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Haida O, Al Sagheer T, Balbous A, Francheteau M, Matas E, Soria F, Fernagut PO, Jaber M. Sex-dependent behavioral deficits and neuropathology in a maternal immune activation model of autism. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:124. [PMID: 30923308 PMCID: PMC6438965 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0457-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections during gestation and the consequent maternal immune activation (MIA) increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders in infants and throughout life, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects three times more males than females and is mainly characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted interests. Consistent findings also indicate that ASD patients suffer from movement disorders, although these symptoms are not yet considered as diagnosis criteria. Here we used the double-stranded RNA analog polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) MIA animal model of ASD in mice and explored its effects in males and females on social and motor behavior. We then investigated brain areas implicated in controlling and coordinating movements, namely the nigro-striatal pathway, motor cortex and cerebellum. We show that male mice are more affected by this treatment than females as they show reduced social interactions as well as motor development and coordination deficits. Reduced numbers of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum was found more widespread and within distinct lobules in males than in females. Moreover, a reduced number of neurons was found in the motor cortex of males only. These results suggest that females are better protected against developmental insults leading to ASD symptoms in mice. They also point to brain areas that may be targeted to better manage social and motor consequences of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obelia Haida
- 0000 0001 2160 6368grid.11166.31Université de Poitiers, INSERM, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Tareq Al Sagheer
- 0000 0001 2160 6368grid.11166.31Université de Poitiers, INSERM, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Anais Balbous
- 0000 0001 2160 6368grid.11166.31Université de Poitiers, INSERM, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France ,0000 0000 9336 4276grid.411162.1CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Maureen Francheteau
- 0000 0001 2160 6368grid.11166.31Université de Poitiers, INSERM, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Emmanuel Matas
- 0000 0001 2160 6368grid.11166.31Université de Poitiers, INSERM, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Federico Soria
- grid.462010.1Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pierre Olivier Fernagut
- 0000 0001 2160 6368grid.11166.31Université de Poitiers, INSERM, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France ,grid.462010.1Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Bordeaux, France
| | - Mohamed Jaber
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France. .,CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France.
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102
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Petanjek Z, Sedmak D, Džaja D, Hladnik A, Rašin MR, Jovanov-Milosevic N. The Protracted Maturation of Associative Layer IIIC Pyramidal Neurons in the Human Prefrontal Cortex During Childhood: A Major Role in Cognitive Development and Selective Alteration in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:122. [PMID: 30923504 PMCID: PMC6426783 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human specific cognitive shift starts around the age of 2 years with the onset of self-awareness, and continues with extraordinary increase in cognitive capacities during early childhood. Diffuse changes in functional connectivity in children aged 2-6 years indicate an increase in the capacity of cortical network. Interestingly, structural network complexity does not increase during this time and, thus, it is likely to be induced by selective maturation of a specific neuronal subclass. Here, we provide an overview of a subclass of cortico-cortical neurons, the associative layer IIIC pyramids of the human prefrontal cortex. Their local axonal collaterals are in control of the prefrontal cortico-cortical output, while their long projections modulate inter-areal processing. In this way, layer IIIC pyramids are the major integrative element of cortical processing, and changes in their connectivity patterns will affect global cortical functioning. Layer IIIC neurons have a unique pattern of dendritic maturation. In contrast to other classes of principal neurons, they undergo an additional phase of extensive dendritic growth during early childhood, and show characteristic molecular changes. Taken together, circuits associated with layer IIIC neurons have the most protracted period of developmental plasticity. This unique feature is advanced but also provides a window of opportunity for pathological events to disrupt normal formation of cognitive circuits involving layer IIIC neurons. In this manuscript, we discuss how disrupted dendritic and axonal maturation of layer IIIC neurons may lead into global cortical disconnectivity, affecting development of complex communication and social abilities. We also propose a model that developmentally dictated incorporation of layer IIIC neurons into maturing cortico-cortical circuits between 2 to 6 years will reveal a previous (perinatal) lesion affecting other classes of principal neurons. This "disclosure" of pre-existing functionally silent lesions of other neuronal classes induced by development of layer IIIC associative neurons, or their direct alteration, could be found in different forms of autism spectrum disorders. Understanding the gene-environment interaction in shaping cognitive microcircuitries may be fundamental for developing rehabilitation and prevention strategies in autism spectrum and other cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Džaja
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Hladnik
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mladen Roko Rašin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milosevic
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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103
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Postnatal development and maturation of layer 1 in the lateral prefrontal cortex and its disruption in autism. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:40. [PMID: 30867066 PMCID: PMC6417186 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0684-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental connectivity disorder characterized by cortical network disorganization and imbalance in excitation/inhibition. However, little is known about the development of autism pathology and the disruption of laminar-specific excitatory and inhibitory cortical circuits. To begin to address these issues, we examined layer 1 of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), an area with prolonged development and maturation that is affected in autism. We focused on layer 1 because it contains a distinctive, diverse population of interneurons and glia, receives input from feedback and neuromodulatory pathways, and plays a critical role in the development, maturation, and function of the cortex. We used unbiased quantitative methods at high resolution to study the morphology, neurochemistry, distribution, and density of neurons and myelinated axons in post-mortem brain tissue from children and adults with and without autism. We cross-validated our findings through comparisons with neighboring anterior cingulate cortices and optimally-fixed non-human primate tissue. In neurotypical controls we found an increase in the density of myelinated axons from childhood to adulthood. Neuron density overall declined with age, paralleled by decreased density of inhibitory interneurons labeled by calretinin (CR), calbindin (CB), and parvalbumin (PV). Importantly, we found PV neurons in layer 1 of typically developing children, previously detected only perinatally. In autism there was disorganization of cortical networks within layer 1: children with autism had increased variability in the trajectories and thickness of myelinated axons in layer 1, while adults with autism had a reduction in the relative proportion of thin axons. Neurotypical postnatal changes in layer 1 of LPFC likely underlie refinement of cortical activity during maturation of cortical networks involved in cognition. Our findings suggest that disruption of the maturation of feedback pathways, rather than interneurons in layer 1, has a key role in the development of imbalance between excitation and inhibition in autism.
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104
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Functional imaging of visual cortical layers and subplate in awake mice with optimized three-photon microscopy. Nat Commun 2019; 10:177. [PMID: 30635577 PMCID: PMC6329792 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08179-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-photon microscopy is used to image neuronal activity, but has severe limitations for studying deeper cortical layers. Here, we developed a custom three-photon microscope optimized to image a vertical column of the cerebral cortex > 1 mm in depth in awake mice with low (<20 mW) average laser power. Our measurements of physiological responses and tissue-damage thresholds define pulse parameters and safety limits for damage-free three-photon imaging. We image functional visual responses of neurons expressing GCaMP6s across all layers of the primary visual cortex (V1) and in the subplate. These recordings reveal diverse visual selectivity in deep layers: layer 5 neurons are more broadly tuned to visual stimuli, whereas mean orientation selectivity of layer 6 neurons is slightly sharper, compared to neurons in other layers. Subplate neurons, located in the white matter below cortical layer 6 and characterized here for the first time, show low visual responsivity and broad orientation selectivity. Two-photon microscopy is a powerful tool for studying neuronal activity but cannot easily image deeper cortical layers. Here, the authors design a custom microscope for three-photon microscopy and use it to reveal response properties of layer 5, 6, and subplate visual cortical neurons.
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105
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Courchesne E, Pramparo T, Gazestani VH, Lombardo MV, Pierce K, Lewis NE. The ASD Living Biology: from cell proliferation to clinical phenotype. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:88-107. [PMID: 29934544 PMCID: PMC6309606 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0056-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has captured the attention of scientists, clinicians and the lay public because of its uncertain origins and striking and unexplained clinical heterogeneity. Here we review genetic, genomic, cellular, postmortem, animal model, and cell model evidence that shows ASD begins in the womb. This evidence leads to a new theory that ASD is a multistage, progressive disorder of brain development, spanning nearly all of prenatal life. ASD can begin as early as the 1st and 2nd trimester with disruption of cell proliferation and differentiation. It continues with disruption of neural migration, laminar disorganization, altered neuron maturation and neurite outgrowth, disruption of synaptogenesis and reduced neural network functioning. Among the most commonly reported high-confidence ASD (hcASD) genes, 94% express during prenatal life and affect these fetal processes in neocortex, amygdala, hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum. A majority of hcASD genes are pleiotropic, and affect proliferation/differentiation and/or synapse development. Proliferation and subsequent fetal stages can also be disrupted by maternal immune activation in the 1st trimester. Commonly implicated pathways, PI3K/AKT and RAS/ERK, are also pleiotropic and affect multiple fetal processes from proliferation through synapse and neural functional development. In different ASD individuals, variation in how and when these pleiotropic pathways are dysregulated, will lead to different, even opposing effects, producing prenatal as well as later neural and clinical heterogeneity. Thus, the pathogenesis of ASD is not set at one point in time and does not reside in one process, but rather is a cascade of prenatal pathogenic processes in the vast majority of ASD toddlers. Despite this new knowledge and theory that ASD biology begins in the womb, current research methods have not provided individualized information: What are the fetal processes and early-age molecular and cellular differences that underlie ASD in each individual child? Without such individualized knowledge, rapid advances in biological-based diagnostic, prognostic, and precision medicine treatments cannot occur. Missing, therefore, is what we call ASD Living Biology. This is a conceptual and paradigm shift towards a focus on the abnormal prenatal processes underlying ASD within each living individual. The concept emphasizes the specific need for foundational knowledge of a living child's development from abnormal prenatal beginnings to early clinical stages. The ASD Living Biology paradigm seeks this knowledge by linking genetic and in vitro prenatal molecular, cellular and neural measurements with in vivo post-natal molecular, neural and clinical presentation and progression in each ASD child. We review the first such study, which confirms the multistage fetal nature of ASD and provides the first in vitro fetal-stage explanation for in vivo early brain overgrowth. Within-child ASD Living Biology is a novel research concept we coin here that advocates the integration of in vitro prenatal and in vivo early post-natal information to generate individualized and group-level explanations, clinically useful prognoses, and precision medicine approaches that are truly beneficial for the individual infant and toddler with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Tiziano Pramparo
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Vahid H Gazestani
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Department of Psychology, Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, 8110 La Jolla Shores Drive, Suite 201, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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106
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Altered Connectivity Between Cerebellum, Visual, and Sensory-Motor Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Results from the EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 4:260-270. [PMID: 30711508 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging-based studies on functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have generated inconsistent results. Interpretation of findings is further hampered by small samples and a focus on a limited number of networks, with networks underlying sensory processing being largely underexamined. We aimed to comprehensively characterize ASD-related alterations within and between 20 well-characterized resting-state networks using baseline data from the EU-AIMS (European Autism Interventions-A Multicentre Study for Developing New Medications) Longitudinal European Autism Project. METHODS Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data was available for 265 individuals with ASD (7.5-30.3 years; 73.2% male) and 218 typically developing individuals (6.9-29.8 years; 64.2% male), all with IQ > 70. We compared functional connectivity within 20 networks-obtained using independent component analysis-between the ASD and typically developing groups, and related functional connectivity within these networks to continuous (overall) autism trait severity scores derived from the Social Responsiveness Scale Second Edition across all participants. Furthermore, we investigated case-control differences and autism trait-related alterations in between-network connectivity. RESULTS Higher autism traits were associated with increased connectivity within salience, medial motor, and orbitofrontal networks. However, we did not replicate previously reported case-control differences within these networks. The between-network analysis did reveal case-control differences showing on average 1) decreased connectivity of the visual association network with somatosensory, medial, and lateral motor networks, and 2) increased connectivity of the cerebellum with these sensory and motor networks in ASD compared with typically developing subjects. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate ASD-related alterations in within- and between-network connectivity. The between-network alterations broadly affect connectivity between cerebellum, visual, and sensory-motor networks, potentially underlying impairments in multisensory and visual-motor integration frequently observed in ASD.
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107
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Hanaie R, Mohri I, Kagitani-Shimono K, Tachibana M, Matsuzaki J, Hirata I, Nagatani F, Watanabe Y, Katayama T, Taniike M. Aberrant Cerebellar-Cerebral Functional Connectivity in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:454. [PMID: 30483084 PMCID: PMC6243023 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00454] [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: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum, which forms widespread functional networks with many areas in the cerebral cortices and subcortical structures, is one of the brain regions most consistently reported to exhibit neuropathological features in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, cerebellar functional connectivity (FC) studies in patients with ASD have been very sparse. Using resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis, we investigated the FC of the hemispheric/vermal subregions and the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum with the cerebral regions in 36 children and adolescents [16 participants with ASD, 20 typically developing (TD) participants, age: 6–15 years]. Furthermore, an independent larger sample population (42 participants with ASD, 88 TD participants, age: 6–15 years), extracted from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) II, was included for replication. The ASD group showed significantly increased or decreased FC between “hubs” in the cerebellum and cerebral cortices, when compared with the TD group. Findings of aberrant FCs converged on the posterior hemisphere, right dentate nucleus, and posterior inferior vermis of the cerebellum. Furthermore, these aberrant FCs were found to be related to motor, executive, and socio-communicative functions in children and adolescents with ASD when we examined correlations between FC and behavioral measurements. Results from the original dataset were partially replicated in the independent larger sample population. Our findings suggest that aberrant cerebellar–cerebral FC is associated with motor, socio-communicative, and executive functions in children and adolescents with ASD. These observations improve the current knowledge regarding the neural substrates that underlie the symptoms of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuzo Hanaie
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Ikuko Mohri
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Kuriko Kagitani-Shimono
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Masaya Tachibana
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Junko Matsuzaki
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Ikuko Hirata
- Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Fumiyo Nagatani
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Watanabe
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Taiichi Katayama
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Masako Taniike
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
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108
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Sundberg M, Tochitsky I, Buchholz DE, Winden K, Kujala V, Kapur K, Cataltepe D, Turner D, Han MJ, Woolf CJ, Hatten ME, Sahin M. Purkinje cells derived from TSC patients display hypoexcitability and synaptic deficits associated with reduced FMRP levels and reversed by rapamycin. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:2167-2183. [PMID: 29449635 PMCID: PMC6093816 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0018-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that cerebellar dysfunction early in life is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the molecular mechanisms underlying the cerebellar deficits at the cellular level are unclear. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurocutaneous disorder that often presents with ASD. Here, we developed a cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) model of TSC with patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying cerebellar abnormalities in ASD and TSC. Our results show that hiPSC-derived PCs from patients with pathogenic TSC2 mutations displayed mTORC1 pathway hyperactivation, defects in neuronal differentiation and RNA regulation, hypoexcitability and reduced synaptic activity when compared with those derived from controls. Our gene expression analyses revealed downregulation of several components of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) targets in TSC2-deficient hiPSC-PCs. We detected decreased expression of FMRP, glutamate receptor δ2 (GRID2), and pre- and post-synaptic markers such as synaptophysin and PSD95 in the TSC2-deficient hiPSC-PCs. The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin rescued the deficits in differentiation, synaptic dysfunction, and hypoexcitability of TSC2 mutant hiPSC-PCs in vitro. Our findings suggest that these gene expression changes and cellular abnormalities contribute to aberrant PC function during development in TSC affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sundberg
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ivan Tochitsky
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David E Buchholz
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kellen Winden
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ville Kujala
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kush Kapur
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deniz Cataltepe
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daria Turner
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Min-Joon Han
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mary E Hatten
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Center for Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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109
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Dadalko OI, Travers BG. Evidence for Brainstem Contributions to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Integr Neurosci 2018; 12:47. [PMID: 30337860 PMCID: PMC6180283 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2018.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects one in 59 children in the United States. Although there is a mounting body of knowledge of cortical and cerebellar contributions to ASD, our knowledge about the early developing brainstem in ASD is only beginning to accumulate. Understanding how brainstem neurotransmission is implicated in ASD is important because many of this condition’s sensory and motor symptoms are consistent with brainstem pathology. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to integrate epidemiological, behavioral, histological, neuroimaging, and animal evidence of brainstem contributions to ASD. Because ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition, we examined the available data through a lens of hierarchical brain development. The review of the literature suggests that developmental alterations of the brainstem could have potential cascading effects on cortical and cerebellar formation, ultimately leading to ASD symptoms. This view is supported by human epidemiology findings and data from animal models of ASD, showing that perturbed development of the brainstem substructures, particularly during the peak formation of the brainstem’s monoaminergic centers, may relate to ASD or ASD-like behaviors. Furthermore, we review evidence from human histology, psychophysiology, and neuroimaging suggesting that brainstem development and maturation may be atypical in ASD and may be related to key ASD symptoms, such as atypical sensorimotor features and social responsiveness. From this review there emerges the need of future research to validate early detection of the brainstem-based somatosensory and psychophysiological behaviors that emerge in infancy, and to examine the brainstem across the life span, while accounting for age. In all, there is preliminary evidence for brainstem involvement in ASD, but a better understanding of the brainstem’s role would likely pave the way for earlier diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga I Dadalko
- Motor and Brain Development Lab, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Brittany G Travers
- Motor and Brain Development Lab, Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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110
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Varman DR, Soria-Ortíz MB, Martínez-Torres A, Reyes-Haro D. GABAρ3 expression in lobule X of the cerebellum is reduced in the valproate model of autism. Neurosci Lett 2018; 687:158-163. [PMID: 30261230 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.09.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disorders characterized by social interaction deficits, communication impairments, and stereotyped and repetitive behaviors. Additionally, impairments in the GABAergic circuitry have been associated with ASD. Several studies have shown that dysfunction of the cerebellum is a hallmark of ASD, and postmortem studies in humans reported a reduced density of Purkinje cells (PCs) together with an abnormal expression of GABAA subunits, among which GABAρ3 is expressed in early postnatal development, forms homomeric receptors with high affinity to the agonist (GABA EC50 ∼ 3 μM) and desensitize very little upon activation. Thus, we tested if the expression of GABAρ3 was modified by prenatal exposure to valproate (VPA), a well-known murine model of autism. The latency to find the nest increased in VPA-treated mice when compared to controls at postnatal day 8 (P8). Immunofluorescence studies showed a reduced expression of GABAρ3 in Purkinje cells (PCs) and ependymal glial cells (EGCs) from lobule X of VPA-treated mice. Finally, the expression of GABAρ3 increases linearly throughout normal development of the cerebellum, but this pattern is disrupted in the VPA model of autism. We conclude that the expression of GABAρ3 is reduced in PCs and EGCs from lobule X of the cerebellum in the VPA model of autism. Thus, GABAρ3 may be a relevant marker for ASD etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Varman
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Juriquilla, Querétaro CP76230, México
| | - M B Soria-Ortíz
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Juriquilla, Querétaro CP76230, México
| | - A Martínez-Torres
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Juriquilla, Querétaro CP76230, México
| | - D Reyes-Haro
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, Juriquilla, Querétaro CP76230, México.
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111
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Iritani S, Torii Y, Habuchi C, Sekiguchi H, Fujishiro H, Yoshida M, Go Y, Iriki A, Isoda M, Ozaki N. The neuropathological investigation of the brain in a monkey model of autism spectrum disorder with ABCA13 deletion. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 71:130-139. [PMID: 30201574 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The precise biological etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the neuropathology of a monkey model of autism Human ABCA13 is the largest ABC transporter protein, with a length of 5058 amino acids and a predicted molecular weight of >450 kDa. However, the function of this protein remains to be elucidated. This protein is thought to be associated with major psychiatric disease. Using this monkey model of autism with an ABCA13 deletion and a mutation of 5HT2c, we neuropathologically investigated the changes in the neuronal formation in the frontal cortex. As a result, the neuronal formation in the cortex was found to be disorganized with regard to the neuronal size and laminal distribution in the ABCA13 deletion monkey. The catecholaminergic and GABAergic neuronal systems, serotoninergic neuronal formation (5HT2c) were also found to be impaired by an immunohistochemical evaluation. This study suggested that ABCA13 deficit induces the impairment of neuronal maturation or migration, and the function of the neuronal network. This protein might thus play a role in the neurodevelopmental function of the central nervous system and the dysfunction of this protein may be a pathophysiological cause of mental disorders including autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuji Iritani
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
| | - Youta Torii
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Chikako Habuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sekiguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hiroshige Fujishiro
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mari Yoshida
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Go
- Department of Brain Sciences, Center for Novel Science Initiatives, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan; Department of Developmental Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan; The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (Sokendai), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Astushi Iriki
- Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Developmen RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masaki Isoda
- Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan; Laboratory for Symbolic Cognitive Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, Japan; Department of Physiology, Kansai Medical University School of Medicine, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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112
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Al Sagheer T, Haida O, Balbous A, Francheteau M, Matas E, Fernagut PO, Jaber M. Motor Impairments Correlate with Social Deficits and Restricted Neuronal Loss in an Environmental Model of Autism. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 21:871-882. [PMID: 29762671 PMCID: PMC6119291 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Motor impairments are amongst the earliest and most consistent signs of autism spectrum disorders but are not used as diagnostic criteria. In addition, the relationship between motor and cognitive impairments and their respective neural substrates remain unknown. Methods Here, we aimed at determining whether a well-acknowledged animal model of autism spectrum disorders, the valproic acid model, displays motor impairments and whether they may correlate with social deficits and neuronal loss within motor brain areas. For this, pregnant female mice (C57BL/6J) received valproic acid (450 mg/kg) at embryonic day 12.5 and offspring underwent a battery of behavioral analyses before being killed for histological correlates in motor cortex, nigrostriatal pathway, and cerebellum. Results We show that while valproic acid male mice show both social and motor impairments, female mice only show motor impairments. Prenatal valproic acid exposure induces specific cell loss within the motor cortex and cerebellum and that is of higher magnitude in males than in females. Finally, we demonstrate that motor dysfunction correlates with reduced social behavior and that motor and social deficits both correlate with a loss of Purkinje cells within the Crus I cerebellar area. Conclusions Our results suggest that motor dysfunction could contribute to social and communication deficits in autism spectrum disorders and that motor and social deficits may share common neuronal substrates in the cerebellum. A systematic assessment of motor function in autism spectrum disorders may potentially help the quantitative diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and strategies aimed at improving motor behavior may provide a global therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tareq Al Sagheer
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Obelia Haida
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Anais Balbous
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Maureen Francheteau
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Emmanuel Matas
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Fernagut
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR, Bordeaux, France
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR, Bordeaux, France
| | - Mohamed Jaber
- INSERM U-1084, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- CHU Poitiers, Poitiers, France
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113
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Silvin A, Ginhoux F. Microglia heterogeneity along a spatio-temporal axis: More questions than answers. Glia 2018; 66:2045-2057. [PMID: 30144321 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Microglia are resident macrophages of the central nervous system; they arise during early embryonic development and persist throughout adulthood. These unique cells provide developmental support, contribute to adult brain homeostasis and impart immune protection during infection. Dysregulated microglia are implicated in the pathophysiology of several neurological disorders, including Alzheimer disease, and as such, a better understanding of their regulation and function is required for rational therapeutic design. Recent studies have highlighted the various heterogeneous aspects of microglia, such as their wide differentiation spectrum from early embryogenesis to adulthood, their location in different brain regions and their responses to ageing, infection and inflammation. In this review, we discuss microglial heterogeneity in time and space and highlight the remaining questions arising from such heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aymeric Silvin
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, IMMUNOS Building #3-4, BIOPOLIS, 138648, Singapore
| | - Florent Ginhoux
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, IMMUNOS Building #3-4, BIOPOLIS, 138648, Singapore.,Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 280 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
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114
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Wegiel J, Brown WT, La Fauci G, Adayev T, Kascsak R, Kascsak R, Flory M, Kaczmarski W, Kuchna I, Nowicki K, Martinez-Cerdeno V, Wisniewski T, Wegiel J. The role of reduced expression of fragile X mental retardation protein in neurons and increased expression in astrocytes in idiopathic and syndromic autism (duplications 15q11.2-q13). Autism Res 2018; 11:1316-1331. [PMID: 30107092 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), caused by lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), is associated with a high prevalence of autism. The deficit of FMRP reported in idiopathic autism suggests a mechanistic overlap between FXS and autism. The overall goal of this study is to detect neuropathological commonalities of FMRP deficits in the brains of people with idiopathic autism and with syndromic autism caused by dup15q11.2-q13 (dup15). This study tests the hypothesis based on our preliminary data that both idiopathic and syndromic autism are associated with brain region-specific deficits of neuronal FMRP and structural changes of the affected neurons. This immunocytochemical study revealed neuronal FMRP deficits and shrinkage of deficient neurons in the cerebral cortex, subcortical structures, and cerebellum in subjects with idiopathic and dup(15)/autism. Neuronal FMRP deficit coexists with surprising infiltration of the brains of autistic children and adults with FMRP-positive astrocytes known to be typical only for the fetal and short postnatal periods. In the examined autistic subjects, these astrocytes selectively infiltrate the border between white and gray matter in the cerebral and cerebellar cortex, the molecular layer of the cortex, part of the amygdala and thalamus, central cerebellar white matter, and dentate nucleus. Astrocyte pathology results in an additional local loss of FMRP in neurons and their shrinkage. Neuronal deficit of FMRP and shrinkage of affected neurons in structures free of FMRP-positive astrocytes and regions infiltrated with FMRP-expressing astrocytes appear to reflect mechanistic, neuropathological, and functional commonalities of FMRP abnormalities in FXS and autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1316-1331. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Immunocytochemistry reveals a deficit of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in neurons of cortical and subcortical brain structures but increased FMRP expression in astrocytes infiltrating gray and white matter. The detected shrinkage of FMRP-deficient neurons may provide a mechanistic explanation of reported neuronal structural and functional changes in autism. This study contributes to growing evidence of mechanistic commonalities between fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarek Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - W Ted Brown
- Department of Human Genetics, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Giuseppe La Fauci
- Department of Human Genetics, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Tatyana Adayev
- Department of Human Genetics, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Richard Kascsak
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Regina Kascsak
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Michael Flory
- Research Design and Analysis Service, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Wojciech Kaczmarski
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Izabela Kuchna
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Krzysztof Nowicki
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Veronica Martinez-Cerdeno
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Departments of Neurology, Pathology, and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
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115
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Zhao G, Walsh K, Long J, Gui W, Denisova K. Reduced structural complexity of the right cerebellar cortex in male children with autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196964. [PMID: 29995885 PMCID: PMC6040688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum contains 80% of all neurons in the human brain and contributes prominently to implicit learning and predictive processing across motor, sensory, and cognitive domains. As morphological features of the cerebellum in atypically developing individuals remain unexplored in-vivo, this is the first study to use high-resolution 3D fractal analysis to estimate fractal dimension (FD), a measure of structural complexity of an object, of the left and right cerebellar cortex (automatically segmented from Magnetic Resonance Images using FreeSurfer), in male children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (N = 20; mean age: 8.8 years old, range: 7.13-10.27) and sex, age, verbal-IQ, and cerebellar volume-matched typically developing (TD) boys (N = 18; mean age: 8.9 years old, range: 6.47-10.52). We focus on an age range within the 'middle and late childhood' period of brain development, between 6 and 12 years. A Mann-Whitney U test revealed a significant reduction in the FD of the right cerebellar cortex in ASD relative to TD boys (P = 0.0063, Bonferroni-corrected), indicating flatter and less regular surface protrusions in ASD relative to TD males. Consistent with the prediction that the cerebellum participates in implicit learning, those ASD boys with a higher (vs. lower) PIQ>VIQ difference showed higher, more normative complexity values, closer to TD children, providing new insight on our understanding of the neurological basis of differences in verbal and performance cognitive abilities that often characterize individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guihu Zhao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Kirwan Walsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jun Long
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
- * E-mail: (KD); (JL)
| | - Weihua Gui
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Kristina Denisova
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
- Sackler Institute for Psychobiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States of America
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KD); (JL)
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116
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DeRosa BA, El Hokayem J, Artimovich E, Garcia-Serje C, Phillips AW, Van Booven D, Nestor JE, Wang L, Cuccaro ML, Vance JM, Pericak-Vance MA, Cukier HN, Nestor MW, Dykxhoorn DM. Convergent Pathways in Idiopathic Autism Revealed by Time Course Transcriptomic Analysis of Patient-Derived Neurons. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8423. [PMID: 29849033 PMCID: PMC5976773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26495-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Potentially pathogenic alterations have been identified in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) within a variety of key neurodevelopment genes. While this hints at a common ASD molecular etiology, gaps persist in our understanding of the neurodevelopmental mechanisms impacted by genetic variants enriched in ASD patients. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can model neurodevelopment in vitro, permitting the characterization of pathogenic mechanisms that manifest during corticogenesis. Taking this approach, we examined the transcriptional differences between iPSC-derived cortical neurons from patients with idiopathic ASD and unaffected controls over a 135-day course of neuronal differentiation. Our data show ASD-specific misregulation of genes involved in neuronal differentiation, axon guidance, cell migration, DNA and RNA metabolism, and neural region patterning. Furthermore, functional analysis revealed defects in neuronal migration and electrophysiological activity, providing compelling support for the transcriptome analysis data. This study reveals important and functionally validated insights into common processes altered in early neuronal development and corticogenesis and may contribute to ASD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A DeRosa
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, 97239, USA
| | - Jimmy El Hokayem
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Elena Artimovich
- The Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, Maryland, 21229, USA
| | - Catherine Garcia-Serje
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Andre W Phillips
- The Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, Maryland, 21229, USA
| | - Derek Van Booven
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | | | - Lily Wang
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Michael L Cuccaro
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Jeffery M Vance
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Holly N Cukier
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA
| | - Michael W Nestor
- The Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, Maryland, 21229, USA.
| | - Derek M Dykxhoorn
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA. .,John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, 33136, USA.
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117
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Cerebro-Cerebellar Functional Connectivity is Associated with Cerebellar Excitation–Inhibition Balance in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 48:3460-3473. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3613-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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118
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Takamuku S, Forbes PAG, Hamilton AFDC, Gomi H. Typical use of inverse dynamics in perceiving motion in autistic adults: Exploring computational principles of perception and action. Autism Res 2018; 11:1062-1075. [PMID: 29734504 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence for motor difficulties in many people with autism spectrum condition (ASC). These difficulties could be linked to differences in the use of internal models which represent relations between motions and forces/efforts. The use of these internal models may be dependent on the cerebellum which has been shown to be abnormal in autism. Several studies have examined internal computations of forward dynamics (motion from force information) in autism, but few have tested the inverse dynamics computation, that is, the determination of force-related information from motion information. Here, we examined this ability in autistic adults by measuring two perceptual biases which depend on the inverse computation. First, we asked participants whether they experienced a feeling of resistance when moving a delayed cursor, which corresponds to the inertial force of the cursor implied by its motion-both typical and ASC participants reported similar feelings of resistance. Second, participants completed a psychophysical task in which they judged the velocity of a moving hand with or without a visual cue implying inertial force. Both typical and ASC participants perceived the hand moving with the inertial cue to be slower than the hand without it. In both cases, the magnitude of the effects did not differ between the two groups. Our results suggest that the neural systems engaged in the inverse dynamics computation are preserved in ASC, at least in the observed conditions. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1062-1075. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY We tested the ability to estimate force information from motion information, which arises from a specific "inverse dynamics" computation. Autistic adults and a matched control group reported feeling a resistive sensation when moving a delayed cursor and also judged a moving hand to be slower when it was pulling a load. These findings both suggest that the ability to estimate force information from motion information is intact in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Takamuku
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, 3-1 Morinosato Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 243-0198, Japan
| | - Paul A G Forbes
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, Alexandra House, 17 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Antonia F de C Hamilton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, Alexandra House, 17 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Hiroaki Gomi
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, 3-1 Morinosato Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 243-0198, Japan
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119
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Blanquie O, Liebmann L, Hübner CA, Luhmann HJ, Sinning A. NKCC1-Mediated GABAergic Signaling Promotes Postnatal Cell Death in Neocortical Cajal-Retzius Cells. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:1644-1659. [PMID: 26819276 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During early development, a substantial proportion of central neurons undergoes programmed cell death. This activity-dependent process is essential for the proper structural and functional development of the brain. To uncover cell type-specific differences in the regulation of neuronal survival versus apoptosis, we studied activity-regulated cell death in Cajal-Retzius neurons (CRNs) and the overall neuronal population in the developing mouse cerebral cortex. CRNs in the upper neocortical layer represent an early-born neuronal population, which is important for cortical development and largely disappears by apoptosis during neonatal stages. In contrast to the overall neuronal population, activity blockade with tetrodotoxin improved survival of CRNs in culture. Activation of GABAA receptors also blocked spontaneous activity and caused overall cell death including apoptosis of CRNs. Blockade of the Na-K-Cl transporter NKCC1 in vitro or its genetic deletion in vivo rescued CRNs from apoptosis. This effect was mediated by blockade of the p75NTR receptor signaling pathway. In summary, we discovered a novel developmental death pathway mediated by NKCC1, via GABAA receptor-mediated membrane depolarization and p75NTR signaling in CRNs. This pathway controls apoptosis of CRNs and may be critically involved in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriane Blanquie
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Lutz Liebmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Christian A Hübner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Heiko J Luhmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Anne Sinning
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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121
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Thurm A, Powell EM, Neul JL, Wagner A, Zwaigenbaum L. Loss of skills and onset patterns in neurodevelopmental disorders: Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms. Autism Res 2018; 11:212-222. [PMID: 29226600 PMCID: PMC5825269 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of onset in Autism Spectrum Disorder, including a pattern that includes loss of previously acquired skills, have been identified since the first reports of the disorder. However, attempts to study such "regression" have been limited to clinical studies, that until recently mostly involved retrospective reports. The current report reflects discussion that occurred at an NIMH convened meeting in 2016 with the purpose of bridging clinical autism research with basic and translational work in this area. This summary describes the state of the field with respect to clinical studies, describing gaps in knowledge based on limited methods and prospective data collected. Biological mechanisms that have been shown to account for regression early in development in specific conditions are discussed, as well as potential mechanisms that have not yet been explored. Suggestions include use of model systems during the developmental period and cutting-edge methods, including non-invasive imaging that may afford opportunities for a better understanding of the neurobiological pathways that result in loss of previously-attained skills. Autism Res 2018, 11: 212-222. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY Loss of previously acquired skills, or regression, has been reported in Autism Spectrum Disorder since Kanner's reports in the 1950's. The current report reflects discussion from an NIMH convened meeting in 2016 with the purpose of bridging clinical autism research with basic and translational work in this area. This summary describes the state of the field regarding clinical studies and suggests use of model systems during the developmental period and cutting-edge methods, for a better understanding of the neurobiological pathways that result in loss of previously-attained skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Thurm
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Powell
- Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Neul
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ann Wagner
- Division of Translational Research, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Autism Research Center, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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122
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Cardon GJ. Neural Correlates of Sensory Abnormalities Across Developmental Disabilities. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2018; 55:83-143. [PMID: 31799108 PMCID: PMC6889889 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irrdd.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Abnormalities in sensory processing are a common feature of many developmental disabilities (DDs). Sensory dysfunction can contribute to deficits in brain maturation, as well as many vital functions. Unfortunately, while some patients with DD benefit from the currently available treatments for sensory dysfunction, many do not. Deficiencies in clinical practice surrounding sensory dysfunction may be related to lack of understanding of the neural mechanisms that underlie sensory abnormalities. Evidence of overlap in sensory symptoms between diagnoses suggests that there may be common neural mechanisms that mediate many aspects of sensory dysfunction. Thus, the current manuscript aims to review the extant literature regarding the neural correlates of sensory dysfunction across DD in order to identify patterns of abnormality that span diagnostic categories. Such anomalies in brain structure, function, and connectivity may eventually serve as targets for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett J Cardon
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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123
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Casanova EL, Gerstner Z, Sharp JL, Casanova MF, Feltus FA. Widespread Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Intellectual Disability. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:535. [PMID: 30420816 PMCID: PMC6217001 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00535] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Linking genotype to phenotype is a major aim of genetics research, yet the underlying biochemical mechanisms of many complex conditions continue to remain elusive. Recent research provides evidence that relevant gene-phenotype associations are discoverable in the study of intellectual disability (ID). Here we expand on that work, identifying distinctive gene interaction modules with unique enrichment patterns reflective of associated clinical features in ID. Methods: Two hundred twelve forms of monogenic ID were curated according to comorbidities with autism and epilepsy. These groups were further subdivided according to secondary clinical manifestations of complex vs. simple facial dysmorphia and neurodegenerative-like features due to their clinical prominence, modest symptom overlap, and probable etiological divergence. An aggregate gene interaction ID network for these phenotype subgroups was discovered via a public database of known gene interactions: protein-protein, genetic, and mRNA coexpression. Additional annotation resources (Gene Ontology, Human Phenotype Ontology, TRANSFAC/JASPAR, and KEGG/WikiPathways) were utilized to assess functional and phenotypic enrichment patterns within subgroups. Results: Phenotypic analysis revealed high rates of complex facial dysmorphia in ID with comorbid autism. In contrast, neurodegenerative-like features were overrepresented in ID with epilepsy. Network analysis subsequently showed that gene groups divided according to clinical features of interest resulted in distinctive interaction clusters, with unique functional enrichments according to gene set. Conclusions: These data suggest that specific comorbid and secondary clinical features in ID are predictive of underlying genotype. In summary, ID form unique clusters, which are comprised of individual conditions with remarkable genotypic and phenotypic overlap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Casanova
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine at Greenville, Greenville, SC, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Greenville Health System, Greenville, SC, United States
| | - Zachary Gerstner
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Julia L Sharp
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine at Greenville, Greenville, SC, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Greenville Health System, Greenville, SC, United States
| | - Frank Alex Feltus
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States.,Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States.,Biomedical Data Science and Informatics Program, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
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124
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Dona O, Hall GB, Noseworthy MD. Temporal fractal analysis of the rs-BOLD signal identifies brain abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0190081. [PMID: 29272297 PMCID: PMC5741226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Brain connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has proven difficult to characterize due to the heterogeneous nature of the spectrum. Connectivity in the brain occurs in a complex, multilevel and multi-temporal manner, driving the fluctuations observed in local oxygen demand. These fluctuations can be characterized as fractals, as they auto-correlate at different time scales. In this study, we propose a model-free complexity analysis based on the fractal dimension of the rs-BOLD signal, acquired with magnetic resonance imaging. The fractal dimension can be interpreted as measure of signal complexity and connectivity. Previous studies have suggested that reduction in signal complexity can be associated with disease. Therefore, we hypothesized that a detectable difference in rs-BOLD signal complexity could be observed between ASD patients and Controls. Methods and findings Anatomical and functional data from fifty-five subjects with ASD (12.7 ± 2.4 y/o) and 55 age-matched (14.1 ± 3.1 y/o) healthy controls were accessed through the NITRC database and the ABIDE project. Subjects were scanned using a 3T GE Signa MRI and a 32-channel RF-coil. Axial FSPGR-3D images were used to prescribe rs-BOLD (TE/TR = 30/2000ms) where 300 time points were acquired. Motion correction was performed on the functional data and anatomical and functional images were aligned and spatially warped to the N27 standard brain atlas. Fractal analysis, performed on a grey matter mask, was done by estimating the Hurst exponent in the frequency domain using a power spectral density approach and refining the estimation in the time domain with de-trended fluctuation analysis and signal summation conversion methods. Voxel-wise fractal dimension (FD) was calculated for every subject in the control group and in the ASD group to create ROI-based Z-scores for the ASD patients. Voxel-wise validation of FD normality across controls was confirmed, and non-Gaussian voxels were eliminated from subsequent analysis. To maintain a 95% confidence level, only regions where Z-score values were at least 2 standard deviations away from the mean (i.e. where |Z| > 2.0) were included in the analysis. We found that the main regions, where signal complexity significantly decreased among ASD patients, were the amygdala (p = 0.001), the vermis (p = 0.02), the basal ganglia (p = 0.01) and the hippocampus (p = 0.02). No regions reported significant increase in signal complexity in this study. Our findings were correlated with ADIR and ADOS assessment tools, reporting the highest correlation with the ADOS metrics. Conclusions Brain connectivity is best modeled as a complex system. Therefore, a measure of complexity as the fractal dimension of fluctuations in brain oxygen demand and utilization could provide important information about connectivity issues in ASD. Moreover, this technique can be used in the characterization of a single subject, with respect to controls, without the need for group analysis. Our novel approach provides an ideal avenue for personalized diagnostics, thus providing unique patient specific assessment that could help in individualizing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Dona
- McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Geoffrey B. Hall
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael D. Noseworthy
- McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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125
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Gilbert J, Man HY. Fundamental Elements in Autism: From Neurogenesis and Neurite Growth to Synaptic Plasticity. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:359. [PMID: 29209173 PMCID: PMC5701944 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental disorders with a high prevalence and impact on society. ASDs are characterized by deficits in both social behavior and cognitive function. There is a strong genetic basis underlying ASDs that is highly heterogeneous; however, multiple studies have highlighted the involvement of key processes, including neurogenesis, neurite growth, synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. In this review article, we focus on the major genes and signaling pathways implicated in ASD and discuss the cellular, molecular and functional studies that have shed light on common dysregulated pathways using in vitro, in vivo and human evidence. HighlightsAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a prevalence of 1 in 68 children in the United States. ASDs are highly heterogeneous in their genetic basis. ASDs share common features at the cellular and molecular levels in the brain. Most ASD genes are implicated in neurogenesis, structural maturation, synaptogenesis and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Gilbert
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Heng-Ye Man
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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126
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Esnafoglu E, Ayyıldız SN. Decreased levels of serum fibroblast growth factor-2 in children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Res 2017; 257:79-83. [PMID: 28734240 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The neurodevelopment and functioning of the central nervous system, and especially the cerebral cortex, have basic importance to understand neuropsychiatric disorders like autism. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) plays a very important role in the development and functioning of the cortex. FGF-2 is related to developmental processes in the central nervous system such as neurogenesis, migration, differentiation and survival. This study researched the serum FGF-2 levels in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With this aim, 60 ASD children and 40 healthy controls were compared. We applied a sociodemographic form and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) to each subject with their family to assess the severity of autism. Additionally, all subjects had routine laboratory tests performed. Serum samples were studied with ELISA. The results found that serum FGF-2 levels were statistically significantly low in the patient group compared to the healthy control group (p value 0.003). Additionally there was a statistically significant negative correlation identified between serum FGF-2 levels and CARS score for all subjects (r = -0.300; p = 0.02). In conclusion, FGF-2 may contribute to the etiopathogenesis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erman Esnafoglu
- Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, Ordu, Turkey.
| | - Sema Nur Ayyıldız
- Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Biochemistry, Ordu, Turkey
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127
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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: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [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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128
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Fukuda T, Yanagi S. Psychiatric behaviors associated with cytoskeletal defects in radial neuronal migration. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:3533-3552. [PMID: 28516224 PMCID: PMC11107632 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2539-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Normal development of the cerebral cortex is an important process for higher brain functions, such as language, and cognitive and social functions. Psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, are thought to develop owing to various dysfunctions occurring during the development of the cerebral cortex. Radial neuronal migration in the embryonic cerebral cortex is a complex process, which is achieved by strict control of cytoskeletal dynamics, and impairments in this process are suggested to cause various psychiatric disorders. Our recent findings indicate that radial neuronal migration as well as psychiatric behaviors is rescued by controlling microtubule stability during the embryonic stage. In this review, we outline the relationship between psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, and radial neuronal migration in the cerebral cortex by focusing on the cytoskeleton and centrosomes. New treatment strategies for psychiatric disorders will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshifumi Fukuda
- Laboratory of Molecular Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0392, Japan.
| | - Shigeru Yanagi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0392, Japan.
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129
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Siu MT, Weksberg R. Epigenetics of Autism Spectrum Disorder. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 978:63-90. [PMID: 28523541 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53889-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), is diagnosed in 1 of every 68 children. ASD is incredibly heterogeneous both clinically and aetiologically. The etiopathogenesis of ASD is known to be complex, including genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors. Normal epigenetic marks modifiable by both genetics and environmental exposures can result in epigenetic alterations that disrupt the regulation of gene expression, negatively impacting biological pathways important for brain development. In this chapter we aim to summarize some of the important literature that supports a role for epigenetics in the underlying molecular mechanism of ASD. We provide evidence from work in genetics, from environmental exposures and finally from more recent studies aimed at directly determining ASD-specific epigenetic patterns, focusing mainly on DNA methylation (DNAm). Finally, we briefly discuss some of the implications of current research on potential epigenetic targets for therapeutics and novel avenues for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle T Siu
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Rosanna Weksberg
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. .,Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. .,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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130
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Cairns J, Swanson D, Yeung J, Sinova A, Chan R, Potluri P, Dickson P, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D. Abnormalities in the Structure and Function of Cerebellar Neurons and Neuroglia in the Lc/+ Chimeric Mouse Model of Variable Developmental Purkinje Cell Loss. THE CEREBELLUM 2017; 16:40-54. [PMID: 26837618 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0756-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired and disordered language, decreased social interactions, stereotyped and repetitive behaviors, and impaired fine and gross motor skills. It has been well established that cerebellar abnormalities are one of the most common structural changes seen in the brains of people diagnosed with autism. Common cerebellar pathology observed in autistic individuals includes variable loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) and increased numbers of reactive neuroglia in the cerebellum and cortical brain regions. The Lc/+ mutant mouse loses 100 % of cerebellar PCs during the first few weeks of life and provided a valuable model to study the effects of developmental PC loss on underlying structural and functional changes in cerebellar neural circuits. Lurcher (Lc) chimeric mice were also generated to explore the link between variable cerebellar pathology and subsequent changes in the structure and function of cerebellar neurons and neuroglia. Chimeras with the most severe cerebellar pathology (as quantified by cerebellar PC counts) had the largest changes in cFos expression (an indirect reporter of neural activity) in cerebellar granule cells (GCs) and cerebellar nucleus (CN) neurons. In addition, Lc chimeras with the fewest PCs also had numerous reactive microglia and Bergmann glia located in the cerebellar cortex. Structural and functional abnormalities observed in the cerebella of Lc chimeras appeared to be along a continuum, with the degree of pathology related to the number of PCs in individual chimeras.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Cairns
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Doug Swanson
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
| | - Joanna Yeung
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
| | - Anna Sinova
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3
| | - Ronny Chan
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
| | - Praneetha Potluri
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4
| | - Price Dickson
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Guy Mittleman
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA
| | - Dan Goldowitz
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4.
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4.
- Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 W. 28th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 4H4.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3.
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131
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Li D, Tomljenovic L, Li Y, Shaw CA. RETRACTED: Subcutaneous injections of aluminum at vaccine adjuvant levels activate innate immune genes in mouse brain that are homologous with biomarkers of autism. J Inorg Biochem 2017; 177:39-54. [PMID: 28923356 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2017.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lucija Tomljenovic
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yongling Li
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher A Shaw
- Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Program in Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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132
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Bridging Autism Spectrum Disorders and Schizophrenia through inflammation and biomarkers - pre-clinical and clinical investigations. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:179. [PMID: 28870209 PMCID: PMC5584030 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-017-0938-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, evidence supporting a link between inflammation and neuropsychiatric disorders has been mounting. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia share some clinical similarities which we hypothesize might reflect the same biological basis, namely, in terms of inflammation. However, the diagnosis of ASD and schizophrenia relies solely on clinical symptoms, and to date, there is no clinically useful biomarker to diagnose or monitor the course of such illnesses. The focus of this review is the central role that inflammation plays in ASD and schizophrenia. It spans from pre-clinical animal models to clinical research and excludes in vitro studies. Four major areas are covered: (1) microglia, the inflammatory brain resident myeloid cells, (2) biomarkers, including circulating cytokines, oxidative stress markers, and microRNA players, known to influence cellular processes at brain and immune levels, (3) effect of anti-psychotics on biomarkers and other predictors of response, and (4) impact of gender on response to immune activation, biomarkers, and response to anti-psychotic treatments.
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133
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Subramanian K, Brandenburg C, Orsati F, Soghomonian JJ, Hussman JP, Blatt GJ. Basal ganglia and autism - a translational perspective. Autism Res 2017; 10:1751-1775. [PMID: 28730641 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The basal ganglia are a collection of nuclei below the cortical surface that are involved in both motor and non-motor functions, including higher order cognition, social interactions, speech, and repetitive behaviors. Motor development milestones that are delayed in autism such as gross motor, fine motor and walking can aid in early diagnosis of autism. Neuropathology and neuroimaging findings in autism cases revealed volumetric changes and altered cell density in select basal ganglia nuclei. Interestingly, in autism, both the basal ganglia and the cerebellum are impacted both in their motor and non-motor domains and recently, found to be connected via the pons through a short disynaptic pathway. In typically developing individuals, the basal ganglia plays an important role in: eye movement, movement coordination, sensory modulation and processing, eye-hand coordination, action chaining, and inhibition control. Genetic models have proved to be useful toward understanding cellular and molecular changes at the synaptic level in the basal ganglia that may in part contribute to these autism-related behaviors. In autism, basal ganglia functions in motor skill acquisition and development are altered, thus disrupting the normal flow of feedback to the cortex. Taken together, there is an abundance of emerging evidence that the basal ganglia likely plays critical roles in maintaining an inhibitory balance between cortical and subcortical structures, critical for normal motor actions and cognitive functions. In autism, this inhibitory balance is disturbed thus impacting key pathways that affect normal cortical network activity. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1751-1775. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY Habit learning, action selection and performance are modulated by the basal ganglia, a collection of groups of neurons located below the cerebral cortex in the brain. In autism, there is emerging evidence that parts of the basal ganglia are structurally and functionally altered disrupting normal information flow. The basal ganglia through its interconnected circuits with the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum can potentially impact various motor and cognitive functions in the autism brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cheryl Brandenburg
- Program on Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201
| | - Fernanda Orsati
- Program on Supports, Hussman Institute for Autism, Catonsville, MD, 21228
| | | | - John P Hussman
- Program on Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201.,Program on Supports, Hussman Institute for Autism, Catonsville, MD, 21228
| | - Gene J Blatt
- Program on Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201
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134
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Soghomonian JJ, Zhang K, Reprakash S, Blatt GJ. Decreased parvalbumin mRNA levels in cerebellar Purkinje cells in autism. Autism Res 2017; 10:1787-1796. [PMID: 28707805 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent neuropathology studies in human brains indicate that several areas of the prefrontal cortex have decreased numbers of parvalbumin interneurons or decreased parvalbumin expression in Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) [Hashemi, Ariza, Rogers, Noctor, & Martinez-Cerdeno, 2017; Zikopoulos & Barbas, ]. These data suggest that a deficit in parvalbumin may be a key neuropathology of ASD and contribute to altered GABAergic inhibition. However, it is unclear if a deficit in parvalbumin is a phenomenon that occurs in regions other than the cerebral cortex. The cerebellum is a major region where neuropathology was first detected in ASD over three decades ago [Bauman & Kemper, ]. In view of the documented association between parvalbumin-expressing neurons and autism, the objective of the present study was to determine if parvalbumin gene expression is also altered in Purkinje neurons of the cerebellum. Radioisotopic in situ hybridization histochemistry was used on human tissue sections from control and ASD brains in order to detect and measure parvalbumin mRNA levels at the single cell level in Purkinje cells of Crus II of the lateral cerebellar hemispheres. Results indicate that parvalbumin mRNA levels are significantly lower in Purkinje cells in ASD compared to control brains. This decrease was not influenced by post-mortem interval or age at death. This result indicates that decreased parvalbumin expression is a more widespread feature of ASD. We discuss how this decrease may be implicated in altered cerebellar output to the cerebral cortex and in key ASD symptoms. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1787-1796. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY The cerebellum of the brain controls movement and cognition, including memory and language. This study investigated mechanisms of cerebellar function in Autism. Our hypothesis is that parvalbumin, a molecule that controls and coordinate many cellular brain functions, contributes to the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in Autism. We report that parvalbumin expression is depressed in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum in autism. This finding contributes to elucidate the cellular and molecular underpinings of autism and should provide a direction for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Jacques Soghomonian
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kunzhong Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sujithra Reprakash
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gene J Blatt
- Hussman Institute for Autism, Program in Neuroscience, Baltimore, Maryland
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135
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Freedman EG, Foxe JJ. Eye movements, sensorimotor adaptation and cerebellar-dependent learning in autism: toward potential biomarkers and subphenotypes. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 47:549-555. [PMID: 28612953 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Because of the wide range of symptoms expressed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their idiosyncratic severity, it is unlikely that a single remedial approach will be universally effective. Resolution of this dilemma requires identifying subgroups within the autism spectrum, based on symptom set and severity, on an underlying neuro-structural difference, and on specific behavioral dysfunction. This will provide critical insight into the disorder and may lead to better diagnoses, and more targeted remediation in these subphenotypes of people with ASD. In this review, we discuss findings that appear to link the structure of the cerebellar vermis and plasticity of the saccadic eye-movement system in people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Differences in cerebellar vermis structure in ASD could critically impact visuo-sensorimotor development in early infancy, which may in turn manifest as the visual orienting, communication and social interaction differences often seen in this population. It may be possible to distinguish a subpopulation of children with vermal hypoplasia, to establish whether this group manifests more severe deficits in visual orienting and in adaptation to persistent visual errors, and to establish whether this putative subphenotype of ASD is associated with a specific and distinct clinical symptom profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward G Freedman
- Department of Neuroscience, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - John J Foxe
- Department of Neuroscience, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
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136
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Inui T, Kumagaya S, Myowa-Yamakoshi M. Neurodevelopmental Hypothesis about the Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:354. [PMID: 28744208 PMCID: PMC5504094 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous models or hypotheses of autism spectral disorder (ASD) failed to take into full consideration the chronological and causal developmental trajectory, leading to the emergence of diverse phenotypes through a complex interaction between individual etiologies and environmental factors. Those phenotypes include persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction (criteria A in DSM-5), and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (criteria B in DSM-5). In this article, we proposed a domain-general model that can explain criteria in DSM-5 based on the assumption that the same etiological mechanism would trigger the various phenotypes observed in different individuals with ASD. In the model, we assumed the following joint causes as the etiology of autism: (1) Hypoplasia of the pons in the brainstem, occurring immediately following neural tube closure; and (2) Deficiency in the GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) developmental switch during the perinatal period. Microstructural abnormalities of the pons directly affect both the structural and functional development of the brain areas strongly connected to it, especially amygdala. The impairment of GABA switch could not only lead to the deterioration of inhibitory processing in the neural network, but could also cause abnormal cytoarchitecture. We introduced a perspective that atypical development in both brain structure and function can give full explanation of diverse phenotypes and pathogenetic mechanism of ASD. Finally, we discussed about neural mechanisms underlying the phenotypic characteristics of ASD that are not described in DSM-5 but should be considered as important foundation: sleep, global precedence, categorical perception, intelligence, interoception and motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshio Inui
- Department of Psychology, Otemon Gakuin UniversityOsaka, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Kumagaya
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of TokyoTokyo, Japan
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137
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Wegiel J, Flory M, Kaczmarski W, Brown WT, Chadman K, Wisniewski T, Nowicki K, Kuchna I, Ma SY, Wegiel J. Partial Agenesis and Hypoplasia of the Corpus Callosum in Idiopathic Autism. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2017; 76:225-237. [PMID: 28395085 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlx003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To test the hypothesis that developmental anomalies of the corpus callosum (CC), contribute to the pathogenesis of autism, we characterized the type, topography, and severity of CC pathology corresponding to reduced CC areas that are detected by magnetic resonance imaging in the brains of 11 individuals with autism and 11 controls. In the brains of 3 autistic subjects, partial CC agenesis resulted in complete or partial lack of interhemispheric axonal connections in CC segments III-V. In these cases, a combination of focal agenesis and uniform axonal deficit caused reduction of CC areas by 37%, of axon numbers by 62%, and of the numerical density of axons by 39%. In the CC of 8 autistic subjects without agenesis, there was an 18% deficit of the midsagittal CC area, 48.4% deficit of axon numbers, and 37% reduction of the numerical density of axons. The significantly thinner CC, reduced CC area, and uniform axonal deficit in all autistic subjects were classified as CC hypoplasia. Thus, the byproduct of partial CC agenesis and hypoplasia is reduction of axonal connections between cortical areas known to be involved in behavioral alterations observed in people with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarek Wegiel
- Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Michael Flory
- Research Design and Analysis Services, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Wojciech Kaczmarski
- Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - W Ted Brown
- Human Genetics, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Kathryn Chadman
- Behavioral Pharmacology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Krzysztof Nowicki
- Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Izabela Kuchna
- Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Shuang Yong Ma
- Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Departments of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
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138
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Khongrum J, Wattanathorn J. Laser Acupuncture at HT7 Improves the Cerebellar Disorders in Valproic Acid-Rat Model of Autism. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2017; 10:231-239. [PMID: 28889839 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel therapeutic strategy against autism is essential due to the limited therapeutic efficacy. Based on the benefit of laser acupuncture at HT7 acupoint on the neurological disorders related with oxidative stress and inflammation, its benefit on oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and GABAergic/glutamatergic imbalance in cerebellum of autism have been considered. To elucidate this issue, male rat pups were induced autistic-like conditions by valproic acid (VPA) and treated with laser acupuncture at HT7 acupoint once daily between postnatal Day 14 and Day 40. At the end of study, the changes of oxidative stress markers, the expressions of cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) proteins (65 kDa and 67 kDa) together with gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T) activity and density of Purkinje cell in the cerebellum were assessed. The results showed that laser acupuncture HT7 decreased oxidative stress, IL-6 expression, and GABA-T activity but increased the expressions of GAD 65 kDa together with the density of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Therefore, laser acupuncture at HT7 is the potential strategy to improve the cerebellar disorders in VPA-rat model of autism. The mechanism may occur partly via the decrease of oxidative stress status, inflammation, and the improved GABAergic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurairat Khongrum
- Department of Physiology (Neuroscience Program), Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Integrative Complementary Alternative Medicine Research and Development Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Jintanaporn Wattanathorn
- Integrative Complementary Alternative Medicine Research and Development Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
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139
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Maternal Immune Activation Causes Behavioral Impairments and Altered Cerebellar Cytokine and Synaptic Protein Expression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1435-1446. [PMID: 28102228 PMCID: PMC5436129 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Emerging epidemiology studies indicate that maternal immune activation (MIA) resulting from inflammatory stimuli such as viral or bacterial infections during pregnancy serves as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Although alterations in the cortex and hippocampus of MIA offspring have been described, less evidence exists on the impact on the cerebellum. Here, we report altered expression of cytokines and chemokines in the cerebellum of MIA offspring, including increase in the neuroinflammatory cytokine TNFα and its receptor TNFR1. We also report reduced expression of the synaptic organizing proteins cerebellin-1 and GluRδ2. These synaptic protein alterations are associated with a deficit in the ability of cerebellar neurons to form synapses and an increased number of dendritic spines that are not in contact with a presynaptic terminal. These impairments are likely contributing to the behavioral deficits in the MIA exposed offspring.
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140
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Ball G, Beare R, Seal ML. Network component analysis reveals developmental trajectories of structural connectivity and specific alterations in autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:4169-4184. [PMID: 28560746 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural organization of the brain can be characterized as a hierarchical ensemble of segregated modules linked by densely interconnected hub regions that facilitate distributed functional interactions. Disturbances to this network may be an important marker of abnormal development. Recently, several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have been framed as disorders of connectivity but the full nature and timing of these disturbances remain unclear. In this study, we use non-negative matrix factorization, a data-driven, multivariate approach, to model the structural network architecture of the brain as a set of superposed subnetworks, or network components. In an openly available dataset of 196 subjects scanned between 5 and 85 years we identify a set of robust and reliable subnetworks that develop in tandem with age and reflect both anatomically local and long-range, network hub connections. In a second experiment, we compare network components in a cohort of 51 high-functioning ASD adolescents to a group of age-matched controls. We identify a specific subnetwork representing an increase in local connection strength in the cingulate cortex in ASD (t = 3.44, P < 0.001). This work highlights possible long-term implications of alterations to the developmental trajectories of specific cortical subnetworks. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4169-4184, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Ball
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard Beare
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marc L Seal
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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141
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Kubo KI, Deguchi K, Nagai T, Ito Y, Yoshida K, Endo T, Benner S, Shan W, Kitazawa A, Aramaki M, Ishii K, Shin M, Matsunaga Y, Hayashi K, Kakeyama M, Tohyama C, Tanaka KF, Tanaka K, Takashima S, Nakayama M, Itoh M, Hirata Y, Antalffy B, Armstrong DD, Yamada K, Inoue K, Nakajima K. Association of impaired neuronal migration with cognitive deficits in extremely preterm infants. JCI Insight 2017; 2:88609. [PMID: 28515367 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.88609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many extremely preterm infants (born before 28 gestational weeks [GWs]) develop cognitive impairment in later life, although the underlying pathogenesis is not yet completely understood. Our examinations of the developing human neocortex confirmed that neuronal migration continues beyond 23 GWs, the gestational week at which extremely preterm infants have live births. We observed larger numbers of ectopic neurons in the white matter of the neocortex in human extremely preterm infants with brain injury and hypothesized that altered neuronal migration may be associated with cognitive impairment in later life. To confirm whether preterm brain injury affects neuronal migration, we produced brain damage in mouse embryos by occluding the maternal uterine arteries. The mice showed delayed neuronal migration, ectopic neurons in the white matter, altered neuronal alignment, and abnormal corticocortical axonal wiring. Similar to human extremely preterm infants with brain injury, the surviving mice exhibited cognitive deficits. Activation of the affected medial prefrontal cortices of the surviving mice improved working memory deficits, indicating that decreased neuronal activity caused the cognitive deficits. These findings suggest that altered neuronal migration altered by brain injury might contribute to the subsequent development of cognitive impairment in extremely preterm infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken-Ichiro Kubo
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kimiko Deguchi
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Mental Retardation and Birth Defect Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.,Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Taku Nagai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yukiko Ito
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute/School of Biomedical Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keitaro Yoshida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Endo
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seico Benner
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wei Shan
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ayako Kitazawa
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Mental Retardation and Birth Defect Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Michihiko Aramaki
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Ishii
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minkyung Shin
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Matsunaga
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanehiro Hayashi
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaki Kakeyama
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory for Systems Neuroscience & Preventive Medicine, Waseda University Faculty of Human Sciences, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Chiharu Tohyama
- Laboratory of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Environmental Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kenji F Tanaka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohichi Tanaka
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute/School of Biomedical Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sachio Takashima
- Division of Child Neurology, Yanagawa Institute of Developmental Disabilities, Yanagawa, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakayama
- Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Izumi, Japan
| | - Masayuki Itoh
- Department of Mental Retardation and Birth Defect Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Yukio Hirata
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Barbara Antalffy
- Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Dawna D Armstrong
- Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ken Inoue
- Department of Mental Retardation and Birth Defect Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Kazunori Nakajima
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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142
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Acoustic Properties of Cries in 12-Month Old Infants at High-Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:2108-2119. [PMID: 28425020 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3119-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
There is preliminary evidence that infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have an atypical pattern of cry, characterized by higher fundamental frequency and increased dysphonation. This prospective study collected multiple cry samples of 12-month old siblings of children with ASD (n = 22, 'high-risk' group) and 12-month olds with no family history of ASD (n = 27, 'low risk' group). While there was no difference between groups in the fundamental frequency or degree of phonation of the cry samples, the duration of each cry unit was significantly shorter in the high-risk siblings (p < .05). The six infant siblings who received a diagnosis of ASD at age two had amongst the shortest recorded cry durations.
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143
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Irimia A, Torgerson CM, Jacokes ZJ, Van Horn JD. The connectomes of males and females with autism spectrum disorder have significantly different white matter connectivity densities. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46401. [PMID: 28397802 PMCID: PMC5387713 DOI: 10.1038/srep46401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a set of neurodevelopmental conditions whose striking sex-related disparity (with an estimated male-to-female ratio of 4:1) remains unknown. Here we use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) to identify the brain structure correlates of the sex-by-ASD diagnosis interaction in a carefully selected cohort of 110 ASD patients (55 females) and 83 typically-developing (TD) subjects (40 females). The interaction was found to be predicated primarily upon white matter connectivity density innervating, bilaterally, the lateral aspect of the temporal lobe, the temporo-parieto-occipital junction and the medial parietal lobe. By contrast, regional gray matter (GM) thickness and volume are not found to modulate this interaction significantly. When interpreted in the context of previous studies, our findings add considerable weight to three long-standing hypotheses according to which the sex disparity of ASD incidence is (A) due to WM connectivity rather than to GM differences, (B) modulated to a large extent by temporoparietal connectivity, and (C) accompanied by brain function differences driven by these effects. Our results contribute substantially to the task of unraveling the biological mechanisms giving rise to the sex disparity in ASD incidence, whose clinical implications are significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Irimia
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Mark &Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90032 USA
| | - Carinna M Torgerson
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Mark &Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90032 USA
| | - Zachary J Jacokes
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Mark &Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90032 USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, USC Mark &Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2025 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90032 USA
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144
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Grossi E, Olivieri C, Buscema M. Diagnosis of autism through EEG processed by advanced computational algorithms: A pilot study. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2017; 142:73-79. [PMID: 28325448 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multi-Scale Ranked Organizing Map coupled with Implicit Function as Squashing Time algorithm(MS-ROM/I-FAST) is a new, complex system based on Artificial Neural networks (ANNs) able to extract features of interest in computerized EEG through the analysis of few minutes of their EEG without any preliminary pre-processing. A proof of concept study previously published showed accuracy values ranging from 94%-98% in discerning subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment and/or Alzheimer's Disease from healthy elderly people. The presence of deviant patterns in simple resting state EEG recordings in autism, consistent with the atypical organization of the cerebral cortex present, prompted us in applying this potent analytical systems in search of a EEG signature of the disease. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of the study is to assess how effectively this methodology distinguishes subjects with autism from typically developing ones. METHODS Fifteen definite ASD subjects (13 males; 2 females; age range 7-14; mean value = 10.4) and ten typically developing subjects (4 males; 6 females; age range 7-12; mean value 9.2) were included in the study. Patients received Autism diagnoses according to DSM-V criteria, subsequently confirmed by the ADOS scale. A segment of artefact-free EEG lasting 60 seconds was used to compute input values for subsequent analyses. MS-ROM/I-FAST coupled with a well-documented evolutionary system able to select predictive features (TWIST) created an invariant features vector input of EEG on which supervised machine learning systems acted as blind classifiers. RESULTS The overall predictive capability of machine learning system in sorting out autistic cases from normal control amounted consistently to 100% with all kind of systems employed using training-testing protocol and to 84% - 92.8% using Leave One Out protocol. The similarities among the ANN weight matrixes measured with apposite algorithms were not affected by the age of the subjects. This suggests that the ANNs do not read age-related EEG patterns, but rather invariant features related to the brain's underlying disconnection signature. CONCLUSION This pilot study seems to open up new avenues for the development of non-invasive diagnostic testing for the early detection of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enzo Grossi
- Autism Research Unit, Villa Santa Maria Institute, Italy, Via IV Novembre 22038 Tavernerio (CO).
| | - Chiara Olivieri
- Autism Research Unit, Villa Santa Maria Institute, Italy, Via IV Novembre 22038 Tavernerio (CO).
| | - Massimo Buscema
- Semeion Research Centre of Sciences of Communication, Via Sersale 117, Rome, 00128, Italy.
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145
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Wirth A, Holst K, Ponimaskin E. How serotonin receptors regulate morphogenic signalling in neurons. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 151:35-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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146
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Wolff JJ, Swanson MR, Elison JT, Gerig G, Pruett JR, Styner MA, Vachet C, Botteron KN, Dager SR, Estes AM, Hazlett HC, Schultz RT, Shen MD, Zwaigenbaum L, Piven J. Neural circuitry at age 6 months associated with later repetitive behavior and sensory responsiveness in autism. Mol Autism 2017; 8:8. [PMID: 28316772 PMCID: PMC5351210 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0126-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Restricted and repetitive behaviors are defining features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Under revised diagnostic criteria for ASD, this behavioral domain now includes atypical responses to sensory stimuli. To date, little is known about the neural circuitry underlying these features of ASD early in life. Methods Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging data were collected from 217 infants at high familial risk for ASD. Forty-four of these infants were diagnosed with ASD at age 2. Targeted cortical, cerebellar, and striatal white matter pathways were defined and measured at ages 6, 12, and 24 months. Dependent variables included the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised and the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire. Results Among children diagnosed with ASD, repetitive behaviors and sensory response patterns were strongly correlated, even when accounting for developmental level or social impairment. Longitudinal analyses indicated that the genu and cerebellar pathways were significantly associated with both repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness but not social deficits. At age 6 months, fractional anisotropy in the genu significantly predicted repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness at age 2. Cerebellar pathways significantly predicted later sensory responsiveness. Exploratory analyses suggested a possible disordinal interaction based on diagnostic status for the association between fractional anisotropy and repetitive behavior. Conclusions Our findings suggest that restricted and repetitive behaviors contributing to a diagnosis of ASD at age 2 years are associated with structural properties of callosal and cerebellar white matter pathways measured during infancy and toddlerhood. We further identified that repetitive behaviors and unusual sensory response patterns co-occur and share common brain-behavior relationships. These results were strikingly specific given the absence of association between targeted pathways and social deficits. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13229-017-0126-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Wolff
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Meghan R Swanson
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Guido Gerig
- Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York City, NY USA
| | - John R Pruett
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Clement Vachet
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Stephen R Dager
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Annette M Estes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Heather C Hazlett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Mark D Shen
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | | | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
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147
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Carper RA, Treiber JM, White NS, Kohli JS, Müller RA. Restriction Spectrum Imaging As a Potential Measure of Cortical Neurite Density in Autism. Front Neurosci 2017; 10:610. [PMID: 28149269 PMCID: PMC5241303 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism postmortem studies have shown various cytoarchitectural anomalies in cortical and limbic areas including increased cell packing density, laminar disorganization, and narrowed minicolumns. However, there is little evidence on dendritic and axonal organization in ASD. Recent imaging techniques have the potential for non-invasive, in vivo studies of small-scale structure in the human brain, including gray matter. Here, Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI), a multi-shell diffusion-weighted imaging technique, was used to examine gray matter microstructure in 24 children with ASD (5 female) and 20 matched typically developing (TD) participants (2 female), ages 7–17 years. RSI extends the spherical deconvolution model to multiple length scales to characterize neurite density (ND) and organization. Measures were examined in 48 cortical regions of interest per hemisphere. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a multi-compartmental diffusion model has been applied to cortical gray matter in ASD. The ND measure detected robust age effects showing a significant positive relationship to age in all lobes except left temporal when groups were combined. Results were also suggestive of group differences (ASD<TD) in anterior cingulate, right superior temporal lobe and much of the parietal lobes, but these fell short of statistical significance. For MD, significant group differences (ASD>TD) in bilateral parietal regions as well as widespread age effects were detected. Our findings support the value of multi-shell diffusion imaging for assays of cortical gray matter. This approach has the potential to add to postmortem literature, examining intracortical organization, intracortical axonal content, myelination, or caliber. Robust age effects further support the validity of the ND metric for in vivo examination of gray matter microstructure in ASD and across development. While diffusion MRI does not approach the precision of histological studies, in vivo imaging measures of microstructure can complement postmortem studies, by allowing access to large sample sizes, a whole-brain field of view, longitudinal designs, and combination with behavioral and functional assays. This makes multi-shell diffusion imaging a promising technique for understanding the underlying cytoarchitecture of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth A Carper
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Treiber
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nathan S White
- Multimodal Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jiwandeep S Kohli
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
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148
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Bernhardt BC, Di Martino A, Valk SL, Wallace GL. Neuroimaging-Based Phenotyping of the Autism Spectrum. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2017; 30:341-355. [PMID: 26946501 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in neuroimaging have offered a rich array of structural and functional markers to probe the organization of regional and large-scale brain networks. The current chapter provides a brief introduction into these techniques and overviews their contribution to the understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition associated with atypical social cognition, language function, and repetitive behaviors/interests. While it is generally recognized that ASD relates to structural and functional network anomalies, the extent and overall pattern of reported findings have been rather heterogeneous. Indeed, while several attempts have been made to label the main neuroimaging phenotype of ASD (e.g., 'early brain overgrowth hypothesis', 'amygdala theory', 'disconnectivity hypothesis'), none of these frameworks has been without controversy. Methodological sources of inconsistent results may include differences in subject inclusion criteria, variability in image processing, and analysis methodology. However, inconsistencies may also relate to high heterogeneity across the autism spectrum itself. It, therefore, remains to be investigated whether a consistent imaging phenotype that adequately describes the entire autism spectrum can, in fact, be established. On the other hand, as previous findings clearly emphasize the value of neuroimaging in identifying atypical brain morphology, function, and connectivity, they ultimately support its high potential to identify biologically and clinically relevant endophenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris C Bernhardt
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Autism Research Program at the NYU Child Study Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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149
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Peter S, De Zeeuw CI, Boeckers TM, Schmeisser MJ. Cerebellar and Striatal Pathologies in Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 224:103-119. [PMID: 28551753 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-52498-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with a strong genetic component. To date, several hundred different genetic mutations have been identified to play a role in its aetiology. The heterogeneity of genetic abnormalities combined with the different brain regions where aberrations are found makes the search for causative mechanisms a daunting task. Even within a limited number of brain regions, a myriad of different neural circuit dysfunctions may lead to ASD. Here, we review mouse models that incorporate mutations of ASD risk genes causing pathologies in the cerebellum and striatum and highlight the vulnerability of related circuit dysfunctions within these brain regions in ASD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saša Peter
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael J Schmeisser
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. .,Division of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.
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150
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Ecker C, Schmeisser MJ, Loth E, Murphy DG. Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Humans. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 224:27-48. [PMID: 28551749 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-52498-6_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition that is associated with differences in brain anatomy and connectivity. Yet, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin the atypical developmental of the brain in ASD remain poorly understood. Here, we review the findings of in vivo neuroimaging studies examining the time course of atypical brain development in ASD and relate the different neurodevelopmental stages that are atypical in ASD to the known neurobiological mechanisms that drive the maturation of the typically developing brain. In particular, we focus on the notion of 'early brain overgrowth' in ASD, which may lead to differences in the formation of the brain's micro- and macro-circuitry. Moreover, we attempt to link the in vivo reports describing differences in brain anatomy and connectivity on the macroscopic level to the increasing number of post-mortem studies examining the neural architecture of the brain in ASD on the microscopic level. In addition, we discuss future directions and outstanding questions in this particular field of research and highlight the need for establishing the link between micro- and macro-pathology in the same set of individuals with ASD based on advances in genetic, molecular and imaging techniques. In combination, these may proof to be invaluable for patient stratification and the development of novel pharmacotherapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
| | - Michael J Schmeisser
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Division of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Declan G Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
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