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Vandewouw MM, Choi EJ, Hammill C, Lerch JP, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Changing Faces: Dynamic Emotional Face Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder Across Childhood and Adulthood. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:825-836. [PMID: 33279458 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is classically associated with poor emotional face processing. Few studies, however, have used more ecological dynamic stimuli. We contrasted functional magnetic resonance imaging measures of dynamic emotional face processing in ASD and typically developing (TD) cohorts across a wide age range to determine if the processing and age-related trajectories differed between participants with and without ASD. METHODS Functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected from 200 participants (5-42 years old; 107 in ASD cohort, 93 in TD cohort) during the presentation of dynamic emotional faces (neutral-to-happy, neutral-to-angry) and dynamic flowers (closed-to-open) were analyzed. Group differences and group-by-age interactions in the faces versus flowers and between emotion contrasts were investigated. RESULTS Differences in activation between dynamic faces and flowers in occipital regions, including the fusiform gyri, were reduced in the ASD group. Contrasting the two emotions, ASD compared with TD participants showed increased engagement of the precentral, postcentral, and superior temporal gyri to happy faces and increased activation to angry faces occipitally. Emotion processing regions, such as insula, temporal pole, and frontal regions, showed increased recruitment with age to happy faces compared with both angry faces and flowers in the TD group, but decreased recruitment with age in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS Using dynamic stimuli, we demonstrated that participants with ASD processed faces similarly to nonface stimuli, and age-related atypicalities were more pronounced to happy faces in participants with ASD. We demonstrated emotion-specific atypicalities in a large group of participants with ASD that underscore persistent difficulties from childhood into mid-adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee M Vandewouw
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Autism Research Center, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabiliation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Eun Jung Choi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Autism Research Center, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabiliation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher Hammill
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Autism Research Center, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabiliation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
Endophenotypes are measurable markers of genetic vulnerability to current or future disorder. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is well-suited to be examined within an endophenotype framework given past and current emphases on the broader autism phenotype and early detection. We conducted a scoping review to identify potential socially-related endophenotypes of ASD. We focused on paradigms related to sociality (e.g., theory of mind (TOM), social attention), which comprise most of this literature. We integrated findings from traditional behavioral paradigms with brain-based measures (e.g., electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging). Broadly, infant research regarding social attention and responsivity (Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) domain of affiliation) and attention to faces and voices (social communication) finds consistent abnormality in vulnerable infant siblings. Several additional paradigms that have shown differences in vulnerable infants and young children include animacy perception tasks (perception and understanding of others), measures of recognition and response to familiar faces (attachment), and joint attention and false-belief tasks (understanding mental states). Research areas such as alexithymia (the perception and understanding of self), empathic responding, and vocal prosody may hold interest; however, challenges in measurement across populations and age ranges is a limiting factor. Future work should address sex differences and age dependencies, specificity to ASD, and heterogeneous genetic pathways to disorder within samples individuals with ASD and relatives.
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53
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Correlations between facial emotion recognition and cognitive flexibility in autism spectrum disorder. ADVANCES IN AUTISM 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/aia-02-2019-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
Various studies have examined the role of executive functions in autism, but there is a lack of research in the current literature on cognitive flexibility in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether cognitive flexibility deficits could be related to facial emotion recognition deficits in ASD.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 20 children with ASD and 20 typically developing children, matched for intelligence quotient and gender, were examined both in facial emotion recognition tasks and in cognitive flexibility tasks through the dimensional change card sorting task.
Findings
Despite cognitive flexibility not being a core deficit in ASD, impaired cognitive flexibility is evident in the present research. Results show that cognitive flexibility is related to facial emotion recognition and support the hypothesis of an executive specific deficit in children with autism.
Research limitations/implications
One of the limit is the use of just one cognitive test to measure cognitive flexibility and facial recognition. This could be important to be taken into account in the new research. By increasing the number of common variables assessing cognitive flexibility, this will allow for a better comparison between studies to characterize impairment in cognitive flexibility in ASD.
Practical implications
Investigating impairment in cognitive flexibility may help to plan training intervention based on the induction of flexibility.
Social implications
If the authors implement cognitive flexibility people with ASD can have also an effect on their social behavior and overcome the typical and repetitive behaviors that are the hallmark of ASD.
Originality/value
The originality is to relate cognitive flexibility deficits to facial emotion.
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Mihailov A, Philippe C, Gloaguen A, Grigis A, Laidi C, Piguet C, Houenou J, Frouin V. Cortical signatures in behaviorally clustered autistic traits subgroups: a population-based study. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:207. [PMID: 32594096 PMCID: PMC7320967 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00894-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive heterogeneity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has hindered the characterization of consistent biomarkers, which has led to widespread negative results. Isolating homogenized subtypes could provide insight into underlying biological mechanisms and an overall better understanding of ASD. A total of 1093 participants from the population-based "Healthy Brain Network" cohort (Child Mind Institute in the New York City area, USA) were selected based on score availability in behaviors relevant to ASD, aged 6-18 and IQ >= 70. All participants underwent an unsupervised clustering analysis on behavioral dimensions to reveal subgroups with ASD traits, identified by the presence of social deficits. Analysis revealed three socially impaired ASD traits subgroups: (1) high in emotionally dysfunctional traits, (2) high in ADHD-like traits, and (3) high in anxiety and depressive symptoms. 527 subjects had good quality structural MRI T1 data. Site effects on cortical features were adjusted using the ComBat method. Neuroimaging analyses compared cortical thickness, gyrification, and surface area, and were controlled for age, gender, and IQ, and corrected for multiple comparisons. Structural neuroimaging analyses contrasting one combined heterogeneous ASD traits group against controls did not yield any significant differences. Unique cortical signatures, however, were observed within each of the three individual ASD traits subgroups versus controls. These observations provide evidence of ASD traits subtypes, and confirm the necessity of applying dimensional approaches to extract meaningful differences, thus reducing heterogeneity and paving the way to better understanding ASD traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeline Mihailov
- Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191, France.
| | - Cathy Philippe
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France
| | - Arnaud Gloaguen
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,CNRS-Centrale Supélec, 3 rue Joliot-Curie, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Antoine Grigis
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France
| | - Charles Laidi
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,APHP, Mondor Univ. Hospitals, DMU IMPACT, INSERM, U955, Translational Neuropsychiatry Team, University of Paris-Est Créteil, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Camille Piguet
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Josselin Houenou
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,APHP, Mondor Univ. Hospitals, DMU IMPACT, INSERM, U955, Translational Neuropsychiatry Team, University of Paris-Est Créteil, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Vincent Frouin
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France
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Update on Atypicalities of Central Nervous System in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10050309. [PMID: 32443912 PMCID: PMC7287879 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10050309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, behaviorally defined, neurodevelopmental disorder that has been modeled as a brain-based disease. The behavioral and cognitive features of ASD are associated with pervasive atypicalities in the central nervous system (CNS). To date, the exact mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ASD still remain unknown and there is currently no cure or effective treatment for this disorder. Many publications implicated the association of ASD with inflammation, immune dysregulation, neurotransmission dysfunction, mitochondrial impairment and cell signaling dysregulation. This review attempts to highlight evidence of the major pathophysiology of ASD including abnormalities in the brain structure and function, neuroglial activation and neuroinflammation, glutamatergic neurotransmission, mitochondrial dysfunction and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway dysregulation. Molecular and cellular factors that contributed to the pathogenesis of ASD and how they may affect the development and function of CNS are compiled in this review. However, findings of published studies have been complicated by the fact that autism is a very heterogeneous disorder; hence, we addressed the limitations that led to discrepancies in the reported findings. This review emphasizes the need for future studies to control study variables such as sample size, gender, age range and intelligence quotient (IQ), all of which that could affect the study measurements. Neuroinflammation or immune dysregulation, microglial activation, genetically linked neurotransmission, mitochondrial dysfunctions and mTOR signaling pathway could be the primary targets for treating and preventing ASD. Further research is required to better understand the molecular causes and how they may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASD.
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Vettori S, Dzhelyova M, Van der Donck S, Jacques C, Steyaert J, Rossion B, Boets B. Frequency-Tagging Electroencephalography of Superimposed Social and Non-Social Visual Stimulation Streams Reveals Reduced Saliency of Faces in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:332. [PMID: 32411029 PMCID: PMC7199527 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties with social communication and interaction. The social motivation hypothesis states that a reduced interest in social stimuli may partly underlie these difficulties. Thus far, however, it has been challenging to quantify individual differences in social orientation and interest, and to pinpoint the neural underpinnings of it. In this study, we tested the neural sensitivity for social versus non-social information in 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 typically developing (TD) control boys, matched for age and IQ, while children were engaged in an orthogonal task. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) during fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) of social versus non-social stimuli to obtain an objective implicit neural measure of relative social bias. Streams of variable images of faces and houses were superimposed, and each stream of stimuli was tagged with a particular presentation rate (i.e., 6 and 7.5 Hz or vice versa). This frequency-tagging method allows disentangling the respective neural responses evoked by the different streams of stimuli. Moreover, by using superimposed stimuli, we controlled for possible effects of preferential looking, spatial attention, and disengagement. Based on four trials of 60 s, we observed a significant three-way interaction. In the control group, the frequency-tagged neural responses to faces were larger than those to houses, especially in lateral occipito-temporal channels, while the responses to houses were larger over medial occipital channels. In the ASD group, however, faces and houses did not elicit significantly different neural responses in any of the regions. Given the short recording time of the frequency-tagging paradigm with multiple simultaneous inputs and the robustness of the individual responses, the method could be used as a sensitive marker of social preference in a wide range of populations, including younger and challenging populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Vettori
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Milena Dzhelyova
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Institute of Research in Psychological Science, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Stephanie Van der Donck
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Corentin Jacques
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Institute of Research in Psychological Science, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jean Steyaert
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Institute of Research in Psychological Science, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRAN-UMR 7039, Nancy, France
- Université de Lorraine, CHRU-Service de Neurologie, Nancy, France
| | - Bart Boets
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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57
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Xu Q, Zuo C, Liao S, Long Y, Wang Y. Abnormal development pattern of the amygdala and hippocampus from childhood to adulthood with autism. J Clin Neurosci 2020; 78:327-332. [PMID: 32593622 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2020.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Using magnetic resonance imaging to determine neuropathology in autism spectrum disorders, we report findings on the volume of the amygdala and hippocampus in autistic children. The volumes of amygdala, hippocampus and total brain were obtained by volbrain and their volumes were measured in young people (6.5-27.0 years of age) that comes from ABIDE dataset. Although there was no significant difference in total brain capacity between groups, autistic children (6.5-12.0 years of age) had larger right and left absolute and relative amygdala volumes than the control group. There was no difference in amygdala volume between adolescence (13-19 years old) and adults (20-27 years old). Interestingly, the volume of the amygdala in typical developing children increased significantly from 6.5 to 27 years of age. Thus, amygdala in children with autism was initially small, but no age-related increases were observed in normal developing children. The right absolute hippocampal volume of autistic patients was also larger than that of normal adults, but not after controlling the total brain volume. These cross-sectional findings suggest that abnormal patterns of hippocampal and amygdala development continue into adolescence in autistic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinfang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning , Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Special Children's Impairment and Intervention, Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Chenyi Zuo
- College of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | | | - Yang Long
- School of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yanpei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning , Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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58
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Webster PJ, Frum C, Kurowski-Burt A, Bauer CE, Wen S, Ramadan JH, Baker KA, Lewis JW. Processing of Real-World, Dynamic Natural Stimuli in Autism is Linked to Corticobasal Function. Autism Res 2020; 13:539-549. [PMID: 31944557 PMCID: PMC7418054 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to perceive everyday sensory information differently compared to peers without autism. Research examining these sensory differences has primarily utilized nonnatural stimuli or natural stimuli using static photos with few having utilized dynamic, real-world nonverbal stimuli. Therefore, in this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to characterize brain activation of individuals with high-functioning autism when viewing and listening to a video of a real-world scene (a person bouncing a ball) and anticipating the bounce. We investigated both multisensory and unisensory processing and hypothesized that individuals with ASD would show differential activation in (a) primary auditory and visual sensory cortical and association areas, and in (b) cortical and subcortical regions where auditory and visual information is integrated (e.g. temporal-parietal junction, pulvinar, superior colliculus). Contrary to our hypotheses, the whole-brain analysis revealed similar activation between the groups in these brain regions. However, compared to controls the ASD group showed significant hypoactivation in the left intraparietal sulcus and left putamen/globus pallidus. We theorize that this hypoactivation reflected underconnectivity for mediating spatiotemporal processing of the visual biological motion stimuli with the task demands of anticipating the timing of the bounce event. The paradigm thus may have tapped into a specific left-lateralized aberrant corticobasal circuit or loop involved in initiating or inhibiting motor responses. This was consistent with a dual "when versus where" psychophysical model of corticobasal function, which may reflect core differences in sensory processing of real-world, nonverbal natural stimuli in ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 539-549. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: To understand how individuals with autism perceive the real-world, using magnetic resonance imaging we examined brain activation in individuals with autism while watching a video of someone bouncing a basketball. Those with autism had similar activation to controls in auditory and visual sensory brain regions, but less activation in an area that processes information about body movements and in a region involved in modulating movements. These areas are important for understanding the actions of others and developing social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula J Webster
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Chris Frum
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Amy Kurowski-Burt
- Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Human Performance, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Christopher E Bauer
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Sijin Wen
- Department of Biostatistics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Jad H Ramadan
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Kathryn A Baker
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - James W Lewis
- Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
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59
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Representational similarity analysis reveals atypical age-related changes in brain regions supporting face and car recognition in autism. Neuroimage 2020; 209:116322. [PMID: 31786166 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical activation in the ventral stream during face processing. The current study further characterizes the development of face processing in ASD using a multivoxel pattern analysis, which assesses the similarity in the representation of exemplars from the same category. METHODS Ninety-two children, adolescents and adults - with and without ASD - performed the Cambridge Face Memory Test, the Australian Face Memory Test, and a matched car memory test. Regions of interest during these tasks included Fusiform Face Area (FFA), based on the literature, and additional, structurally-defined regions in the ventral stream. Group differences in the patterns of activity within these ROIs when memorizing exemplars were examined using a representational similarity analysis (RSA). RESULTS The RSA revealed significant interactions between age group and diagnostic group in R FFA, with increasing similarity within a category (faces, cars) into adulthood typically but not in those with ASD. This pattern was also evident in structurally defined ventral stream regions, namely L inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), bilateral temporoparietal junction (TPJ), L inferior temporal lobule, and the R fusiform gyrus. CONCLUSIONS The specialization of face and object processing from adolescence to adulthood evident in typical development may be impaired in ASD, undermining the ability to reach adult-level visual processing in those with ASD.
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60
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Cioana M, Michalski B, Fahnestock M. Insulin‐Like Growth Factor and Insulin‐Like Growth Factor Receptor Expression in Human Idiopathic Autism Fusiform Gyrus Tissue. Autism Res 2020; 13:897-907. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Milena Cioana
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences McMaster University Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Bernadeta Michalski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences McMaster University Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Margaret Fahnestock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences McMaster University Hamilton Ontario L8S 4K1 Canada
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61
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Kuno-Fujita A, Iwabuchi T, Wakusawa K, Ito H, Suzuki K, Shigetomi A, Hirotaka K, Tsujii M, Tsuchiya KJ. Sensory Processing Patterns and Fusiform Activity During Face Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:741-750. [PMID: 32058662 PMCID: PMC7317875 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence has indicated that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit abnormal reactions to sensory stimuli and impaired face processing. Although behavioral studies have reported that individual differences in sensory processing patterns are correlated with performance in face processing tasks, the neural substrates underlying the association between sensory processing patterns and face processing remain unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study examined the relationships between sensory processing patterns assessed with the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and brain activity during a one‐back task with two types of stimuli (face or house pictures). We enrolled 18 Japanese adults with ASD and 19 age‐ and IQ‐matched controls. Sensation Avoiding scores, which were assessed using the AASP, were positively correlated with right fusiform activity during the presentation of pictures of faces in the ASD group, but not in the control group. This suggests that abnormal sensory processing patterns in ASD are associated with abnormal face‐related brain activity, possibly resulting in impaired face processing. Autism Res 2020, 13: 741–750. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary Sensory abnormalities are one of the most common symptoms in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study shows that individuals with ASD who react abnormally to sensory stimuli also exhibit atypical brain activity when recognizing faces. Abnormal sensory processing may partly explain the difficulty that people diagnosed with ASD have in identifying others' faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Kuno-Fujita
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Toshiki Iwabuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Keisuke Wakusawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Miyagi Children's Hospital, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Ito
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Department of Contemporary Education, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Katsuaki Suzuki
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Ogasa Hospital, Kakegawa, Japan
| | | | - Kosaka Hirotaka
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Masatsugu Tsujii
- School of Contemporary Sociology, Chukyo University, Toyota, Japan
| | - Kenji J Tsuchiya
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
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Yasuno F, Makinodan M, Takahashi M, Matsuoka K, Yoshikawa H, Kitamura S, Ishida R, Kishimoto N, Miyasaka T, Kichikawa K, Kishimoto T. Microstructural Anomalies Evaluated by Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging Are Related to Deficits in Facial Emotional Recognition via Perceptual-Binding Difficulties in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:729-740. [PMID: 32048810 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The integration of visual features is important for recognizing objects as a coherent whole, a key domain of difficulty in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We tested the hypothesis that ASD patients exhibit difficulties in facial emotional recognition via perceptual binding difficulties due to weak coherence. We assessed 18 ASD and 27 typically developing individuals for their ability to identify emotional expressions from faces in pictures moving behind a narrow vertical and horizontal slit. In this task, only a single local piece of facial information was provided at any one time through the slit. Using a voxel-based analysis of neurite-orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), we examined the relationship between NODDI index values at each voxel and the behavioral performance of ASD patients in the slit-viewing paradigm. ASD patients demonstrated impaired recognition of facial emotional expression only in horizontal slit-viewing. This deficit was associated with deficits in communication ability. Voxel-based analysis revealed significant negative correlations between behavioral deficits in horizontal slit-viewing and NODDI index values in clusters including the ventral occipital complex region, superior temporal/parietal association areas, and forceps major of the corpus callosum. Our results indicated deficits for the first time in perceptual integration of facial expression across hemispheres in ASD patients due to microstructural disturbances in the corpus callosum and areas related to viewing of the human face. This may underscore the difficulties faced by ASD patients in understanding the emotions of other people, contributing to impairments in communication ability in ASD patients. Autism Res 2020, 13: 729-740. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: We assessed ASD and typically developing individuals for their ability to identify emotional expressions from faces in pictures moving behind a narrow vertical and horizontal slit. ASD patients demonstrated impaired recognition of facial emotional expression only in horizontal slit-viewing. Voxel-based analysis revealed significant negative correlations between behavioral deficits and NODDI index values in clusters including the corpus callosum. Our results indicated deficits in perceptual integration of facial expression across hemispheres in ASD patients potentially resulting from microstructural disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiko Yasuno
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan
| | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Masato Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Kiwamu Matsuoka
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | | | | | - Rio Ishida
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Naoko Kishimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
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Seghatol-Eslami VC, Maximo JO, Ammons CJ, Libero LE, Kana RK. Hyperconnectivity of social brain networks in autism during action-intention judgment. Neuropsychologia 2020; 137:107303. [PMID: 31837376 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in social communication in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been documented using neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI over the past decade. More recently, functional connectivity MRI has revealed altered connectivity in face processing, mentalizing, and mirroring brain networks, networks involved in the social brain in ASD. However, to our knowledge, previous studies have not examined these three networks concurrently. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the functional connectivity of the face processing, mentalizing, and mirroring networks (within each network and across networks) in ASD during an action-intention task in which participants were asked to determine the means and intention of a model's actions. We examined: a) within-network connectivity of each network using an ROI-to-ROI analysis; b) connectivity of each network hub to the rest of the brain using a seed-to-voxel analysis; c) the between-network connectivity of each network hub using ROI-to-ROI analysis; and d) brain-behavior relationships by correlating autism symptoms with brain connectivity. Task-fMRI data were used from 21 participants with ASD and 20 typically developing participants. The ASD group consistently showed significantly greater connectivity between networks and between hub regions to the rest of the brain. Hyperconnectivity in ASD may entail more and widespread resource utilization for accomplishing action-intention judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria C Seghatol-Eslami
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Jose O Maximo
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Carla J Ammons
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Lauren E Libero
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Box 870348, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35294-0021, USA.
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64
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Tsurugizawa T, Tamada K, Ono N, Karakawa S, Kodama Y, Debacker C, Hata J, Okano H, Kitamura A, Zalesky A, Takumi T. Awake functional MRI detects neural circuit dysfunction in a mouse model of autism. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaav4520. [PMID: 32076634 PMCID: PMC7002125 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav4520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
MRI has potential as a translational approach from rodents to humans. However, given that mouse functional MRI (fMRI) uses anesthetics for suppression of motion, it has been difficult to directly compare the result of fMRI in "unconsciousness" disease model mice with that in "consciousness" patients. We develop awake fMRI to investigate brain function in 15q dup mice, a copy number variation model of autism. Compared to wild-type mice, we find that 15q dup is associated with whole-brain functional hypoconnectivity and diminished fMRI responses to odors of stranger mice. Ex vivo diffusion MRI reveals widespread anomalies in white matter ultrastructure in 15q dup mice, suggesting a putative anatomical substrate for these functional hypoconnectivity. We show that d-cycloserine (DCS) treatment partially normalizes these anormalies in the frontal cortex of 15q dup mice and rescues some social behaviors. Our results demonstrate the utility of awake rodent fMRI and provide a rationale for further investigation of DCS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomokazu Tsurugizawa
- NeuroSpin, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191, France
- Corresponding author. (T.Ts.); (T.Ta.)
| | - Kota Tamada
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Nobukazu Ono
- Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan
| | - Sachise Karakawa
- Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan
| | - Yuko Kodama
- Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan
| | - Clement Debacker
- NeuroSpin, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette 91191, France
| | - Junichi Hata
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8585, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8585, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kitamura
- Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan
| | - Andrew Zalesky
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Toru Takumi
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Chuo, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
- Corresponding author. (T.Ts.); (T.Ta.)
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Sapey-Triomphe LA, Boets B, Van Eylen L, Noens I, Sunaert S, Steyaert J, Wagemans J. Ventral stream hierarchy underlying perceptual organization in adolescents with autism. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 25:102197. [PMID: 32014827 PMCID: PMC6997624 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Object recognition relies on a hierarchically organized ventral visual stream, with both bottom-up and top-down processes. Here, we aimed at investigating the neural underpinnings of perceptual organization along the ventral visual stream in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and at determining whether this would be associated with decreased top-down processing in ASD. Nineteen typically developing (TD) adolescents and sixteen adolescents with ASD participated in an fMRI study where they had to detect visual objects. Five conditions displayed Gabor patterns (defined by texture and/or contour) with increasing levels of perceptual organization. In each condition, both groups showed similar abilities. In line with the expected cortical hierarchy, brain activity patterns revealed a progressive involvement of regions, from low-level occipital regions to higher-level frontal regions, when stimuli became more and more organized. The brain patterns were generally similar in both groups, but the ASD group showed greater activation than TD participants in the middle occipital gyrus and lateral occipital complex when perceiving fully organized everyday objects. Effective connectivity analyses suggested that top-down functional connections between the lower levels of the cortical hierarchy were less influenced by the meaning carried by the stimuli in the ASD group than in the TD group. We hypothesize that adolescents with ASD may have been less influenced by top-down processing when perceiving recognizable objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie-Anne Sapey-Triomphe
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7h, PB 7001, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Lien Van Eylen
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ilse Noens
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | | | - Jean Steyaert
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7h, PB 7001, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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66
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Ohara N, Hirano Y, Oribe N, Tamura S, Nakamura I, Hirano S, Tsuchimoto R, Ueno T, Togao O, Hiwatashi A, Nakao T, Onitsuka T. Neurophysiological Face Processing Deficits in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia: An MEG Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:554844. [PMID: 33101080 PMCID: PMC7495506 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.554844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropsychological studies have revealed that patients with schizophrenia (SZ) have facial recognition difficulties and a reduced visual evoked N170 response to human faces. However, detailed neurophysiological evidence of this face processing deficit in SZ with a higher spatial resolution has yet to be acquired. In this study, we recorded visual evoked magnetoencephalography (MEG) and examined whether M170 (a magnetic counterpart of the N170) activity deficits are specific to faces in patients with chronic SZ. METHODS Participants were 26 patients with SZ and 26 healthy controls (HC). The M170 responses to faces and cars were recorded from whole-head MEG, and global field power over each temporal cortex was analyzed. The distributed M170 sources were also localized using a minimum-norm estimation (MNE) method. Correlational analyses between M170 responses and demographics/symptoms were performed. RESULTS As expected, the M170 was significantly smaller in the SZ compared with the HC group in response to faces, but not to cars (faces: p = 0.01; cars: p = 0.55). The MNE analysis demonstrated that while the M170 was localized over the fusiform face area (FFA) in the HC group, visual-related brain regions other than the FFA were strongly activated in the SZ group in both stimulus conditions. The severity of negative symptoms was negatively correlated with M170 power (rho = -0.47, p = 0.01) in SZ. Within HC, there was a significant correlation between age and the M170 responses to faces averaged for both hemispheres (rho = 0.60, p = 0.001), while such a relationship was not observed in patients with SZ (rho = 0.09, p = 0.67). CONCLUSION The present study showed specific reductions in the M170 response to human faces in patients with SZ. Our findings could suggest that SZ is characterized by face processing deficits that are associated with the severity of negative symptoms. Thus, we suggest that social cognition impairments in SZ might, at least in part, be caused by this functional face processing deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naotoshi Ohara
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Medical Corporation Seiryokai, Mimamigaoka Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoji Hirano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Naoya Oribe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Division of Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization, Hizen Psychiatric Medical Center, Saga, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Tamura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Itta Nakamura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shogo Hirano
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Rikako Tsuchimoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Center for Health Sciences and Counseling, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takefumi Ueno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Division of Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization, Hizen Psychiatric Medical Center, Saga, Japan
| | - Osamu Togao
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akio Hiwatashi
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Nakao
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Onitsuka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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67
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Schauder KB, Park WJ, Tsank Y, Eckstein MP, Tadin D, Bennetto L. Initial eye gaze to faces and its functional consequence on face identification abilities in autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2019; 11:42. [PMID: 31883518 PMCID: PMC6935487 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-019-9303-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined and diagnosed by core deficits in social communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors. Research on face processing suggests deficits in this domain in ASD but includes many mixed findings regarding the nature and extent of these differences. The first eye movement to a face has been shown to be highly informative and sufficient to achieve high performance in face identification in neurotypical adults. The current study focused on this critical moment shown to be essential in the process of face identification. METHODS We applied an established eye-tracking and face identification paradigm to comprehensively characterize the initial eye movement to a face and test its functional consequence on face identification performance in adolescents with and without ASD (n = 21 per group), and in neurotypical adults. Specifically, we presented a series of faces and measured the landing location of the first saccade to each face, while simultaneously measuring their face identification abilities. Then, individuals were guided to look at specific locations on the face, and we measured how face identification performance varied as a function of that location. Adolescent participants also completed a more traditional measure of face identification which allowed us to more fully characterize face identification abilities in ASD. RESULTS Our results indicate that the location of the initial look to faces and face identification performance for briefly presented faces are intact in ASD, ruling out the possibility that deficits in face perception, at least in adolescents with ASD, begin with the initial eye movement to the face. However, individuals with ASD showed impairments on the more traditional measure of face identification. CONCLUSION Together, the observed dissociation between initial, rapid face perception processes, and other measures of face perception offers new insights and hypotheses related to the timing and perceptual complexity of face processing and how these specific aspects of face identification may be disrupted in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly B. Schauder
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Meliora Hall, P.O Box 270266, Rochester, NY 14627 USA
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA
- Children’s National Medical Center, Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, 15245 Shady Grove Road Suite 350, Rockville, MD 20850 USA
| | - Woon Ju Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Guthrie Hall Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Yuliy Tsank
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660 USA
| | - Miguel P. Eckstein
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660 USA
| | - Duje Tadin
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, 310 Meliora Hall, P.O Box 270268, Rochester, NY 14627-0268 USA
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, USA
| | - Loisa Bennetto
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Meliora Hall, P.O Box 270266, Rochester, NY 14627 USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, 310 Meliora Hall, P.O Box 270268, Rochester, NY 14627-0268 USA
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Abnormal EEG Power Spectrum in Individuals with High Autistic Personality Traits: an eLORETA Study. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-019-09777-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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69
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Pereira JA, Sepulveda P, Rana M, Montalba C, Tejos C, Torres R, Sitaram R, Ruiz S. Self-Regulation of the Fusiform Face Area in Autism Spectrum: A Feasibility Study With Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:446. [PMID: 31920602 PMCID: PMC6933482 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most important and early impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the abnormal visual processing of human faces. This deficit has been associated with hypoactivation of the fusiform face area (FFA), one of the main hubs of the face-processing network. Neurofeedback based on real-time fMRI (rtfMRI-NF) is a technique that allows the self-regulation of circumscribed brain regions, leading to specific neural modulation and behavioral changes. The aim of the present study was to train participants with ASD to achieve up-regulation of the FFA using rtfMRI-NF, to investigate the neural effects of FFA up-regulation in ASD. For this purpose, three groups of volunteers with normal I.Q. and fluent language were recruited to participate in a rtfMRI-NF protocol of eight training runs in 2 days. Five subjects with ASD participated as part of the experimental group and received contingent feedback to up-regulate bilateral FFA. Two control groups, each one with three participants with typical development (TD), underwent the same protocol: one group with contingent feedback and the other with sham feedback. Whole-brain and functional connectivity analysis using each fusiform gyrus as independent seeds were carried out. The results show that individuals with TD and ASD can achieve FFA up-regulation with contingent feedback. RtfMRI-NF in ASD produced more numerous and stronger short-range connections among brain areas of the ventral visual stream and an absence of the long-range connections to insula and inferior frontal gyrus, as observed in TD subjects. Recruitment of inferior frontal gyrus was observed in both groups during FAA up-regulation. However, insula and caudate nucleus were only recruited in subjects with TD. These results could be explained from a neurodevelopment perspective as a lack of the normal specialization of visual processing areas, and a compensatory mechanism to process visual information of faces. RtfMRI-NF emerges as a potential tool to study visual processing network in ASD, and to explore its clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A. Pereira
- Laboratory for Brain Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pradyumna Sepulveda
- Laboratory for Brain Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mohit Rana
- Laboratory for Brain Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Cristian Montalba
- Biomedical Imaging Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristian Tejos
- Biomedical Imaging Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rafael Torres
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ranganatha Sitaram
- Laboratory for Brain Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sergio Ruiz
- Laboratory for Brain Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
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McKechanie AG, Campbell S, Eley SEA, Stanfield AC. Autism in Fragile X Syndrome; A Functional MRI Study of Facial Emotion-Processing. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10121052. [PMID: 31861230 PMCID: PMC6947308 DOI: 10.3390/genes10121052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, and among those with fragile X syndrome, approximately 1/3rd meet a threshold for an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Previous functional imaging studies of fragile X syndrome have typically focused on those with fragile X syndrome compared to either neurotypical or autism spectrum disorder control groups. Further, the majority of previous studies have tended to focus on those who are more intellectually able than is typical for fragile X syndrome. In this study, we examine the impact of autistic traits in individuals with fragile X syndrome on a paradigm looking at facial emotion processing. The study included 17 individuals with fragile X syndrome, of whom 10 met criteria for autism as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Prior to the scan, participants rehearsed on a mock scanner to help acclimatize to the scanner environment and thus allow more severely affected individuals to participate. The task examined the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response to fearful and neutral faces taken from the Ekman faces series. Individuals in the autism group had a region of significantly reduced activity centered on the left superior temporal gyrus, compared to those with FXS alone, in response to the fearful faces. We suggest that autism in individuals with fragile X syndrome is associated with similar changes in the neurobiology of facial emotion processing as seen in idiopathic autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G. McKechanie
- The Patrick Wild Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK; (S.C.); (S.E.A.E.); (A.C.S.)
- NHS Lothian, Edinburgh EH1 3EG, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-131-537-6000
| | - Sonya Campbell
- The Patrick Wild Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK; (S.C.); (S.E.A.E.); (A.C.S.)
| | - Sarah E. A. Eley
- The Patrick Wild Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK; (S.C.); (S.E.A.E.); (A.C.S.)
| | - Andrew C. Stanfield
- The Patrick Wild Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK; (S.C.); (S.E.A.E.); (A.C.S.)
- NHS Lothian, Edinburgh EH1 3EG, UK
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Rolls ET, Zhou Y, Cheng W, Gilson M, Deco G, Feng J. Effective connectivity in autism. Autism Res 2019; 13:32-44. [PMID: 31657138 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The aim was to go beyond functional connectivity, by measuring in the first large-scale study differences in effective, that is directed, connectivity between brain areas in autism compared to controls. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) data set in 394 people with autism spectrum disorder and 473 controls, and effective connectivity (EC) was measured between 94 brain areas. First, in autism, the middle temporal gyrus and other temporal areas had lower effective connectivities to the precuneus and cuneus, and these were correlated with the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule total, communication, and social scores. This lower EC from areas implicated in face expression analysis and theory of mind to the precuneus and cuneus implicated in the sense of self may relate to the poor understanding of the implications of face expression inputs for oneself in autism, and to the reduced theory of mind. Second, the hippocampus and amygdala had higher EC to the middle temporal gyrus in autism, and these are thought to be back projections based on anatomical evidence and are weaker than in the other direction. This may be related to increased retrieval of recent and emotional memories in autism. Third, some prefrontal cortex areas had higher EC with each other and with the precuneus and cuneus. Fourth, there was decreased EC from the temporal pole to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and there was evidence for lower activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a brain area implicated in emotion-related decision-making. Autism Res 2020, 13: 32-44. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: To understand autism spectrum disorders better, it may be helpful to understand whether brain systems cause effects on each other differently in people with autism. In this first large-scale neuroimaging investigation of effective connectivity in people with autism, it is shown that parts of the temporal lobe involved in facial expression identification and theory of mind have weaker effects on the precuneus and cuneus implicated in the sense of self. This may relate to the poor understanding of the implications of face expression inputs for oneself in autism, and to the reduced theory of mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund T Rolls
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunyi Zhou
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Matthieu Gilson
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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72
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Li L, Bachevalier J, Hu X, Klin A, Preuss TM, Shultz S, Jones W. Topology of the Structural Social Brain Network in Typical Adults. Brain Connect 2019; 8:537-548. [PMID: 30280929 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2018.0592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Although a large body of research has identified discrete neuroanatomical regions involved in social cognition and behavior (the "social brain"), the existing findings are based largely on studies of specific brain structures defined within the context of particular tasks or for specific types of social behavior. The objective of the current work was to view these regions as nodes of a larger collective network and to quantitatively characterize both the topology of that network and the relative criticality of its many nodes. Large-scale data mining was performed to generate seed regions of the social brain. High-quality diffusion MRI data of typical adults were used to map anatomical networks of the social brain. Network topology and nodal centrality were analyzed using graph theory. The structural social brain network demonstrates a high degree of global functional integration with strong local segregation. Bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortices and amygdala play the most central roles in the network. Strong probabilistic evidence supports modular divisions of the social brain into subnetworks bearing good resemblance to functionally classified clusters. The present network-driven approach quantifies the structural topology of the social brain as a whole. This work can serve as a critical benchmark against which to compare (1) developmental change in social brain topology over time (from infancy through adolescence and beyond) and (2) atypical network topologies that may be a sign or symptom of disorder (as in conditions such as autism, Williams syndrome, schizophrenia, and others).
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Affiliation(s)
- Longchuan Li
- 1 Marcus Autism Center , Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia .,2 Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, Georgia .,3 Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- 4 Department of Psychology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- 5 Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside , California
| | - Ami Klin
- 1 Marcus Autism Center , Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia .,2 Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, Georgia .,3 Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Todd M Preuss
- 3 Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia .,4 Department of Psychology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia .,6 Department of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sarah Shultz
- 1 Marcus Autism Center , Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia .,2 Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Warren Jones
- 1 Marcus Autism Center , Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia .,2 Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, Georgia .,3 Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia
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73
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Benefits of medical clowning in the treatment of young children with autism spectrum disorder. Eur J Pediatr 2019; 178:1283-1289. [PMID: 31243575 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-019-03415-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the contribution of group therapy delivered by a medical clown to young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). So far, scientific publications regarding medical clowning focus on general health advantages. The current study is the first controlled research examining the use of medical clowning in the therapy for children with ASD. Twenty-four children aged 2-6 years old with ASD enrolled in our special education intensive program were examined before and after group sessions with clown intervention (CI) and other intervention (OI). We tested stereotypic behaviors, verbal expression, play reciprocity, and social smiles. Data was collected during 12 weeks of intervention, and the trajectory of change was evaluated in addition to the pre-/post-intervention.Conclusion: improvement over time in all measures: Significant increase in word production, play reciprocity, and amount of social smiles during CI as compared with OI. We also found a reduction in frequency of stereotypic behaviors during and following CI as compared with before CI. These preliminary results indicate that medical clowning may be beneficial for young children with ASD, since it promotes communication and social reciprocity in a fun and lively interventional setting. What is Known: • Many therapies are used and proven as efficacious interventions for children with ASD. • So far, medical clowning was not tested as an intervention or therapy for ASD. What is New: • Medical clowning sessions with children with ASD elicited enhanced communication during the interventions as compared with other interventions. • Medical clowning sessions contributed to a decrease in frequency of stereotypic movements over time, in children with ASD.
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74
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Kovarski K, Mennella R, Wong SM, Dunkley BT, Taylor MJ, Batty M. Enhanced Early Visual Responses During Implicit Emotional Faces Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:871-886. [PMID: 30374763 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3787-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has focused on processing of socially-relevant stimuli, such as faces. Nonetheless, before being 'social', faces are visual stimuli. The present magnetoencephalography study investigated the time course of brain activity during an implicit emotional task in visual emotion-related regions in 19 adults with ASD (mean age 26.3 ± 4.4) and 19 typically developed controls (26.4 ± 4). The results confirmed previously-reported differences between groups in brain responses to emotion and a hypo-activation in the ASD group in the right fusiform gyrus around 150 ms. However, the ASD group also presented early enhanced activity in the occipital region. These results support that impaired face processing in ASD might be sustained by atypical responses in primary visual areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Kovarski
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Centre Universitaire de PédoPsychiatrie, Tours, France. .,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for the Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Rocco Mennella
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for the Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Laboratoire de neurosciences cognitives, INSERM U960, Département d'études cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Simeon M Wong
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for the Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for the Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for the Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for the Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for the Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for the Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Magali Batty
- CERPPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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75
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Li G, Chen MH, Li G, Wu D, Sun Q, Shen D, Wang L. A PRELIMINARY VOLUMETRIC MRI STUDY OF AMYGDALA AND HIPPOCAMPAL SUBFIELDS IN AUTISM DURING INFANCY. PROCEEDINGS. IEEE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BIOMEDICAL IMAGING 2019; 2019:1052-1056. [PMID: 31681457 PMCID: PMC6824593 DOI: 10.1109/isbi.2019.8759439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Currently, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is mainly diagnosed by the observation of core behavioral symptoms. Consequently, the window of opportunity for effective intervention may have passed, when the disorder is detected until 3 years of age. Thus, it is of great importance to identify imaging-based biomarkers for early diagnosis of ASD. Previous findings indicate that an abnormal pattern of the amygdala and hippocampal development in autism persists through childhood and adolescence. However, due to the low tissue contrast and small structural size of amygdala and hippocampal subfields, our knowledge on their growth in autistics in early stage still remains very limited. In this paper, for the first time, we propose a volume-based analysis of the amygdala and hippocampal subfields of the infant subjects with risk of ASD at around 24 months of age. Specifically, to address the challenge of low tissue contrast, we propose a novel deep-learning approach, i.e., dilated-dense U-Net, to automatically segment the amygdala and hippocampal subfields. Experimental results on National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) show the advantages of our proposed method in terms of segmentation accuracy. Our volume-based analysis shows the overgrowths of amygdala and CA1-3 of hippocampus, which may link to the emergence of autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guannan Li
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Meng-Hsiang Chen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Quansen Sun
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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76
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Abrams DA, Padmanabhan A, Chen T, Odriozola P, Baker AE, Kochalka J, Phillips JM, Menon V. Impaired voice processing in reward and salience circuits predicts social communication in children with autism. eLife 2019; 8:e39906. [PMID: 30806350 PMCID: PMC6391069 DOI: 10.7554/elife.39906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Engaging with vocal sounds is critical for children's social-emotional learning, and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often 'tune out' voices in their environment. Little is known regarding the neurobiological basis of voice processing and its link to social impairments in ASD. Here, we perform the first comprehensive brain network analysis of voice processing in children with ASD. We examined neural responses elicited by unfamiliar voices and mother's voice, a biologically salient voice for social learning, and identified a striking relationship between social communication abilities in children with ASD and activation in key structures of reward and salience processing regions. Functional connectivity between voice-selective and reward regions during voice processing predicted social communication in children with ASD and distinguished them from typically developing children. Results support the Social Motivation Theory of ASD by showing reward system deficits associated with the processing of a critical social stimulus, mother's voice, in children with ASD. Editorial note This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that minor issues remain unresolved (see decision letter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Arthur Abrams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Aarthi Padmanabhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Tianwen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Paola Odriozola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Amanda E Baker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - John Kochalka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Jennifer M Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
| | - Vinod Menon
- Program in NeuroscienceStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
- Department of Neurology and Neurological SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
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77
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Chen YH, Saby J, Kuschner E, Gaetz W, Edgar JC, Roberts TPL. Magnetoencephalography and the infant brain. Neuroimage 2019; 189:445-458. [PMID: 30685329 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that provides whole-head measures of neural activity with millisecond temporal resolution. Over the last three decades, MEG has been used for assessing brain activity, most commonly in adults. MEG has been used less often to examine neural function during early development, in large part due to the fact that infant whole-head MEG systems have only recently been developed. In this review, an overview of infant MEG studies is provided, focusing on the period from birth to three years. The advantages of MEG for measuring neural activity in infants are highlighted (See Box 1), including the ability to assess activity in brain (source) space rather than sensor space, thus allowing direct assessment of neural generator activity. Recent advances in MEG hardware and source analysis are also discussed. As the review indicates, efforts in this area demonstrate that MEG is a promising technology for studying the infant brain. As a noninvasive technology, with emerging hardware providing the necessary sensitivity, an expected deliverable is the capability for longitudinal infant MEG studies evaluating the developmental trajectory (maturation) of neural activity. It is expected that departures from neuro-typical trajectories will offer early detection and prognosis insights in infants and toddlers at-risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, thus paving the way for early targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Chen
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Joni Saby
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Emily Kuschner
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - William Gaetz
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - J Christopher Edgar
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Dept. of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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78
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Yerys BE, Herrington JD, Bartley GK, Liu HS, Detre JA, Schultz RT. Arterial spin labeling provides a reliable neurobiological marker of autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:32. [PMID: 30541425 PMCID: PMC6292037 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on neurobiological markers of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been elusive. However, radionuclide studies of cerebral blood flow (CBF) have shown decreased blood flow (hypoperfusion) in the temporal lobes of individuals with ASD across ages and intelligence. This observation fits with current neuroscientific models that implicate temporal regions in social perception and social cognition. Arterial spin labeled perfusion MRI allows noninvasive quantification of regional CBF as part of a multimodal MRI protocol. This method is almost entirely absent from ASD research to date. Our a priori hypothesis was that children with ASD would present with hypoperfusion in the temporal lobes-most notably the fusiform gyrus (given its prominent role in ASD social perception deficits). We also sought to examine the reproducibility of CBF measures, and their relationship to individual differences in facial recognition and ASD symptoms. METHODS A total of 58 males (33 with ASD) between the ages of 12 and 17 years participated in the study. All children completed two arterial spin labeling and structural (T1) scans using a 3 T Siemens Verio scanner approximately 8 weeks apart, as well as behavioral testing at time 1 that included diagnostic measures and the Benton Facial Recognition Test. CBF was the key dependent variable, as was facial recognition performance, and ASD symptoms. The two scans were used for reliability analyses. RESULTS The ASD group showed hypoperfusion in the bilateral fusiform gyrus and in right inferior temporal gyrus. Intra-class correlations showed moderate to good reliability across time within both groups, and no diagnostic group × time interactions. CBF in the left fusiform gyrus was significantly positively correlated with facial recognition. No significant correlations were observed with core ASD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Arterial spin labeling revealed hypoperfusion in children with ASD in regions critical to social perception and cognition. The left fusiform gyrus plays an important role in facial recognition, and greater CBF in this region was correlated with more normative facial recognition performance in children with ASD. This study takes an important first step in establishing CBF of the temporal lobes as a reliable marker of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin E. Yerys
- Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, 5th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19146-2305 USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - John D. Herrington
- Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, 5th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19146-2305 USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Gregory K. Bartley
- Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, 5th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19146-2305 USA
| | - Hua-Shan Liu
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - John A. Detre
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Robert T. Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, 5th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19146-2305 USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
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79
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Odriozola P, Dajani DR, Burrows CA, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Goodman E, Baez AC, Tottenham N, Uddin LQ, Gee DG. Atypical frontoamygdala functional connectivity in youth with autism. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 37:100603. [PMID: 30581125 PMCID: PMC6570504 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity (FC) between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex underlies socioemotional functioning, a core domain of impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although frontoamygdala circuitry undergoes dynamic changes throughout development, little is known about age-related changes in frontoamygdala networks in ASD. Here we characterize frontoamygdala resting-state FC in a cross-sectional sample (ages 7–25) of 58 typically developing (TD) individuals and 53 individuals with ASD. Contrary to hypotheses, individuals with ASD did not show different age-related patterns of frontoamygdala FC compared with TD individuals. However, overall group differences in frontoamygdala FC were observed. Specifically, relative to TD individuals, individuals with ASD showed weaker frontoamygdala FC between the right basolateral (BL) amygdala and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). These findings extend prior work to a broader developmental range in ASD, and indicate ASD-related differences in frontoamygdala FC that may underlie core socioemotional impairments in children and adolescents with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Odriozola
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA.
| | - Dina R Dajani
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
| | | | | | - Emma Goodman
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Adriana C Baez
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami FL, 33136, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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80
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Hooper JJ, Sutherland CAM, Ewing L, Langdon R, Caruana N, Connaughton E, Williams N, Greenwell-Barnden J, Rhodes G. Should I trust you? Autistic traits predict reduced appearance-based trust decisions. Br J Psychol 2018; 110:617-634. [PMID: 30421801 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Facial impressions of trustworthiness guide social decisions in the general population, as shown by financial lending in economic Trust Games. As an exception, autistic boys fail to use facial impressions to guide trust decisions, despite forming typical facial trustworthiness impressions (Autism, 19, 2015a, 1002). Here, we tested whether this dissociation between forming and using facial impressions of trustworthiness extends to neurotypical men with high levels of autistic traits. Forty-six Caucasian men completed a multi-turn Trust Game, a facial trustworthiness impressions task, the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and two Theory of Mind tasks. As hypothesized, participants' levels of autistic traits had no observed effect on the impressions formed, but negatively predicted the use of those impressions in trust decisions. Thus, the dissociation between forming and using facial impressions of trustworthiness extends to the broader autism phenotype. More broadly, our results identify autistic traits as an important source of individual variation in the use of facial impressions to guide behaviour. Interestingly, failure to use these impressions could potentially represent rational behaviour, given their limited validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine J Hooper
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Clare A M Sutherland
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Louise Ewing
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Robyn Langdon
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nathan Caruana
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emily Connaughton
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nikolas Williams
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jayden Greenwell-Barnden
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Gillian Rhodes
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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81
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Safar K, Wong SM, Leung RC, Dunkley BT, Taylor MJ. Increased Functional Connectivity During Emotional Face Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:408. [PMID: 30364114 PMCID: PMC6191493 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate poor social functioning, which may be related to atypical emotional face processing. Altered functional connectivity among brain regions, particularly involving limbic structures may be implicated. The current magnetoencephalography (MEG) study investigated whole-brain functional connectivity of eight a priori identified brain regions during the implicit presentation of happy and angry faces in 20 7 to 10-year-old children with ASD and 22 typically developing controls. Findings revealed a network of increased alpha-band phase synchronization during the first 400 ms of happy face processing in children with ASD compared to controls. This network of increased alpha-band phase synchronization involved the left fusiform gyrus, right insula, and frontal regions critical for emotional face processing. In addition, greater connectivity strength of the left fusiform gyrus (maximal 85 to 208 ms) and right insula (maximal 73 to 270 ms) following happy face presentation in children with ASD compared to typically developing controls was found. These findings reflect altered neuronal communication in children with ASD only to happy faces during implicit emotional face processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Safar
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Simeon M Wong
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rachel C Leung
- University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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82
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Joshi G, Arnold Anteraper S, Patil KR, Semwal M, Goldin RL, Furtak SL, Chai XJ, Saygin ZM, Gabrieli JDE, Biederman J, Whitfield-Gabrieli S. Integration and Segregation of Default Mode Network Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Transition-Age Males with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Proof-of-Concept Study. Brain Connect 2018; 7:558-573. [PMID: 28942672 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2016.0483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to assess the resting-state functional connectivity (RsFc) profile of the default mode network (DMN) in transition-age males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Resting-state blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from adolescent and young adult males with high-functioning ASD (n = 15) and from age-, sex-, and intelligence quotient-matched healthy controls (HCs; n = 16). The DMN was examined by assessing the positive and negative RsFc correlations of an average of the literature-based conceptualized major DMN nodes (medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC], posterior cingulate cortex, bilateral angular, and inferior temporal gyrus regions). RsFc data analysis was performed using a seed-driven approach. ASD was characterized by an altered pattern of RsFc in the DMN. The ASD group exhibited a weaker pattern of intra- and extra-DMN-positive and -negative RsFc correlations, respectively. In ASD, the strength of intra-DMN coupling was significantly reduced with the mPFC and the bilateral angular gyrus regions. In addition, the polarity of the extra-DMN correlation with the right hemispheric task-positive regions of fusiform gyrus and supramarginal gyrus was reversed from typically negative to positive in the ASD group. A wide variability was observed in the presentation of the RsFc profile of the DMN in both HC and ASD groups that revealed a distinct pattern of subgrouping using pattern recognition analyses. These findings imply that the functional architecture profile of the DMN is altered in ASD with weaker than expected integration and segregation of DMN RsFc. Future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gagan Joshi
- 1 Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts
- 3 McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sheeba Arnold Anteraper
- 1 Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
- 3 McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Kaustubh R Patil
- 1 Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Meha Semwal
- 1 Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rachel L Goldin
- 1 Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stephannie L Furtak
- 1 Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Zeynep M Saygin
- 3 McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- 3 McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 5 Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Joseph Biederman
- 1 Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- 3 McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
- 5 Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts
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83
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Lopatina OL, Komleva YK, Gorina YV, Higashida H, Salmina AB. Neurobiological Aspects of Face Recognition: The Role of Oxytocin. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:195. [PMID: 30210321 PMCID: PMC6121008 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Face recognition is an important index in the formation of social cognition and neurodevelopment in humans. Changes in face perception and memory are connected with altered sociability, which is a symptom of numerous brain conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Various brain regions and neuropeptides are implicated in face processing. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in various social behaviors, including face and emotion recognition. Nasal OT administration is a promising new therapy that can address social cognition deficits in individuals with ASD. New instrumental neurotechnologies enable the assessment of brain region activation during specific social tasks and therapies, and can characterize the involvement of genes and peptides in impaired neurodevelopment. The present review sought to discuss some of the mechanisms of the face distinguishing process, the ability of OT to modulate social cognition, as well as new perspectives and technologies for research and rehabilitation of face recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga L Lopatina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yulia K Komleva
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yana V Gorina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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84
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Liao D, Ishii M, Darrach HM, Bater KL, Smith J, Joseph AW, Douglas RS, Joseph SS, Ishii LE. Objectively Measuring Observer Attention in Severe Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy: A 3D Study. Laryngoscope 2018; 129:1250-1254. [PMID: 30151919 DOI: 10.1002/lary.27447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Measure the attentional distraction of facial deformity related to severe thyroid-associated orbitopathy using three-dimensional (3D) images and eye-tracking technology. METHODS Observers recruited at an academic tertiary referral center viewed 3D facial images of patients with severe thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) and controls without TAO. An infrared eye-tracking monitor recorded their eye movements and fixations in real time. Multivariate Hotelling's analysis, followed by planned posthypothesis testing, was used to compare fixation durations for predefined regions of interest, including the eyes, nose, mouth, central triangle, and remaining face without the central triangle between severe TAO patients and controls. RESULTS One hundred sixteen observers (mean age 26.4 years, 51% female) successfully completed the eye-tracking experiment. The majority of their attention was directed toward the central triangle (eyes, nose, mouth). On multivariate analysis, there were significant differences in the distribution of attention between control and severe TAO faces (T2 = 49.37; F(5,922) = 9.8314, P < 0.0001). On planned posthypothesis testing, observers attended significantly more to the eyes (0.77 seconds, P < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51, 1.03 seconds) and less to the nose (-0.42 seconds, P < 0.0001, 95% CI, -0.23, -0.62 seconds) in severe TAO patients. There was no significant difference in time spent on the mouth, the total time spent on the central triangle, or time spent in the remaining face between the two groups. CONCLUSION Severe TAO distracted observer attention toward the eyes compared to control patients. These data lend insight into how TAO may alter observers' perceptions of these patients. Future studies should investigate how these changes in observer gaze patterns may reflect the social perception of TAO patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA Laryngoscope, 129:1250-1254, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Liao
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Masaru Ishii
- Division of Rhinology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Halley M Darrach
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kristin L Bater
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jane Smith
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A
| | - Andrew W Joseph
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Raymond S Douglas
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A
| | - Shannon S Joseph
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A
| | - Lisa E Ishii
- Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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85
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Evaluating Functional Connectivity Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Network-Based Statistics. Diagnostics (Basel) 2018; 8:diagnostics8030051. [PMID: 30087299 PMCID: PMC6164656 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics8030051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of resting-state functional brain networks is a powerful tool to understand the neurological bases of a variety of disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this work, we have studied the differences in functional brain connectivity between a group of 74 ASD subjects and a group of 82 typical-development (TD) subjects using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We have used a network approach whereby the brain is divided into discrete regions or nodes that interact with each other through connections or edges. Functional brain networks were estimated using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient and compared by means of the Network-Based Statistic (NBS) method. The obtained results reveal a combination of both overconnectivity and underconnectivity, with the presence of networks in which the connectivity levels differ significantly between ASD and TD groups. The alterations mainly affect the temporal and frontal lobe, as well as the limbic system, especially those regions related with social interaction and emotion management functions. These results are concordant with the clinical profile of the disorder and can contribute to the elucidation of its neurological basis, encouraging the development of new clinical approaches.
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86
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Kang E, Keifer CM, Levy EJ, Foss-Feig JH, McPartland JC, Lerner MD. Atypicality of the N170 Event-Related Potential in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 3:657-666. [PMID: 30092916 PMCID: PMC6089230 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with impaired face processing. The N170 event-related potential (ERP) has been considered a promising neural marker of this impairment. However, no quantitative review to date has integrated the literature to assess whether the N170 response to faces in individuals with ASD differs from that of typically developing (TD) individuals. METHODS This meta-analysis examined the corpus of literature investigating difference in N170 response to faces in individuals with ASD and without ASD. Data from 23 studies (NASD = 374, NTD = 359) were reviewed. Meta-analysis was used to examine the effect size of the difference in N170 latency and amplitude among individuals with ASD and without ASD. Analyses were also conducted examining hemispheric differences, potential moderators, and publication bias. RESULTS On average, N170 latencies to faces were delayed in individuals with ASD, but amplitudes did not differ for individuals with ASD and TD individuals. Moderator analyses revealed that N170 amplitudes were smaller in magnitude in the ASD participants relative to the TD participants in adult samples and in those with higher cognitive ability. However, effects differed as a function of hemisphere of recording. No evidence of publication bias was found. CONCLUSIONS Atypicality of N170-particularly latency-to faces appears to be a specific biomarker of social-communicative dysfunction in ASD and may relate to differential developmental experiences and use of compensatory cognitive mechanisms. Future research should examine phenotypic differences that contribute to N170 heterogeneity, as well as specificity of N170 differences in ASD versus non-ASD clinical populations, and N170 malleability with treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Kang
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
| | - Cara M Keifer
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Emily J Levy
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | | | - Matthew D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
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87
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Kang J, Cai E, Han J, Tong Z, Li X, Sokhadze EM, Casanova MF, Ouyang G, Li X. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Can Modulate EEG Complexity of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:201. [PMID: 29713261 PMCID: PMC5911939 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder which affects the developmental trajectory in several behavioral domains, including impairments of social communication, cognitive and language abilities. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, and it was used for modulating the brain disorders. In this paper, we enrolled 13 ASD children (11 males and 2 females; mean ± SD age: 6.5 ± 1.7 years) to participate in our trial. Each patient received 10 treatments over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) once every 2 days. Also, we enrolled 13 ASD children (11 males and 2 females; mean ± SD age: 6.3 ± 1.7 years) waiting to receive therapy as controls. A maximum entropy ratio (MER) method was adapted to measure the change of complexity of EEG series. It was found that the MER value significantly increased after tDCS. This study suggests that tDCS may be a helpful tool for the rehabilitation of children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiannan Kang
- Institute of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Erjuan Cai
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Junxia Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen Tong
- Institute of Electrical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Xin Li
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China.,Key Laboratory of Measurement Technology and Instrumentation of Hebei Province, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Estate M Sokhadze
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine Greenville Campus, Greenville Health System, University of South Carolina, Greenville, SC, United States
| | - Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine Greenville Campus, Greenville Health System, University of South Carolina, Greenville, SC, United States
| | - Gaoxiang Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Measurement Technology and Instrumentation of Hebei Province, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Xiaoli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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88
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Rosenke M, Weiner KS, Barnett MA, Zilles K, Amunts K, Goebel R, Grill-Spector K. A cross-validated cytoarchitectonic atlas of the human ventral visual stream. Neuroimage 2018; 170:257-270. [PMID: 28213120 PMCID: PMC5559348 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The human ventral visual stream consists of several areas that are considered processing stages essential for perception and recognition. A fundamental microanatomical feature differentiating areas is cytoarchitecture, which refers to the distribution, size, and density of cells across cortical layers. Because cytoarchitectonic structure is measured in 20-micron-thick histological slices of postmortem tissue, it is difficult to assess (a) how anatomically consistent these areas are across brains and (b) how they relate to brain parcellations obtained with prevalent neuroimaging methods, acquired at the millimeter and centimeter scale. Therefore, the goal of this study was to (a) generate a cross-validated cytoarchitectonic atlas of the human ventral visual stream on a whole brain template that is commonly used in neuroimaging studies and (b) to compare this atlas to a recently published retinotopic parcellation of visual cortex (Wang et al., 2014). To achieve this goal, we generated an atlas of eight cytoarchitectonic areas: four areas in the occipital lobe (hOc1-hOc4v) and four in the fusiform gyrus (FG1-FG4), then we tested how the different alignment techniques affect the accuracy of the resulting atlas. Results show that both cortex-based alignment (CBA) and nonlinear volumetric alignment (NVA) generate an atlas with better cross-validation performance than affine volumetric alignment (AVA). Additionally, CBA outperformed NVA in 6/8 of the cytoarchitectonic areas. Finally, the comparison of the cytoarchitectonic atlas to a retinotopic atlas shows a clear correspondence between cytoarchitectonic and retinotopic areas in the ventral visual stream. The successful performance of CBA suggests a coupling between cytoarchitectonic areas and macroanatomical landmarks in the human ventral visual stream, and furthermore, that this coupling can be utilized for generating an accurate group atlas. In addition, the coupling between cytoarchitecture and retinotopy highlights the potential use of this atlas in understanding how anatomical features contribute to brain function. We make this cytoarchitectonic atlas freely available in both BrainVoyager and FreeSurfer formats (http://vpnl.stanford.edu/vcAtlas). The availability of this atlas will enable future studies to link cytoarchitectonic organization to other parcellations of the human ventral visual stream with potential to advance the understanding of this pathway in typical and atypical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Rosenke
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
| | - Kevin S Weiner
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Michael A Barnett
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Karl Zilles
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), and JARA Brain, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, and JARA-BRAIN, Aachen, Germany
| | - Katrin Amunts
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), and JARA Brain, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rainer Goebel
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kalanit Grill-Spector
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States; Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford, CA, United States
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89
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Gibbard CR, Ren J, Skuse DH, Clayden JD, Clark CA. Structural connectivity of the amygdala in young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:1270-1282. [PMID: 29265723 PMCID: PMC5838552 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social cognition, a function associated with the amygdala. Subdivisions of the amygdala have been identified which show specificity of structure, connectivity, and function. Little is known about amygdala connectivity in ASD. The aim of this study was to investigate the microstructural properties of amygdala-cortical connections and their association with ASD behaviours, and whether connectivity of specific amygdala subregions is associated with particular ASD traits. The brains of 51 high-functioning young adults (25 with ASD; 26 controls) were scanned using MRI. Amygdala volume was measured, and amygdala-cortical connectivity estimated using probabilistic tractography. An iterative 'winner takes all' algorithm was used to parcellate the amygdala based on its primary cortical connections. Measures of amygdala connectivity were correlated with clinical scores. In comparison with controls, amygdala volume was greater in ASD (F(1,94) = 4.19; p = .04). In white matter (WM) tracts connecting the right amygdala to the right cortex, ASD subjects showed increased mean diffusivity (t = 2.35; p = .05), which correlated with the severity of emotion recognition deficits (rho = -0.53; p = .01). Following amygdala parcellation, in ASD subjects reduced fractional anisotropy in WM connecting the left amygdala to the temporal cortex was associated with with greater attention switching impairment (rho = -0.61; p = .02). This study demonstrates that both amygdala volume and the microstructure of connections between the amygdala and the cortex are altered in ASD. Findings indicate that the microstructure of right amygdala WM tracts are associated with overall ASD severity, but that investigation of amygdala subregions can identify more specific associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare R. Gibbard
- Developmental Imaging and Biophysics Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford StreetLondonWC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - Juejing Ren
- Behavioural Sciences UnitUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford StreetLondonWC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - David H. Skuse
- Behavioural Sciences UnitUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford StreetLondonWC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - Jonathan D. Clayden
- Developmental Imaging and Biophysics Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford StreetLondonWC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - Chris A. Clark
- Developmental Imaging and Biophysics Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford StreetLondonWC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
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90
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Patriquin MA, DeRamus T, Libero LE, Laird A, Kana RK. Neuroanatomical and neurofunctional markers of social cognition in autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 37:3957-3978. [PMID: 27329401 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Social impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a hallmark feature of its diagnosis, may underlie specific neural signatures that can aid in differentiating between those with and without ASD. To assess common and consistent patterns of differences in brain responses underlying social cognition in ASD, this study applied an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to results from 50 neuroimaging studies of social cognition in children and adults with ASD. In addition, the group ALE clusters of activation obtained from this was used as a social brain mask to perform surface-based cortical morphometry (SBM) in an empirical structural MRI dataset collected from 55 ASD and 60 typically developing (TD) control participants. Overall, the ALE meta-analysis revealed consistent differences in activation in the posterior superior temporal sulcus at the temporoparietal junction, middle frontal gyrus, fusiform face area (FFA), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), amygdala, insula, and cingulate cortex between ASD and TD individuals. SBM analysis showed alterations in the thickness, volume, and surface area in individuals with ASD in STS, insula, and FFA. Increased cortical thickness was found in individuals with ASD, the IFG. The results of this study provide functional and anatomical bases of social cognition abnormalities in ASD by identifying common signatures from a large pool of neuroimaging studies. These findings provide new insights into the quest for a neuroimaging-based marker for ASD. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3957-3978, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle A Patriquin
- The Menninger Clinic, Houston, Texas.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Thomas DeRamus
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Lauren E Libero
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Angela Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Birmingham, Florida
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
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91
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Lynn AC, Padmanabhan A, Simmonds D, Foran W, Hallquist MN, Luna B, O'Hearn K. Functional connectivity differences in autism during face and car recognition: underconnectivity and atypical age-related changes. Dev Sci 2018; 21:10.1111/desc.12508. [PMID: 27748031 PMCID: PMC5392438 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Face recognition abilities improve between adolescence and adulthood over typical development (TD), but plateau in autism, leading to increasing face recognition deficits in autism later in life. Developmental differences between autism and TD may reflect changes between neural systems involved in the development of face encoding and recognition. Here, we focused on whole-brain connectivity with the fusiform face area (FFA), a well-established face-preferential brain region. Older children, adolescents, and adults with and without autism completed the Cambridge Face Memory Test, and a matched car memory test, during fMRI scanning. We then examined task-based functional connectivity between the FFA and the rest of the brain, comparing autism and TD groups during encoding and recognition of face and car stimuli. The autism group exhibited underconnectivity, relative to the TD group, between the FFA and frontal and primary visual cortices, independent of age. Underconnectivity with the medial and rostral lateral prefrontal cortex was face-specific during encoding and recognition, respectively. Conversely, underconnectivity with the L orbitofrontal cortex was evident for both face and car encoding. Atypical age-related changes in connectivity emerged between the FFA and the R temporoparietal junction, and R dorsal striatum for face stimuli only. Similar differences in age-related changes in autism emerged for FFA connectivity with the amygdala across both face and car recognition. Thus, underconnectivity and atypical development of functional connectivity may lead to a less optimal face-processing network in the context of increasing general and social cognitive deficits in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Lynn
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, USA
| | | | - Daniel Simmonds
- Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - William Foran
- Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Michael N Hallquist
- Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Kirsten O'Hearn
- Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, USA
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92
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Thye MD, Bednarz HM, Herringshaw AJ, Sartin EB, Kana RK. The impact of atypical sensory processing on social impairments in autism spectrum disorder. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 29:151-167. [PMID: 28545994 PMCID: PMC6987885 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered sensory processing has been an important feature of the clinical descriptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is evidence that sensory dysregulation arises early in the progression of ASD and impacts social functioning. This paper reviews behavioral and neurobiological evidence that describes how sensory deficits across multiple modalities (vision, hearing, touch, olfaction, gustation, and multisensory integration) could impact social functions in ASD. Theoretical models of ASD and their implications for the relationship between sensory and social functioning are discussed. Furthermore, neural differences in anatomy, function, and connectivity of different regions underlying sensory and social processing are also discussed. We conclude that there are multiple mechanisms through which early sensory dysregulation in ASD could cascade into social deficits across development. Future research is needed to clarify these mechanisms, and specific focus should be given to distinguish between deficits in primary sensory processing and altered top-down attentional and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Thye
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Haley M Bednarz
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Abbey J Herringshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Emma B Sartin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States.
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93
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Cygan HB, Okuniewska H, Jednoróg K, Marchewka A, Wypych M, Nowicka A. Face processing in a case of high functioning autism with developmental prosopagnosia. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2018. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2018-011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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94
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Lassalle A, Åsberg Johnels J, Zürcher NR, Hippolyte L, Billstedt E, Ward N, Lemonnier E, Gillberg C, Hadjikhani N. Hypersensitivity to low intensity fearful faces in autism when fixation is constrained to the eyes. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:5943-5957. [PMID: 28881454 PMCID: PMC6866739 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies that showed decreased brain activation in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) viewing expressive faces did not control that participants looked in the eyes. This is problematic because ASD is characterized by abnormal attention to the eyes. Here, we collected fMRI data from 48 participants (27 ASD) viewing pictures of neutral faces and faces expressing anger, happiness, and fear at low and high intensity, with a fixation cross between the eyes. Group differences in whole brain activity were examined for expressive faces at high and low intensity versus neutral faces. Group differences in neural activity were also investigated in regions of interest within the social brain, including the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). In response to low intensity fearful faces, ASD participants showed increased activation in the social brain regions, and decreased functional coupling between the amygdala and the vmPFC. This oversensitivity to low intensity fear coupled with a lack of emotional regulation capacity could indicate an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in their socio-affective processing system. This may result in social disengagement and avoidance of eye-contact to handle feelings of strong emotional reaction. Our results also demonstrate the importance of careful control of gaze when investigating emotional processing in ASD. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5943-5957, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Lassalle
- Massachusetts General HospitalA. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PsychiatryAutism Research Centre, Cambridge UniversityUnited Kingdom
| | - Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, Gothenburg UniversitySweden
- Section for Speech and Language PathologyGothenburg UniversitySweden
| | - Nicole R. Zürcher
- Massachusetts General HospitalA. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Loyse Hippolyte
- Service de Génétique Médicale, University of LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Eva Billstedt
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, Gothenburg UniversitySweden
| | - Noreen Ward
- Massachusetts General HospitalA. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Eric Lemonnier
- Centre Ressource AutismeHopital Universitaire de LimogesFrance
| | | | - Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Massachusetts General HospitalA. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, Gothenburg UniversitySweden
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95
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How do adults and teens with self-declared Autism Spectrum Disorder experience eye contact? A qualitative analysis of first-hand accounts. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188446. [PMID: 29182643 PMCID: PMC5705114 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A tendency to avoid eye contact is an early indicator of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and difficulties with eye contact often persist throughout the lifespan. Eye contact difficulties may underlie social cognitive deficits in ASD, and can create significant social and occupational barriers. Thus, this topic has received substantial research and clinical attention. In this study, we used qualitative methods to analyze self-reported experiences with eye contact as described by teens and adults with self-declared ASD. Results suggest people with a self- declared ASD diagnosis experience adverse emotional and physiological reactions, feelings of being invaded, and sensory overload while making eye contact, in addition to difficulties understanding social nuances, and difficulties receiving and sending nonverbal information. Some data support existing mindblindness frameworks, and hyperarousal or hypoarousal theories of eye contact, but we also present novel findings unaccounted for by existing frameworks. Additionally, we highlight innovative strategies people with self-declared ASD have devised to overcome or cope with their eye contact difficulties.
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96
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Weir RK, Bauman MD, Jacobs B, Schumann CM. Protracted dendritic growth in the typically developing human amygdala and increased spine density in young ASD brains. J Comp Neurol 2017; 526:262-274. [PMID: 28929566 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a medial temporal lobe structure implicated in social and emotional regulation. In typical development (TD), the amygdala continues to increase volumetrically throughout childhood and into adulthood, while other brain structures are stable or decreasing in volume. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the amygdala undergoes rapid early growth, making it volumetrically larger in children with ASD compared to TD children. Here we explore: (a) if dendritic arborization in the amygdala follows the pattern of protracted growth in TD and early overgrowth in ASD and (b), if spine density in the amygdala in ASD cases differs from TD from youth to adulthood. The amygdala from 32 postmortem human brains (7-46 years of age) were stained using a Golgi-Kopsch impregnation. Ten principal neurons per case were selected in the lateral nucleus and traced using Neurolucida software in their entirety. We found that both ASD and TD individuals show a similar pattern of increasing dendritic length with age well into adulthood. However, spine density is (a) greater in young ASD cases compared to age-matched TD controls (<18 years old) and (b) decreases in the amygdala as people with ASD age into adulthood, a phenomenon not found in TD. Therefore, by adulthood, there is no observable difference in spine density in the amygdala between ASD and TD age-matched adults (≥18 years old). Our findings highlight the unique growth trajectory of the amygdala and suggest that spine density may contribute to aberrant development and function of the amygdala in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- R K Weir
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California at Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, California
| | - M D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California at Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, California
| | - B Jacobs
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Department of Psychology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado
| | - C M Schumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California at Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, California
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97
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Tam FI, King JA, Geisler D, Korb FM, Sareng J, Ritschel F, Steding J, Albertowski KU, Roessner V, Ehrlich S. Altered behavioral and amygdala habituation in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder: an fMRI study. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13611. [PMID: 29051601 PMCID: PMC5648793 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14097-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Habituation to repeatedly presented stimuli is an important adaptive property of the nervous system. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been associated with reduced neural habituation, for example in the amygdala, which may be related to social impairments. The main focus of this study was to investigate habituation effects on the level of behavioral responses as well as amygdala responses in adults with ASD during a working memory task flanked by task-irrelevant face stimuli. Twenty-two patients with high-functioning autism and 24 healthy controls (HC) were included in this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. We employed an established habituation index to investigate habituation effects. Suggestive of altered habituation, the habituation index showed a decrement of reaction time over the course of the experiment in the HC but not in the ASD group. Similarly, an expected pattern of habituation was evident in amygdala activation in HC but absent in ASD participants. These results provide evidence that habituation may be altered not only on a neural, but also on a behavioral level in ASD. While more research is needed to develop a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms, the current findings support the possibility that deficient habituation may be a biomarker of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike I Tam
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joseph A King
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Geisler
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska M Korb
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 17, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Juliane Sareng
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Ritschel
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.,Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Center at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Julius Steding
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katja U Albertowski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany. .,Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Eating Disorder Research and Treatment Center at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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98
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Varghese M, Keshav N, Jacot-Descombes S, Warda T, Wicinski B, Dickstein DL, Harony-Nicolas H, De Rubeis S, Drapeau E, Buxbaum JD, Hof PR. Autism spectrum disorder: neuropathology and animal models. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 134:537-566. [PMID: 28584888 PMCID: PMC5693718 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1736-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a major impact on the development and social integration of affected individuals and is the most heritable of psychiatric disorders. An increase in the incidence of ASD cases has prompted a surge in research efforts on the underlying neuropathologic processes. We present an overview of current findings in neuropathology studies of ASD using two investigational approaches, postmortem human brains and ASD animal models, and discuss the overlap, limitations, and significance of each. Postmortem examination of ASD brains has revealed global changes including disorganized gray and white matter, increased number of neurons, decreased volume of neuronal soma, and increased neuropil, the last reflecting changes in densities of dendritic spines, cerebral vasculature and glia. Both cortical and non-cortical areas show region-specific abnormalities in neuronal morphology and cytoarchitectural organization, with consistent findings reported from the prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, frontoinsular cortex, cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum and brainstem. The paucity of postmortem human studies linking neuropathology to the underlying etiology has been partly addressed using animal models to explore the impact of genetic and non-genetic factors clinically relevant for the ASD phenotype. Genetically modified models include those based on well-studied monogenic ASD genes (NLGN3, NLGN4, NRXN1, CNTNAP2, SHANK3, MECP2, FMR1, TSC1/2), emerging risk genes (CHD8, SCN2A, SYNGAP1, ARID1B, GRIN2B, DSCAM, TBR1), and copy number variants (15q11-q13 deletion, 15q13.3 microdeletion, 15q11-13 duplication, 16p11.2 deletion and duplication, 22q11.2 deletion). Models of idiopathic ASD include inbred rodent strains that mimic ASD behaviors as well as models developed by environmental interventions such as prenatal exposure to sodium valproate, maternal autoantibodies, and maternal immune activation. In addition to replicating some of the neuropathologic features seen in postmortem studies, a common finding in several animal models of ASD is altered density of dendritic spines, with the direction of the change depending on the specific genetic modification, age and brain region. Overall, postmortem neuropathologic studies with larger sample sizes representative of the various ASD risk genes and diverse clinical phenotypes are warranted to clarify putative etiopathogenic pathways further and to promote the emergence of clinically relevant diagnostic and therapeutic tools. In addition, as genetic alterations may render certain individuals more vulnerable to developing the pathological changes at the synapse underlying the behavioral manifestations of ASD, neuropathologic investigation using genetically modified animal models will help to improve our understanding of the disease mechanisms and enhance the development of targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merina Varghese
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Neha Keshav
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Sarah Jacot-Descombes
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Children and Teenagers, University Hospitals and School of Medicine, Geneva, CH-1205, Switzerland
| | - Tahia Warda
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Dara L Dickstein
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Hala Harony-Nicolas
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Elodie Drapeau
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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99
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Sato W, Kochiyama T, Uono S, Yoshimura S, Kubota Y, Sawada R, Sakihama M, Toichi M. Reduced Gray Matter Volume in the Social Brain Network in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:395. [PMID: 28824399 PMCID: PMC5543091 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by behavioral impairment in social interactions. Although theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that impairment in the social brain network could be the neural underpinnings of ASD, previous structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in adults with ASD have not provided clear support for this, possibly due to confounding factors, such as language impairments. To further explore this issue, we acquired structural MRI data and analyzed gray matter volume in adults with ASD (n = 36) who had no language impairments (diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, with symptoms milder than those of Asperger’s disorder), had no comorbidity, and were not taking medications, and in age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) controls (n = 36). Univariate voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed that regional gray matter volume was lower in the ASD than in the control group in several brain regions, including the right inferior occipital gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, bilateral amygdala, right inferior frontal gyrus, right orbitofrontal cortex, and left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. A multivariate approach using a partial least squares (PLS) method showed that these regions constituted a network that could be used to discriminate between the ASD and TD groups. A PLS discriminant analysis using information from these regions showed high accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision (>80%) in discriminating between the groups. These results suggest that reduced gray matter volume in the social brain network represents the neural underpinnings of behavioral social malfunctioning in adults with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Sato
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto UniversityKyoto, Japan
| | - Takanori Kochiyama
- Brain Activity Imaging Center, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute InternationalKyoto, Japan
| | - Shota Uono
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto UniversityKyoto, Japan
| | - Sayaka Yoshimura
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto UniversityKyoto, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Kubota
- Health and Medical Services Center, Shiga UniversityShiga, Japan
| | - Reiko Sawada
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto UniversityKyoto, Japan
| | | | - Motomi Toichi
- Faculty of Human Health Science, Kyoto UniversityKyoto, Japan.,The Organization for Promoting Neurodevelopmental Disorder ResearchKyoto, Japan
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100
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Amygdala Volume Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Related to Anxiety. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:3682-3691. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3206-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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