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Linking neocortical, cognitive, and genetic variability in autism with alterations of brain plasticity: the Trigger-Threshold-Target model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 47:735-52. [PMID: 25155242 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The phenotype of autism involves heterogeneous adaptive traits (strengths vs. disabilities), different domains of alterations (social vs. non-social), and various associated genetic conditions (syndromic vs. nonsyndromic autism). Three observations suggest that alterations in experience-dependent plasticity are an etiological factor in autism: (1) the main cognitive domains enhanced in autism are controlled by the most plastic cortical brain regions, the multimodal association cortices; (2) autism and sensory deprivation share several features of cortical and functional reorganization; and (3) genetic mutations and/or environmental insults involved in autism all appear to affect developmental synaptic plasticity, and mostly lead to its upregulation. We present the Trigger-Threshold-Target (TTT) model of autism to organize these findings. In this model, genetic mutations trigger brain reorganization in individuals with a low plasticity threshold, mostly within regions sensitive to cortical reallocations. These changes account for the cognitive enhancements and reduced social expertise associated with autism. Enhanced but normal plasticity may underlie non-syndromic autism, whereas syndromic autism may occur when a triggering mutation or event produces an altered plastic reaction, also resulting in intellectual disability and dysmorphism in addition to autism. Differences in the target of brain reorganization (perceptual vs. language regions) account for the main autistic subgroups. In light of this model, future research should investigate how individual and sex-related differences in synaptic/regional brain plasticity influence the occurrence of autism.
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102
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Meilleur AAS, Berthiaume C, Bertone A, Mottron L. Autism-specific covariation in perceptual performances: "g" or "p" factor? PLoS One 2014; 9:e103781. [PMID: 25117450 PMCID: PMC4130524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autistic perception is characterized by atypical and sometimes exceptional performance in several low- (e.g., discrimination) and mid-level (e.g., pattern matching) tasks in both visual and auditory domains. A factor that specifically affects perceptive abilities in autistic individuals should manifest as an autism-specific association between perceptual tasks. The first purpose of this study was to explore how perceptual performances are associated within or across processing levels and/or modalities. The second purpose was to determine if general intelligence, the major factor that accounts for covariation in task performances in non-autistic individuals, equally controls perceptual abilities in autistic individuals. Methods We asked 46 autistic individuals and 46 typically developing controls to perform four tasks measuring low- or mid-level visual or auditory processing. Intelligence was measured with the Wechsler's Intelligence Scale (FSIQ) and Raven Progressive Matrices (RPM). We conducted linear regression models to compare task performances between groups and patterns of covariation between tasks. The addition of either Wechsler's FSIQ or RPM in the regression models controlled for the effects of intelligence. Results In typically developing individuals, most perceptual tasks were associated with intelligence measured either by RPM or Wechsler FSIQ. The residual covariation between unimodal tasks, i.e. covariation not explained by intelligence, could be explained by a modality-specific factor. In the autistic group, residual covariation revealed the presence of a plurimodal factor specific to autism. Conclusions Autistic individuals show exceptional performance in some perceptual tasks. Here, we demonstrate the existence of specific, plurimodal covariation that does not dependent on general intelligence (or “g” factor). Instead, this residual covariation is accounted for by a common perceptual process (or “p” factor), which may drive perceptual abilities differently in autistic and non-autistic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrée-Anne S. Meilleur
- The University of Montreal Center of Excellence for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CETEDUM), Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Claude Berthiaume
- The University of Montreal Center of Excellence for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CETEDUM), Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Armando Bertone
- The University of Montreal Center of Excellence for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CETEDUM), Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- School/Applied Child Psychology, Department of Education and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laurent Mottron
- The University of Montreal Center of Excellence for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CETEDUM), Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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103
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Bouvet L, Simard-Meilleur AA, Paignon A, Mottron L, Donnadieu S. Auditory local bias and reduced global interference in autism. Cognition 2014; 131:367-72. [PMID: 24637103 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Revised: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Processing local elements of hierarchical patterns at a superior level and independently from an intact global influence is a well-established characteristic of autistic visual perception. However, whether this confirmed finding has an equivalent in the auditory modality is still unknown. To fill this gap, 18 autistics and 18 typical participants completed a melodic decision task where global and local level information can be congruent or incongruent. While focusing either on the global (melody) or local level (group of notes) of hierarchical auditory stimuli, participants have to decide whether the focused level is rising or falling. Autistics showed intact global processing, a superior performance when processing local elements and a reduced global-to-local interference compared to typical participants. These results are the first to demonstrate that autistic processing of auditory hierarchical stimuli closely parallels processing of visual hierarchical stimuli. When analyzing complex auditory information, autistic participants present a local bias and a more autonomous local processing, but not to the detriment of global processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Bouvet
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition (UMR CNRS 5105), Grenoble, France; Laboratoire de Neurosciences fonctionnelles et pathologies, UFR de psychologie, Université Lille3, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
| | - Andrée-Anne Simard-Meilleur
- Centre d'excellence en trouble envahissants du développement de l'université de Montréal (CETEDUM), Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies et Département de Psychiatrie, Montréal, Canada
| | - Adeline Paignon
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition (UMR CNRS 5105), Grenoble, France; Université de Savoie, Chambéry, France
| | - Laurent Mottron
- Centre d'excellence en trouble envahissants du développement de l'université de Montréal (CETEDUM), Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies et Département de Psychiatrie, Montréal, Canada
| | - Sophie Donnadieu
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition (UMR CNRS 5105), Grenoble, France; Université de Savoie, Chambéry, France
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Abstract
Autism is a set of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions, characterised by early-onset difficulties in social communication and unusually restricted, repetitive behaviour and interests. The worldwide population prevalence is about 1%. Autism affects more male than female individuals, and comorbidity is common (>70% have concurrent conditions). Individuals with autism have atypical cognitive profiles, such as impaired social cognition and social perception, executive dysfunction, and atypical perceptual and information processing. These profiles are underpinned by atypical neural development at the systems level. Genetics has a key role in the aetiology of autism, in conjunction with developmentally early environmental factors. Large-effect rare mutations and small-effect common variants contribute to risk. Assessment needs to be multidisciplinary and developmental, and early detection is essential for early intervention. Early comprehensive and targeted behavioural interventions can improve social communication and reduce anxiety and aggression. Drugs can reduce comorbid symptoms, but do not directly improve social communication. Creation of a supportive environment that accepts and respects that the individual is different is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
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105
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Blaser E, Eglington L, Carter AS, Kaldy Z. Pupillometry reveals a mechanism for the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) advantage in visual tasks. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4301. [PMID: 24603348 PMCID: PMC3945923 DOI: 10.1038/srep04301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the neural underpinnings of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has focussed primarily on impairments of social interaction and communication. Less is known though about the second diagnostic criterion of restricted behaviors and interests. Uniquely in this domain, alongside impairments stands an 'ASD advantage' characterised by superior performance on many visual tasks. We recently found that 2-year-olds with ASD dramatically outperform age-matched, typically developing controls on visual search. Here we use task-evoked, phasic pupil responses--a sensitive, involuntary measure of effort and a biomarker of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system's modulation of attention--to isolate a causal factor: a 'hyperphasic' LC-NE system compels (here, advantageously) focussed attention. However, this focussed attention in other contexts may contribute to restricted behaviors and interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Blaser
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Department of Psychology 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA, 02125
| | - Luke Eglington
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Department of Psychology 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA, 02125
| | - Alice S. Carter
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Department of Psychology 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA, 02125
| | - Zsuzsa Kaldy
- University of Massachusetts Boston, Department of Psychology 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA, 02125
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106
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Increased topographical variability of task-related activation in perceptive and motor associative regions in adult autistics. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 4:444-53. [PMID: 25101235 PMCID: PMC4116759 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Background An enhanced plasticity is suspected to play a role in various microstructural alterations, as well as in regional cortical reallocations observed in autism. Combined with multiple indications of enhanced perceptual functioning in autism, and indications of atypical motor functioning, enhanced plasticity predicts a superior variability in functional cortical allocation, predominant in perceptual and motor regions. Method To test this prediction, we scanned 23 autistics and 22 typical participants matched on age, FSIQ, Raven percentile scores and handedness during a visuo-motor imitation task. For each participant, the coordinates of the strongest task-related activation peak were extracted in the primary (Brodmann area 4) and supplementary (BA 6) motor cortex, the visuomotor superior parietal cortex (BA 7), and the primary (BA 17) and associative (BAs 18 + 19) visual areas. Mean signal changes for each ROI in both hemispheres, and the number of voxels composing the strongest activation cluster were individually extracted to compare intensity and size of the signal between groups. For each ROI, in each hemisphere, and for every participant, the distance from their respective group average was used as a variable of interest to determine group differences in localization variability using repeated measures ANOVAs. Between-group comparison of whole-brain activation was also performed. Results Both groups displayed a higher mean variability in the localization of activations in the associative areas compared to the primary visual or motor areas. However, despite this shared increased variability in associative cortices, a direct between-group comparison of the individual variability in localization of the activation revealed a significantly greater variability in the autistic group than in the typical group in the left visuo-motor superior parietal cortex (BA 7) and in the left associative visual areas (BAs 18 + 19). Conclusion Different and possibly unique strategies are used by each autistic individual. That enhanced variability in localization of activations in the autistic group is found in regions typically more variable in non-autistics raises the possibility that autism involves an enhancement and/or an alteration of typical plasticity mechanisms. The current study also highlights the necessity to verify, in fMRI studies involving autistic people, that hypoactivation at the group level does not result from each individual successfully completing a task using a unique brain allocation, even by comparison to his own group. Functional activation in associative regions are more variable in autistics than in typicals. Autistics showed enhanced variability in regions that are typically more variable in typicals. Enhanced variability follows the same rule in perceptive and motor-related regions.
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107
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Bouvet L, Donnadieu S, Valdois S, Caron C, Dawson M, Mottron L. Veridical mapping in savant abilities, absolute pitch, and synesthesia: an autism case study. Front Psychol 2014; 5:106. [PMID: 24600416 PMCID: PMC3927080 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An enhanced role and autonomy of perception are prominent in autism. Furthermore, savant abilities, absolute pitch, and synesthesia are all more commonly found in autistic individuals than in the typical population. The mechanism of veridical mapping has been proposed to account for how enhanced perception in autism leads to the high prevalence of these three phenomena and their structural similarity. Veridical mapping entails functional rededication of perceptual brain regions to higher order cognitive operations, allowing the enhanced detection and memorization of isomorphisms between perceptual and non-perceptual structures across multiple scales. In this paper, we present FC, an autistic individual who possesses several savant abilities in addition to both absolute pitch and synesthesia-like associations. The co-occurrence in FC of abilities, some of them rare, which share the same structure, as well as FC’s own accounts of their development, together suggest the importance of veridical mapping in the atypical range and nature of abilities displayed by autistic people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Bouvet
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, CNRS UMR 5105 Grenoble, France ; Université Lille 3 - Charles de Gaulle Lille, France
| | - Sophie Donnadieu
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, CNRS UMR 5105 Grenoble, France ; Université de Savoie Chambéry, France
| | - Sylviane Valdois
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, CNRS UMR 5105 Grenoble, France ; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Paris, France
| | - Chantal Caron
- Centre d'Excellence en Troubles Envahissants du Développement de l'Université de Montréal, Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies Montréal, Canada
| | - Michelle Dawson
- Centre d'Excellence en Troubles Envahissants du Développement de l'Université de Montréal, Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies Montréal, Canada
| | - Laurent Mottron
- Centre d'Excellence en Troubles Envahissants du Développement de l'Université de Montréal, Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies Montréal, Canada
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108
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Evers K, de-Wit L, Van der Hallen R, Haesen B, Steyaert J, Noens I, Wagemans J. Brief Report: Reduced Grouping Interference in Children with ASD: Evidence from a Multiple Object Tracking Task. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:1779-87. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-2031-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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109
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Goldknopf EJ. Atypical resource allocation may contribute to many aspects of autism. Front Integr Neurosci 2013; 7:82. [PMID: 24421760 PMCID: PMC3872719 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2013.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on a review of the literature and on reports by people with autism, this paper suggests that atypical resource allocation is a factor that contributes to many aspects of autism spectrum conditions, including difficulties with language and social cognition, atypical sensory and attentional experiences, executive and motor challenges, and perceptual and conceptual strengths and weaknesses. Drawing upon resource theoretical approaches that suggest that perception, cognition, and action draw upon multiple pools of resources, the approach hypothesizes that compared with resources in typical cognition, resources in autism are narrowed or reduced, especially in people with strong sensory symptoms. In narrowed attention, resources are restricted to smaller areas and to fewer modalities, stages of processing, and cognitive processes than in typical cognition; narrowed resources may be more intense than in typical cognition. In reduced attentional capacity, overall resources are reduced; resources may be restricted to fewer modalities, stages of processing, and cognitive processes than in typical cognition, or the amount of resources allocated to each area or process may be reduced. Possible neural bases of the hypothesized atypical resource allocation, relations to other approaches, limitations, and tests of the hypotheses are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Goldknopf
- Zaidel Lab, Department of Psychology, University of California Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
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110
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Neufeld J, Roy M, Zapf A, Sinke C, Emrich HM, Prox-Vagedes V, Dillo W, Zedler M. Is synesthesia more common in patients with Asperger syndrome? Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:847. [PMID: 24367321 PMCID: PMC3856394 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence from case reports that synesthesia is more common in individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). Further, genes related to synesthesia have also been found to be linked to ASC and, similar to synaesthetes, individuals with ASC show altered brain connectivity and unusual brain activation during sensory processing. However, up to now a systematic investigation of whether synesthesia is more common in ASC patients is missing. The aim of the current pilot study was to test this hypothesis by investigating a group of patients diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) using questionnaires and standard consistency tests in order to classify them as grapheme-color synaesthetes. The results indicate that there are indeed many more grapheme-color synaesthetes among AS patients. This finding is discussed in relation to different theories regarding the development of synesthesia as well as altered sensory processing in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Neufeld
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Reading, UK
| | - Mandy Roy
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Antonia Zapf
- Deparment of Medical Statistics, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Germany
| | - Christopher Sinke
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hinderk M Emrich
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Vanessa Prox-Vagedes
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Dillo
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
| | - Markus Zedler
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry, and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School Hannover, Germany
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111
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Yoshimura Y, Kikuchi M, Ueno S, Okumura E, Hiraishi H, Hasegawa C, Remijn GB, Shitamichi K, Munesue T, Tsubokawa T, Higashida H, Minabe Y. The brain's response to the human voice depends on the incidence of autistic traits in the general population. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80126. [PMID: 24278247 PMCID: PMC3835888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimal brain sensitivity to the fundamental frequency (F0) contour changes in the human voice is important for understanding a speaker's intonation, and consequently, the speaker's attitude. However, whether sensitivity in the brain's response to a human voice F0 contour change varies with an interaction between an individual's traits (i.e., autistic traits) and a human voice element (i.e., presence or absence of communicative action such as calling) has not been investigated. In the present study, we investigated the neural processes involved in the perception of F0 contour changes in the Japanese monosyllables "ne" and "nu." "Ne" is an interjection that means "hi" or "hey" in English; pronunciation of "ne" with a high falling F0 contour is used when the speaker wants to attract a listener's attention (i.e., social intonation). Meanwhile, the Japanese concrete noun "nu" has no communicative meaning. We applied an adaptive spatial filtering method to the neuromagnetic time course recorded by whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) and estimated the spatiotemporal frequency dynamics of event-related cerebral oscillatory changes in beta band during the oddball paradigm. During the perception of the F0 contour change when "ne" was presented, there was event-related de-synchronization (ERD) in the right temporal lobe. In contrast, during the perception of the F0 contour change when "nu" was presented, ERD occurred in the left temporal lobe and in the bilateral occipital lobes. ERD that occurred during the social stimulus "ne" in the right hemisphere was significantly correlated with a greater number of autistic traits measured according to the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), suggesting that the differences in human voice processing are associated with higher autistic traits, even in non-clinical subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Yoshimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Sanae Ueno
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Eiichi Okumura
- Department of MEG, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotoshi Hiraishi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Gerard B. Remijn
- International Education Center, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kiyomi Shitamichi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Toshio Munesue
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Tsunehisa Tsubokawa
- Department of Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yoshio Minabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Rivest JB, Jemel B, Bertone A, McKerral M, Mottron L. Luminance- and texture-defined information processing in school-aged children with autism. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78978. [PMID: 24205355 PMCID: PMC3812000 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the complexity-specific hypothesis, the efficacy with which individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) process visual information varies according to the extensiveness of the neural network required to process stimuli. Specifically, adults with ASD are less sensitive to texture-defined (or second-order) information, which necessitates the implication of several cortical visual areas. Conversely, the sensitivity to simple, luminance-defined (or first-order) information, which mainly relies on primary visual cortex (V1) activity, has been found to be either superior (static material) or intact (dynamic material) in ASD. It is currently unknown if these autistic perceptual alterations are present in childhood. In the present study, behavioural (threshold) and electrophysiological measures were obtained for static luminance- and texture-defined gratings presented to school-aged children with ASD and compared to those of typically developing children. Our behavioural and electrophysiological (P140) results indicate that luminance processing is likely unremarkable in autistic children. With respect to texture processing, there was no significant threshold difference between groups. However, unlike typical children, autistic children did not show reliable enhancements of brain activity (N230 and P340) in response to texture-defined gratings relative to luminance-defined gratings. This suggests reduced efficiency of neuro-integrative mechanisms operating at a perceptual level in autism. These results are in line with the idea that visual atypicalities mediated by intermediate-scale neural networks emerge before or during the school-age period in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica B. Rivest
- University of Montreal Center of Excellence for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CETEDUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC) and Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Boutheina Jemel
- Research Laboratory in Neuroscience and Cognitive Electrophysiology, Rivière-des-Prairies Hospital, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Armando Bertone
- University of Montreal Center of Excellence for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CETEDUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michelle McKerral
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC) and Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laurent Mottron
- University of Montreal Center of Excellence for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CETEDUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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113
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Crespi B. Developmental heterochrony and the evolution of autistic perception, cognition and behavior. BMC Med 2013; 11:119. [PMID: 23639054 PMCID: PMC3649927 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-11-119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is usually conceptualized as a disorder or disease that involves fundamentally abnormal neurodevelopment. In the present work, the hypothesis that a suite of core autism-related traits may commonly represent simple delays or non-completion of typical childhood developmental trajectories is evaluated. DISCUSSION A comprehensive review of the literature indicates that, with regard to the four phenotypes of (1) restricted interests and repetitive behavior, (2) short-range and long-range structural and functional brain connectivity, (3) global and local visual perception and processing, and (4) the presence of absolute pitch, the differences between autistic individuals and typically developing individuals closely parallel the differences between younger and older children. SUMMARY The results of this study are concordant with a model of 'developmental heterochrony', and suggest that evolutionary extension of child development along the human lineage has potentiated and structured genetic risk for autism and the expression of autistic perception, cognition and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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114
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Lamônica DAC, Gejão MG, Prado LMD, Ferreira AT. Habilidades de leitura em crianças com diagnóstico de hiperlexia: relato de caso. Codas 2013; 25:391-5. [PMID: 24408490 DOI: 10.1590/s2317-17822013000400016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hiperlexia caracteriza-se pela aquisição espontânea e precoce da habilidade de leitura, manifestada antes dos cinco anos, na ausência de instrução formal. Déficit da linguagem expressiva e receptiva, excelente memória, atraso nas habilidades linguísticas, ecolalia, perseverações e dificuldade para compreensão do contexto verbal são sintomas comuns em indivíduos hiperléxicos com transtorno global do desenvolvimento, incluindo a Síndrome de Asperger. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as habilidades de leitura de indivíduos que apresentam hiperlexia. Participaram seis meninos, com histórico de hiperlexia percebida pelos familiares antes dos 36 meses de vida, de idade cronológica variando de quatro anos e quatro meses a cinco anos e dois meses. Foram aplicados os seguintes procedimentos de avaliação: entrevista com os responsáveis, observação do comportamento comunicativo, Teste de Vocabulário por Imagens Peabody (TVIP), reconhecimento de letras do alfabeto e números, Teste de Desempenho Escolar, leitura de texto e compreensão de leitura. Os participantes apresentaram desempenhos diferentes no TVIP, demonstraram reconhecimento de letras e números e de palavras isoladas. Entretanto, foram verificadas diferenças no desempenho deles. Houve dificuldade em responder ao subteste de escrita; a maioria não compreendeu o texto lido e todos demonstraram reconhecer letras e números, sendo alguns deles com habilidade de leitura de palavras e texto. Porém, apresentaram alterações em outras áreas do desenvolvimento da linguagem, como vocabulário receptivo, comportamento comunicativo e compreensão do material lido, somados aos comportamentos alterados de adaptação social, interativos e restritivos.
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