinate fasciculus (UNC), and corpus callosum-forceps minor when compared with the female group. In contrast, females showed higher radial diffusivity (RD) in the left ATR and left UNC when compared to the male group. The relationship between WM metrics and verbal ability also differed across the two groups: a negative correlation between verbal comprehension index (VCI) and FA as well as axial diffusivity (AD) in left cingulum-cingulate gyrus (CCG) supracallosal bundle in males but not in females; a negative correlation between verbal IQ (VIQ) and FA in the right corticospinal tract (CST), and a positive correlation between VCI and RD in corpus callosum-forceps minor in the female but not in the male group. A direct comparison of these correlation coefficients yielded significant differences between the groups for the VCI-AD and VIQ -FA associations. The findings may reflect sex differences in WM related to language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyoung Jung
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Maria Mody
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Toru Fujioka
- Special Needs Education Subcourse, Primary Education Course, School of Education, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Yukari Kimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Okazawa
- Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kosaka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
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62
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Saaybi S, AlArab N, Hannoun S, Saade M, Tutunji R, Zeeni C, Shbarou R, Hourani R, Boustany RM. Pre- and Post-therapy Assessment of Clinical Outcomes and White Matter Integrity in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Pilot Study. Front Neurol 2019; 10:877. [PMID: 31456741 PMCID: PMC6701406 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: This pilot study aims to identify white matter (WM) tract abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) toddlers and pre-schoolers by Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), and to correlate imaging findings with clinical improvement after early interventional and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapies by Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Methods: DTI scans were performed on 17 ASD toddlers/pre-schoolers and seven age-matched controls. Nine ASD patients had follow-up MRI 12 months following early intervention and ABA therapy. VB-MAPP was assessed and compared at diagnosis, 6 and 12 months after therapies. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) was used to measure fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial (RD) diffusivity. Results: VB-MAPP scores improved at 6 and 12 months after early intervention and ABA therapy compared to scores at baseline. TBSS analysis showed significant FA decrease and/or RD increase in ASD patients before therapy vs. controls in inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi, uncinate fasciculi, left superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, forceps minor, left superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, corona radiate bilaterally, and left external capsule. A significantly FA increase in 21 tracts and ROIs is reported in post- vs. pre-therapy DTI analysis. Conclusion: DTI findings highlighted ASD patient WM abnormalities at diagnosis and confirmed the benefits of 12 months of early intervention and ABA therapy on clinical and neuro imaging outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Saaybi
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine/Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.,Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Natally AlArab
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Salem Hannoun
- Faculty of Medicine, Nehme and Therese Tohme Multiple Sclerosis Center, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.,Faculty of Medicine, Abu-Haidar Neuroscience Institute, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Maritherese Saade
- AUBMC Special Kids Clinic (ASKC), American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rayyan Tutunji
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.,Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Carine Zeeni
- Division of Neuro-Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesia, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rolla Shbarou
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine/Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Roula Hourani
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rose-Mary Boustany
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine/Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.,AUBMC Special Kids Clinic (ASKC), American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
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63
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Gyawali S, Patra BN. Autism spectrum disorder: Trends in research exploring etiopathogenesis. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2019; 73:466-475. [PMID: 31077508 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition in which affected individuals have difficulties while interacting and communicating socially, and repetitive behaviors. It has a multifactorial etiology. Various risk factors, including genetic and environmental influences, have been explored while trying to understand its causation. As older evidence was suggestive of a high heritability, a majority of research focused on finding the underlying genetic causes of autism. Due to these efforts, there have been advances in the knowledge of some of the genetic factors associated with autism. But a recent trend also shows an increasing interest in exploration of various potential environmental triggers. These efforts have brought us closer to understanding the elusive disorder more so than ever before. The current review discusses the recent trends in research exploring the etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreeya Gyawali
- Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Bichitra Nanda Patra
- Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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d'Albis MA, Guevara P, Guevara M, Laidi C, Boisgontier J, Sarrazin S, Duclap D, Delorme R, Bolognani F, Czech C, Bouquet C, Ly-Le Moal M, Holiga S, Amestoy A, Scheid I, Gaman A, Leboyer M, Poupon C, Mangin JF, Houenou J. Local structural connectivity is associated with social cognition in autism spectrum disorder. Brain 2019; 141:3472-3481. [PMID: 30423029 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The current theory implying local, short-range overconnectivity in autism spectrum disorder, contrasting with long-range underconnectivity, is based on heterogeneous results, on limited data involving functional connectivity studies, on heterogeneous paediatric populations and non-specific methodologies. In this work, we studied short-distance structural connectivity in a homogeneous population of males with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and used a novel methodology specifically suited for assessing U-shaped short-distance tracts, including a recently developed tractography-based atlas of the superficial white matter fibres. We acquired diffusion-weighted MRI for 58 males (27 subjects with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and 31 control subjects) and extracted the mean generalized fractional anisotropy of 63 short-distance tracts. Neuropsychological evaluation included Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV (WAIS-IV), Communication Checklist-Adult, Empathy Quotient, Social Responsiveness Scale and Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult (BRIEF-A). In contradiction with the models of short-range over-connectivity in autism spectrum disorder, we found that patients with autism spectrum disorder had a significantly decreased anatomical connectivity in a component comprising 13 short tracts compared to controls. Specific short-tract atypicalities in temporal lobe and insula were significantly associated with clinical manifestations of autism spectrum disorder such as social awareness, language structure, pragmatic skills and empathy, emphasizing their importance in social dysfunction. Short-range decreased anatomical connectivity may thus be an important substrate of social deficits in autism spectrum disorder, in contrast with current models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Antoine d'Albis
- UNIACT, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, Atomic Energy Commission, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.,INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Psychiatry, Mondor University Hospital, DHU PePsy, Créteil, France
| | - Pamela Guevara
- Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Miguel Guevara
- Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.,Neurospin, CEA, Paris Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Charles Laidi
- UNIACT, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, Atomic Energy Commission, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.,INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Psychiatry, Mondor University Hospital, DHU PePsy, Créteil, France
| | - Jennifer Boisgontier
- UNIACT, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, Atomic Energy Commission, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.,INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France
| | - Samuel Sarrazin
- UNIACT, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, Atomic Energy Commission, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.,INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Psychiatry, Mondor University Hospital, DHU PePsy, Créteil, France
| | - Delphine Duclap
- Neurospin, CEA, Paris Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Service de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France.,Institut Pasteur, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Paris, France
| | - Federico Bolognani
- Neuroscience, Ophtalmology, and Rare Disease (NORD), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F.Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Czech
- Neuroscience, Ophtalmology, and Rare Disease (NORD), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F.Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. Basel, Switzerland
| | - Céline Bouquet
- Neuroscience, Ophtalmology, and Rare Disease (NORD), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F.Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Stefan Holiga
- Neuroscience, Ophtalmology, and Rare Disease (NORD), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F.Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anouck Amestoy
- Charles Perrens Hospital, Autism Expert Center, Bordeaux, France
| | - Isabelle Scheid
- INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Psychiatry, Mondor University Hospital, DHU PePsy, Créteil, France
| | - Alexandru Gaman
- INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Psychiatry, Mondor University Hospital, DHU PePsy, Créteil, France
| | - Marion Leboyer
- INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Psychiatry, Mondor University Hospital, DHU PePsy, Créteil, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Cyril Poupon
- Neurospin, CEA, Paris Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Josselin Houenou
- UNIACT, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, Atomic Energy Commission, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France.,INSERM, U955, Translational Psychiatry Team, Créteil, France.,Fondation Fondamental, Créteil, France.,Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Department of Psychiatry, Mondor University Hospital, DHU PePsy, Créteil, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
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65
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Liu J, Tsang T, Jackson L, Ponting C, Jeste SS, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Altered lateralization of dorsal language tracts in 6-week-old infants at risk for autism. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12768. [PMID: 30372577 PMCID: PMC6470045 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Altered structural connectivity has been identified as a possible biomarker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in the developing brain. Core features of ASD include impaired social communication and early language delay. Thus, examining white matter tracts associated with language may lend further insight into early signs of ASD risk and the mechanisms that underlie language impairments associated with the disorder. Evidence of altered structural connectivity has previously been detected in 6-month-old infants at high familial risk for developing ASD. However, as language processing begins in utero, differences in structural connectivity between language regions may be present in the early infant brain shortly after birth. Here we investigated key white matter pathways of the dorsal language network in 6-week-old infants at high (HR) and low (LR) risk for ASD to identify atypicalities in structural connectivity that may predict altered developmental trajectories prior to overt language delays and the onset of ASD symptomatology. Compared to HR infants, LR infants showed higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF); in contrast, in the right SLF, HR infants showed higher FA than LR infants. Additionally, HR infants showed more rightward lateralization of the SLF. Across both groups, measures of FA and lateralization of these pathways at 6 weeks of age were related to later language development at 18 months of age as well as ASD symptomatology at 36 months of age. These findings indicate that early differences in the structure of language pathways may provide an early predictor of future language development and ASD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle Liu
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tawny Tsang
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn Ponting
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shafali S. Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Y. Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Center for Cognitive Neurosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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66
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Campbell K, Carpenter KLH, Hashemi J, Espinosa S, Marsan S, Borg JS, Chang Z, Qiu Q, Vermeer S, Adler E, Tepper M, Egger HL, Baker JP, Sapiro G, Dawson G. Computer vision analysis captures atypical attention in toddlers with autism. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 23:619-628. [PMID: 29595333 PMCID: PMC6119515 DOI: 10.1177/1362361318766247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To demonstrate the capability of computer vision analysis to detect atypical orienting and attention behaviors in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder. One hundered and four toddlers of 16-31 months old (mean = 22) participated in this study. Twenty-two of the toddlers had autism spectrum disorder and 82 had typical development or developmental delay. Toddlers watched video stimuli on a tablet while the built-in camera recorded their head movement. Computer vision analysis measured participants' attention and orienting in response to name calls. Reliability of the computer vision analysis algorithm was tested against a human rater. Differences in behavior were analyzed between the autism spectrum disorder group and the comparison group. Reliability between computer vision analysis and human coding for orienting to name was excellent (intra-class coefficient 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.67-0.91). Only 8% of toddlers with autism spectrum disorder oriented to name calling on >1 trial, compared to 63% of toddlers in the comparison group (p = 0.002). Mean latency to orient was significantly longer for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (2.02 vs 1.06 s, p = 0.04). Sensitivity for autism spectrum disorder of atypical orienting was 96% and specificity was 38%. Older toddlers with autism spectrum disorder showed less attention to the videos overall (p = 0.03). Automated coding offers a reliable, quantitative method for detecting atypical social orienting and reduced sustained attention in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Campbell
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Kimberly LH Carpenter
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Jordan Hashemi
- Duke University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
| | - Steven Espinosa
- Duke University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
| | - Samuel Marsan
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | | | - Zhuoqing Chang
- Duke University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
| | - Qiang Qiu
- Duke University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
| | - Saritha Vermeer
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | | | - Mariano Tepper
- Duke University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
| | - Helen L Egger
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | | | - Guillermo Sapiro
- Duke University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Duke University, Department of Computer Science, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mathematics
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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67
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Bussu G, Jones EJH, Charman T, Johnson MH, Buitelaar JK. Latent trajectories of adaptive behaviour in infants at high and low familial risk for autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2019; 10:13. [PMID: 30923608 PMCID: PMC6420730 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0264-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by persisting difficulties in everyday functioning. Adaptive behaviour is heterogeneous across individuals with ASD, and it is not clear to what extent early development of adaptive behaviour relates to ASD outcome in toddlerhood. This study aims to identify subgroups of infants based on early development of adaptive skills and investigate their association with later ASD outcome. Methods Adaptive behaviour was assessed on infants at high (n = 166) and low (n = 74) familial risk for ASD between 8 and 36 months using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS-II). The four domains of VABS-II were modelled in parallel using growth mixture modelling to identify distinct classes of infants based on adaptive behaviour. Then, we associated class membership with clinical outcome and ASD symptoms at 36 months and longitudinal measures of cognitive development. Results We observed three classes characterised by decreasing trajectories below age-appropriate norms (8.3%), stable trajectories around age-appropriate norms (73.8%), and increasing trajectories reaching average scores by age 2 (17.9%). Infants with declining adaptive behaviour had a higher risk (odds ratio (OR) = 4.40; confidence interval (CI) 1.90; 12.98) for ASD and higher parent-reported symptoms in the social, communication, and repetitive behaviour domains at 36 months. Furthermore, there was a discrepancy between adaptive and cognitive functioning as the class with improving adaptive skills showed stable cognitive development around average scores. Conclusions Findings confirm the heterogeneity of trajectories of adaptive functioning in infancy, with a higher risk for ASD in toddlerhood linked to a plateau in the development of adaptive functioning after the first year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Bussu
- 1Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Emily J H Jones
- 2Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- 3Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,4South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), London, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- 2Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK.,5Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- 1Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,6Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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68
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Petanjek Z, Sedmak D, Džaja D, Hladnik A, Rašin MR, Jovanov-Milosevic N. The Protracted Maturation of Associative Layer IIIC Pyramidal Neurons in the Human Prefrontal Cortex During Childhood: A Major Role in Cognitive Development and Selective Alteration in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:122. [PMID: 30923504 PMCID: PMC6426783 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human specific cognitive shift starts around the age of 2 years with the onset of self-awareness, and continues with extraordinary increase in cognitive capacities during early childhood. Diffuse changes in functional connectivity in children aged 2-6 years indicate an increase in the capacity of cortical network. Interestingly, structural network complexity does not increase during this time and, thus, it is likely to be induced by selective maturation of a specific neuronal subclass. Here, we provide an overview of a subclass of cortico-cortical neurons, the associative layer IIIC pyramids of the human prefrontal cortex. Their local axonal collaterals are in control of the prefrontal cortico-cortical output, while their long projections modulate inter-areal processing. In this way, layer IIIC pyramids are the major integrative element of cortical processing, and changes in their connectivity patterns will affect global cortical functioning. Layer IIIC neurons have a unique pattern of dendritic maturation. In contrast to other classes of principal neurons, they undergo an additional phase of extensive dendritic growth during early childhood, and show characteristic molecular changes. Taken together, circuits associated with layer IIIC neurons have the most protracted period of developmental plasticity. This unique feature is advanced but also provides a window of opportunity for pathological events to disrupt normal formation of cognitive circuits involving layer IIIC neurons. In this manuscript, we discuss how disrupted dendritic and axonal maturation of layer IIIC neurons may lead into global cortical disconnectivity, affecting development of complex communication and social abilities. We also propose a model that developmentally dictated incorporation of layer IIIC neurons into maturing cortico-cortical circuits between 2 to 6 years will reveal a previous (perinatal) lesion affecting other classes of principal neurons. This "disclosure" of pre-existing functionally silent lesions of other neuronal classes induced by development of layer IIIC associative neurons, or their direct alteration, could be found in different forms of autism spectrum disorders. Understanding the gene-environment interaction in shaping cognitive microcircuitries may be fundamental for developing rehabilitation and prevention strategies in autism spectrum and other cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Džaja
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Hladnik
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mladen Roko Rašin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milosevic
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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69
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Postnatal development and maturation of layer 1 in the lateral prefrontal cortex and its disruption in autism. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:40. [PMID: 30867066 PMCID: PMC6417186 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0684-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental connectivity disorder characterized by cortical network disorganization and imbalance in excitation/inhibition. However, little is known about the development of autism pathology and the disruption of laminar-specific excitatory and inhibitory cortical circuits. To begin to address these issues, we examined layer 1 of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), an area with prolonged development and maturation that is affected in autism. We focused on layer 1 because it contains a distinctive, diverse population of interneurons and glia, receives input from feedback and neuromodulatory pathways, and plays a critical role in the development, maturation, and function of the cortex. We used unbiased quantitative methods at high resolution to study the morphology, neurochemistry, distribution, and density of neurons and myelinated axons in post-mortem brain tissue from children and adults with and without autism. We cross-validated our findings through comparisons with neighboring anterior cingulate cortices and optimally-fixed non-human primate tissue. In neurotypical controls we found an increase in the density of myelinated axons from childhood to adulthood. Neuron density overall declined with age, paralleled by decreased density of inhibitory interneurons labeled by calretinin (CR), calbindin (CB), and parvalbumin (PV). Importantly, we found PV neurons in layer 1 of typically developing children, previously detected only perinatally. In autism there was disorganization of cortical networks within layer 1: children with autism had increased variability in the trajectories and thickness of myelinated axons in layer 1, while adults with autism had a reduction in the relative proportion of thin axons. Neurotypical postnatal changes in layer 1 of LPFC likely underlie refinement of cortical activity during maturation of cortical networks involved in cognition. Our findings suggest that disruption of the maturation of feedback pathways, rather than interneurons in layer 1, has a key role in the development of imbalance between excitation and inhibition in autism.
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70
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Holiga Š, Hipp JF, Chatham CH, Garces P, Spooren W, D’Ardhuy XL, Bertolino A, Bouquet C, Buitelaar JK, Bours C, Rausch A, Oldehinkel M, Bouvard M, Amestoy A, Caralp M, Gueguen S, Ly-Le Moal M, Houenou J, Beckmann CF, Loth E, Murphy D, Charman T, Tillmann J, Laidi C, Delorme R, Beggiato A, Gaman A, Scheid I, Leboyer M, d’Albis MA, Sevigny J, Czech C, Bolognani F, Honey GD, Dukart J. Patients with autism spectrum disorders display reproducible functional connectivity alterations. Sci Transl Med 2019. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat9223 order by 39635--] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Štefan Holiga
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joerg F. Hipp
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christopher H. Chatham
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pilar Garces
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Will Spooren
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Liogier D’Ardhuy
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Céline Bouquet
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan K. Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical center, Nijmegen 6525 EN, Netherlands
| | - Carsten Bours
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical center, Nijmegen 6525 EN, Netherlands
| | - Annika Rausch
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical center, Nijmegen 6525 EN, Netherlands
| | - Marianne Oldehinkel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical center, Nijmegen 6525 EN, Netherlands
- Brain & Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Manuel Bouvard
- Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital Charles Perrens Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Anouck Amestoy
- Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital Charles Perrens Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Mireille Caralp
- INSERM, National Biobank Infrastructure, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Sonia Gueguen
- INSERM, Clinical Research Department, 75014 Paris, France
| | | | - Josselin Houenou
- Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, DHU PePSY, Pôle de psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, INSERM U955, IMRB, Equipe 15, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Fondation FondaMental, 94000 Créteil, France
- NeuroSpin, UNIACT Lab, Psychiatry Team, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Christian F. Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical center, Nijmegen 6525 EN, Netherlands
| | - Eva Loth
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Declan Murphy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement, and Intervention, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Charles Laidi
- Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, DHU PePSY, Pôle de psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, INSERM U955, IMRB, Equipe 15, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Fondation FondaMental, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- APHP, Robert Debré Hospital, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Paris, France
- Pasteur Institute, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Anita Beggiato
- APHP, Robert Debré Hospital, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Paris, France
- Pasteur Institute, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Alexandru Gaman
- Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, DHU PePSY, Pôle de psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, INSERM U955, IMRB, Equipe 15, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Fondation FondaMental, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Isabelle Scheid
- Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, DHU PePSY, Pôle de psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, INSERM U955, IMRB, Equipe 15, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Fondation FondaMental, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Marion Leboyer
- Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, DHU PePSY, Pôle de psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, INSERM U955, IMRB, Equipe 15, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Fondation FondaMental, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Marc-Antoine d’Albis
- Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, DHU PePSY, Pôle de psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Est, INSERM U955, IMRB, Equipe 15, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Fondation FondaMental, 94000 Créteil, France
- NeuroSpin, UNIACT Lab, Psychiatry Team, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jeff Sevigny
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Czech
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Federico Bolognani
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
- Therachon AG, Aeschenvorstadt 36, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Garry D. Honey
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Juergen Dukart
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann–La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40223 Düsseldorf, Germany
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71
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Holiga Š, Hipp JF, Chatham CH, Garces P, Spooren W, D’Ardhuy XL, Bertolino A, Bouquet C, Buitelaar JK, Bours C, Rausch A, Oldehinkel M, Bouvard M, Amestoy A, Caralp M, Gueguen S, Ly-Le Moal M, Houenou J, Beckmann CF, Loth E, Murphy D, Charman T, Tillmann J, Laidi C, Delorme R, Beggiato A, Gaman A, Scheid I, Leboyer M, d’Albis MA, Sevigny J, Czech C, Bolognani F, Honey GD, Dukart J. Patients with autism spectrum disorders display reproducible functional connectivity alterations. Sci Transl Med 2019; 11:11/481/eaat9223. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat9223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high clinical burden, little is known about pathophysiology underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies have found atypical synchronization of brain activity in ASD. However, no consensus has been reached on the nature and clinical relevance of these alterations. Here, we addressed these questions in four large ASD cohorts. Using rs-fMRI, we identified functional connectivity alterations associated with ASD. We tested for associations of these imaging phenotypes with clinical and demographic factors such as age, sex, medication status, and clinical symptom severity. Our results showed reproducible patterns of ASD-associated functional hyper- and hypoconnectivity. Hypoconnectivity was primarily restricted to sensory-motor regions, whereas hyperconnectivity hubs were predominately located in prefrontal and parietal cortices. Shifts in cortico-cortical between-network connectivity from outside to within the identified regions were shown to be a key driver of these abnormalities. This reproducible pathophysiological phenotype was partially associated with core ASD symptoms related to communication and daily living skills and was not affected by age, sex, or medication status. Although the large effect sizes in standardized cohorts are encouraging with respect to potential application as a treatment and for patient stratification, the moderate link to clinical symptoms and the large overlap with healthy controls currently limit the usability of identified alterations as diagnostic or efficacy readout.
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72
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Macroscopic Cluster Organizations Change the Complexity of Neural Activity. ENTROPY 2019; 21:e21020214. [PMID: 33266930 PMCID: PMC7514695 DOI: 10.3390/e21020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this study, simulations are conducted using a network model to examine how the macroscopic network in the brain is related to the complexity of activity for each region. The network model is composed of multiple neuron groups, each of which consists of spiking neurons with different topological properties of a macroscopic network based on the Watts and Strogatz model. The complexity of spontaneous activity is analyzed using multiscale entropy, and the structural properties of the network are analyzed using complex network theory. Experimental results show that a macroscopic structure with high clustering and high degree centrality increases the firing rates of neurons in a neuron group and enhances intraconnections from the excitatory neurons to inhibitory neurons in a neuron group. As a result, the intensity of the specific frequency components of neural activity increases. This decreases the complexity of neural activity. Finally, we discuss the research relevance of the complexity of the brain activity.
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73
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Carpenter KLH, Major S, Tallman C, Chen LW, Franz L, Sun J, Kurtzberg J, Song A, Dawson G. White Matter Tract Changes Associated with Clinical Improvement in an Open-Label Trial Assessing Autologous Umbilical Cord Blood for Treatment of Young Children with Autism. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:138-147. [PMID: 30620122 PMCID: PMC6344899 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. We have previously reported significant improvements in behavior, including increased social functioning, improved communication abilities, and decreased clinical symptoms in children with ASD, following treatment with a single infusion of autologous cord blood in a phase I open‐label trial. In the current study, we aimed to understand whether these improvements were associated with concurrent changes in brain structural connectivity. Twenty‐five 2‐ to 6‐year‐old children with ASD participated in this trial. Clinical outcome measures included the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales‐II Socialization Subscale, Expressive One‐Word Picture Vocabulary Test‐4, and the Clinical Global Impression‐Improvement Scale. Structural connectivity was measured at baseline and at 6 months in a subset of 19 children with 25‐direction diffusion tensor imaging and deterministic tractography. Behavioral improvements were associated with increased white matter connectivity in frontal, temporal, and subcortical regions (hippocampus and basal ganglia) that have been previously shown to show anatomical, connectivity, and functional abnormalities in ASD. The current results suggest that improvements in social communication skills and a reduction in symptoms in children with ASD following treatment with autologous cord blood infusion were associated with increased structural connectivity in brain networks supporting social, communication, and language abilities. stem cells translational medicine2019;8:138&10
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L H Carpenter
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Samantha Major
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Catherine Tallman
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lyon W Chen
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Franz
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessica Sun
- Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joanne Kurtzberg
- Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Allen Song
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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74
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Courchesne E, Pramparo T, Gazestani VH, Lombardo MV, Pierce K, Lewis NE. The ASD Living Biology: from cell proliferation to clinical phenotype. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:88-107. [PMID: 29934544 PMCID: PMC6309606 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0056-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has captured the attention of scientists, clinicians and the lay public because of its uncertain origins and striking and unexplained clinical heterogeneity. Here we review genetic, genomic, cellular, postmortem, animal model, and cell model evidence that shows ASD begins in the womb. This evidence leads to a new theory that ASD is a multistage, progressive disorder of brain development, spanning nearly all of prenatal life. ASD can begin as early as the 1st and 2nd trimester with disruption of cell proliferation and differentiation. It continues with disruption of neural migration, laminar disorganization, altered neuron maturation and neurite outgrowth, disruption of synaptogenesis and reduced neural network functioning. Among the most commonly reported high-confidence ASD (hcASD) genes, 94% express during prenatal life and affect these fetal processes in neocortex, amygdala, hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum. A majority of hcASD genes are pleiotropic, and affect proliferation/differentiation and/or synapse development. Proliferation and subsequent fetal stages can also be disrupted by maternal immune activation in the 1st trimester. Commonly implicated pathways, PI3K/AKT and RAS/ERK, are also pleiotropic and affect multiple fetal processes from proliferation through synapse and neural functional development. In different ASD individuals, variation in how and when these pleiotropic pathways are dysregulated, will lead to different, even opposing effects, producing prenatal as well as later neural and clinical heterogeneity. Thus, the pathogenesis of ASD is not set at one point in time and does not reside in one process, but rather is a cascade of prenatal pathogenic processes in the vast majority of ASD toddlers. Despite this new knowledge and theory that ASD biology begins in the womb, current research methods have not provided individualized information: What are the fetal processes and early-age molecular and cellular differences that underlie ASD in each individual child? Without such individualized knowledge, rapid advances in biological-based diagnostic, prognostic, and precision medicine treatments cannot occur. Missing, therefore, is what we call ASD Living Biology. This is a conceptual and paradigm shift towards a focus on the abnormal prenatal processes underlying ASD within each living individual. The concept emphasizes the specific need for foundational knowledge of a living child's development from abnormal prenatal beginnings to early clinical stages. The ASD Living Biology paradigm seeks this knowledge by linking genetic and in vitro prenatal molecular, cellular and neural measurements with in vivo post-natal molecular, neural and clinical presentation and progression in each ASD child. We review the first such study, which confirms the multistage fetal nature of ASD and provides the first in vitro fetal-stage explanation for in vivo early brain overgrowth. Within-child ASD Living Biology is a novel research concept we coin here that advocates the integration of in vitro prenatal and in vivo early post-natal information to generate individualized and group-level explanations, clinically useful prognoses, and precision medicine approaches that are truly beneficial for the individual infant and toddler with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Tiziano Pramparo
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Vahid H Gazestani
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Department of Psychology, Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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75
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Rogers CE, Lean RE, Wheelock MD, Smyser CD. Aberrant structural and functional connectivity and neurodevelopmental impairment in preterm children. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:38. [PMID: 30541449 PMCID: PMC6291944 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9253-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite advances in antenatal and neonatal care, preterm birth remains a leading cause of neurological disabilities in children. Infants born prematurely, particularly those delivered at the earliest gestational ages, commonly demonstrate increased rates of impairment across multiple neurodevelopmental domains. Indeed, the current literature establishes that preterm birth is a leading risk factor for cerebral palsy, is associated with executive function deficits, increases risk for impaired receptive and expressive language skills, and is linked with higher rates of co-occurring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. These same infants also demonstrate elevated rates of aberrant cerebral structural and functional connectivity, with persistent changes evident across advanced magnetic resonance imaging modalities as early as the neonatal period. Emerging findings from cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations increasingly suggest that aberrant connectivity within key functional networks and white matter tracts may underlie the neurodevelopmental impairments common in this population. Main body This review begins by highlighting the elevated rates of neurodevelopmental disorders across domains in this clinical population, describes the patterns of aberrant structural and functional connectivity common in prematurely-born infants and children, and then reviews the increasingly established body of literature delineating the relationship between these brain abnormalities and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. We also detail important, typically understudied, clinical, and social variables that may influence these relationships among preterm children, including heritability and psychosocial risks. Conclusion Future work in this domain should continue to leverage longitudinal evaluations of preterm infants which include both neuroimaging and detailed serial neurodevelopmental assessments to further characterize relationships between imaging measures and impairment, information necessary for advancing our understanding of modifiable risk factors underlying these disorders and best practices for improving neurodevelopmental trajectories in this high-risk clinical population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia E Rogers
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8504, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Rachel E Lean
- Departments of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8504, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Muriah D Wheelock
- Departments of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8504, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Christopher D Smyser
- Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics and Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8111, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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76
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Eyler LT. Brain connections and social connections in autism spectrum disorders. Brain 2018; 141:3287-3289. [PMID: 30496361 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, USA
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77
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Murias M, Major S, Compton S, Buttinger J, Sun JM, Kurtzberg J, Dawson G. Electrophysiological Biomarkers Predict Clinical Improvement in an Open-Label Trial Assessing Efficacy of Autologous Umbilical Cord Blood for Treatment of Autism. Stem Cells Transl Med 2018; 7:783-791. [PMID: 30070044 PMCID: PMC6216432 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was a phase I, single-center, and open-label trial of a single intravenous infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-five children between the ages of 2 and 6 with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD and a qualified banked autologous umbilical cord blood unit were enrolled. Safety results and clinical outcomes measured at 6 and 12 months post-infusion have been previously published. The purpose of the present analysis was to explore whether measures of electroencephalography (EEG) theta, alpha, and beta power showed evidence of change after treatment and whether baseline EEG characteristics were predictive of clinical improvement. The primary endpoint was the parent-reported Vineland adaptive behavior scales-II socialization subscale score, collected at baseline, 6- and 12-month visits. In addition, the expressive one word picture vocabulary test 4 and the clinical global impression-improvement scale were administered. Electrophysiological recordings were taken during viewing of dynamic social and nonsocial stimuli at 6 and 12 months post-treatment. Significant changes in EEG spectral characteristics were found by 12 months post-infusion, which were characterized by increased alpha and beta power and decreased EEG theta power. Furthermore, higher baseline posterior EEG beta power was associated with a greater degree of improvement in social communication symptoms, highlighting the potential for an EEG biomarker to predict variation in outcome. Taken together, the results suggest that EEG measures may be useful endpoints for future ASD clinical trials. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:783-791.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Murias
- Duke Institute for Brain SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain DevelopmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Samantha Major
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain DevelopmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Scott Compton
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain DevelopmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jessica Buttinger
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain DevelopmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jessica M. Sun
- Robertson Clinical and Translational Cell Therapy ProgramDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Joanne Kurtzberg
- Robertson Clinical and Translational Cell Therapy ProgramDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Institute for Brain SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain DevelopmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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78
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Opposite development of short- and long-range anterior cingulate pathways in autism. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:759-778. [PMID: 30191402 PMCID: PMC6208731 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1904-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Autism has been linked with the changes in brain connectivity that disrupt neural communication, especially involving frontal networks. Pathological changes in white matter are evident in adults with autism, particularly affecting axons below the anterior cingulate cortices (ACC). It is still unknown whether axon pathology appears early or late in development and whether it changes or not from childhood through adulthood. To address these questions, we examined typical and pathological development of about 1 million axons in post-mortem brains of children, adolescents, and adults with and without autism (ages 3-67 years). We used high-resolution microscopy to systematically sample and study quantitatively the fine structure of myelinated axons in the white matter below ACC. We provide novel evidence of changes in the density, size and trajectories of ACC axons in typical postnatal development from childhood through adulthood. Against the normal profile of axon development, our data revealed lower density of myelinated axons that connect ACC with neighboring cortices in children with autism. In the course of development the proportion of thin axons, which form short-range pathways, increased significantly in individuals with autism, but remained flat in controls. In contrast, the relative proportion of thick axons, which form long-range pathways, increased from childhood to adulthood in the control group, but decreased in autism. Our findings provide a timeline for profound changes in axon density and thickness below ACC that affect axon physiology in a direction suggesting bias in short over distant neural communication in autism. Importantly, measures of axon density, myelination, and orientation provide white matter anisotropy/diffusivity estimates at the level of single axons. The structural template established can be used to compare with measures obtained from imaging in living subjects, and guide analysis of functional and structural imaging data from humans for comparison with pathological states.
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79
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Shen MD, Piven J. Brain and behavior development in autism from birth through infancy. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018. [PMID: 29398928 PMCID: PMC5789210 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2017.19.4/mshen] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous condition that affects 1 in 68 children. Diagnosis is based on the presence of characteristic behavioral impairments that emerge in the second year of life and thus is not typically made until 3 to 4 years of age. Recent studies of early brain and behavior development have provided important new insights into the nature of this condition. Autism-specific brain imaging features have been identified as early as 6 months of age, and age-specific brain and behavior changes have been demonstrated across the first 2 years of life, highlighting the developmental nature of ASD. New findings demonstrate that early brain imaging in the first year of life holds great promise for presymptomatic prediction of ASD. There is a general understanding in medicine that earlier treatment has better outcomes than later treatment, and in autism, there is an emerging consensus that earlier intervention results in more successful outcomes for the child. Examining early brain and behavior trajectories also has the potential to parse the etiologic heterogeneity in ASD, a well-recognized impediment to developing targeted, mechanistic treatments. This review highlights the current state of the science in the pursuit of early brain and behavioral markers of autism during infancy and examines the potential implications of these findings for treatment of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Shen
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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80
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Wang X, Kery R, Xiong Q. Synaptopathology in autism spectrum disorders: Complex effects of synaptic genes on neural circuits. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:398-415. [PMID: 28986278 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinxing Wang
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Rachel Kery
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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81
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Karahanoğlu FI, Baran B, Nguyen QTH, Meskaldji DE, Yendiki A, Vangel M, Santangelo SL, Manoach DS. Diffusion-weighted imaging evidence of altered white matter development from late childhood to early adulthood in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 19:840-847. [PMID: 29946509 PMCID: PMC6008282 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is thought to reflect disrupted development of brain connectivity characterized by white matter abnormalities and dyscoordination of activity across brain regions that give rise to core features. But there is little consensus about the nature, timing and location of white matter abnormalities as quantified with diffusion-weighted MRI. Inconsistent findings likely reflect small sample sizes, motion confounds and sample heterogeneity, particularly different age ranges across studies. We examined the microstructural integrity of major white matter tracts in relation to age in 38 high functioning ASD and 35 typically developing (TD) participants, aged 8-25, whose diffusion-weighted scans met strict data-quality criteria and survived group matching for motion. While there were no overall group differences in diffusion measures, the groups showed different relations with age. Only the TD group showed the expected positive correlations of fractional anisotropy with age. In parallel, axial diffusivity was unrelated to age in TD, but showed inverse correlations with age in ASD. Younger participants with ASD tended to have higher fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity than their TD peers, while the opposite was true for older participants. Most of the affected tracts - cingulum bundle, inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi - are association bundles related to cognitive, social and emotional functions that are abnormal in ASD. The manifestations of abnormal white matter development in ASD as measured by diffusion-weighted MRI depend on age and this may contribute to inconsistent findings across studies. We conclude that ASD is characterized by altered white matter development from childhood to early adulthood that may underlie abnormal brain function and contribute to core features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fikret Işık Karahanoğlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States.
| | - Bengi Baran
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Quynh Trang Huong Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Djalel-Eddine Meskaldji
- Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anastasia Yendiki
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States; Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mark Vangel
- Department of Biostatistics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Susan L Santangelo
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME, United States; Tufts University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Dara S Manoach
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, United States
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82
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Kumar VJ, Grissom NM, McKee SE, Schoch H, Bowman N, Havekes R, Kumar M, Pickup S, Poptani H, Reyes TM, Hawrylycz M, Abel T, Nickl-Jockschat T. Linking spatial gene expression patterns to sex-specific brain structural changes on a mouse model of 16p11.2 hemideletion. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:109. [PMID: 29844452 PMCID: PMC5974415 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0157-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD and ADHD, affect males about three to four times more often than females. 16p11.2 hemideletion is a copy number variation that is highly associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Previous work from our lab has shown that a mouse model of 16p11.2 hemideletion (del/+) exhibits male-specific behavioral phenotypes. We, therefore, aimed to investigate with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), whether del/+ animals also exhibited a sex-specific neuroanatomical endophenotype. Using the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, we analyzed the expression patterns of the 27 genes within the 16p11.2 region to identify which gene expression patterns spatially overlapped with brain structural changes. MRI was performed ex vivo and the resulting images were analyzed using Voxel-based morphometry for T1-weighted sequences and tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion-weighted images. In a subsequent step, all available in situ hybridization (ISH) maps of the genes involved in the 16p11.2 hemideletion were aligned to Waxholm space and clusters obtained by sex-specific group comparisons were analyzed to determine which gene(s) showed the highest expression in these regions. We found pronounced sex-specific changes in male animals with increased fractional anisotropy in medial fiber tracts, especially in those proximate to the striatum. Moreover, we were able to identify gene expression patterns spatially overlapping with male-specific structural changes that were associated with neurite outgrowth and the MAPK pathway. Of note, previous molecular studies have found convergent changes that point to a sex-specific dysregulation of MAPK signaling. This convergent evidence supports the idea that ISH maps can be used to meaningfully analyze imaging data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod Jangir Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Juelich-Aachen Research Alliance Brain, Juelich/Aachen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Nicola M Grissom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sarah E McKee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hannah Schoch
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicole Bowman
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robbert Havekes
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen Pickup
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Harish Poptani
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Centre for Preclinical Imaging, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Teresa M Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Ted Abel
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, USA
| | - Thomas Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
- Juelich-Aachen Research Alliance Brain, Juelich/Aachen, Germany.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa, IA, USA.
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83
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Swanson MR, Wolff JJ, Shen MD, Styner M, Estes A, Gerig G, McKinstry RC, Botteron KN, Piven J, Hazlett HC. Development of White Matter Circuitry in Infants With Fragile X Syndrome. JAMA Psychiatry 2018; 75:505-513. [PMID: 29617515 PMCID: PMC6026861 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder and the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability in males. However, there are no published data on brain development in children with FXS during infancy. OBJECTIVE To characterize the development of white matter at ages 6, 12, and 24 months in infants with FXS compared with that of typically developing controls. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Longitudinal behavioral and brain imaging data were collected at 1 or more time points from 27 infants with FXS and 73 typically developing controls between August 1, 2008, and June 14, 2016, at 2 academic medical centers. Infants in the control group had no first- or second-degree relatives with intellectual or psychiatric disorders, including FXS and autism spectrum disorder. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Nineteen major white matter pathways were defined in common atlas space based on anatomically informed methods. Diffusion parameters, including fractional anisotropy, were compared between groups using linear mixed effects modeling. Fiber pathways showing group differences were subsequently examined in association with direct measures of verbal and nonverbal development. RESULTS There were significant differences in the development of 12 of 19 fiber tracts between the 27 infants with FXS (22 boys and 5 girls) and the 73 infants in the control group (46 boys and 27 girls), with lower fractional anisotropy in bilateral subcortical-frontal, occipital-temporal, temporal-frontal, and cerebellar-thalamic pathways, as well as 4 of 6 subdivisions of the corpus callosum. For all 12 of these pathways, there were significant main effects between groups but not for the interaction of age × group, indicating that lower fractional anisotropy was present and stable from age 6 months in infants with FXS. Lower fractional anisotropy values in the uncinate fasciculi were correlated with lower nonverbal developmental quotient in the FXS group (left uncinate, F = 10.06; false discovery rate-corrected P = .03; right uncinate, F = 21.8; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The results substantiate in human infants the essential role of fragile X gene expression in the early development of white matter. The findings also suggest that the neurodevelopmental effects of FXS are well established at 6 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan R. Swanson
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Jason J. Wolff
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Mark D. Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Annette Estes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Guido Gerig
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn
| | - Robert C. McKinstry
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Kelly N. Botteron
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri,Department of Radiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Joseph Piven
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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84
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Wolff JJ, Jacob S, Elison JT. The journey to autism: Insights from neuroimaging studies of infants and toddlers. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:479-495. [PMID: 28631578 PMCID: PMC5834406 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417000980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
By definition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that emerges during early childhood. It is during this time that infants and toddlers transition from appearing typical across multiple domains to exhibiting the behavioral phenotype of ASD. Neuroimaging studies focused on this period of development have provided crucial knowledge pertaining to this process, including possible mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of the disorder and offering the possibility of prodromal or presymptomatic prediction of risk. In this paper, we review findings from structural and functional brain imaging studies of ASD focused on the first years of life and discuss implications for next steps in research and clinical applications.
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85
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The Original Social Network: White Matter and Social Cognition. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:504-516. [PMID: 29628441 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Social neuroscience has traditionally focused on the functionality of gray matter regions, ignoring the critical role played by axonal fiber pathways in supporting complex social processes. In this paper, we argue that research on white matter is essential for understanding a range of topics in social neuroscience, such as face processing, theory of mind, empathy, and imitation, as well as clinical disorders defined by aberrant social behavior, such as prosopagnosia, autism, and schizophrenia. We provide practical advice on how best to carry out these studies, which ultimately will substantially deepen our understanding of the neurobiological basis of social behavior.
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86
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Zhang L, Li K, Zhang C, Qi X, Zheng N, Wang G. Arcuate Fasciculus in Autism Spectrum Disorder Toddlers with Language Regression. Open Med (Wars) 2018; 13:90-95. [PMID: 29607418 PMCID: PMC5874511 DOI: 10.1515/med-2018-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Language regression is observed in a subset of toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as initial symptom. However, such a phenomenon has not been fully explored, partly due to the lack of definite diagnostic evaluation methods and criteria. Materials and Methods: Fifteen toddlers with ASD exhibiting language regression and fourteen age-matched typically developing (TD) controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI parameters including fractional anisotropy (FA), average fiber length (AFL), tract volume (TV) and number of voxels (NV) were analyzed by Neuro 3D in Siemens syngo workstation. Subsequently, the data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics 22. Results: Compared with TD children, a significant reduction of FA along with an increase in TV and NV was observed in ASD children with language regression. Note that there were no significant differences between ASD and TD children in AFL of the arcuate fasciculus (AF). Conclusions: These DTI changes in the AF suggest that microstructural anomalies of the AF white matter may be associated with language deficits in ASD children exhibiting language regression starting from an early age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- Department of MR, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, China
| | - Kailong Li
- Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining272029, China
| | - Chengqi Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Qianfoshan Hospital, Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan250014, China
| | - Xianlong Qi
- Department of Radiology, Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Jining272011, China
| | - Ning Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Jining272011, China
| | - Guangbin Wang
- Department of MR, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, China
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87
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Gibbard CR, Ren J, Skuse DH, Clayden JD, Clark CA. Structural connectivity of the amygdala in young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 39:1270-1282. [PMID: 29265723 PMCID: PMC5838552 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social cognition, a function associated with the amygdala. Subdivisions of the amygdala have been identified which show specificity of structure, connectivity, and function. Little is known about amygdala connectivity in ASD. The aim of this study was to investigate the microstructural properties of amygdala-cortical connections and their association with ASD behaviours, and whether connectivity of specific amygdala subregions is associated with particular ASD traits. The brains of 51 high-functioning young adults (25 with ASD; 26 controls) were scanned using MRI. Amygdala volume was measured, and amygdala-cortical connectivity estimated using probabilistic tractography. An iterative 'winner takes all' algorithm was used to parcellate the amygdala based on its primary cortical connections. Measures of amygdala connectivity were correlated with clinical scores. In comparison with controls, amygdala volume was greater in ASD (F(1,94) = 4.19; p = .04). In white matter (WM) tracts connecting the right amygdala to the right cortex, ASD subjects showed increased mean diffusivity (t = 2.35; p = .05), which correlated with the severity of emotion recognition deficits (rho = -0.53; p = .01). Following amygdala parcellation, in ASD subjects reduced fractional anisotropy in WM connecting the left amygdala to the temporal cortex was associated with with greater attention switching impairment (rho = -0.61; p = .02). This study demonstrates that both amygdala volume and the microstructure of connections between the amygdala and the cortex are altered in ASD. Findings indicate that the microstructure of right amygdala WM tracts are associated with overall ASD severity, but that investigation of amygdala subregions can identify more specific associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare R Gibbard
- Developmental Imaging and Biophysics Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - Juejing Ren
- Behavioural Sciences Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - David H Skuse
- Behavioural Sciences Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D Clayden
- Developmental Imaging and Biophysics Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - Chris A Clark
- Developmental Imaging and Biophysics Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
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88
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Fingher N, Dinstein I, Ben-Shachar M, Haar S, Dale AM, Eyler L, Pierce K, Courchesne E. Toddlers later diagnosed with autism exhibit multiple structural abnormalities in temporal corpus callosum fibers. Cortex 2017; 97:291-305. [PMID: 28202133 PMCID: PMC5522774 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Interhemispheric functional connectivity abnormalities are often reported in autism and it is thus not surprising that structural defects of the corpus callosum (CC) are consistently found using both traditional MRI and DTI techniques. Past DTI studies however, have subdivided the CC into 2 or 3 segments without regard for where fibers may project to within the cortex, thus placing limitations on our ability to understand the nature, timing and neurobehavioral impact of early CC abnormalities in autism. Leveraging a unique cohort of 97 toddlers (68 autism; 29 typical) we utilized a novel technique that identified seven CC tracts according to their cortical projections. Results revealed that younger (<2.5 years old), but not older toddlers with autism exhibited abnormally low mean, radial, and axial diffusivity values in the CC tracts connecting the occipital lobes and the temporal lobes. Fractional anisotropy and the cross sectional area of the temporal CC tract were significantly larger in young toddlers with autism. These findings indicate that water diffusion is more restricted and unidirectional in the temporal CC tract of young toddlers who develop autism. Such results may be explained by a potential overabundance of small caliber axons generated by excessive prenatal neural proliferation as proposed by previous genetic, animal model, and postmortem studies of autism. Furthermore, early diffusion measures in the temporal CC tract of the young toddlers were correlated with outcome measures of autism severity at later ages. These findings regarding the potential nature, timing, and location of early CC abnormalities in autism add to accumulating evidence, which suggests that altered inter-hemispheric connectivity, particularly across the temporal lobes, is a hallmark of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Fingher
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Israel.
| | - Ilan Dinstein
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Israel; Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University, Israel
| | - Michal Ben-Shachar
- Department of English Literature and Linguistics, Bar Ilan University, Israel; The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shlomi Haar
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Israel
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Lisa Eyler
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, USA; Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, USA
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89
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Martínez K, Merchán-Naranjo J, Pina-Camacho L, Alemán-Gómez Y, Boada L, Fraguas D, Moreno C, Arango C, Janssen J, Parellada M. Atypical age-dependency of executive function and white matter microstructure in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 26:1361-1376. [PMID: 28447268 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-017-0990-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) performance is associated with measurements of white matter microstructure (WMS) in typical individuals. Impaired EF is a hallmark symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but it is unclear how impaired EF relates to variability in WMS. Twenty-one male youth (8-18 years) with ASD and without intellectual disability and twenty-one typical male participants (TP) matched for age, intelligence quotient, handedness, race and parental socioeconomic status were recruited. Five EF domains were assessed and several DTI-based measurements of WMS [fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD)] were estimated for eighteen white matter tracts. The ASD group had lower scores for attention (F = 8.37, p = 0.006) and response inhibition (F = 13.09, p = 0.001). Age-dependent changes of EF performance and WMS measurements were present in TP but attenuated in the ASD group. The strongest diagnosis-by-age effect was found for forceps minor, left anterior thalamic radiation and left cingulum angular bundle (all p's ≤ 0.002). In these tracts subjects with ASD tended to have equal or increased FA and/or reduced MD and/or RD at younger ages while controls had increased FA and/or reduced MD and/or RD thereafter. Only for TP individuals, increased FA in the left anterior thalamic radiation was associated with better response inhibition, while reduced RD in forceps minor and left cingulum angular bundle was related to better problem solving and working memory performance respectively. These findings provide novel insight into the age-dependency of EF performance and WMS in ASD, which can be instructive to cognitive training programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenia Martínez
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. .,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain. .,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain. .,Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. .,Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Edificio prefabricado, entrada por Máiquez 9, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jessica Merchán-Naranjo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Pina-Camacho
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yasser Alemán-Gómez
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Leticia Boada
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Fraguas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Moreno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joost Janssen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mara Parellada
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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90
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Solders SK, Carper RA, Müller RA. White matter compromise in autism? Differentiating motion confounds from true differences in diffusion tensor imaging. Autism Res 2017; 10:1606-1620. [PMID: 28503904 PMCID: PMC5648623 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 04/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Common findings from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include reduced fractional anisotropy (FA), and increased mean and radial diffusivity (MD, RD) of white matter tracts. However, findings may be confounded by head motion. We examined how group-level motion matching affects DTI comparisons between ASD and typically developing (TD) groups. We included 57 ASD and 50 TD participants, comparing three subsets at increasing levels of motion-matching stringency: full sample (FS); quality-controlled (QC); and quantitatively-matched (QM). Groups were compared on diffusivity measures using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) and probabilistic tractography. Two methods for estimating diffusivity were compared: dti-fit and restore. TBSS: In set FS, FA was reduced in the ASD compared to the TD group throughout the right hemisphere. This effect was less extensive in set QC and absent in set QM. However, effect sizes remained stable or increased with better quality-control in some regions. Tractography: In set QM, MD was significantly higher in ASD overall and RD was higher in bilateral ILF. Effects were more robust in QM than in FS or QC sets. Effect sizes in several tracts increased with stringent quality matching. Restore improved tensor estimates, with some increases in effect sizes, but did not fully compensate for reduced quality. Findings suggest that some previously reported DTI findings for ASD may have been confounded by motion. However, effects in the tightly matched subset indicate that tract-specific anomalies probably do exist in ASD. Our results highlight the need for careful quality-control and motion-matching. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1606-1620. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seraphina K Solders
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ruth A Carper
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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91
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An altered scaffold for information processing: Cognitive control development in adolescents with autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:464-475. [PMID: 28924621 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We investigated how cognitive neuroscientific studies during the last decade have advanced understanding of cognitive control from adolescence to young adulthood in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To do so, we conducted a selective review of the larger structural, resting state, and diffusion imaging studies of brain regions and networks related to cognitive control that have been conducted since 2007 in individuals with ASD and typical development (TYP) ages 10 to 30 years that examined how these regions and networks support behavioral and task-based fMRI performance on tasks assessing cognitive control during this period. Longitudinal structural studies reveal overgrowth of the anterior cingulate (ACC) and slower white matter development in the parietal cortex in adolescents with ASD versus TYP. Cross-sectional studies of the salience, executive control and default mode resting state functional connectivity networks, which mediate cognitive control, demonstrate patterns of connectivity that differ from TYP through adolescence. Finally, white matter tracts underlying these control-related brain regions continue to show reduced diffusion properties compared to TYP. It is thus not surprising that cognitive control tasks performance improves less during adolescence in ASD versus TYP. This review illustrates that a cognitive neuroscientific approach produces insights about the mechanisms of persistent cognitive control deficits in individuals with ASD from adolescence into young adulthood not apparent with neuropsychological methods alone, and draws attention to the great need for longitudinal studies of this period in those with ASD. Further investigation of ACC and fronto-parietal neural circuits may help specify pathophysiology and treatment options.
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92
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Lee AS, Azmitia EC, Whitaker-Azmitia PM. Developmental microglial priming in postmortem autism spectrum disorder temporal cortex. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 62:193-202. [PMID: 28159644 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia can shift into different complex morphologies depending on the microenvironment of the central nervous system (CNS). The distinct morphologies correlate with specific functions and can indicate the pathophysiological state of the CNS. Previous postmortem studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) showed neuroinflammation in ASD indicated by increased microglial density. These changes in the microglia density can be accompanied by changes in microglia phenotype but the individual contribution of different microglia phenotypes to the pathophysiology of ASD remains unclear. Here, we used an unbiased stereological approach to quantify six structurally and functionally distinct microglia phenotypes in postmortem human temporal cortex, which were immuno-stained with Iba1. The total density of all microglia phenotypes did not differ between ASD donors and typically developing individual donors. However, there was a significant decrease in ramified microglia in both gray matter and white matter of ASD, and a significant increase in primed microglia in gray matter of ASD compared to typically developing individuals. This increase in primed microglia showed a positive correlation with donor age in both gray matter and white of ASD, but not in typically developing individuals. Our results provide evidence of a shift in microglial phenotype that may indicate impaired synaptic plasticity and a chronic vulnerability to exaggerated immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Lee
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Efrain C Azmitia
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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93
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Wolff JJ, Swanson MR, Elison JT, Gerig G, Pruett JR, Styner MA, Vachet C, Botteron KN, Dager SR, Estes AM, Hazlett HC, Schultz RT, Shen MD, Zwaigenbaum L, Piven J. Neural circuitry at age 6 months associated with later repetitive behavior and sensory responsiveness in autism. Mol Autism 2017; 8:8. [PMID: 28316772 PMCID: PMC5351210 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0126-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Restricted and repetitive behaviors are defining features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Under revised diagnostic criteria for ASD, this behavioral domain now includes atypical responses to sensory stimuli. To date, little is known about the neural circuitry underlying these features of ASD early in life. Methods Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging data were collected from 217 infants at high familial risk for ASD. Forty-four of these infants were diagnosed with ASD at age 2. Targeted cortical, cerebellar, and striatal white matter pathways were defined and measured at ages 6, 12, and 24 months. Dependent variables included the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised and the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire. Results Among children diagnosed with ASD, repetitive behaviors and sensory response patterns were strongly correlated, even when accounting for developmental level or social impairment. Longitudinal analyses indicated that the genu and cerebellar pathways were significantly associated with both repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness but not social deficits. At age 6 months, fractional anisotropy in the genu significantly predicted repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness at age 2. Cerebellar pathways significantly predicted later sensory responsiveness. Exploratory analyses suggested a possible disordinal interaction based on diagnostic status for the association between fractional anisotropy and repetitive behavior. Conclusions Our findings suggest that restricted and repetitive behaviors contributing to a diagnosis of ASD at age 2 years are associated with structural properties of callosal and cerebellar white matter pathways measured during infancy and toddlerhood. We further identified that repetitive behaviors and unusual sensory response patterns co-occur and share common brain-behavior relationships. These results were strikingly specific given the absence of association between targeted pathways and social deficits. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13229-017-0126-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Wolff
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Meghan R Swanson
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Guido Gerig
- Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York City, NY USA
| | - John R Pruett
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Clement Vachet
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Stephen R Dager
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Annette M Estes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Heather C Hazlett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Mark D Shen
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | | | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
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94
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The emergence of autism spectrum disorder: insights gained from studies of brain and behaviour in high-risk infants. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2017; 30:85-91. [PMID: 28009726 PMCID: PMC5915621 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We review studies of infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), proposing that the earliest manifestations of disrupted brain development can shed light on prebehavioural markers of risk and mechanisms underlying the heterogeneity of ASD. RECENT FINDINGS Prospective, longitudinal studies of infants at risk for ASD have revealed that behavioural signs of ASD are generally not observed until the second year of life. The developmental signs within the first year are often subtle and rooted in processes outside the core diagnostic domains of ASD, such as motor and visual perceptual function. However, studies examining early brain development and function have identified a myriad of atypicalities within the first year that are associated with risk for ASD. SUMMARY Longitudinal studies of high-risk infants provide a unique opportunity to identify and quantify the sources of the atypical development and developmental heterogeneity of ASD. Integration of assays of behaviour and brain in the first year of life, expansion of the definition of high risk, and coordinated efforts in multisite investigations to adequately power integrative studies will lead to new insights into mechanisms of atypical development and, ultimately, the ideal timing and target for interventions that aim to attenuate delays or impairments.
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95
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Conti E, Mitra J, Calderoni S, Pannek K, Shen KK, Pagnozzi A, Rose S, Mazzotti S, Scelfo D, Tosetti M, Muratori F, Cioni G, Guzzetta A. Network over-connectivity differentiates autism spectrum disorder from other developmental disorders in toddlers: A diffusion MRI study. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:2333-2344. [PMID: 28094463 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced connectivity studies in toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are increasing and consistently reporting a disruption of brain connectivity. However, most of these studies compare ASD and typically developing subjects, thus providing little information on the specificity of the abnormalities detected in comparison with other developmental disorders (other-DD). We recruited subjects aged below 36 months who received a clinical diagnosis of Neurodevelopmental Disorder (32 ASD and 16 other-DD including intellectual disability and language disorder) according to DSM-IV TR. Structural and diffusion MRI were acquired to perform whole brain probabilistic and anatomically constrained tractography. Network connectivity matrices were built encoding the number of streamlines (DNUM ) and the tract-averaged fractional anisotropy (DFA ) values connecting each pair of cortical and subcortical regions. Network Based Statistics (NBS) was finally applied on the connectivity matrices to evaluate the network differences between the ASD and other-DD groups. The network differences resulted in an over-connectivity pattern (i.e., higher DNUM and DFA values) in the ASD group with a significance of P < 0.05. No contra-comparison results were found. The over-connectivity pattern in ASD occurred in networks primarily involving the fronto-temporal nodes, known to be crucial for social-skill development and basal ganglia, related to restricted and repetitive behaviours in ASD. To our knowledge, this is the first network-based diffusion study comparing toddlers with ASD and those with other-DD. Results indicate the detection of different connectivity patterns in ASD and other-DD at an age when clinical differential diagnosis is often challenging. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2333-2344, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Conti
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - J Mitra
- The Australian eHealth Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - S Calderoni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - K Pannek
- The Australian eHealth Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - K K Shen
- The Australian eHealth Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - A Pagnozzi
- The Australian eHealth Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - S Rose
- The Australian eHealth Research Centre, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - S Mazzotti
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - D Scelfo
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Tosetti
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Muratori
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Guzzetta
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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96
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Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are diagnosed solely on the basis of behaviour. A large body of work has reported neuroanatomical differences between individuals with ASD and neurotypical controls. Despite the huge clinical and genetic heterogeneity that typifies autism, some of these anatomical features appear to be either present in most cases or so dramatically altered in some that their presence is now reasonably well replicated in a number of studies. One such finding is the tendency towards overgrowth of the frontal cortex during the early postnatal period. Although these reports have been focused primarily on the presumed pathological anatomy, they are providing us with important insights into normal brain anatomy and are stimulating new ideas and hypotheses about the normal trajectory of brain development and the function of specific anatomical brain structures. The use of model systems that include genetic model organisms such as the mouse and, more recently, human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain organoids to model normal and pathological human cortical development, is proving particularly informative. Here we review some of the neuroanatomical alterations reported in autism, with a particular focus on well-validated findings and recent advances in the field, and ask what these observations can tell us about normal and abnormal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex P. A. Donovan
- Department of Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology, and MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental DisordersKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - M. Albert Basson
- Department of Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology, and MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental DisordersKing's College LondonLondonUK
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97
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Abstract
Despite the progress made in understanding the biology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), effective biological interventions for the core symptoms remain elusive. Because of the etiological heterogeneity of ASD, identification of a "one-size-fits-all" treatment approach will likely continue to be challenging. A meeting was convened at the University of Missouri and the Thompson Center to discuss strategies for stratifying patients with ASD for the purpose of moving toward precision medicine. The "white paper" presented here articulates the challenges involved and provides suggestions for future solutions.
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98
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Pierce K, Courchesne E, Bacon E. To Screen or Not to Screen Universally for Autism is not the Question: Why the Task Force Got It Wrong. J Pediatr 2016; 176:182-94. [PMID: 27421956 PMCID: PMC5679123 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Pierce
- Department of Neurosciences and Autism Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neurosciences and Autism Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Elizabeth Bacon
- Department of Neurosciences and Autism Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
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99
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Abstract
Abstract
ASD research is at an important crossroads. The ASD diagnosis is important for assigning a child to early behavioral intervention and explaining a child’s condition. But ASD research has not provided a diagnosis-specific medical treatment, or a consistent early predictor, or a unified life course. If the ASD diagnosis also lacks biological and construct validity, a shift away from studying ASD-defined samples would be warranted. Consequently, this paper reviews recent findings for the neurobiological validity of ASD, the construct validity of ASD diagnostic criteria, and the construct validity of ASD spectrum features. The findings reviewed indicate that the ASD diagnosis lacks biological and construct validity. The paper concludes with proposals for research going forward.
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100
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Eilam-Stock T, Wu T, Spagna A, Egan LJ, Fan J. Neuroanatomical Alterations in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:237. [PMID: 27313505 PMCID: PMC4889574 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental condition, affecting cognition and behavior throughout the life span. With recent advances in neuroimaging techniques and analytical approaches, a considerable effort has been directed toward identifying the neuroanatomical underpinnings of ASD. While gray-matter abnormalities have been found throughout cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions of affected individuals, there is currently little consistency across findings, partly due to small sample-sizes and great heterogeneity among participants in previous studies. Here, we report voxel-based morphometry of structural magnetic resonance images in a relatively large sample of high-functioning adults with ASD (n = 66) and matched typically-developing controls (n = 66) drawn from multiple studies. We found decreased gray-matter volume in posterior brain regions, including the posterior hippocampus and cuneus, as well as increased gray-matter volume in frontal brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex, superior and inferior frontal gyri, and middle temporal gyrus in individuals with ASD. We discuss our results in relation to findings obtained in previous studies, as well as their potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tehila Eilam-Stock
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New YorkFlushing, NY, USA; The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkNew York, NY, USA
| | - Tingting Wu
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York Flushing, NY, USA
| | - Alfredo Spagna
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New YorkFlushing, NY, USA
| | - Laura J Egan
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New YorkFlushing, NY, USA
| | - Jin Fan
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New YorkFlushing, NY, USA; The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkNew York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, NY, USA
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