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Rossow T, MacLennan K, Tavassoli T. The Predictive Relationship Between Sensory Reactivity and Depressive Symptoms in Young Autistic Children with Few to No Words. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:2384-2394. [PMID: 35338437 PMCID: PMC8956453 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05528-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Depression and sensory reactivity are both common in autism. However, there is little understanding of the predictive relationship between these factors, or the nature of this relationship in autistic children who speak few to no words. This study set out to explore the longitudinal relationship between sensory reactivity and depressive symptoms in 33 young autistic children who speak few to no words. We found positive correlations between depressive symptoms and hyper-reactivity and sensory seeking at both timepoints, and across timepoints. We further found a bidirectional predictive relationship between depressive symptoms and sensory seeking. These results implicate sensory seeking in the development of depressive symptoms in young autistic children who use few to no words. Our findings have important implications for preventative mental health interventions, especially for those with a developmental language delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Rossow
- University of Reading, Harry Pitt Building, Earley Gate, Reading, RG6 6BZ, UK.
| | - Keren MacLennan
- University of Reading, Harry Pitt Building, Earley Gate, Reading, RG6 6BZ, UK
| | - Teresa Tavassoli
- University of Reading, Harry Pitt Building, Earley Gate, Reading, RG6 6BZ, UK
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Li X, Li Q, Xu L, Ma Z, Shi Y, Zhang X, Yang Y, Wang J, Fan L, Wu L. Involvement of Kir4.1 in pain insensitivity of the BTBR mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2023; 1869:166700. [PMID: 36990129 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Abnormal pain sensation is a common clinical symptom of ASD that seriously affects the quality of life of patients with ASD and their families. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. It is believed to be related to the excitability of neurons and the expression of ion channels. Herein, we confirmed that baseline pain and Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic inflammatory pain were impaired in the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mouse model of ASD. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which are closely related to pain in ASD model mice, revealed that high expression of KCNJ10 (encoding Kir4.1) might be an important factor in ASD pain sensation abnormalities. The levels of Kir4.1 were further verified by western blotting, RT-qPCR, and immunofluorescence. By inhibiting Kir4.1, the pain insensitivity of BTBR mice improved, confirming that a high expression level of Kir4.1 was highly correlated with decreased pain sensitivity in ASD. Meanwhile, we found that the anxiety behaviours and the social novelty recognition were changed after CFA induced inflammatory pain. And after inhibiting Kir4.1, the stereotyped behaviours and social novelty recognition of BTBR mice were also improved. Further, we found that the expression levels of glutamate transporters, excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1), and excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) were increased in the DRG of BTBR mice but decreased after inhibiting Kir4.1. This suggests that Kir4.1 may play a key role in the improvement of pain insensitivity in ASD by regulating glutamate transporters. In conclusion, our findings revealed the possible mechanism and role of Kir4.1 in the pain insensitivity in ASD, using bioinformatics analyses and animal experiments, and provided a theoretical basis for clinically targeted intervention in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lisha Xu
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhe Ma
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yaxin Shi
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xirui Zhang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lili Fan
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
| | - Lijie Wu
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
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Friedman S, Noble R, Archer S, Gibson J, Hughes C. Respite and connection: Autistic adults' reflections upon nature and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:13623613231166462. [PMID: 37113030 PMCID: PMC10140763 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231166462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT The Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns provided opportunities to spend time in nature, with many people reporting that this benefitted their well-being. However, existing research from the pandemic period has focused on the way general populations experienced nature; less is known about how autistic people used nature to support their well-being during the pandemic. We created a survey that invited autistic adults living in the United Kingdom to reply to text box questions. A total of 127 people responded to our survey; we analysed their responses using a method called reflexive thematic analysis and developed themes based on patterns among all the responses. We developed two themes: respite in nature and connecting amid widespread disconnection. For some autistic adults during the pandemic, nature provided physical distance from others or from crowded homes, which helped them reduce their stress. In addition, some participants felt more psychologically connected to nature itself during the pandemic, while for others, nature served as a way of connecting with others during a potentially isolating time. These findings are important for autistic people and their families and carers who may want to seek out nature-based activities to support well-being in the wake of the pandemic.
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Hall A, Maw R, Iles-Caven Y, Gregory S, Rai D, Golding J. Associations between autistic traits and early ear and upper respiratory signs: a prospective observational study of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) geographically defined childhood population. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e067682. [PMID: 37094879 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether early ear and upper respiratory signs are associated with the development of high levels of autistic traits or diagnosed autism. DESIGN Longitudinal birth cohort: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). SETTING Area centred on the city of Bristol in Southwest England. Eligible pregnant women resident in the area with expected date of delivery between April 1991 and December 1992 inclusive. PARTICIPANTS 10 000+ young children followed throughout their first 4 years. Their mothers completed three questionnaires between 18-42 months recording the frequency of nine different signs and symptoms relating to the upper respiratory system, as well as ear and hearing problems. OUTCOME MEASURES Primary-high levels of autism traits (social communication, coherent speech, sociability, and repetitive behaviour); secondary-diagnosed autism. RESULTS Early evidence of mouth breathing, snoring, pulling/poking ears, ears going red, hearing worse during a cold, and rarely listening were associated with high scores on each autism trait and with a diagnosis of autism. There was also evidence of associations of pus or sticky mucus discharge from ears, especially with autism and with poor coherent speech. Adjustment for 10 environmental characteristics made little difference to the results, and substantially more adjusted associations were at p<0.001 than expected by chance (41 observed; 0.01 expected). For example, for discharge of pus or sticky mucus from ears the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for autism at 30 months was 3.29 (95% CI 1.85 to 5.86, p<0.001), and for impaired hearing during a cold the aOR was 2.18 (95% CI 1.43 to 3.31, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Very young children exhibiting common ear and upper respiratory signs appear to have an increased risk of a subsequent diagnosis of autism or demonstrated high levels of autism traits. Results suggest the need for identification and management of ear, nose and throat conditions in autistic children and may provide possible indicators of causal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Hall
- Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | | | | | - Steven Gregory
- Bristol Medical School (PHS), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Dheeraj Rai
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jean Golding
- Bristol Medical School (PHS), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Gundogdu U, Aksoy A, Eroglu M. Sensory profiles, behavioral problems, and auditory findings in children with autism spectrum disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 69:442-451. [PMID: 37213587 PMCID: PMC10198006 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2023.2200592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Objective This study examined the relationship between sensory processing (SP) differences and behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We also investigated whether audiological test results could objectively detect auditory processing differences. Method Forty-six children with ASD, ages 3-9 years, were enrolled in the study. Problematic behaviors and sensory processing of children were assessed using scales. The otolaryngologist performed a detailed head and neck examination and a formal audiological examination was performed by an audiologist. Results Stereotypy, hyperactivity, and irritability were related to sensation seeking. Stereotypy was also associated with visual processing. Touch processing differences was related to irritability and inappropriate speech. Lethargy was associated with auditory processing. There were no differences in SP and behavior problems in the children whose audiological profiles could be measured between those who passed or failed the test. Conclusion There was an association between SP differences and behavioral problems in children with ASD, supporting previous studies. Audiological test results did not reveal the SP differences documented in the parent forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ummugulsum Gundogdu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Aksoy
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde, Turkey
| | - Mehtap Eroglu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hatay Training and Research Hospital, Hatay, Turkey
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Itahashi T, Yamashita A, Takahara Y, Yahata N, Aoki YY, Fujino J, Yoshihara Y, Nakamura M, Aoki R, Ohta H, Sakai Y, Takamura M, Ichikawa N, Okada G, Okada N, Kasai K, Tanaka SC, Imamizu H, Kato N, Okamoto Y, Takahashi H, Kawato M, Yamashita O, Hashimoto RI. Generalizable neuromarker for autism spectrum disorder across imaging sites and developmental stages: A multi-site study. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.26.534053. [PMID: 37034620 PMCID: PMC10081283 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.26.534053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition, and its underlying biological mechanisms remain elusive. The complexity of various factors, including inter-site and development-related differences, makes it challenging to develop generalizable neuroimaging-based biomarkers for ASD. This study used a large-scale, multi-site dataset of 730 Japanese adults to develop a generalizable neuromarker for ASD across independent sites (U.S., Belgium, and Japan) and different developmental stages (children and adolescents). Our adult ASD neuromarker achieved successful generalization for the US and Belgium adults (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.70) and Japanese adults (AUC = 0.81). The neuromarker demonstrated significant generalization for children (AUC = 0.66) and adolescents (AUC = 0.71; all P < 0.05 , family-wise-error corrected). We identified 141 functional connections (FCs) important for discriminating individuals with ASD from TDCs. These FCs largely centered on social brain regions such as the amygdala, hippocampus, dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortices, and temporal cortices. Finally, we mapped schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD) onto the biological axis defined by the neuromarker and explored the biological continuity of ASD with SCZ and MDD. We observed that SCZ, but not MDD, was located proximate to ASD on the biological dimension defined by the ASD neuromarker. The successful generalization in multifarious datasets and the observed relations of ASD with SCZ on the biological dimensions provide new insights for a deeper understanding of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Itahashi
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayumu Yamashita
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Takahara
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, SHIONOGI & CO., LTD, Osaka, Japan
| | - Noriaki Yahata
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuta Y. Aoki
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Aoki Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junya Fujino
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yujiro Yoshihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Motoaki Nakamura
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryuta Aoki
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Language Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruhisa Ohta
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Sakai
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masahiro Takamura
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan
| | - Naho Ichikawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Go Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Naohiro Okada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN) at The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Kasai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN) at The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- UTokyo Institute for Diversity and Adaptation of Human Mind (UTIDAHM), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Saori C. Tanaka
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Division of Information Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Imamizu
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobumasa Kato
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Okamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Center for Brain Integration Research, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Kawato
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- XNef Incorporation, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Okito Yamashita
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
- RIKEN, Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryu-ichiro Hashimoto
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Cardon G, Cate M, Cordingley S, Bown B. Auditory Brainstem Response in Autistic Children: Implications for Sensory Processing. HEARING, BALANCE AND COMMUNICATION 2023; 21:224-232. [PMID: 38223460 PMCID: PMC10786617 DOI: 10.1080/21695717.2023.2181558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Autistic individuals frequently experience sensory processing difficulties. Such difficulties can significantly impact important functions and quality of life. We are only beginning to understand the neural mechanisms of atypical sensory processing. However, one established way to measure aspects of auditory function is the auditory brainstem response (ABR). While ABR has been primarily hypothesized thus far as a means of early detection/diagnosis in autism, it has the potential to aid in examining sensory processing in this population. Method Thus, we investigated standard ABR waveform characteristics in age-matched groups of autistic and typically developing children during various stimulus and intensity conditions. We also examined within ear waveform cross correlations and inter-aural cross correlations (IACC) to assess replicability and synchrony of participants' ABRs, which was a novel approach to ABR analysis in this population. Results We observed longer peak latencies (esp. wave III and V) and interpeak latencies in the autism and typically developing groups in different conditions. There were no statistically significant results in cross correlation or IACC. Conclusions These results suggest that brainstem auditory function may differ slightly, but is mostly similar, between autistic and typically developing children. We discuss these findings in terms of their implications for sensory processing and future utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett Cardon
- Brigham Young University, Department of Communication Disorders, Provo, UT
| | - Madelyn Cate
- Brigham Young University, Department of Communication Disorders, Provo, UT
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Haddad FL, De Oliveira C, Schmid S. Investigating behavioral phenotypes related to autism spectrum disorder in a gene-environment interaction model of Cntnap2 deficiency and Poly I:C maternal immune activation. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1160243. [PMID: 36998729 PMCID: PMC10043204 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1160243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been associated with a wide variety of genetic and environmental risk factors in both human and preclinical studies. Together, findings support a gene-environment interaction hypothesis whereby different risk factors independently and synergistically impair neurodevelopment and lead to the core symptoms of ASD. To date, this hypothesis has not been commonly investigated in preclinical ASD models. Mutations in the Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2) gene and exposure to maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy have both been linked to ASD in humans, and preclinical rodent models have shown that both MIA and Cntnap2 deficiency lead to similar behavioral deficits.MethodsIn this study, we tested the interaction between these two risk factors by exposing Wildtype, Cntnap2+/–, and Cntnap2–/– rats to Polyinosinic: Polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) MIA at gestation day 9.5.ResultsOur findings showed that Cntnap2 deficiency and Poly I:C MIA independently and synergistically altered ASD-related behaviors like open field exploration, social behavior, and sensory processing as measured through reactivity, sensitization, and pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response. In support of the double-hit hypothesis, Poly I:C MIA acted synergistically with the Cntnap2–/– genotype to decrease PPI in adolescent offspring. In addition, Poly I:C MIA also interacted with the Cntnap2+/– genotype to produce subtle changes in locomotor hyperactivity and social behavior. On the other hand, Cntnap2 knockout and Poly I:C MIA showed independent effects on acoustic startle reactivity and sensitization.DiscussionTogether, our findings support the gene-environment interaction hypothesis of ASD by showing that different genetic and environmental risk factors could act synergistically to exacerbate behavioral changes. In addition, by showing the independent effects of each risk factor, our findings suggest that ASD phenotypes could be caused by different underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraj L. Haddad
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cleusa De Oliveira
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Susanne Schmid
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Susanne Schmid,
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Kawai H, Kishimoto M, Okahisa Y, Sakamoto S, Terada S, Takaki M. Initial Outcomes of the Safe and Sound Protocol on Patients with Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder: Exploratory Pilot Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4862. [PMID: 36981773 PMCID: PMC10049251 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sensory impairments are common features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are associated with its social impairments. However, there is no established treatment for these impairments in adults with ASD. The Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) is a listening program designed to improve social communication skills by reducing auditory hypersensitivity. We investigated the effectiveness of the SSP for adults with ASD. We administered the SSP to six participants with ASD aged 21-44 years old, and the effects were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2). Secondary outcomes were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), WHO Quality of Life 26 (WHOQOL-BREF), and Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (A/ASP). In this study, only the Social Awareness scale of the SRS-2 Family-Report showed a significant improvement after the intervention. In addition, it was significantly correlated with physical health of WHOQOL-BREF (r = -0.577, p = 0.012), state and trait anxiety of STAI (r = 0.576, p = 0.012; r = 0.708, p = 0.00009, respectively), and CES-D (r = 0.465, p = 0.05). In conclusion, the SSP has a partial effect on social impairments in adults with ASD, specifically on the Social Awareness subscale of the SRS-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kawai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; (H.K.)
| | - Makiko Kishimoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; (H.K.)
- National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo 157-0074, Japan
| | - Yuko Okahisa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; (H.K.)
| | - Shinji Sakamoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; (H.K.)
| | - Seishi Terada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; (H.K.)
| | - Manabu Takaki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; (H.K.)
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Isralowitz EB, Sideris J, Stein Duker LI, Baranek GT, Cermak SA. Comparing sensory processing in children with Down syndrome to a mental age matched sample of children with autism, other developmental disabilities, and typically developing children. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 134:104421. [PMID: 36638671 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atypical sensory processing impacts children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Research has focused on SP in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); comparatively, little has been written regarding individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and IDDs. AIMS We compared patterns of sensory processing in children with DS to children with ASD, other IDDs, and typically developing (TD) peers examining the relationship among different sensory processing measures. METHODS AND PROCEDURES We analyzed cross-sectional data using two caregiver questionnaires (SP, SEQ) and one observational measure (SPA). Groups were compared on three sensory processing patterns: hyporesponsiveness; hyperresponsiveness; and sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking (SIRS) via ANOVA. We assessed concordance through correlations. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Children with DS, IDD, and ASD demonstrated more atypical sensory processing behaviors than TD peers. Children with ASD exhibited the most atypical responses across all measures, significantly more than DS children on all but one subscale. The IDD and DS groups differed on several measures. Measurement concordance was higher between caregiver-report versus observational assessment. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Differences between three clinical groups indicate that sensory processing features may differ across clinical populations regardless of cognitive functioning. Lower concordance between caregiver-report and observation measures highlights the need to understand sensory processing expression across different tasks and environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Isralowitz
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar St., CHP-133, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9003, USA.
| | - John Sideris
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar St., CHP-133, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9003, USA
| | - Leah I Stein Duker
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar St., CHP-133, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9003, USA
| | - Grace T Baranek
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar St., CHP-133, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9003, USA
| | - Sharon A Cermak
- Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, 1540 Alcazar St., CHP-133, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-9003, USA
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Tseng A, DuBois M, Biagianti B, Brumley C, Jacob S. Auditory Domain Sensitivity and Neuroplasticity-Based Targeted Cognitive Training in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12041635. [PMID: 36836168 PMCID: PMC9960486 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12041635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory processing, along with the integration of external inputs into stable representations of the environment, is integral to social cognitive functioning; challenges in these processes have been reported in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) since the earliest descriptions of autism. Recently, neuroplasticity-based targeted cognitive training (TCT) has shown promise as an approach to improve functional impairments in clinical patients. However, few computerized and adaptive brain-based programs have been trialed in ASD. For individuals with sensory processing sensitivities (SPS), the inclusion of some auditory components in TCT protocols may be aversive. Thus, with the goal of developing a web-based, remotely accessible intervention that incorporates SPS concerns in the auditory domain, we assessed auditory SPS in autistic adolescents and young adults (N = 25) who started a novel, computerized auditory-based TCT program designed to improve working memory and information processing speed and accuracy. We found within-subject gains across the training program and between pre/post-intervention assessments. We also identified auditory, clinical, and cognitive characteristics that are associated with TCT outcomes and program engagement. These initial findings may be used to inform therapeutic decisions about which individuals would more likely engage in and benefit from an auditory-based, computerized TCT program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tseng
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Correspondence: (A.T.); (S.J.)
| | - Megan DuBois
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Bruno Biagianti
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Caroline Brumley
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Suma Jacob
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Correspondence: (A.T.); (S.J.)
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Mavragani A, Eungpinichpong W, Wu H, Aonsri C. Physiological and Psychological Effects of Parent-Delivered Traditional Thai Massage in Children With Autism: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e41839. [PMID: 36753320 PMCID: PMC9947755 DOI: 10.2196/41839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although many autistic children receive massage as a complementary therapy, it is not included in evidence-based practice for autism because evidence of its efficacy is lacking. Further, prior studies have failed to identify objective indicators of core symptoms or elucidate their mechanisms. OBJECTIVE We developed a parent-delivered traditional Thai massage (TTM) intervention for children with autism, aiming to experimentally determine whether children with autism truly experience positive effects from parent-delivered TTM and determine possible mechanisms of the observed effects. METHODS A 2-armed, parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted between February 2022 and June 2022. Forty-eight children with autism (aged 7-12 years) were recruited from the Hainan Special Education School and randomly assigned to either a parental TTM or control group at a ratio of 1:1 based on random numbers generated with Online Research Randomizer. The generated sequences were concealed in an opaque envelope. Individuals in the parental TTM group received 16 parent-delivered TTM sessions over 8 weeks at the school's health room after school, and the control group maintained a normal daily routine. Outcomes were assessed on admission, after 8 weeks, and at a 2-month follow-up and included the effect of massage treatment on autism symptoms, measured with the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist score (evaluated by parents and a blinded teacher), physiological parameters (ie, heart rate variability and gait), and the Parenting Stress Index, Fourth Edition-Short Form. RESULTS We finished all data collection on June 20, 2022. Data analysis will be started, and we expect to publish results in 2023. CONCLUSIONS This study will provide further evidence for massage treatment of autism and provide support for family-based care. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100051355; https://tinyurl.com/3dwjxsw5. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/41839.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wichai Eungpinichpong
- Research Center in Back, Neck, Other Joint Pain and Human Performance, Division of Physical Therapy, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Hua Wu
- School of Physical Education, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Chanada Aonsri
- Department of Special Education, Khon Kaen University Demonstration School, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Transient hearing abnormalities precede social deficits in a mouse model of autism. Behav Brain Res 2023; 437:114149. [PMID: 36206820 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Hearing abnormalities are important symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), a neurological and developmental disorder. However, the characteristics of hearing abnormalities associated with ASD during development have not been fully investigated. We found that in Shank3B knockout mice (a high-confidence mouse model of ASD), transient hearing abnormalities can be found in auditory brainstem response, auditory cortical activity, as well as acoustic startle response. More importantly, all hearing abnormalities at 4 weeks were most prominent and preceded the onset of social deficits at 6 weeks. These hearing abnormalities gradually recovered with age. In addition, analysis of ABR data at 4 weeks using Support Vector Machine (SVM) can faithfully predict the genotype of mice with an accuracy of 85.71%. These findings not only revealed hearing changes in Shank3B knockout autistic-like mice during development, but also suggested that hearing abnormalities could potentially be used as an early and effective indicator of ASD risk.
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Lefebvre A, Tillmann J, Cliquet F, Amsellem F, Maruani A, Leblond C, Beggiato A, Germanaud D, Amestoy A, Ly-Le Moal M, Umbricht D, Chatham C, Murtagh L, Bouvard M, Leboyer M, Charman T, Bourgeron T, Delorme R, Dumas G. Tackling hypo and hyper sensory processing heterogeneity in autism: From clinical stratification to genetic pathways. Autism Res 2023; 16:364-378. [PMID: 36464763 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As an integral part of autism spectrum symptoms, sensory processing issues including both hypo and hyper sensory sensitivities. These sensory specificities may result from an excitation/inhibition imbalance with a poorly understood of their level of convergence with genetic alterations in GABA-ergic and glutamatergic pathways. In our study, we aimed to characterize the hypo/hyper-sensory profile among autistic individuals. We then explored its link with the burden of deleterious mutations in a subset of individuals with available whole-genome sequencing data. To characterize the hypo/hyper-sensory profile, the differential Short Sensory Profile (dSSP) was defined as a normalized and centralized hypo/hypersensitivity ratio from the Short Sensory Profile (SSP). Including 1136 participants (533 autistic individuals, 210 first-degree relatives, and 267 controls) from two independent study samples (PARIS and LEAP), we observed a statistically significant dSSP mean difference between autistic individuals and controls, driven mostly by a high dSSP variability, with an intermediated profile represented by relatives. Our genetic analysis tended to associate the dSSP and the hyposensitivity with mutations of the GABAergic pathway. The major limitation was the dSSP difficulty to discriminate subjects with a similar quantum of hypo- and hyper-sensory symptoms to those with no such symptoms, resulting both in a similar ratio score of 0. However, the dSSP could be a relevant clinical score, and combined with additional sensory descriptions, genetics and endophenotypic substrates, will improve the exploration of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of sensory processing differences in autism spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Lefebvre
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.,Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France.,CHS Fondation Vallée, Gentilly, France
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Freddy Cliquet
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Frederique Amsellem
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.,Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Anna Maruani
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.,Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Claire Leblond
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Anita Beggiato
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.,Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - David Germanaud
- Rare Disease Reference Center for Intellectual Disability, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Robert-Debré Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Anouck Amestoy
- Autism Expert Centre, Charles Perrens Hospital, Bordeaux, France.,Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation, Créteil, France
| | | | - Daniel Umbricht
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Chatham
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lorraine Murtagh
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Bouvard
- Autism Expert Centre, Charles Perrens Hospital, Bordeaux, France.,Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation, Créteil, France
| | - Marion Leboyer
- Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation, Créteil, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U955, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Créteil, France.,Department of Adult Psychiatry, Henri Mondor and Albert Chenevier Hospital, Créteil, France
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France.,Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation, Créteil, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.,Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France.,Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation, Créteil, France
| | - Guillaume Dumas
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR 3571 CNRS, University Paris Diderot, Paris, France.,Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, Canada
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65
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Soler N, Cordier R, Perkes IE, Dale RC, Bray P. Proxy-reported sensory measures for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol 2023; 65:185-199. [PMID: 35906897 PMCID: PMC10952264 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
AIM To determine the quality and utility of proxy-reported sensory measures for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, movement disorders, and intellectual disability). METHOD We systematically searched 11 databases. We applied the updated Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) Risk of Bias checklist and criteria for good measurement properties to evaluate instrument development and psychometric properties. Findings were summarized using a COSMIN adaptation of Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations. RESULTS From 11 databases, 6748 articles were screened. Ninety-one full-length articles were reviewed after removing excluded studies and manual searches conducted by two reviewers. Data were extracted for 12 measures from 20 articles. Of the 12 measures, only three provided sufficient data to evaluate content validity and psychometric measurement properties. The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire-Home (PSEQ-H) was the only measure that satisfied moderate content validity and moderate-to-high quality for measurement properties. These properties included: structural validity, hypothesis testing for construct validity, internal consistency, reliability, and measurement error. INTERPRETATION One measure, the PSEQ-H, met eight criteria for good measurement properties. To facilitate evidence-informed clinical decision-making, all psychometric properties of all 12 sensory-based, proxy-reported measures were presented. The importance of consumer engagement in measure development and the need for ongoing evaluation of measures against contemporaneous standards is recommended. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Three measures provided studies on content validity and psychometric measurement properties. The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire-Home had moderate quality for content validity studies and high-to-moderate quality evidence for psychometric properties. The Participation and Sensory Environment Questionnaire was the only measure that included consumer involvement through qualitative interviews and pilot testing. Consumer involvement in measure development is important for content validity. Ongoing evaluation of measures against contemporaneous standards is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette Soler
- School of Health SciencesUniversity of NewcastleNewcastleNSWAustralia
- Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Reinie Cordier
- Curtin School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health SciencesCurtin UniversityPerthWAAustralia
- Department of Social Work, Education and Community WellbeingNorthumbria UniversityNewcastleUK
| | - Iain E. Perkes
- School of Health SciencesUniversity of NewcastleNewcastleNSWAustralia
- Discipline of Psychiatry & Mental Health and Discipline of Paediatrics & Children’s Health, School of Clinical MedicineUniversity of New South Wales Medicine & Health, University of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine and HealthUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Russell C. Dale
- Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Department of Paediatric NeurologyThe Children's Hospital at WestmeadSydneyNSWAustralia
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, and Brain and Mind CentreUniversity of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Paula Bray
- Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
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Gunderson J, Worthley E, Byiers B, Symons F, Wolff J. Self and caregiver report measurement of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of psychometric properties. J Neurodev Disord 2023; 15:5. [PMID: 36698071 PMCID: PMC9875408 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09473-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unusual responses to sensory stimuli are considered a diagnostic symptom of autism spectrum disorder with mounting research efforts put towards understanding, characterizing, and treating such symptoms. METHODS This paper examines self and caregiver report tools used to measure sensory features in ASD through a systematic review of the psychometric evidence for their use. A total of 31 empirical papers were reviewed across 20 assessment tools. Substantial differences were identified in the specific sensory features defined across assessment tools. Sensory assessment questionnaires were evaluated against quality psychometric evidence criteria to provide a use recommendation. RESULTS Five assessments were identified to be "appropriate with conditions," while no sensory assessment tools were identified to have sufficient quality psychometric evidence to provide a recommendation of "Appropriate" for measuring sensory features in ASD. CONCLUSION Evidence from this review highlights potentially significant shortcomings among the current methods used to measure sensory features in ASD and suggests the need for more efforts in developing psychometrically sound sensory assessment tools for use in ASD populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Gunderson
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Educational Psychology, Educational Sciences Building College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, 56 River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA ,grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1St Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55902 USA
| | - Emma Worthley
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Educational Psychology, Educational Sciences Building College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, 56 River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Breanne Byiers
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Educational Psychology, Educational Sciences Building College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, 56 River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Frank Symons
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Educational Psychology, Educational Sciences Building College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, 56 River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Jason Wolff
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Educational Psychology, Educational Sciences Building College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, 56 River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
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67
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Chari T, Hernandez A, Portera-Cailliau C. A novel head-fixed assay for social touch in mice uncovers aversive responses in two autism models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523491. [PMID: 36711563 PMCID: PMC9882020 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Social touch, an important aspect of social interaction and communication, is essential to kinship across animal species. How animals experience and respond to social touch has not been thoroughly investigated, in part due to the lack of appropriate assays. Previous studies that examined social touch in freely moving rodents lacked the necessary temporal and spatial control over individual touch interactions. We designed a novel head-fixed assay for social touch in mice, in which the experimenter has complete control to elicit highly stereotyped bouts of social touch between two animals. The user determines the number, duration, context, and type of social touch interactions, while monitoring with high frame rate cameras an array of complex behavioral responses. We focused on social touch to the face because of their high translational relevance to humans. We validated this assay in two different models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Fmr1 knockout model of Fragile X Syndrome and maternal immune activation mice. We observed increased avoidance, hyperarousal, and more aversive facial expressions to social touch, but not to object touch, in both ASD models compared to controls. Because this new social touch assay for head-fixed mice can be used to record neural activity during repeated bouts of social touch it should be of interest to neuroscientists interested in uncovering the underlying circuits.
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68
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Meta-analytic connectivity modelling of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Imaging Behav 2023; 17:257-269. [PMID: 36633738 PMCID: PMC10049951 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00754-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Social and non-social deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) persist into adulthood and may share common regions of aberrant neural activations. The current meta-analysis investigated activation differences between ASD and neurotypical controls irrespective of task type. Activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses were performed to examine consistent hypo-activated and/or hyper-activated regions for all tasks combined, and for social and non-social tasks separately; meta-analytic connectivity modelling and behavioral/paradigm analyses were performed to examine co-activated regions and associated behaviors. One hundred studies (mean age range = 18-41 years) were included. For all tasks combined, the ASD group showed significant (p < .05) hypo-activation in one cluster around the left amygdala (peak - 26, -2, -20, volume = 1336 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.0327), and this cluster co-activated with two other clusters around the right cerebellum (peak 42, -56, -22, volume = 2560mm3, maximum ALE = 0.049) Lobule VI/Crus I and the left fusiform gyrus (BA47) (peak - 42, -46, -18, volume = 1616 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.046) and left cerebellum (peak - 42, -58, -20, volume = 1616mm3, maximum ALE = 0.033) Lobule VI/Crus I. While the left amygdala was associated with negative emotion (fear) (z = 3.047), the left fusiform gyrus/cerebellum Lobule VI/Crus I cluster was associated with language semantics (z = 3.724) and action observation (z = 3.077). These findings highlight the left amygdala as a region consistently hypo-activated in ASD and suggest the potential involvement of fusiform gyrus and cerebellum in social cognition in ASD. Future research should further elucidate if and how amygdala-fusiform/cerebellar connectivity relates to social and non-social cognition in adults with ASD.
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69
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Lynn A, Amso D. Attention along the cortical hierarchy: Development matters. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1575. [PMID: 34480779 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
We build on the existing biased competition view to argue that attention is an emergent property of neural computations within and across hierarchically embedded and structurally connected cortical pathways. Critically then, one must ask, what is attention emergent from? Within this framework, developmental changes in the quality of sensory input and feedforward-feedback information flow shape the emergence and efficiency of attention. Several gradients of developing structural and functional cortical architecture across the caudal-to-rostral axis provide the substrate for attention to emerge. Neural activity within visual areas depends on neuronal density, receptive field size, tuning properties of neurons, and the location of and competition between features and objects in the visual field. These visual cortical properties highlight the information processing bottleneck attention needs to resolve. Recurrent feedforward and feedback connections convey sensory information through a series of steps at each level of the cortical hierarchy, integrating sensory information across the entire extent of the cortical hierarchy and linking sensory processing to higher-order brain regions. Higher-order regions concurrently provide input conveying behavioral context and goals. Thus, attention reflects the output of a series of complex biased competition neural computations that occur within and across hierarchically embedded cortical regions. Cortical development proceeds along the caudal-to-rostral axis, mirroring the flow in sensory information from caudal to rostral regions, and visual processing continues to develop into childhood. Examining both typical and atypical development will offer critical mechanistic insight not otherwise available in the adult stable state. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Lynn
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dima Amso
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Saure E, Castrén M, Mikkola K, Salmi J. Intellectual disabilities moderate sex/gender differences in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2023; 67:1-34. [PMID: 36444668 DOI: 10.1111/jir.12989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Girls/women with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are suggested to exhibit different symptom profiles than boys/men with ASD. Accumulating evidence suggests that intellectual disability (ID) may affect sex/gender differences in ASD. However, a systematic review and meta-analysis on this topic is missing. METHODS Two databases (MEDLINE and PsycINFO) were used to search for studies reporting sex/gender differences (girls/women versus boys/men) in social communication and interaction, restrictive and repetitive behaviour and interests (RRBIs), sensory processing, and linguistic and motor abilities in ASD. The final sample consisted of 79 studies. The meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager using a random-effects model. Participants with ASD without and with ID were analysed as separate subgroups, and the effects in these two subgroups were also compared with each other. RESULTS Girls/women with ASD without ID displayed fewer RRBIs, more sensory symptoms and less problems in linguistic abilities than their boys/men counterparts. In contrast, girls/women with ASD with ID displayed more social difficulties and RRBIs, poorer linguistic abilities and more motor problems than boys/men with ASD with ID. Comparisons of groups of participants with ASD without ID versus participants with ASD with ID confirmed differences in sex/gender effects on social difficulties, sensory processing, linguistic abilities and motor abilities. CONCLUSIONS Our results clearly suggest that the female phenotype of ASD is moderated by ID. Among individuals with ASD with ID, girls/women seem to be more severely affected than boys/men, whereas among individuals with ASD without ID, girls/women with ASD may have less symptoms than boys/men. Such phenotypic differences could be a potential cause of underrecognition of girls/women with ASD, and it is also possible that observed phenotypic differences may reflect underdiagnosing of girls/women with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Saure
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- BABA Center and Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M Castrén
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K Mikkola
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Salmi
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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Kedar M, Bauminger-Zviely N. Predictors of individual differences in minimally verbal peer communication exchanges following peer-oriented social intervention. Autism Res 2023; 16:230-244. [PMID: 36373862 PMCID: PMC10100517 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
School-age children on the autism spectrum who are minimally verbal (MVAS) use a limited repertoire of spontaneous communicative spoken words and reveal large heterogeneity in cognitive functioning. Despite the challenges to form peer social engagement posed by their unique social-communicative profile, few interventions have targeted peer interactions in the MVAS population. This study explored predictors of individual differences in treatment response among 54 school-age minimally verbal autistic children (8-16 years) following an RCT "school-based peer social intervention" (S-PSI) that compared two peer-oriented intervention modalities (conversation versus collaboration) versus a waitlisted control group. We examined autistic-symptom severity, age, verbal and nonverbal IQ, executive functions, and sensory-processing profile for their contribution to children's ability to form relevant spontaneous communication exchanges with a peer partner. Main findings revealed that larger deficits in sensory-processing (sensory-avoidance and sensory low-registration) and in executive functions contributed to greater growth in "relevant" (i.e., adequately attuned, participatory, reciprocal) communication following both interventions, but not for the waitlisted controls. Additionally, older participants with lower verbal and nonverbal IQ improved communication's relevancy more after the conversation intervention, whereas the collaboration intervention was more beneficial for younger participants. Lower autistic-symptom severity contributed to larger growth in relevancy for all groups. By identifying individual-level predictors of spontaneous, attuned, participatory, and reciprocal (i.e., "relevant") communication exchanges with peers, we optimized S-PSI personalization for this uniquely nonverbal, heterogeneous MVAS population. These new channels for tailoring peer interventions to better meet individuals' needs may result in reduced social isolation and loneliness and enhanced well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maayan Kedar
- Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Ilioska I, Oldehinkel M, Llera A, Chopra S, Looden T, Chauvin R, Van Rooij D, Floris DL, Tillmann J, Moessnang C, Banaschewski T, Holt RJ, Loth E, Charman T, Murphy DGM, Ecker C, Mennes M, Beckmann CF, Fornito A, Buitelaar JK. Connectome-wide Mega-analysis Reveals Robust Patterns of Atypical Functional Connectivity in Autism. Biol Psychiatry 2022:S0006-3223(22)01852-2. [PMID: 36925414 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies of functional connectivity (FC) in autism have been hampered by small sample sizes and inconsistent findings with regard to whether connectivity is increased or decreased in individuals with autism, whether these alterations affect focal systems or reflect a brain-wide pattern, and whether these are age and/or sex dependent. METHODS The study included resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and clinical data from the EU-AIMS LEAP (European Autism Interventions Longitudinal European Autism Project) and the ABIDE (Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange) 1 and 2 initiatives of 1824 (796 with autism) participants with an age range of 5-58 years. Between-group differences in FC were assessed, and associations between FC and clinical symptom ratings were investigated through canonical correlation analysis. RESULTS Autism was associated with a brainwide pattern of hypo- and hyperconnectivity. Hypoconnectivity predominantly affected sensory and higher-order attentional networks and correlated with social impairments, restrictive and repetitive behavior, and sensory processing. Hyperconnectivity was observed primarily between the default mode network and the rest of the brain and between cortical and subcortical systems. This pattern was strongly associated with social impairments and sensory processing. Interactions between diagnosis and age or sex were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS The FC alterations observed, which primarily involve hypoconnectivity of primary sensory and attention networks and hyperconnectivity of the default mode network and subcortex with the rest of the brain, do not appear to be age or sex dependent and correlate with clinical dimensions of social difficulties, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, and alterations in sensory processing. These findings suggest that the observed connectivity alterations are stable, trait-like features of autism that are related to the main symptom domains of the condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Ilioska
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Marianne Oldehinkel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alberto Llera
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sidhant Chopra
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tristan Looden
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Roselyne Chauvin
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Daan Van Rooij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dorothea L Floris
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rosemary J Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maarten Mennes
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Fornito
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Effects of Integrative Autism Therapy on Multiple Physical, Sensory, Cognitive, and Social Integration Domains in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A 4-Week Follow-Up Study. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:children9121971. [PMID: 36553414 PMCID: PMC9776954 DOI: 10.3390/children9121971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the effects of conventional autism therapy (CAT) and integrative autism therapy (IAT) in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A convenience sample of 24 children with ASD was recruited and underwent either CAT or IAT for 60 min/day, twice a week, for 20 sessions over 10 weeks. Outcome measures included the following: (1) physical domain (pediatric balance scale, PBS), (2) sensory domain (short sensory profile), (3) cognitive domains (functional independence measure, FIM; and childhood autism rating scale), and (4) social integration domain (Canadian occupational performance measure, COPM; short falls efficacy scale; and pediatrics quality of life questionnaire). Two-way repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the intervention-related changes in the four domains across the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test at p < 0.05. ANOVA showed significant interaction effects on the PBS, FIM, and COPM (p < 0.05) variables. Moreover, time main effects (p < 0.05) were observed in all four domain variables, but no group main effect was noted. This study provides promising evidence that IAT is more effective than CAT for managing children and adolescents with ASD.
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74
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Doyle N, McDowall A, Waseem U. Intersectional Stigma for Autistic People at Work: A Compound Adverse Impact Effect on Labor Force Participation and Experiences of Belonging. AUTISM IN ADULTHOOD 2022; 4:340-356. [PMID: 36777372 PMCID: PMC9908290 DOI: 10.1089/aut.2021.0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background Little research addresses the experiences of autistic people at work, yet employment prospects remain bleak. The extant literature takes a largely remedial perspective and does not focus on harnessing this population's considerable talents. In global organizational practice, several programs purposefully target autistic people for their abilities. However, preliminary evidence suggests that such programs are inadvertently attracting mainly White males, to the exclusion of other demographics. Therefore, stigma surrounding autism at work remains, creating potential compound adverse impacts by marginalizing identities, including gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. We explored the intersection of autism with other marginalizing identities in the context of work. The research focused on labor force participation for autistic people and, for those in employment, perceptions of exclusion and inclusion. We compared the aforementioned variables by gender identity, racial identity, sexuality, socioeconomic background, and geographic origin. Methods We undertook a global cross-sectional survey, advertised through various social media platforms and promoted directly to relevant organizations. The survey included a range of validated measures as well as demographic information. We analyzed the data with frequencies, cross tabulations, chi-square tests, and non-parametric, group-wise comparisons. Results We found preliminary evidence of reduced rates of employment participation by race and geographic location. Females and non-binary people had lower perceptions of inclusion and belonging at work. The perception of accommodation provision had a strong association with inclusion and belonging; more so than incidental provision of flexibility in environment and scheduling not framed as a specific accommodation. Conclusions The findings highlight the relational aspects of accommodation and a more universal inclusion perspective. We urge practitioners and researchers to monitor employment participation and levels of inclusion/exclusion using intersectional demographic identification. We appeal for cross-cultural collaboration with academic institutions outside the anglosphere to improve our knowledge of global programs and their impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Doyle
- School of Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, England
| | - Almuth McDowall
- School of Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, England
| | - Uzma Waseem
- School of Organizational Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, England
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75
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Li Q, Zhao W, Kendrick KM. Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism. Front Psychol 2022; 13:967791. [PMID: 36506943 PMCID: PMC9728590 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Touch represents one of our most important senses throughout life and particularly in the context of our social and emotional experiences. In this review, we draw on research on touch processing from both animal models and humans. Firstly, we briefly describe the cutaneous touch receptors and neural processing of both affective and discriminative touch. We then outline how our sense of touch develops and summarize increasing evidence demonstrating how essential early tactile stimulation is for the development of brain and behavior, with a particular focus on effects of tactile stimulation in infant animals and pediatric massage and Kangaroo care in human infants. Next, the potential mechanisms whereby early tactile stimulation influences both brain and behavioral development are discussed, focusing on its ability to promote neural plasticity changes and brain interhemispheric communication, development of social behavior and bonding, and reward sensitivity through modulation of growth factor, oxytocin, and opioid signaling. Finally, we consider the implications of evidence for atypical responses to touch in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and discuss existing evidence and future priorities for establishing potential beneficial effects of interventions using massage or pharmacological treatments targeting oxytocin or other neurochemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Li
- School of Foreign Language, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China,Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M. Kendrick
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Keith M. Kendrick,
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76
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Kearney BE, Lanius RA. The brain-body disconnect: A somatic sensory basis for trauma-related disorders. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1015749. [PMID: 36478879 PMCID: PMC9720153 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1015749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the manifestation of trauma in the body is a phenomenon well-endorsed by clinicians and traumatized individuals, the neurobiological underpinnings of this manifestation remain unclear. The notion of somatic sensory processing, which encompasses vestibular and somatosensory processing and relates to the sensory systems concerned with how the physical body exists in and relates to physical space, is introduced as a major contributor to overall regulatory, social-emotional, and self-referential functioning. From a phylogenetically and ontogenetically informed perspective, trauma-related symptomology is conceptualized to be grounded in brainstem-level somatic sensory processing dysfunction and its cascading influences on physiological arousal modulation, affect regulation, and higher-order capacities. Lastly, we introduce a novel hierarchical model bridging somatic sensory processes with limbic and neocortical mechanisms regulating an individual's emotional experience and sense of a relational, agentive self. This model provides a working framework for the neurobiologically informed assessment and treatment of trauma-related conditions from a somatic sensory processing perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne E. Kearney
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth A. Lanius
- Department of Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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77
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Maisterrena A, Matas E, Mirfendereski H, Balbous A, Marchand S, Jaber M. The State of the Dopaminergic and Glutamatergic Systems in the Valproic Acid Mouse Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1691. [PMID: 36421705 PMCID: PMC9688008 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder mainly characterized by deficits in social communication and stereotyped behaviors and interests. Here, we aimed to investigate the state of several key players in the dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission systems in the valproic acid (VPA) animal model that was administered to E12.5 pregnant females as a single dose (450 mg/kg). We report no alterations in the number of mesencephalic dopamine neurons or in protein levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in either the striatum or the nucleus accumbens. In females prenatally exposed to VPA, levels of dopamine were slightly decreased while the ratio of DOPAC/dopamine was increased in the dorsal striatum, suggesting increased turn-over of dopamine tone. In turn, levels of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor mRNAs were increased in the nucleus accumbens of VPA mice suggesting upregulation of the corresponding receptors. We also report decreased protein levels of striatal parvalbumin and increased levels of p-mTOR in the cerebellum and the motor cortex of VPA mice. mRNA levels of mGluR1, mGluR4, and mGluR5 and the glutamate receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and NR2B were not altered by VPA, nor were protein levels of NR1, NR2A, and NR2B and those of BDNF and TrkB. These findings are of interest as clinical trials aiming at the dopamine and glutamate systems are being considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Maisterrena
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Emmanuel Matas
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Helene Mirfendereski
- Pharmacologie des Agents Anti-Infectieux et Antibiorésistance, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Anais Balbous
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Sandrine Marchand
- Pharmacologie des Agents Anti-Infectieux et Antibiorésistance, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Mohamed Jaber
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
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78
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Lin TL, Lu CC, Chen TW, Huang CW, Lu JJ, Lai WF, Wu TS, Lai CH, Lai HC, Chen YL. Amelioration of Maternal Immune Activation-Induced Autism Relevant Behaviors by Gut Commensal Parabacteroides goldsteinii. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113070. [PMID: 36361859 PMCID: PMC9657948 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by cognitive inflexibility and social deficits. Probiotics have been demonstrated to play a promising role in managing the severity of ASD. However, there are no effective probiotics for clinical use. Identifying new probiotic strains for ameliorating ASD is therefore essential. Using the maternal immune activation (MIA)-based offspring ASD-like mouse model, a probiotic-based intervention strategy was examined in female mice. The gut commensal microbe Parabacteroides goldsteinii MTS01, which was previously demonstrated to exert multiple beneficial effects on chronic inflammation-related-diseases, was evaluated. Prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure induced leaky gut-related inflammatory phenotypes in the colon, increased LPS activity in sera, and induced autistic-like behaviors in offspring mice. By contrast, P. goldsteinii MTS01 treatment significantly reduced intestinal and systemic inflammation and ameliorated disease development. Transcriptomic analyses of MIA offspring indicated that in the intestine, P. goldsteinii MTS01 enhanced neuropeptide-related signaling and suppressed aberrant cell proliferation and inflammatory responses. In the hippocampus, P. goldsteinii MTS01 increased ribosomal/mitochondrial and antioxidant activities and decreased glutamate receptor signaling. Together, significant ameliorative effects of P. goldsteinii MTS01 on ASD relevant behaviors in MIA offspring were identified. Therefore, P. goldsteinii MTS01 could be developed as a next-generation probiotic for ameliorating ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Lung Lin
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Microbiota Research Center and Emerging Viral Infections Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Cha-Chen Lu
- Microbiota Research Center and Emerging Viral Infections Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Chest Medicine, Internal Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan
- Department of Respiratory Therapy, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Wen Chen
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-Devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Huang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Jang-Jih Lu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Fan Lai
- Department of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Shu Wu
- Department of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ho Lai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Pediatrics, Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Chih Lai
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Microbiota Research Center and Emerging Viral Infections Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
- Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine and Research Center for Food and Cosmetic Safety, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 33303, Taiwan
- Medical Research Center, Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, Xiamen 361028, China
- Correspondence: (H.-C.L.); (Y.-L.C.)
| | - Ya-Lei Chen
- Department of Biotechnology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung 82446, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (H.-C.L.); (Y.-L.C.)
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79
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Yi L, Wang Q, Song C, Han ZR. Hypo‐ or hyperarousal? The mechanisms underlying social information processing in autism. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Li Yi
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences & Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU Peking University Beijing China
| | - Qiandong Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Education Research Center for Children with ASD, Faculty of Education Beijing Normal University Beijing China
| | - Ci Song
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences & Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health Peking University Beijing China
| | - Zhuo Rachel Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology Beijing Normal University Beijing China
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Derakhshanrad SA, Piven E, Zeynalzadeh Ghoochani B. The relationship between sensory experiences and social functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 70:632-640. [PMID: 38983486 PMCID: PMC11229742 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2128553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Objective: This study was undertaken to substantiate the connection between sensory experiences and social functioning among 142 children ages 4-10 years with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: Using an online cross-sectional survey, mothers' perceptions of sensory and social characteristics of their children on parent-reported measures of sensory experiences and social functioning were collected. Findings: Using SPSS software to follow the related descriptive statistics and correlational analysis, the results indicated that children had different levels of challenging sensory experiences and social interaction difficulties. It was revealed that higher intensities of sensory issues were associated with lower levels of functioning and greater social interaction difficulties. Further analysis revealed that less awkward, unpleasant experiences in the auditory and tactile sensory functioning correlated with less social difficulties. Conclusions: Given that no causal relationship could be drawn in this study, the findings complemented those of earlier studies, which suggest engagement in social interactions may be correlated with sensory response patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Alireza Derakhshanrad
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Emily Piven
- Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, St Augustine, FL, USA
| | - Bahareh Zeynalzadeh Ghoochani
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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81
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Kat R, Kas MJH. Largely unaffected auditory and visual sensory processing phenotypes in the evoked potentials of Fmr1 KO2 mice. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5260-5273. [PMID: 36017614 PMCID: PMC9826194 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Sensory sensitivity symptoms are common in autism spectrum disorders and fragile X syndrome. Mainly in the auditory modality, disturbed processing has been found in both fragile X patients and the corresponding genetic mouse model, the Fmr1 knockout mouse. Here, we tried to replicate the auditory deficits and assess whether also visual processing is affected, using electroencephalography readouts under freely behaving conditions in the second-generation Fmr1 knockout mice. No differences between wild-type and knockout animals were found in single auditory and visual evoked potentials in response to pure sine tones and full-field light flashes. Visual sensory gating was enhanced in the early but not the late components of the evoked potentials, but no changes were found in auditory sensory gating. The higher harmonics of the synchronisation response to flickering visual stimuli seemed to be reduced with 10, but not 20 or 40 Hz, stimulation. However, this effect was not reproduced in an independent second cohort of animals. No synchronisation differences were found in response to a chirp stimulus, of which the frequency steadily increased. Taken together, this study could not reproduce earlier reported increased amplitudes in auditory responses, nor could it convincingly show that synchronisation deficits found to be present in the auditory modality also existed in the visual modality. The discrepancies within this study as well as between various studies assessing sensory processing in the Fmr1 KO raise questions about the external validity of these phenotypes and warrant careful interpretation of these phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate Kat
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Martien J. H. Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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82
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Haartsen R, Mason L, Garces P, Gui A, Charman T, Tillmann J, Johnson MH, Buitelaar JK, Loth E, Murphy D, Jones EJH. Qualitative differences in the spatiotemporal brain states supporting configural face processing emerge in adolescence in autism. Cortex 2022; 155:13-29. [PMID: 35961249 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying the neural processing of faces can illuminate the mechanisms of compromised social expertise in autism. To resolve a longstanding debate, we examined whether differences in configural face processing in autism are underpinned by quantitative differences in the activation of typical face processing pathways, or the recruitment of non-typical neural systems. METHODS We investigated spatial and temporal characteristics of event-related EEG responses to upright and inverted faces in a large sample of children, adolescents, and adults with and without autism. We examined topographic analyses of variance and global field power to identify group differences in the spatial and temporal response to face inversion. We then examined how quasi-stable spatiotemporal profiles - microstates - are modulated by face orientation and diagnostic group. RESULTS Upright and inverted faces produced distinct profiles of topography and strength in the topographical analyses. These topographical profiles differed between diagnostic groups in adolescents, but not in children or adults. In the microstate analysis, the autistic group showed differences in the activation strength of normative microstates during early-stage processing at all ages, suggesting consistent quantitative differences in the operation of typical processing pathways; qualitative differences in microstate topographies during late-stage processing became prominent in adults, suggesting the increasing involvement of non-typical neural systems with processing time and over development. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that early difficulties with configural face processing may trigger later compensatory processes in autism that emerge in later development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne Haartsen
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom.
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Pilar Garces
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna Gui
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
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83
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Audiovisual temporal processing in adult patients with first-episode schizophrenia and high-functioning autism. SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:75. [PMID: 36138029 PMCID: PMC9500036 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00284-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are both neurodevelopmental disorders with altered sensory processing. Widened temporal binding window (TBW) signifies reduced sensitivity to detect stimulus asynchrony, and may be a shared feature in schizophrenia and ASD. Few studies directly compared audiovisual temporal processing ability in the two disorders. We recruited 43 adult patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), 35 average intelligent and verbally-fluent adult patients with high-functioning ASD and 48 controls. We employed two unisensory Temporal Order Judgement (TOJ) tasks within visual or auditory modalities, and two audiovisual Simultaneity Judgement (SJ) tasks with flash-beeps and videos of syllable utterance as stimuli. Participants with FES exhibited widened TBW affecting both speech and non-speech processing, which were not attributable to altered unisensory sensory acuity because they had normal visual and auditory TOJ thresholds. However, adults with ASD exhibited intact unisensory and audiovisual temporal processing. Lower non-verbal IQ was correlated with larger TBW width across the three groups. Taking our findings with earlier evidence in chronic samples, widened TBW is associated with schizophrenia regardless illness stage. The altered audiovisual temporal processing in ASD may ameliorate after reaching adulthood.
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84
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Bhattarai JP, Etyemez S, Jaaro-Peled H, Janke E, Leon Tolosa UD, Kamiya A, Gottfried JA, Sawa A, Ma M. Olfactory modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex circuitry: Implications for social cognition. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 129:31-39. [PMID: 33975755 PMCID: PMC8573060 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory dysfunction is manifested in a wide range of neurological and psychiatric diseases, and often emerges prior to the onset of more classical symptoms and signs. From a behavioral perspective, olfactory deficits typically arise in conjunction with impairments of cognition, motivation, memory, and emotion. However, a conceptual framework for explaining the impact of olfactory processing on higher brain functions in health and disease remains lacking. Here we aim to provide circuit-level insights into this question by synthesizing recent advances in olfactory network connectivity with other cortical brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex. We will focus on social cognition as a representative model for exploring and critically evaluating the relationship between olfactory cortices and higher-order cortical regions in rodent models. Although rodents do not recapitulate all dimensions of human social cognition, they have experimentally accessible neural circuits and well-established behavioral tests for social motivation, memory/recognition, and hierarchy, which can be extrapolated to other species including humans. In particular, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been recognized as a key brain region in mediating social cognition in both rodents and humans. This review will highlight the underappreciated connectivity, both anatomical and functional, between the olfactory system and mPFC circuitry, which together provide a neural substrate for olfactory modulation of social cognition and social behaviors. We will provide future perspectives on the functional investigation of the olfactory-mPFC circuit in rodent models and discuss how to translate such animal research to human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janardhan P Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Semra Etyemez
- Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Hanna Jaaro-Peled
- Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Emma Janke
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Usuy D Leon Tolosa
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Jay A Gottfried
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Departments of Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, and Genetic Medicine, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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85
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Ringold SM, McGuire RW, Jayashankar A, Kilroy E, Butera CD, Harrison L, Cermak SA, Aziz-Zadeh L. Sensory Modulation in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder Compared to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Children. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091171. [PMID: 36138908 PMCID: PMC9496992 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is one of the least studied and understood developmental disorders. One area that has been minimally investigated in DCD is potential issues with sensory modulation. Further, in other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder (ASD)) sensory modulation is related to many other challenges (e.g., social issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety); however, such potential relationships in children with DCD have been largely unexplored. The purpose of this study is to explore sensory modulation differences in DCD and to understand the relationships between sensory modulation and social emotional measures, behavior, and motor skills in DCD in comparison to ASD and typically developing (TD) peers. Participants (aged 8–17) and their caregivers (DCD, N = 26; ASD, N = 57; and TD, N = 53) completed behavioral and clinical measures. The results indicated that 31% of the DCD group showed sensory modulation difficulties, with the DCD group falling between the ASD and TD groups. In the DCD group, sensory modulation was significantly associated with anxiety, empathic concern, repetitive behaviors, and motor skills. Data are compared to patterns seen in ASD and TD groups and implications for interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofronia M Ringold
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Riley W McGuire
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Emily Kilroy
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Christiana D Butera
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Laura Harrison
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sharon A Cermak
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Correspondence:
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86
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Tsuji Y, Imaizumi S, Sugawara M, Oiji A. Internalizing problems and suffering due to sensory symptoms in children and adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychol 2022; 13:872185. [PMID: 35992424 PMCID: PMC9390977 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory symptoms are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies have shown a positive correlation between sensory symptoms and internalizing problems; however, the role of the suffering due to sensory symptoms is not well understood. In the present study, we hypothesized that the relationship between sensory symptoms and internalizing problems in children is mediated by children’s and surrounding people’s suffering due to sensory symptoms. Parents of 113 students aged 6–15 years with and without ASD completed questionnaires about their children’s autistic traits, sensory symptoms, suffering due to sensory symptoms, and internalizing problems. The results showed that autistic traits and sensory symptoms were distributed as a continuum throughout children with and without ASD. Therefore, we investigated the relationship among variables in children with and without ASD attending regular classes. Structural equation modeling indicated that those who scored higher on sensory symptoms demonstrated greater suffering due to sensory symptoms as predictors of internalizing problems. Our findings provide evidence for developing a support system that specifically reduces suffering due to sensory symptoms, especially for students in regular classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurika Tsuji
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yurika Tsuji,
| | - Shu Imaizumi
- Institute for Education and Human Development, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masumi Sugawara
- Faculty of Human Studies, Shirayuri University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Arata Oiji
- Graduate School of Medical Science, Kitasato University, Kanagawa, Japan
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87
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Food Selectivity and Its Implications Associated with Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14132660. [PMID: 35807840 PMCID: PMC9268444 DOI: 10.3390/nu14132660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Food selectivity (FS) in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is common, and its impact on a nutritional level is known. However, the etiology of gastrointestinal disorders (GID) related to alterations in the intestinal microbiota in children with ASD remains unclear. This article provides a narrative review of the literature on FS from the last 15 years, and its relationship with GID in children with ASD. Sensory aversion in ASD leads to food elimination, based on consistencies, preferences, and other sensory issues. The restriction of food groups that modulate the gut microbiota, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as the fibers of some cereals, triggers an intestinal dysbiosis with increased abundance in Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella Escherichia/Shigella, and Clostridium XIVa, which, together with an aberrant immune response and a leaky gut, may trigger GID. It is observed that FS can be the product of previous GID. GID could provide information to generate a hypothesis of the bidirectional relationship between FS and GID. Emphasis is placed on the need for more studies with methodological rigor in selecting children with ASD, the need for homogeneous criteria in the evaluation of GID, and the adequate classification of FS in children with ASD.
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88
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Park S, Zikopoulos B, Yazdanbakhsh A. Visual illusion susceptibility in autism: A neural model. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:4246-4265. [PMID: 35701859 PMCID: PMC9541695 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
While atypical sensory perception is reported among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the underlying neural mechanisms of autism that give rise to disruptions in sensory perception remain unclear. We developed a neural model with key physiological, functional and neuroanatomical parameters to investigate mechanisms underlying the range of representations of visual illusions related to orientation perception in typically developed subjects compared to individuals with ASD. Our results showed that two theorized autistic traits, excitation/inhibition imbalance and weakening of top‐down modulation, could be potential candidates for reduced susceptibility to some visual illusions. Parametric correlation between cortical suppression, balance of excitation/inhibition, feedback from higher visual areas on one hand and susceptibility to a class of visual illusions related to orientation perception on the other hand provide the opportunity to investigate the contribution and complex interactions of distinct sensory processing mechanisms in ASD. The novel approach used in this study can be used to link behavioural, functional and neuropathological studies; estimate and predict perceptual and cognitive heterogeneity in ASD; and form a basis for the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangwook Park
- Computational Neuroscience and Vision Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Basilis Zikopoulos
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arash Yazdanbakhsh
- Computational Neuroscience and Vision Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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89
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Haigh SM, Brosseau P, Eack SM, Leitman DI, Salisbury DF, Behrmann M. Hyper-Sensitivity to Pitch and Poorer Prosody Processing in Adults With Autism: An ERP Study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:844830. [PMID: 35693971 PMCID: PMC9174755 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.844830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism typically experience a range of symptoms, including abnormal sensory sensitivities. However, there are conflicting reports on the sensory profiles that characterize the sensory experience in autism that often depend on the type of stimulus. Here, we examine early auditory processing to simple changes in pitch and later auditory processing of more complex emotional utterances. We measured electroencephalography in 24 adults with autism and 28 controls. First, tones (1046.5Hz/C6, 1108.7Hz/C#6, or 1244.5Hz/D#6) were repeated three times or nine times before the pitch changed. Second, utterances of delight or frustration were repeated three or six times before the emotion changed. In response to the simple pitched tones, the autism group exhibited larger mismatch negativity (MMN) after nine standards compared to controls and produced greater trial-to-trial variability (TTV). In response to the prosodic utterances, the autism group showed smaller P3 responses when delight changed to frustration compared to controls. There was no significant correlation between ERPs to pitch and ERPs to prosody. Together, this suggests that early auditory processing is hyper-sensitive in autism whereas later processing of prosodic information is hypo-sensitive. The impact the different sensory profiles have on perceptual experience in autism may be key to identifying behavioral treatments to reduce symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Haigh
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Neuroscience, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, United States
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Pat Brosseau
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Shaun M. Eack
- School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - David I. Leitman
- Division of Translational Research, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Dean F. Salisbury
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Marlene Behrmann
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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90
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Roshini R, Jason B M, Marta I G. Increased context adjustment is associated with auditory sensitivities but not with autistic traits. Autism Res 2022; 15:1457-1468. [PMID: 35607992 PMCID: PMC9544519 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Bayesian models of autism suggest that alterations in context-sensitive prediction error weighting may underpin sensory perceptual alterations, such as hypersensitivities. We used an auditory oddball paradigm with pure tones arising from high or low uncertainty contexts to determine whether autistic individuals display differences in context adjustment relative to neurotypicals. We did not find group differences in early prediction error responses indexed by mismatch negativity. A dimensional approach revealed a positive correlation between context-dependent prediction errors and subjective reports of auditory sensitivities, but not with autistic traits. These findings suggest that autism studies may benefit from accounting for sensory sensitivities in group comparisons. LAY SUMMARY: We aimed to understand if autistic and non-autistic groups showed differences in their electrical brain activity measured by electroencephalography (EEG) when listening to surprising tones infrequently embedded in a statistical pattern. We found no differences between the autistic and the non-autistic group in their EEG response to the surprising sound even if the pattern switched, indicating their ability to learn a pattern. We did find that, as subjective sensory sensitivities (but not autistic traits) increased, there were increasingly large differences between the EEG responses to surprising tones that were embedded in the different statistical patterns of tones. These findings show that perceptual alterations may be a function of sensory sensitivities, but not necessarily autistic traits. We suggest that future EEG studies in autism may benefit from accounting for sensory sensitivities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randeniya Roshini
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mattingley Jason B
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Garrido Marta I
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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91
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Riddiford JA, Enticott PG, Lavale A, Gurvich C. Gaze and social functioning associations in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Autism Res 2022; 15:1380-1446. [PMID: 35593039 PMCID: PMC9543973 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by significant social functioning impairments, including (but not limited to) emotion recognition, mentalizing, and joint attention. Despite extensive investigation into the correlates of social functioning in ASD, only recently has there been focus on the role of low‐level sensory input, particularly visual processing. Extensive gaze deficits have been described in ASD, from basic saccadic function through to social attention and the processing of complex biological motion. Given that social functioning often relies on accurately processing visual information, inefficient visual processing may contribute to the emergence and sustainment of social functioning difficulties in ASD. To explore the association between measures of gaze and social functioning in ASD, a systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted. A total of 95 studies were identified from a search of CINAHL Plus, Embase, OVID Medline, and psycINFO databases in July 2021. Findings support associations between increased gaze to the face/head and eye regions with improved social functioning and reduced autism symptom severity. However, gaze allocation to the mouth appears dependent on social and emotional content of scenes and the cognitive profile of participants. This review supports the investigation of gaze variables as potential biomarkers of ASD, although future longitudinal studies are required to investigate the developmental progression of this relationship and to explore the influence of heterogeneity in ASD clinical characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Riddiford
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Alex Lavale
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
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92
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Lassen J, Oranje B, Vestergaard M, Foldager M, Kjaer TW, Arnfred S, Aggernaes B. Reduced mismatch negativity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder is associated with their impaired adaptive functioning. Autism Res 2022; 15:1469-1481. [PMID: 35545929 PMCID: PMC9546157 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Children and adolescents on the autism spectrum display sensory disturbances, rigid and repetitive behavior, social communication problems and a high prevalence of impaired adaptive functioning. Autism is associated with slowed behavioral and neural habituation to repeated sensory input and decreased responses to sensory deviations. Mismatch negativity (MMN) reflects a pre‐attentive difference in the neural response to sensory deviations relative to regularities and studies overall suggest that children and adolescents with autism tend to have smaller MMN. However, it remains unclear whether reduced MMN in autism is coupled to severity of specific autistic symptoms or more generally to lower level of adaptive functioning. To address these questions, the present study used electroencephalography (EEG) to assess whether auditory MMN in 59 children and adolescents with autism aged 7–14 years compared to 59 typically developing children and adolescents were related to specific autistic symptoms or level in adaptive functioning. As hypothesized, the autism group had a lower MMN amplitude than controls. Smaller MMN amplitudes were specifically associated with lower adaptive functioning in the autistic subjects but not in controls while no apparent relationships were observed with autistic‐like social interaction and communication problems, atypical language, rigidity, stereotypy or sensory sensitivity symptoms. Our findings indicate that a blunted response to changes in sensory input may underlie or contribute to the generalized difficulties with adapting to daily life circumstances seen in children and adolescents with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Lassen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bob Oranje
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) & Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Martin Vestergaard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Malene Foldager
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Troels W Kjaer
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neurology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Sidse Arnfred
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Denmark, Research Unit for Psychotherapy & Psychopathology, Mental Health Service West, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Slagelse, Denmark
| | - Bodil Aggernaes
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Roskilde, Denmark.,PP Clinic Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark
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93
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Alateyat H, Cruz S, Cernadas E, Tubío-Fungueiriño M, Sampaio A, González-Villar A, Carracedo A, Fernández-Delgado M, Fernández-Prieto M. A Machine Learning Approach in Autism Spectrum Disorders: From Sensory Processing to Behavior Problems. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:889641. [PMID: 35615066 PMCID: PMC9126208 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.889641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical sensory processing described in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) frequently cascade into behavioral alterations: isolation, aggression, indifference, anxious/depressed states, or attention problems. Predictive machine learning models might refine the statistical explorations of the associations between them by finding out how these dimensions are related. This study investigates whether behavior problems can be predicted using sensory processing abilities. Participants were 72 children and adolescents (21 females) diagnosed with ASD, aged between 6 and 14 years (M = 7.83 years; SD = 2.80 years). Parents of the participants were invited to answer the Sensory Profile 2 (SP2) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) questionnaires. A collection of 26 supervised machine learning regression models of different families was developed to predict the CBCL outcomes using the SP2 scores. The most reliable predictions were for the following outcomes: total problems (using the items in the SP2 touch scale as inputs), anxiety/depression (using avoiding quadrant), social problems (registration), and externalizing scales, revealing interesting relations between CBCL outcomes and SP2 scales. The prediction reliability on the remaining outcomes was “moderate to good” except somatic complaints and rule-breaking, where it was “bad to moderate.” Linear and ridge regression achieved the best prediction for a single outcome and globally, respectively, and gradient boosting machine achieved the best prediction in three outcomes. Results highlight the utility of several machine learning models in studying the predictive value of sensory processing impairments (with an early onset) on specific behavior alterations, providing evidences of relationship between sensory processing impairments and behavior problems in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba Alateyat
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Tecnoloxías Intelixentes da USC (CiTIUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sara Cruz
- The Psychology for Positive Development Research Center, Lusíada University—North, Porto, Portugal
| | - Eva Cernadas
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Tecnoloxías Intelixentes da USC (CiTIUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María Tubío-Fungueiriño
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Group, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, Centro de Investigação em Psicologia, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
| | - Alberto González-Villar
- Psychological Neuroscience Lab, Centro de Investigação em Psicologia, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
| | - Angel Carracedo
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Group, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Servicio Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, U-711, Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Grupo de Genética, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Manuel Fernández-Delgado
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Tecnoloxías Intelixentes da USC (CiTIUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- *Correspondence: Manuel Fernández-Delgado
| | - Montse Fernández-Prieto
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Group, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, U-711, Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Grupo de Genética, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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94
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Social interaction and social communication are among the central areas of difficulty for autistic people. Music therapy uses music experiences and the relationships that develop through them to enable communication and expression, thus attempting to address some of the core problems of autistic people. Music therapy has been applied in autism since the early 1950s, but its availability to autistic individuals varies across countries and settings. The application of music therapy requires specialised academic and clinical training which enables therapists to tailor the intervention to the specific needs of the individual. The present version of this review on music therapy for autistic people is an update of the previous Cochrane review update published in 2014 (following the original Cochrane review published in 2006). OBJECTIVES To review the effects of music therapy, or music therapy added to standard care, for autistic people. SEARCH METHODS In August 2021, we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, eleven other databases and two trials registers. We also ran citation searches, checked reference lists, and contacted study authors to identify additional studies. SELECTION CRITERIA All randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-randomised trials and controlled clinical trials comparing music therapy (or music therapy alongside standard care) to 'placebo' therapy, no treatment, or standard care for people with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder were considered for inclusion. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures. Four authors independently selected studies and extracted data from all included studies. We synthesised the results of included studies in meta-analyses. Four authors independently assessed risk of bias (RoB) of each included study using the original RoB tool as well as the certainty of evidence using GRADE. MAIN RESULTS: We included 16 new studies in this update which brought the total number of included studies to 26 (1165 participants). These studies examined the short- and medium-term effect of music therapy (intervention duration: three days to eight months) for autistic people in individual or group settings. More than half of the studies were conducted in North America or Asia. Twenty-one studies included children aged from two to 12 years. Five studies included children and adolescents, and/or young adults. Severity levels, language skills, and cognition were widely variable across studies. Measured immediately post-intervention, music therapy compared with 'placebo' therapy or standard care was more likely to positively effect global improvement (risk ratio (RR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06 to 1.40; 8 studies, 583 participants; moderate-certainty evidence; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) = 11 for low-risk population, 95% CI 6 to 39; NNTB = 6 for high-risk population, 95% CI 3 to 21) and to slightly increase quality of life (SMD 0.28, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.49; 3 RCTs, 340 participants; moderate-certainty evidence, small to medium effect size). In addition, music therapy probably results in a large reduction in total autism symptom severity (SMD -0.83, 95% CI -1.41 to -0.24; 9 studies, 575 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). No clear evidence of a difference between music therapy and comparison groups at immediately post-intervention was found for social interaction (SMD 0.26, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.57, 12 studies, 603 participants; low-certainty evidence); non-verbal communication (SMD 0.26, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.55; 7 RCTs, 192 participants; low-certainty evidence); and verbal communication (SMD 0.30, 95% CI -0.18 to 0.78; 8 studies, 276 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Two studies investigated adverse events with one (36 participants) reporting no adverse events; the other study found no differences between music therapy and standard care immediately post-intervention (RR 1.52, 95% CI 0.39 to 5.94; 1 study, 290 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this updated review provide evidence that music therapy is probably associated with an increased chance of global improvement for autistic people, likely helps them to improve total autism severity and quality of life, and probably does not increase adverse events immediately after the intervention. The certainty of the evidence was rated as 'moderate' for these four outcomes, meaning that we are moderately confident in the effect estimate. No clear evidence of a difference was found for social interaction, non-verbal communication, and verbal communication measured immediately post-intervention. For these outcomes, the certainty of the evidence was rated as 'low' or 'very low', meaning that the true effect may be substantially different from these results. Compared with earlier versions of this review, the new studies included in this update helped to increase the certainty and applicability of this review's findings through larger sample sizes, extended age groups, longer periods of intervention and inclusion of follow-up assessments, and by predominantly using validated scales measuring generalised behaviour (i.e. behaviour outside of the therapy context). This new evidence is important for autistic individuals and their families as well as for policymakers, service providers and clinicians, to help in decisions around the types and amount of intervention that should be provided and in the planning of resources. The applicability of the findings is still limited to the age groups included in the studies, and no direct conclusions can be drawn about music therapy in autistic individuals above the young adult age. More research using rigorous designs, relevant outcome measures, and longer-term follow-up periods is needed to corroborate these findings and to examine whether the effects of music therapy are enduring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Geretsegger
- GAMUT - The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
| | - Laura Fusar-Poli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Psychiatry Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Cochavit Elefant
- Department of Creative Arts Therapies, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Karin A Mössler
- GAMUT - The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
| | - Giovanni Vitale
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Christian Gold
- GAMUT - The Grieg Academy Music Therapy Research Centre, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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95
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Liu B, Qiao L, Liu K, Liu J, Piccinni-Ash TJ, Chen ZF. Molecular and neural basis of pleasant touch sensation. Science 2022; 376:483-491. [PMID: 35482870 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn2479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Pleasant touch provides emotional and psychological support that helps mitigate social isolation and stress. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using a pleasant touch-conditioned place preference (PT-CPP) test, we show that genetic ablation of spinal excitatory interneurons expressing prokineticin receptor 2 (PROKR2), or its ligand PROK2 in sensory neurons, abolishes PT-CPP without impairing pain and itch behaviors in mice. Mutant mice display profound impairments in stress response and prosocial behaviors. Moreover, PROKR2 neurons respond most vigorously to gentle stroking and encode reward value. Collectively, we identify PROK2 as a long-sought neuropeptide that encodes and transmits pleasant touch to spinal PROKR2 neurons. These findings may have important implications for elucidating mechanisms by which pleasant touch deprivation contributes to social avoidance behavior and mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benlong Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lina Qiao
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kun Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Juan Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tyler J Piccinni-Ash
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zhou-Feng Chen
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Departments of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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96
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Espenhahn S, Godfrey KJ, Kaur S, McMorris C, Murias K, Tommerdahl M, Bray S, Harris AD. Atypical Tactile Perception in Early Childhood Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2022:10.1007/s10803-022-05570-7. [PMID: 35482274 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05570-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We assessed different aspects of tactile perception in young children (3-6 years) with autism. Autistic and neurotypical children completed vibrotactile tasks assessing reaction time, amplitude discrimination (sequential and simultaneous) and temporal discrimination (temporal order judgment and duration discrimination). Autistic children had elevated and more variable reaction times, suggesting slower perceptual-motor processing speed and/or greater distractibility. Children with autism also showed higher amplitude discrimination and temporal order judgement thresholds compared to neurotypical children. Tactile perceptual metrics did not associate with social or tactile sensitivities measured by parent-reports. Altered tactile behavioral responses appear in early childhood, can be quantified but appear dissociated from sensitivity. This implies these measures are complementary, but not necessarily related, phenomena of atypical tactile perception in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Espenhahn
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Alberta Children's Hospital, Office B4-512 28 Oki Drive NW, T3B 6A8, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Owerko Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kate J Godfrey
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Owerko Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sakshi Kaur
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Owerko Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carly McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Owerko Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kara Murias
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Owerko Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mark Tommerdahl
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Signe Bray
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Alberta Children's Hospital, Office B4-512 28 Oki Drive NW, T3B 6A8, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Owerko Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ashley D Harris
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Alberta Children's Hospital, Office B4-512 28 Oki Drive NW, T3B 6A8, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Owerko Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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97
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Are Extended Reality Interventions Effective in Helping Autistic Children to Enhance Their Social Skills? A Systematic Review. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-022-00320-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAutistic children’s social skills do not always align with those of their neurotypical peers and research suggests that this can negatively impact quality of life. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of extended reality (XR) interventions in helping autistic children to enhance their social skills. Five electronic databases were systematically searched and seventeen studies were identified. The majority targeted social-emotional reciprocity and were of relatively low quality. There was insufficient evidence to determine whether effects were generalisable, sustained or important to autistic people. Research in this field is in its infancy and evidence of effectiveness should be viewed with caution. Future studies should aim for high-quality, theory-driven research, and involve autistic people to ensure meaningful outcomes.PROSPERO ID: CRD42021229442
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98
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Matsushima K, Matsubayashi J, Toichi M, Funabiki Y, Kato T, Awaya T, Tsuchida R, Kato T. Atypical Physiological Response to Less Controllable Sensory Stimulation in Children with ASD. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:1363-1377. [DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00927-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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99
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Hand CJ, Kennedy A, Filik R, Pitchford M, Robus CM. Emoji Identification and Emoji Effects on Sentence Emotionality in ASD-Diagnosed Adults and Neurotypical Controls. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:2514-2528. [PMID: 35415776 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05557-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We investigated ASD-diagnosed adults' and neurotypical (NT) controls' processing of emoji and emoji influence on the emotionality of otherwise-neutral sentences. Study 1 participants categorised emoji representing the six basic emotions using a fixed-set of emotional adjectives. Results showed that ASD-diagnosed participants' classifications of fearful, sad, and surprised emoji were more diverse and less 'typical' than NT controls' responses. Study 2 participants read emotionally-neutral sentences; half paired with sentence-final happy emoji, half with sad emoji. Participants rated sentence + emoji stimuli for emotional valence. ASD-diagnosed and NT participants rated sentences + happy emoji as equally-positive, however, ASD-diagnosed participants rated sentences + sad emoji as more-negative than NT participants. We must acknowledge differential perceptions and effects of emoji, and emoji-text inter-relationships, when working with neurodiverse stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Hand
- School of Education, University of Glasgow, 11 Eldon Street, Glasgow, G3 6NH, UK.
| | - Ashley Kennedy
- Department of Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ruth Filik
- School of Psychology, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Christopher M Robus
- School of Psychotherapy and Psychology, Regents University London, London, UK
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100
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Sibeoni J, Massoutier L, Valette M, Manolios E, Verneuil L, Speranza M, Revah-Levy A. The sensory experiences of autistic people: A metasynthesis. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:1032-1045. [PMID: 35362340 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221081188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Sensory atypicalities are very common among autistic people and are integrated in several theories and explanatory models of autism. Qualitative studies have explored these singular sensory experiences from the perspectives of autistic people themselves. This article gathers all these qualitative studies and provides original findings regarding the everyday sensory experience of autistic people, that is, around four dimensions - physical, emotional, relational and social - experienced holistically, as inseparable, and not hierarchically or in terms of cause and effect. Adopting this holistic view could improve the adaptation of the sensory environment in health care facilities and the training of professionals around this specific issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Sibeoni
- Argenteuil Hospital Centre, France.,Université de Paris, France
| | - Laura Massoutier
- Université de Paris, France.,Centre Hospitalier de Gonesse, France
| | | | - Emilie Manolios
- Université de Paris, France.,Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, France
| | - Laurence Verneuil
- Université de Paris, France.,GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, France
| | - Mario Speranza
- Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, France
| | - Anne Revah-Levy
- Argenteuil Hospital Centre, France.,Université de Paris, France
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