101
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Ilzarbe D, Lukito S, Moessnang C, O'Daly OG, Lythgoe DJ, Murphy CM, Ashwood K, Stoencheva V, Rubia K, Simonoff E. Neural Correlates of Theory of Mind in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and the Comorbid Condition. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:544482. [PMID: 33240117 PMCID: PMC7677232 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.544482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) or mentalizing difficulties is reported in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the mechanism underpinning these apparently shared deficits is relatively unknown. Eighty-three young adult males, 19 with ASD alone, 21 with ADHD alone, 18 with dual diagnosis of ASD and ADHD, and 25 typically developing (TD) controls completed the functional magnetic resonance imaging version of the Frith-Happé animated-triangle ToM task. We compared neural function during ToM with two non-ToM conditions, random and goal directed motions, using whole-brain and region-of-interest analysis of brain activation and functional connectivity analyses. The groups showed comparable ToM task performance. All three clinical groups lacked local connectivity increase shown by TD controls during ToM in the right temporoparietal cortex, a key mentalizing region, with a differentially increased activation pattern in both ASD and comorbid groups relative to ADHD. Both ASD groups also showed reduced connectivity between right inferior lateral prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices that could reflect an atypical information transmission to the mentalizing network. In contrast, with mentalizing both ADHD groups showed decreasing connectivity between the medial prefrontal and left temporoparietal cortices when compared to TD controls. Therefore, despite the complex pattern of atypical brain function underpinning ToM across the three disorders, some neurofunctional abnormalities during ToM are associated with ASD and appeared differentiable from those associated with ADHD, with the comorbid group displaying combined abnormalities found in each condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ilzarbe
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), London, United Kingdom
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institute of Neuroscience, Barcelona, Spain
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Steve Lukito
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), London, United Kingdom
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Owen G. O'Daly
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Lythgoe
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Clodagh M. Murphy
- Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Ashwood
- Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimira Stoencheva
- Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), London, United Kingdom
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102
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Zhang M, Liu Z, Ma H, Smith DM. Chronic Physical Activity for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:564886. [PMID: 33192364 PMCID: PMC7642619 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.564886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To explore the effects of physical activity (PA) intervention on executive function (EF) and motor skills (MS) among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Relevant studies were sourced from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang Data. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) were included based upon the following criteria: (1) participants were children and clinically diagnosed with ADHD/ASD, (2) intervention strategies were identified as chronic physical activity, and (3) EF (e.g., cognitive flexibility) and/or MS (e.g., gross motor skills) were measured at baseline and post-intervention and compared with an eligible control group. Results: Eleven studies involving 346 participants were finally identified. PA elicited significant improvements in EF and MS in children with ADHD/ASD. Regarding changes in the EF of participants, PA showed a great improvement in overall EF [standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49–1.30, p < 0.00001], inhibitory control (SMD: 1.30, 95% CI 0.58–2.02, p = 0.0004) and cognitive flexibility (SMD: 0.85, 95% CI 0.42–1.29, p = 0.0001), but no significant improvement in working memory (SMD: 0.28, 95% CI −0.15–0.71, p = 0.20). Significant improvements were also found with respect to gross motor skills (SMD: 0.80, 95% CI 0.30–1.30, p = 0.002), but no significant changes were found in fine motor skills (SMD: 0.30, 95% CI −0.91–1.52, p = 0.62). Conclusion: Chronic PA interventions may promote EF and MS in children with ADHD/ASD, especially in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and gross motor skills. However, PA interventions seemed to have insignificant effects on working memory and fine motor skills to children with ADHD/ASD. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019118622
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Zhang
- Department of Physical Education and Health Education, Springfield College, Springfield, MA, United States
| | - Zhan Liu
- Department of Physical Education and Health Education, Springfield College, Springfield, MA, United States
| | - Hongtao Ma
- School of Arts, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Daniel M Smith
- Department of Physical Education and Health Education, Springfield College, Springfield, MA, United States
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103
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Woodcock KA, Cheung C, González Marx D, Mandy W. Social Decision Making in Autistic Adolescents: The Role of Theory of Mind, Executive Functioning and Emotion Regulation. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:2501-2512. [PMID: 30879258 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-03975-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Social decision making is often challenging for autistic individuals. Twenty autistic adolescents made decisions in the socially interactive context of a one-shot ultimatum game, and performance was compared to a large matched typical reference sample. Theory of mind, executive functioning and emotion regulation were measured via direct assessments, self- and parent report. Relative to the reference sample, autistic adolescents proposed fewer fair offers, and this was associated with poorer theory of mind. Autistic adolescents responded similarly to the reference sample when making decisions about offers proposed to them, however they did not appear to down regulate their negative emotion in response to unfair treatment in the same way. Atypical processes may underpin even apparently typical decisions made by autistic adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Anne Woodcock
- Centre for Applied Psychology & Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, 52 Pritchatts Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SA, UK.
| | - Catherine Cheung
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel González Marx
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
- Faculty of Physics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Will Mandy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
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104
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Solomon M, Gordon A, Iosif AM, Geddert R, Krug MK, Mundy P, Hessl D. Using the NIH Toolbox to Assess Cognition in Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism Res 2020; 14:500-511. [PMID: 33006263 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite the clinically significant impact of executive dysfunction on the outcomes of adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), we lack a clear understanding of its prevalence, profile, and development. To address this gap, we administered the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery to a cross-sectional Intelligence Quotient (IQ) case-matched cohort with ASD (n = 66) and typical development (TD; n = 66) ages 12-22. We used a general linear model framework to examine group differences in task performance and their associations with age. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups of individuals with similar cognitive profiles. Compared to IQ case-matched controls, ASD demonstrated poorer performance on inhibitory control (P < 0.001), cognitive flexibility (P < 0.001), episodic memory (P < 0.02), and processing speed (P < 0.001) (components of Fluid Cognition), but not on vocabulary or word reading (components of Crystallized Cognition). There was a significant positive association between age and Crystallized and Fluid Cognition in both groups. For Fluid (but not Crystallized) Cognition, ASD performed more poorly than TD at all ages. A four-group LPA model based on subtest scores best fit the data. Eighty percent of ASD belonged to two groups that exhibited relatively stronger Crystallized versus Fluid Cognition. Attention deficits were not associated with Toolbox subtest scores, but were lowest in the group with the lowest proportion of autistic participants. Adaptive functioning was poorer in the groups with the greatest proportion of autistic participants. Autistic persons are especially impaired on Fluid Cognition, and this more flexible form of thinking remains poorer in the ASD group through adolescence. LAY SUMMARY: A set of brief tests of cognitive functioning called the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery was administered to adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; n = 66) and typical development (TD; n = 66) ages 12-22 years. Compared to TD, ASD showed poorer performance in inhibiting responses, acting flexibly, memorizing events, and processing information quickly (Fluid Cognition). Groups did not differ on vocabulary or word reading (Crystallized Cognition). Crystallized and Fluid Cognition increased with age in both groups, but the ASD group showed lower Fluid, but not Crystallized, Cognition than TD at all ages. A categorization analysis including all participants showed that most participants with ASD fell into one of two categories: a group characterized by poor performance across all tasks, or a group characterized by relatively stronger Crystallized compared to Fluid Cognition. Adaptive functioning was poorer for participants in these groups, which consisted of mostly individuals with ASD, while ADHD symptoms were lowest in the group with the greatest proportion of TD participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,Imaging Research Center, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Andrew Gordon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Raphael Geddert
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Marie K Krug
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Peter Mundy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,School of Education, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - David Hessl
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
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105
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Nolvi S, Rasmussen JM, Graham AM, Gilmore JH, Styner M, Fair DA, Entringer S, Wadhwa PD, Buss C. Neonatal brain volume as a marker of differential susceptibility to parenting quality and its association with neurodevelopment across early childhood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100826. [PMID: 32807730 PMCID: PMC7393458 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Parenting quality is associated with child cognitive and executive functions (EF), which are important predictors of social and academic development. However, children vary in their susceptibility to parenting behaviors, and the neurobiological underpinnings of this susceptibility are poorly understood. In a prospective longitudinal study, we examined whether neonatal total brain volume (TBV) and subregions of interest (i.e., hippocampus (HC) and anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG)) moderate the association between maternal sensitivity and cognitive/EF development across early childhood. Neonates underwent a brain magnetic resonance imaging scan. Their cognitive performance and EF was characterized at 2.0 ± 0.1 years (N = 53) and at 4.9 ± 0.8 years (N = 36) of age. Maternal sensitivity was coded based on observation of a standardized play situation at 6-mo postpartum. Neonatal TBV moderated the association between maternal sensitivity and 2-year working memory as well as all 5-year cognitive outcomes, suggesting that the positive association between maternal sensitivity and child cognition was observed only among children with large or average but not small TBV as neonates. Similar patterns were observed for TBV-corrected HC and ACG volumes. The findings suggest that larger neonatal TBV, HC and ACG may underlie susceptibility to the environment and affect the degree to which parenting quality shapes long-term cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saara Nolvi
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Medical Psychology
| | - Jerod M Rasmussen
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alice M Graham
- The Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and the Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Departments of Psychiatry and Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Damien A Fair
- The Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and the Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Medical Psychology; Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Pathik D Wadhwa
- Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Medical Psychology; Development, Health, and Disease Research Program, Departments of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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106
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Petrolini V, Jorba M, Vicente A. The Role of Inner Speech in Executive Functioning Tasks: Schizophrenia With Auditory Verbal Hallucinations and Autistic Spectrum Conditions as Case Studies. Front Psychol 2020; 11:572035. [PMID: 33041942 PMCID: PMC7527436 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Several theories propose that one of the core functions of inner speech (IS) is to support subjects in the completion of cognitively effortful tasks, especially those involving executive functions (EF). In this paper we focus on two populations who notoriously encounter difficulties in performing EF tasks, namely, people diagnosed with schizophrenia who experience auditory verbal hallucinations (Sz-AVH) and people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). We focus on these two populations because they represent two different ways in which IS can fail to help in EF tasks, which can be illustrative for other mental conditions. First, we review the main components of EF (see section "Executive Functions"). Then we explain the functions that IS is taken to perform in the domain of EF (see section "Inner Speech and Executive Functions") and review the evidence concerning problems about EF in the two populations of our study: Sz-AVH (see section "Executive Functions and Inner Speech in Sz-AVH") and ASC (see section "Executive Function and Inner Speech in ASC"). After this we further detail our account about what a properly functioning IS can do for both populations and how different IS profiles may impact EF performance: in the case of Sz-AVH, the uncontrolled and intrusive character of IS negatively affects EF performance, whereas in ASC, EF is not sufficiently supported by IS, given the tendency in this population to present a diminished use of IS (see section "IS in ASC and Sz-AVH: How It Relates to EF"). We finally briefly discuss Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Language Disorders (DLD) (see section "Further Considerations").
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Petrolini
- Centro de Investigación Micaela Portilla, Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Marta Jorba
- Centro de Investigación Micaela Portilla, Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Agustín Vicente
- Centro de Investigación Micaela Portilla, Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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107
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Methylphenidate in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Long-Term Follow up Naturalistic Study. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9082566. [PMID: 32784735 PMCID: PMC7463802 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9082566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often co-occurs with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although methylphenidate (MPH) efficacy and safety are well-demonstrated for ADHD, evidences are scant in the context of ASD. This naturalistic study aimed to analyze long-term MPH efficacy and safety in 40 ADHD children and adolescents with comorbid ASD, comparing them with 40 ones affected by ADHD without ASD. Treatment lasted from 6 to 156 months (longer than 24 months in more than three quarters of patients). Efficacy and safety were measured by clinical global impression and children global assessment scales; influence of intellectual functioning was examined. Comparisons between groups were made by Wilcoxon or Friedmann tests; relationships between functioning scores and other characteristics were analyzed by ordinal logistic and linear regression. Results demonstrated that MPH in patients with ASD was associated with significative reduction of illness severity, clinical improvement and amelioration of global functioning, without significant differences with patients having ADHD without ASD. The trend of reduction of illness severity and increase of global functioning were favorably related with intellectual functioning. No serious adverse events were reported. The findings showed that long-term MPH was effective and well-tolerated in ADHD children and adolescents with comorbid high functioning ASD.
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108
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Casanova MF, Sokhadze EM, Casanova EL, Opris I, Abujadi C, Marcolin MA, Li X. Translational Neuroscience in Autism: From Neuropathology to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapies. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2020; 43:229-248. [PMID: 32439019 PMCID: PMC7245584 DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The presence of heterotopias, increased regional density of neurons at the gray-white matter junction, and focal cortical dysplasias all suggest an abnormality of neuronal migration in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The abnormality is borne from a dissonance in timing between radial and tangentially migrating neuroblasts to the developing cortical plate. The uncoupling of excitatory and inhibitory cortical cells disturbs the coordinated interactions of neurons within local networks, thus providing abnormal patterns of brainwave activity in the gamma bandwidth. In ASD, gamma oscillation abnormalities and autonomic markers offer measures of therapeutic progress and help in the identification of subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Greenville Health System, 200 Patewood Drive, Suite A200, Greenville, SC 29615, USA.
| | - Estate M Sokhadze
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, 200 Patewood Drive, Greenville, SC 29615, USA
| | - Emily L Casanova
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, 200 Patewood Drive, Greenville, SC 29615, USA. https://twitter.com/EmLyWill
| | - Ioan Opris
- University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Department Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Caio Abujadi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Antonio Marcolin
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Xiaoli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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109
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Huang Y, Zhang B, Cao J, Yu S, Wilson G, Park J, Kong J. Potential Locations for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders-A Functional Connectivity Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:388. [PMID: 32457666 PMCID: PMC7221195 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is an emerging tool for treating autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Exploring new stimulation targets may improve the efficacy of NIBS for ASD. MATERIALS AND METHODS We first conducted a meta-analysis on 170 functional magnetic resonance imaging studies to identify ASD-associated brain regions. We then performed resting state functional connectivity analysis on 70 individuals with ASD to investigate brain surface regions correlated with these ASD-associated regions and identify potential NIBS targets for ASD. RESULTS We found that the medial prefrontal cortex, angular gyrus, dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, superior parietal lobe, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, superior temporal sulcus, lateral occipital cortex, and supplementary motor area/paracentral gyrus are potential locations for NIBS in ASD. CONCLUSION Our findings may shed light on the development of new NIBS targets for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jian Kong
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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110
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Yaxu Y, Ren Z, Ward J, Jiang Q. Atypical Brain Structures as a Function of Gray Matter Volume (GMV) and Gray Matter Density (GMD) in Young Adults Relating to Autism Spectrum Traits. Front Psychol 2020; 11:523. [PMID: 32322224 PMCID: PMC7158890 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autistic traits are those who present in the normal population with characteristics of social, communication, personality, and cognitive impairments but do not meet the clinical threshold for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most studies have focused on the abnormalities in ASD patients rather than on individuals with autistic traits. In this study, we focused on the behaviors of a large sample (N = 401) of Chinese individuals with different levels of autistic traits, measured using the Autism Spectrum Quotient, and applied voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to determine their association to differences in brain structure. The results mainly showed that the correlation between gray matter volume (GMV) and gray matter density of the brain and the Autism Spectrum Quotient was significant in these regions: the right middle frontal gyrus, which are involved in social processing and social reasoning; the left parahippocampal gyrus, which is involved in socioemotional behaviors and unconscious relational memory encoding; and the right superior parietal lobule, which are involved in cognitive control and the ability to show attention to detail. These findings reveal that people with autistic traits in the normal population have atypical development in GMV and gray matter density, which may affect their social functioning and communication ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Yaxu
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiting Ren
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
| | - Jamie Ward
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Qiu Jiang
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
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111
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Lukito S, Norman L, Carlisi C, Radua J, Hart H, Simonoff E, Rubia K. Comparative meta-analyses of brain structural and functional abnormalities during cognitive control in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Psychol Med 2020; 50:894-919. [PMID: 32216846 PMCID: PMC7212063 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720000574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have abnormalities in frontal, temporal, parietal and striato-thalamic networks. It is unclear to what extent these abnormalities are distinctive or shared. This comparative meta-analysis aimed to identify the most consistent disorder-differentiating and shared structural and functional abnormalities. METHODS Systematic literature search was conducted for whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of cognitive control comparing people with ASD or ADHD with typically developing controls. Regional gray matter volume (GMV) and fMRI abnormalities during cognitive control were compared in the overall sample and in age-, sex- and IQ-matched subgroups with seed-based d mapping meta-analytic methods. RESULTS Eighty-six independent VBM (1533 ADHD and 1295 controls; 1445 ASD and 1477 controls) and 60 fMRI datasets (1001 ADHD and 1004 controls; 335 ASD and 353 controls) were identified. The VBM meta-analyses revealed ADHD-differentiating decreased ventromedial orbitofrontal (z = 2.22, p < 0.0001) but ASD-differentiating increased bilateral temporal and right dorsolateral prefrontal GMV (zs ⩾ 1.64, ps ⩽ 0.002). The fMRI meta-analyses of cognitive control revealed ASD-differentiating medial prefrontal underactivation but overactivation in bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortices and precuneus (zs ⩾ 1.04, ps ⩽ 0.003). During motor response inhibition specifically, ADHD relative to ASD showed right inferior fronto-striatal underactivation (zs ⩾ 1.14, ps ⩽ 0.003) but shared right anterior insula underactivation. CONCLUSIONS People with ADHD and ASD have mostly distinct structural abnormalities, with enlarged fronto-temporal GMV in ASD and reduced orbitofrontal GMV in ADHD; and mostly distinct functional abnormalities, which were more pronounced in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Lukito
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Luke Norman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- The Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christina Carlisi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Imaging of Mood- and Anxiety-Related Disorders (IMARD) Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heledd Hart
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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112
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Social behavioural adaptation in Autism. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007700. [PMID: 32176684 PMCID: PMC7108744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is still diagnosed on the basis of subjective assessments of elusive notions such as interpersonal contact and social reciprocity. We propose to decompose reciprocal social interactions in their basic computational constituents. Specifically, we test the assumption that autistic individuals disregard information regarding the stakes of social interactions when adapting to others. We compared 24 adult autistic participants to 24 neurotypical (NT) participants engaging in a repeated dyadic competitive game against artificial agents with calibrated reciprocal adaptation capabilities. Critically, participants were framed to believe either that they were competing against somebody else or that they were playing a gambling game. Only the NT participants did alter their adaptation strategy when they held information regarding others' competitive incentives, in which case they outperformed the AS group. Computational analyses of trial-by-trial choice sequences show that the behavioural repertoire of autistic people exhibits subnormal flexibility and mentalizing sophistication, especially when information regarding opponents’ incentives was available. These two computational phenotypes yield 79% diagnosis classification accuracy and explain 62% of the severity of social symptoms in autistic participants. Such computational decomposition of the autistic social phenotype may prove relevant for drawing novel diagnostic boundaries and guiding individualized clinical interventions in autism. Autism or AS is mostly characterized by impairments in a very specific yet intricate skill set, namely: social intelligence. In this work, we focus on "social reciprocity", i.e. the continuous adaptation of one's behaviour that both moulds and appropriately responds to others' behaviour. Our working hypothesis is that social reciprocity deficits in people with AS derive from a basic inability to tune one's adaptation strategy to contextual knowledge about the stakes of social interactions (e.g., others' cooperative or competitive incentives). We ask participants to engage in simple interactive games with AI agents that are endowed with calibrated reciprocal adaptation capabilities. Critically, participants are framed to believe either that they are competing against somebody else (social framing) or that they are playing a gambling game (non-social framing). Only in the social condition do participants know about the (competitive) incentives of their opponents. Computational analyses of action sequences in the games show that, contrary to healthy controls, people with AS do not change their strategy according to whether they hold information regarding their opponents' incentives or not. In addition, these analyses yield 79% diagnosis out-of-sample classification accuracy (AS versus controls) and predict 62% of the severity of social symptoms in people with AS. This demonstrates the feasibility of AI-based quantitative assessments of social cognition and its deficits.
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113
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Klocke C, Lein PJ. Evidence Implicating Non-Dioxin-Like Congeners as the Key Mediators of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Developmental Neurotoxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1013. [PMID: 32033061 PMCID: PMC7037228 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21031013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being banned from production for decades, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) continue to pose a significant risk to human health. This is due to not only the continued release of legacy PCBs from PCB-containing equipment and materials manufactured prior to the ban on PCB production, but also the inadvertent production of PCBs as byproducts of contemporary pigment and dye production. Evidence from human and animal studies clearly identifies developmental neurotoxicity as a primary endpoint of concern associated with PCB exposures. However, the relative role(s) of specific PCB congeners in mediating the adverse effects of PCBs on the developing nervous system, and the mechanism(s) by which PCBs disrupt typical neurodevelopment remain outstanding questions. New questions are also emerging regarding the potential developmental neurotoxicity of lower chlorinated PCBs that were not present in the legacy commercial PCB mixtures, but constitute a significant proportion of contemporary human PCB exposures. Here, we review behavioral and mechanistic data obtained from experimental models as well as recent epidemiological studies that suggest the non-dioxin-like (NDL) PCBs are primarily responsible for the developmental neurotoxicity associated with PCBs. We also discuss emerging data demonstrating the potential for non-legacy, lower chlorinated PCBs to cause adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Molecular targets, the relevance of PCB interactions with these targets to neurodevelopmental disorders, and critical data gaps are addressed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pamela J. Lein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
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114
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Torske T, Nærland T, Bettella F, Bjella T, Malt E, Høyland AL, Stenberg N, Øie MG, Andreassen OA. Autism spectrum disorder polygenic scores are associated with every day executive function in children admitted for clinical assessment. Autism Res 2020; 13:207-220. [PMID: 31571410 PMCID: PMC7027890 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are behaviorally defined disorders with overlapping clinical features that are often associated with higher-order cognitive dysfunction, particularly executive dysfunction. Our aim was to determine if the polygenic score (PGS) for ASD is associated with parent-reported executive dysfunction in everyday life using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Furthermore, we investigated if PGS for general intelligence (INT) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also correlate with BRIEF. We included 176 children, adolescents and young adults aged 5-22 years with full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) above 70. All were admitted for clinical assessment of ASD symptoms and 68% obtained an ASD diagnosis. We found a significant difference between low and high ASD PGS groups in the BRIEF behavior regulation index (BRI) (P = 0.015, Cohen's d = 0.69). A linear regression model accounting for age, sex, full-scale IQ, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) total score, ASD, ADHD and INT PGS groups as well as genetic principal components, significantly predicted the BRI score; F(11,130) = 8.142, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.41 (unadjusted). Only SRS total (P < 0.001), ASD PGS 0.1 group (P = 0.018), and sex (P = 0.022) made a significant contribution to the model. This suggests that the common ASD risk gene variants have a stronger association to behavioral regulation aspects of executive dysfunction than ADHD risk or INT variants in a clinical sample with ASD symptoms. Autism Res 2020, 13: 207-220. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties with higher-order cognitive processes that regulate thoughts and actions during goal-directed behavior, also known as executive function (EF). We studied the association between genetics related to ASD and EF and found a relation between high polygenic score (PGS) for ASD and difficulties with behavior regulation aspects of EF in children and adolescents under assessment for ASD. Furthermore, high PGS for general intelligence was related to social problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonje Torske
- Division of Mental Health and AddictionVestre Viken Hospital TrustDrammenNorway
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Terje Nærland
- NevSom, Department of Rare DisordersOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- NORMENT Centre, University of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Francesco Bettella
- NORMENT Centre, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Thomas Bjella
- NORMENT Centre, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Eva Malt
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Ahus Campus, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of Adult HabilitationAkershus University HospitalLørenskogNorway
| | - Anne Lise Høyland
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
- Department of PediatricsSt. Olav Hospital, Trondheim University HospitalTrondheimNorway
| | - Nina Stenberg
- Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Merete Glenne Øie
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Research DepartmentInnlandet Hospital TrustLillehammerNorway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, University of OsloOsloNorway
- Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
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115
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Albajara Sáenz A, Septier M, Van Schuerbeek P, Baijot S, Deconinck N, Defresne P, Delvenne V, Passeri G, Raeymaekers H, Salvesen L, Victoor L, Villemonteix T, Willaye E, Peigneux P, Massat I. ADHD and ASD: distinct brain patterns of inhibition-related activation? Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:24. [PMID: 32066671 PMCID: PMC7026183 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0707-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) and autism spectrum (ASD) disorders often co-occur. In both cases, response inhibition deficits and inhibition-related atypical brain activation have been reported, although less consistently in ASD. Research exploring the overlap/distinctiveness between ADHD and ASD has significantly increased in recent years, but direct comparison of the inhibition-related neuronal correlates between these disorders are scarce in the literature. This study aimed at disentangling the shared and specific inhibitory brain dysfunctions in ASD and ADHD. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain activity was compared between children with ADHD, ASD and typically developing (TD) children aged 8-12 years during an inhibition stop-signal task, using stringent inclusion criteria. At the behavioural level, only children with ADHD exhibited inhibition deficits when compared with the TD group. Distinct patterns of brain activity were observed during successful inhibition. In children with ADHD, motor inhibition was associated with right inferior parietal activation, whereas right frontal regions were activated in children with ASD. Between-group comparisons disclosed higher middle frontal activation in the ASD group compared with the ADHD and the TD groups. Our results evidence different patterns of activation during inhibition in these two disorders, recruiting different regions of the fronto-parietal network associated to inhibition. Besides brain activity differences, behavioural inhibition deficits found only in children with ADHD further suggest that reactive inhibition is one of the core deficits in ADHD, but not in ASD. Our findings provide further evidence contributing to disentangle the shared and specific inhibitory dysfunctions in ASD and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Albajara Sáenz
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF) at the Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathilde Septier
- Hôpital Universitaire Robert Debré, Paris, France
- Institut de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences de Paris Inserm U894 Team 1, Paris, France
| | - Peter Van Schuerbeek
- Department of Radiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Simon Baijot
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF) at the Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola (HUDERF), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Deconinck
- Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola (HUDERF), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Defresne
- Service Universitaire Spécialisé pour personnes avec Autisme (SUSA)-Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Véronique Delvenne
- Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola (HUDERF), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gianfranco Passeri
- Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola (HUDERF), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hubert Raeymaekers
- Department of Radiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Leila Salvesen
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF) at the Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurent Victoor
- PsyPluriel, Centre Européen de Psychologie Médicale, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Villemonteix
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF) at the Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Paris 8 Vincennes - St Denis University, Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Neuropsychologie, Saint Denis, France
| | - Eric Willaye
- Service Universitaire Spécialisé pour personnes avec Autisme (SUSA)-Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF) at the Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Massat
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group (UR2NF) at the Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences (CRCN), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, ULB, Brussels, Belgium.
- National Fund of Scientific Research (FNRS), Brussels, Belgium.
- Department of Neurology, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
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116
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Ameis SH, Blumberger DM, Croarkin PE, Mabbott DJ, Lai MC, Desarkar P, Szatmari P, Daskalakis ZJ. Treatment of Executive Function Deficits in autism spectrum disorder with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: A double-blind, sham-controlled, pilot trial. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:539-547. [PMID: 32289673 PMCID: PMC8129776 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: In youth and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), executive function (EF) deficits may be a promising treatment target with potential impact on everyday functioning. Objective: To conduct a pilot randomized, double-blind, parallel, controlled trial evaluating repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for EF deficits in ASD. Method: In Toronto, Ontario (November 2014 to June 2017), a 20-session, 4-week course of 20 Hz rTMS targeting dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (90%RMT) was compared to sham stimulation in 16—35 year-olds with ASD (28 male/12 female), without intellectual disability, who had impaired everyday EF performance (n = 20 active/n = 20 sham). Outcome measures evaluated protocol feasibility and clinical effects of active vs. sham rTMS on EF performance. The moderating effect of baseline functioning was explored. Results: Of eligible participants, 95% were enrolled and 95% of randomized participants completed the protocol. Adverse events across treatment arms were mild-to-moderate. There was no significant difference between active vs. sham rTMS on EF performance. Baseline adaptive functioning moderated the effect of rTMS, such that participants with lower baseline functioning experienced significant EF improvement in the active vs. sham group. Conclusions: Our pilot RCT demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of using high frequency rTMS targeting DLPFC in youth and young adults with autism. No evidence for efficacy of active versus sham rTMS on EF performance was found. However, we found promising preliminary evidence of EF performance improvement following active versus sham rTMS in participants with ASD with more severe adaptive functioning deficits. Future work could focus on examining efficacy of rTMS in this higher-need population. Clinical trial registration: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Executive Function Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Effects on Brain Structure: A Pilot Study; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02311751?term=ameis&rank=1; NCT02311751. The trial was funded by: an American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Pilot Research Award, the Innovation Fund from the Alternate Funding Plan of the Academic Health Sciences Centres of Ontario, and an Ontario Mental Health Foundation (OMHF) Project A Grant and New Investigator Fellowship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H Ameis
- Centre for Brain and Mental Health, Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Daniel M Blumberger
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul E Croarkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Donald J Mabbott
- Centre for Brain and Mental Health, Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Centre for Brain and Mental Health, Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Pushpal Desarkar
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Centre for Brain and Mental Health, Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Sick Kids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Zafiris J Daskalakis
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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117
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Scionti N, Cavallero M, Zogmaister C, Marzocchi GM. Is Cognitive Training Effective for Improving Executive Functions in Preschoolers? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2812. [PMID: 31998168 PMCID: PMC6965160 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present meta-analysis, we examined the effect of cognitive training on the Executive Functions (EFs) of preschool children (age range: 3–6 years). We selected a final set of 32 studies from 27 papers with a total sample of 123 effect sizes. We found an overall effect of cognitive training for improving EF (g = 0.352; k = 123; p < 0.001), without significant difference between near and far transfer effects on executive domains. No significant additional outcome effects were found for behavioral- and learning-related outcomes. Cognitive training programs for preschoolers are significantly more effective for developmentally at-risk children (ADHD or low socio-economic status) than for children with typical development and without risks. Other significant moderators were: individual vs. group sessions and length of training. The number of sessions and computerized vs. non-computerized training were not significant moderators. This is the first demonstration of cognitive training for transfer effects among different executive processes. We discuss this result in relationship to the lower level of modularization of EFs in younger children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Scionti
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Marina Cavallero
- Department of Psychology, University of Milan - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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118
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Di Lieto MC, Castro E, Pecini C, Inguaggiato E, Cecchi F, Dario P, Cioni G, Sgandurra G. Improving Executive Functions at School in Children With Special Needs by Educational Robotics. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2813. [PMID: 31998169 PMCID: PMC6962248 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with Special Needs represent a highly heterogeneous group in terms of neurofunctional, behavioral, and socio-cognitive characteristics, but they have in common a frequent impairment of Executive Functions. Educational Robotics is generally dedicated to study the effects of constructing and programming robots based on children's learning and academic achievement. Recently, we found that being engaged in progressively more challenging robot planning and monitoring (ER-Lab) promotes visual-spatial working memory and response inhibition in early childhood during typical development, and that an ER-Lab can be a feasible rehabilitative tool for children with Special Needs. The present study aimed to verify the efficacy of the ER-Lab on Executive Functions in children with Special Needs for the first time by using an RCT within their school environment. To pursue these aims, this study reports the results obtained in 42 first-grade children with Special Needs engaged in school Educational Robotics Laboratories (ER-Lab) to promote Executive Functions by means of enjoyable, intensive, and incrementally more challenging activities requiring them to program a bee-shaped robot called Bee-bot® (Campus Store). Several adaptations were done to meet different motor, cognitive, and social needs. All children were evaluated by means of standardized tests performed by each child before and at the end of the ER-Lab activities. Children with Special Needs had significantly improved inhibition skills, and children with attentional impairment had more benefits in their inhibition of motor responses tasks with respect to children with a language deficit. Results of the study and future perspectives on how ER-Lab programs could become a powerful tool in classrooms with children with special needs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Di Lieto
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Emanuela Castro
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Pecini
- Department of Education, Language, Interculture and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Emanuela Inguaggiato
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Cecchi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Dario
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Sgandurra
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Mathee K, Cickovski T, Deoraj A, Stollstorff M, Narasimhan G. The gut microbiome and neuropsychiatric disorders: implications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:14-24. [PMID: 31821133 PMCID: PMC7440676 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) all relate to behavioural, cognitive and emotional disturbances that are ultimately rooted in disordered brain function. More specifically, these disorders are linked to various neuromodulators (i.e. serotonin and dopamine), as well as dysfunction in both cognitive and socio-affective brain networks. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut environment, and particularly the microbiome, plays a significant role in individual mental health. Although the presence of a gut-brain communication axis has long been established, recent studies argue that the development and regulation of this axis is dictated by the gut microbiome. Many studies involving both animals and humans have connected the gut microbiome with depression, anxiety and ASD. Microbiome-centred treatments for individuals with these same NPDs have yielded promising results. Despite its recent rise and underlying similarities to other NPDs, both biochemically and symptomatically, connections between the gut microbiome and ADHD currently lag behind those for other NPDs. We demonstrate that all evidence points to the importance of, and dire need for, a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the role of the gut microbiome in ADHD, to deepen our understanding of a condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalai Mathee
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Florida, USA
| | - Trevor Cickovski
- Bioinformatics Research Group (BioRG), School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University, Florida, USA
| | - Alok Deoraj
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Florida, USA
| | - Melanie Stollstorff
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts, Science and Education, Florida International University, Florida, USA
| | - Giri Narasimhan
- Bioinformatics Research Group (BioRG), School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University, Florida, USA
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Di Renzo M, Bianchi di Castelbianco F, Vanadia E, Petrillo M, Racinaro L, Rea M. Parental perception of stress and emotional-behavioural difficulties of children with autism spectrum disorder and specific language impairment. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS 2020; 5:2396941520971502. [PMID: 36381547 PMCID: PMC9620459 DOI: 10.1177/2396941520971502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Background and aims The daily challenges of caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder affect many areas of everyday life and parental well-being, as well as parents' ability to manage the needs of the family and the child concerned. A better understanding of parents' perception of their child's characteristics can allow better support for them and individualize intervention protocols in a more accurate way. The main objective of this study is the evaluation of the perception of stress by parents of children with autism compared to parents of children with specific language impairment. Methods The parents of 87 children aged between 2 and 6 years were included in this study, 34 children with a specific language impairment diagnosis and 53 children with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (ASD) or at risk of developing it. They were asked to complete a self-report on perceived stress and rating scales on adaptive/problematic behaviours, executive functions and sensory profile of the child. Results The results reveal that parents of ASD children, compared to the control group, showed significantly higher levels of stress, mainly due to the difficulty of managing unexpected events, the feeling of loss of control over one's life and the fear of not being able to cope with the adversities they were experiences. The most critical area, both for ASD and control group, concern the executive function related to emotional reactions. Conclusions Thus, we argue that the difficulties in self-control, sensory modulation and emotional regulation, represent an element of stress for parents of children with developmental disorders.Implications: Regarding the difficulties of children with ASD, supporting the ways in which caregivers adapt to the signals of children is an important strategy, which has now become a key element of treatments for autism mediated by parents.
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Ioannou C, Seernani D, Stefanou ME, Biscaldi-Schaefer M, Tebartz Van Elst L, Fleischhaker C, Boccignone G, Klein C. Social Visual Perception Under the Eye of Bayesian Theories in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Advanced Modeling of Spatial and Temporal Parameters. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:585149. [PMID: 33101094 PMCID: PMC7546363 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.585149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interaction in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by qualitative impairments that highly impact quality of life. Bayesian theories in ASD frame an understanding of underlying mechanisms suggesting atypicalities in the evaluation of probabilistic links within the perceptual environment of the affected individual. To address these theories, the present study explores the applicability of an innovative Bayesian framework on social visual perception in ASD and demonstrates the use of gaze transitions between different parts of social scenes. We applied advanced analyses with Bayesian Hidden Markov Modeling (BHMM) to track gaze movements while presenting real-life scenes to typically developing (TD) children and adolescents (N = 25) and participants with ASD and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ASD+ADHD, N = 15) and ASD without comorbidity (ASD, N = 12). Regions of interest (ROIs) were generated by BHMM based both on spatial and temporal gaze behavior. Social visual perception was compared between groups using transition and fixation variables for social (faces, bodies) and non-social ROIs. Transition variables between faces, namely gaze transitions between faces and likelihood of linking faces, were reduced in the ASD+ADHD compared to TD participants. Fixation count to faces was also reduced in this group. The ASD group showed similar performance to TD in the studied variables. There was no difference between groups for non-social ROIs. Our study provides an innovative, interpretable example of applying Bayesian theories of social visual perception in ASD. BHMM analyses and gaze transitions have the potential to reveal fundamental social perception components in ASD, contributing thus to amelioration of social-skill interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chara Ioannou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Divya Seernani
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maria Elena Stefanou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Monica Biscaldi-Schaefer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ludger Tebartz Van Elst
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christian Fleischhaker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Klein
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Child and Adoelscent Psychiatry, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Mahendiran T, Brian J, Dupuis A, Muhe N, Wong PY, Iaboni A, Anagnostou E. Meta-Analysis of Sex Differences in Social and Communication Function in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:804. [PMID: 31749718 PMCID: PMC6844182 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Sex differences in the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are well documented, but studies examining sex differences in social and communication function remain limited and inconclusive. Objectives: The objective of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis of sex differences in social-communication function in children with ASD or ADHD and typically developing controls. Methods: Using PRISMA, a search was performed on Medline and PSYCHINFO on English-language journals (2000-2017) examining sex differences in social and communication function in ASD and ADHD compared to controls. Inclusion criteria: 1) peer reviewed journal articles, 2) diagnosis of ASD or ADHD and controls, 3) age 6-18 years, 4) measures of social-communication function, and 5) means, standard deviations, and sample sizes reported in order to calculate standardized mean differences (SMD). Results: Eleven original/empirical studies met inclusion criteria for ASD and six for ADHD. No significant sex differences were found between ASD and controls in social (SMD = -0.43; p = 0.5; CI: -1.58-0.72), or communication function (SMD = 0.86; p = 0.5 CI; -1.57--3.30) and between ADHD and controls in social function (SMD = -0.68: p = 0.7, CI: -4.17-2.81). No studies evaluated sex differences in communication in ADHD. Significant heterogeneity was noted in all analyses. Type of measure may have partially accounted for some variability between studies. Conclusions: The meta-analysis did not detect sex differences in social and communication function in children with ASD and ADHD; however, significant heterogeneity was noted. Future larger studies, controlling for measure and with adequate numbers of female participants are required to further understand sex differences in these domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Mahendiran
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica Brian
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, OISE; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Annie Dupuis
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nadia Muhe
- Map and Data Library, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pui-Ying Wong
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alana Iaboni
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Abstract
Externalizing behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often either reduced or elevated compared to healthy controls (HCs). This study investigated the moderating role of context in ASD by comparing 32 individuals with ASD to 40 HCs during a social and a non-social provocation task. Compared to HCs, individuals with ASD showed similar externalizing behavior in the social context. In the non-social context reactions after provocation were enhanced relative to non-provoking situations. The findings implicate that the context is an important influencing variable when comparing individuals with ASD to HCs after being provoked. Impulsivity, trait aggression and empathy did not predict behavior in the ASD group but were partly related to observed behavior in HCs.
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Otterman DL, Koopman-Verhoeff ME, White TJ, Tiemeier H, Bolhuis K, Jansen PW. Executive functioning and neurodevelopmental disorders in early childhood: a prospective population-based study. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2019; 13:38. [PMID: 31649749 PMCID: PMC6805591 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-019-0299-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive functioning deficits are common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, prior research mainly focused on clinical populations employing cross-sectional designs, impeding conclusions on temporal neurodevelopmental pathways. Here, we examined the prospective association of executive functioning with subsequent autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits. METHODS This study included young children from the Generation R Study, a general population birth cohort. The Brief Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version was used to assess parent-reported behavioral executive functioning when the children were 4 years old. ASD traits were assessed at age 6 (n = 3938) using the parent-reported Social Responsiveness Scale. The Teacher Report Form was used to assess ADHD traits at age 7 (n = 2749). Children with high scores were screened to determine possible clinical ASD or ADHD diagnoses. We were able to confirm an ASD diagnosis for n = 56 children by retrieving their medical records and established an ADHD diagnosis for n = 194 children using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Young Child version (DISC-YC). Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear and logistic regressions. RESULTS Impaired executive functioning was associated with more ASD and ADHD traits across informants (for ASD traits and diagnoses: β = 0.33, 95% CI [0.30-0.37]; OR = 2.69, 95% CI [1.92-3.77], respectively; for ADHD traits and diagnoses: β = 0.12, 95% CI [0.07-0.16]; OR = 2.32, 95% CI [1.89-2.85], respectively). Deficits in all subdomains were associated with higher levels of ASD traits, whereas only impaired inhibition, working memory, and planning/organization were associated with more ADHD traits. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the current study suggest a graded association of executive functioning difficulties along the continuum of ASD and ADHD and that problems in executive functioning may be a precursor of ASD and ADHD traits from an early age onwards.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Louise Otterman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M. Elisabeth Koopman-Verhoeff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI USA
| | - Tonya J. White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
| | - Koen Bolhuis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pauline W. Jansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Wytemaweg 80, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Executive Function and Attention Performance in Children with ADHD: Effects of Medication and Comparison with Typically Developing Children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16203822. [PMID: 31658722 PMCID: PMC6843761 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16203822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The emerging literature reports that children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) show deficits in executive functioning. To date, the combination of drug therapy with certain evidence-based non-medication interventions has been proven to be the most effective treatment for ADHD. There is a gap in the literature regarding comparing the executive functions (EF) of treatment naïve and medicated children with ADHD with both each other and typically developing children. Altogether, 50 treatment naïve and 50 medicated children with ADHD and 50 typically developing children between the ages of six and 12 were enrolled. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (Mini Kid) and the Test of Attentional Performance for Children (KiTAP) measures were employed. Treatment naïve children with ADHD showed weaker performance on most executive function measures (12 out of 15) than either the medicated ADHD group or the controls. There were no significant differences between the medicated ADHD children and typically developing children in most KiTAP parameters (10 out of 15). Executive function impairments were observable in treatment naïve ADHD children, which draws attention to the importance of treating ADHD. Future studies should focus on the specific effects of stimulant medication on executive functions.
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Haebich KM, Pride NA, Walsh KS, Chisholm A, Rouel M, Maier A, Anderson V, Barton B, Silk T, Korgaonkar M, Seal M, Lami F, Lorenzo J, Williams K, Dabscheck G, Rae CD, Kean M, North KN, Payne JM. Understanding autism spectrum disorder and social functioning in children with neurofibromatosis type 1: protocol for a cross-sectional multimodal study. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e030601. [PMID: 31558455 PMCID: PMC6773330 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Children with the single-gene disorder neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) appear to be at an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and exhibit a unique social-cognitive phenotype compared with children with idiopathic ASD. A complete framework is required to better understand autism in NF1, from neurobiological levels through to behavioural and functional outcomes. The primary aims of this study are to establish the frequency of ASD in children with NF1, examine the social cognitive phenotype, investigate the neuropsychological processes contributing to ASD symptoms and poor social functioning in children with NF1, and to investigate novel structural and functional neurobiological markers of ASD and social dysfunction in NF1. The secondary aim of this study is to compare the neuropsychological and neurobiological features of ASD in children with NF1 to a matched group of patients with idiopathic ASD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This is an international, multisite, prospective, cross-sectional cohort study of children with NF1, idiopathic ASD and typically developing (TD) controls. Participants will be 200 children with NF1 (3-15 years of age), 70 TD participants (3-15 years) and 35 children with idiopathic ASD (7-15 years). Idiopathic ASD and NF1 cases will be matched on age, sex and intelligence. All participants will complete cognitive testing and parents will rate their child's behaviour on standardised questionnaires. Neuroimaging will be completed by a subset of participants aged 7 years and older. Children with NF1 that screen at risk for ASD on the parent-rated Social Responsiveness Scale 2nd Edition will be invited back to complete the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale 2nd Edition and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised to determine whether they fulfil ASD diagnostic criteria. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study has hospital ethics approval and the results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and international conferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M Haebich
- Brain and Mind, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Natalie A Pride
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Karin S Walsh
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Anita Chisholm
- Brain and Mind, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Melissa Rouel
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Alice Maier
- Brain and Mind, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Vicki Anderson
- Brain and Mind, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Belinda Barton
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Children's Hospital Education Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Tim Silk
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Mayuresh Korgaonkar
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Marc Seal
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Francesca Lami
- Brain and Mind, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jennifer Lorenzo
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Katrina Williams
- Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Gabriel Dabscheck
- Department of Neurology, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Caroline D Rae
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Kean
- Imaging Department, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kathryn N North
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jonathan M Payne
- Brain and Mind, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Lake EMR, Finn ES, Noble SM, Vanderwal T, Shen X, Rosenberg MD, Spann MN, Chun MM, Scheinost D, Constable RT. The Functional Brain Organization of an Individual Allows Prediction of Measures of Social Abilities Transdiagnostically in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 86:315-326. [PMID: 31010580 PMCID: PMC7311928 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with complex changes as revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging. To date, neuroimaging-based models are not able to characterize individuals with sufficient sensitivity and specificity. Further, although evidence shows that ADHD traits occur in individuals with autism spectrum disorder, and autism spectrum disorder traits in individuals with ADHD, the neurofunctional basis of the overlap is undefined. METHODS Using individuals from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange and ADHD-200, we apply a data-driven, subject-level approach, connectome-based predictive modeling, to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to identify brain-behavior associations that are predictive of symptom severity. We examine cross-diagnostic commonalities and differences. RESULTS Using leave-one-subject-out and split-half analyses, we define networks that predict Social Responsiveness Scale, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and ADHD Rating Scale scores and confirm that these networks generalize to novel subjects. Networks share minimal overlap of edges (<2%) but some common regions of high hubness (Brodmann areas 10, 11, and 21, cerebellum, and thalamus). Further, predicted Social Responsiveness Scale scores for individuals with ADHD are linked to ADHD symptoms, supporting the hypothesis that brain organization relevant to autism spectrum disorder severity shares a component associated with attention in ADHD. Predictive connections and high-hubness regions are found within a wide range of brain areas and across conventional networks. CONCLUSIONS An individual's functional connectivity profile contains information that supports dimensional, nonbinary classification in autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. Furthermore, we can determine disorder-specific and shared neurofunctional pathology using our method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn M R Lake
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
| | - Emily S Finn
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Stephanie M Noble
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Tamara Vanderwal
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Xilin Shen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Monica D Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Marisa N Spann
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Marvin M Chun
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - R Todd Constable
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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Reilly SE, Downer JT. Roles of Executive Functioning and Language in Developing Low-Income Preschoolers' Behavior and Emotion Regulation. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2019; 49:229-240. [PMID: 32831469 PMCID: PMC7442263 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Young children's regulation of their behaviors and emotions is a foundational skill that undergirds learning, academic achievement, and social competence (Bierman & Erath, 2006; McClelland et al., 2018). Executive functioning (EF) and language are two cognitive skillsets that facilitate behavior and emotion regulation (Blair & Ursache, 2011; Cole, Armstrong, & Pemberton, 2010). What is not yet fully understood is how these two skillsets may work together to promote these regulatory skills. The present study investigated the independent and interactive contributions of EF and language skills at preschool entry to the development of behavior and emotion regulation across the year in a primarily low-income sample. Results indicated that language at preschool entry was associated with children's emotion regulation development during preschool, especially for children who entered preschool with low EF. As such, incorporating language-promoting activities into early childhood interventions designed to facilitate emotion regulation may enhance efficacy, particularly for children at risk for later emotional, academic, and behavioral difficulties due to low emerging EF skills. Unexpectedly, language was not associated with behavior regulation, and EF was not independently linked to behavior or emotion regulation in this sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Reilly
- Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400267, Charlottesville, VA 22904
| | - Jason T Downer
- Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800784, Charlottesville, VA 22904
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Fifteen-Year Prospective Follow-Up Study of Adult Outcomes of Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Children Attending Centers in Five Regional Departments in France: The EpiTED Cohort. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:2243-2256. [PMID: 30701432 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-03901-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
There is limited data on long-term outcome of ASD with co-occurring intellectual disabilities (ID) and challenging behaviours in France. The EpiTED period cohort is a 15 years longitudinal study of the developmental trajectories of 281 children initially recruited at mean age of 5 years. Two contrasted developmental trajectories were identified. Low cognitive level, absence of language, and higher ASD scores at baseline were predictive of low growth at follow-up. As adults the participants were predisposed to persistent co-occurring challenging behaviours as well as underlying ID impacting their ability to function independently. The results underscore the need for development of services and supports for adults with ASD in France who may also have already lacked access to adequate interventions and support services.
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired communication and social interactions, and repetitive behavioural patterns. These patterns are believed to be dysfunctional symptoms in executive processing, which impact other cognitive functions such as attention or cognitive flexibility. In recent years, several studies have shown that certain intestinal bacteria may play a role in shaping cognitive networks encompassing emotional and social domains. A microbiota-gut-brain axis is known to exist, establishing several mechanisms by which microbiota may modulate brain development, function and behaviour, including immune, endocrine and neural pathways. As the aetiology of ASD is largely unknown, some studies have shown that intestinal bacteria may be involved in its pathogenesis. The aim of this review was to focus on the role of the gut-brain axis in ASD and, specifically, on its role in executive functions. First, we summarize the relationship between the gastrointestinal and cognitive symptoms of ASD patients. In addition, we highlight the evidence that supports and emphasizes the involvement of gut microbiota, and the putative underlying mechanisms in this population. Finally, we present evidence from preclinical and clinical studies on the modulation of microbiota and their effects on cognitive symptoms, specifically in relation to executive function. In conclusion, manipulation of microbiota could be a positive intervention to improve ASD symptoms. However, more research evaluating the role of microbiota in the cognitive symptoms ASD is needed.
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Friedman L, Sterling A. A Review of Language, Executive Function, and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Semin Speech Lang 2019; 40:291-304. [PMID: 31311054 PMCID: PMC7012379 DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1692964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Difficulties with both executive functions and language skills are common but variable in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Executive functions and language skills are related to one another, such that vocabulary, syntax, and pragmatics are related to domains of working memory, shifting, and inhibition in ASD, although the directionality of these relationships remains unclear. Moreover, interventions that target pragmatic ability have been found to improve executive function skills, and conversely, executive function interventions are linked with improvements in social skills in children with ASD. We review the literature on executive functions, language skills, and their relationship in ASD; discuss factors that may be driving inconsistent findings; and explore clinical applications from the research thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Friedman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Audra Sterling
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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132
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Bedford R, Gliga T, Hendry A, Jones EJH, Pasco G, Charman T, Johnson MH, Pickles A. Infant regulatory function acts as a protective factor for later traits of autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder but not callous unemotional traits. J Neurodev Disord 2019; 11:14. [PMID: 31351456 PMCID: PMC6660706 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-019-9274-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reduced executive functions (EF) are commonly associated with developmental conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, ASD; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD), although EF seems to be typical in children with callous unemotional (CU) traits. Regulatory function (RF) is a proposed infant precursor that maps on onto factors driving later EF. Here, we first test whether RF is specifically and negatively associated with ASD and ADHD traits, but not CU traits. Second, we test whether RF can act as a protective factor, by moderating the association between infant markers and subsequent ASD and ADHD traits. Methods Participants were 79 infants at high (N = 42) and low (N = 37) familial risk for ASD. Data come from the 14-month infant visit (Autism Observational Scale for Infants; AOSI; activity level and RF from the Infant Behavior Questionnaire; IBQ) and the 7-year visit (ASD traits: Social Responsiveness Scale, SRS; ADHD traits: Conners 3, CU traits: Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits). Results Infant RF was negatively associated with later traits of ASD (B = − 0.5, p = 0.01) and ADHD inattention (B = − 0.24, p = 0.02) but not hyperactivity (B = − 0.25, p = 0.10) or CU traits (B = 0.02, p = 0.86). RF moderated the association between infant AOSI score and ASD traits, with a significant effect in those with low RF (B = 0.10, p = 0.006), not high RF (B = 0.01, p = 0.78). Similarly, for ADHD, infant activity level was associated with later ADHD inattention in those with low (B = 0.17, p = 0.04) but not high RF (B = 0.07, p = 0.48). For ADHD hyperactivity symptoms, activity level was predictive at both high and low levels of RF. Conclusions Strong RF may allow children to compensate for other atypicalities, thus attenuating the association between infant markers and later disorder traits. Whilst infant RF was associated with both ASD and ADHD inattention traits, there was no association with ADHD hyperactivity or CU traits. This suggests that any protective effect may not be universal and emphasises the need for a better understanding of the underlying moderating mechanisms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s11689-019-9274-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Bedford
- Biostatistics and Health Informatics Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Teodora Gliga
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Hendry
- Experimental Psychology Department, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Greg Pasco
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK.,Psychology Department, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Biostatistics and Health Informatics Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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133
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Flynn RM, Colón-Acosta N, Zhou J, Bower J. A Game-Based Repeated Assessment for Cognitive Monitoring: Initial Usability and Adherence Study in a Summer Camp Setting. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:2003-2014. [PMID: 30656527 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-03881-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The current feasibility study examined the adherence, reliability, and assessment potential of an evidence-based game-like mobile Monitoring Tool (Akili Interactive Labs), to monitor 100 participants' cognition for eight sessions at a summer camp for children with special needs. A validated measure of attention was administered at baseline. In the last session, participants completed an exit questionnaire. The Monitoring Tool was found to be enjoyable, and showed a high rate of adherence. No Monitor-related adverse events were reported. Monitor metrics showed good reliability across repeated measurements, indicating it is stable over long-term cognitive monitoring. There was evidence that the Monitoring Tool was able to detect differences in cognition between the children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Flynn
- Silver School of Social Work, McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, New York University, 41 East 11th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10003, USA. .,Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 633 N St. Clair St, 19th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | | | - Jimmy Zhou
- Akili Interactive, 125 Broad Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02110, USA
| | - Jeffrey Bower
- Akili Interactive, 125 Broad Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02110, USA
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134
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Kohli JS, Kinnear MK, Fong CH, Fishman I, Carper RA, Müller RA. Local Cortical Gyrification is Increased in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, but Decreases Rapidly in Adolescents. Cereb Cortex 2019; 29:2412-2423. [PMID: 29771286 PMCID: PMC6519693 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive MRI evidence indicates early brain overgrowth in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Local gyrification may reflect the distribution and timing of aberrant cortical expansion in ASDs. We examined MRI data from (Study 1) 64 individuals with ASD and 64 typically developing (TD) controls (7-19 years), and from (Study 2) an independent sample from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (n = 31/group). Local Gyrification Index (lGI), cortical thickness (CT), and surface area (SA) were measured. In Study 1, differences in lGI (ASD > TD) were found in left parietal and temporal and right frontal and temporal regions. lGI decreased bilaterally with age, but more steeply in ASD in left precentral, right lateral occipital, and middle frontal clusters. CT differed between groups in right perisylvian cortex (TD > ASD), but no differences were found for SA. Partial correlations between lGI and CT were generally negative, but associations were weaker in ASD in several clusters. Study 2 results were consistent, though less extensive. Altered gyrification may reflect unique information about the trajectory of cortical development in ASDs. While early overgrowth tends to be undetectable in later childhood in ASDs, findings may indicate that a trace of this developmental abnormality could remain in a disorder-specific pattern of gyrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwandeep S Kohli
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA,San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mikaela K Kinnear
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christopher H Fong
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Inna Fishman
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ruth A Carper
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA,Address correspondence to Ruth A. Carper, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. E-mail:
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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135
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Weiner L, Flin A, Causin JB, Weibel S, Bertschy G. A case study of suicidality presenting as a restricted interest in autism Spectrum disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2019; 19:126. [PMID: 31029170 PMCID: PMC6487006 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2122-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicidality has been under-researched in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Most studies have linked increased suicidality in ASD to psychiatric comorbidities such as depression. Here we investigated, from a neuropsychological and clinical standpoint, the relationship between core ASD symptoms, i.e., restricted behaviors and social and communication impairments, and the suicidal behaviors in an adult male individual with ASD, with no psychiatric comorbidities. CASE PRESENTATION We report the case of a 21-year-old male with ASD who attempted suicide twice, in the absence of other psychiatric diagnoses. His behavior and communication skills were rigid. His suicidality was characterized by a rigid, detailed, and pervasive thinking pattern, akin to restricted interests. Consistently, from a neuropsychological standpoint, we found below-average planning and attention skills, and mind-reading skills were rigid and lacked spontaneity. CONCLUSIONS Our case-study suggests that specific clinical and neuropsychological dimensions might be related to suicidal behaviors in ASD. Clinically, the repetitive and rigid suicide-oriented thinking of our patient was not part of a depressive episode. Instead, it followed a purely logical, inflexible, and pervasive reasoning pattern focused on a topic that fascinated him - i.e., suicide --, akin to restricted behaviors. From a neuropsychological standpoint, restrictive suicide-oriented thinking in our patient seems to be related to attention and executive anomalies that have been linked to repetitive and restricted behaviors in ASD. New tools need to be developed to assess persistent suicidal thoughts in this population, as they might be related to intrinsic features of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Weiner
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- INSERM 1114, Department of Psychiatry, 1 place de l’hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Amandine Flin
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- INSERM 1114, Department of Psychiatry, 1 place de l’hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Causin
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- INSERM 1114, Department of Psychiatry, 1 place de l’hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sébastien Weibel
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- INSERM 1114, Department of Psychiatry, 1 place de l’hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Gilles Bertschy
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- INSERM 1114, Department of Psychiatry, 1 place de l’hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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136
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Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD: Overlapping Phenomenology, Diagnostic Issues, and Treatment Considerations. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2019; 21:34. [PMID: 30903299 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-019-1020-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are both increasing in prevalence and commonly co-occur with each other. The goal of this review is to outline what has been published recently on the topics of ASD, ADHD, and the comorbid state (ASD+ADHD) with a particular focus on shared phenomenology, differential diagnosis, and treatment considerations. RECENT FINDINGS ASD and ADHD have shared genetic heritability and are both associated with shared impairments in social functioning and executive functioning. Quantitative and qualitative differences exist, however, in the phenotypic presentations of the impairments which characterize ASD and ADHD. For ASD interventions to be maximally efficacious, comorbid ADHD needs to be considered (and vice versa). The research on ASD and ADHD suggests some overlap between the two disorders yet enough differences to indicate that these conditions are sufficiently distinct to warrant separate diagnostic categories.
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137
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Abstract
Humans are extremely susceptible to social influence. Here, we examine whether this susceptibility is altered in autism, a condition characterized by social difficulties. Autistic participants (N = 22) and neurotypical controls (N = 22) completed a memory test of previously seen words and were then exposed to answers supposedly given by four other individuals. Autistic individuals and controls were as likely to alter their judgements to align with inaccurate responses of group members. These changes reflected both temporary judgement changes (public conformity) and long-lasting memory changes (private conformity). Both groups were more susceptible to answers believed to be from other humans than from computer algorithms. Our results suggest that autistic individuals and controls are equally susceptible to social influence when reporting their memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Lazzaro
- Affective Brain Lab, Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP, UK.
| | - Laura Weidinger
- Affective Brain Lab, Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rose A Cooper
- Affective Brain Lab, Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Boston, USA
| | | | - Christina Moutsiana
- Affective Brain Lab, Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Tali Sharot
- Affective Brain Lab, Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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138
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Dalla Vecchia E, Mortimer N, Palladino VS, Kittel-Schneider S, Lesch KP, Reif A, Schenck A, Norton WH. Cross-species models of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder: lessons from CNTNAP2, ADGRL3, and PARK2. Psychiatr Genet 2019; 29:1-17. [PMID: 30376466 PMCID: PMC7654943 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animal and cellular models are essential tools for all areas of biological research including neuroscience. Model systems can also be used to investigate the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this review, we provide a summary of animal and cellular models for three genes linked to ADHD and ASD in human patients - CNTNAP2, ADGRL3, and PARK2. We also highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each model system. By bringing together behavioral and neurobiological data, we demonstrate how a cross-species approach can provide integrated insights into gene function and the pathogenesis of ADHD and ASD. The knowledge gained from transgenic models will be essential to discover and validate new treatment targets for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dalla Vecchia
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Niall Mortimer
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Centre of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addiction, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Viola S. Palladino
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Sarah Kittel-Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Centre of Mental Health, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - William H.J. Norton
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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139
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Abstract
Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are frequent comorbid neurodevelopmental conditions and the overlap between both disorders remains to be delineated. A more complete understanding of the shared genetic and environmental factors is needed. Using a family-based method, we evaluated the risk of ADHD in a group of relatives with an ASD proband (ASD-) and a group of relatives with an ASD and ADHD proband (ASD+). We enrolled 1245 individuals in the study: 499 probands, their 746 first-degree relatives and 140 controls. We used a multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) model, in which the dependent variable was the ADHD diagnosis in the relatives and the independent variable the ASD+ or ASD- in probands. We adjusted for sociodemographic factors (age, sex, IQ) and for the nature of the familial relationship with the affected proband (parent or sibling). Among the probands, there were 287 ASD- and 212 ASD+ individuals. ADHD was more frequent in relatives (19%) than in the control group (7%) (p = 0.001). The risk of ADHD was higher in the ASD+ relatives group than in the ASD- relatives group (GEE model OR 1.58 [95% CI 1.04-2.38], p = 0.032). This result was found in parents (OR 1.96 [95% CI 1.14-3.36], but not in siblings (OR 1.28 [95% CI 0.84-1.94], p = 0.434). Our study provides a representative estimate of the family distribution of ADHD in relatives of ASD probands but supports the modest effect of shared genetic and environmental factors between both disorders.
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140
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Mash LE, Linke AC, Olson LA, Fishman I, Liu TT, Müller RA. Transient states of network connectivity are atypical in autism: A dynamic functional connectivity study. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:2377-2389. [PMID: 30681228 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
There is ample evidence of atypical functional connectivity (FC) in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, transient relationships between neural networks cannot be captured by conventional static FC analyses. Dynamic FC (dFC) approaches have been used to identify repeating, transient connectivity patterns ("states"), revealing spatiotemporal network properties not observable in static FC. Recent studies have found atypical dFC in ASDs, but questions remain about the nature of group differences in transient connectivity, and the degree to which states persist or change over time. This study aimed to: (a) describe and relate static and dynamic FC in typical development and ASDs, (b) describe group differences in transient states and compare them with static FC patterns, and (c) examine temporal stability and flexibility between identified states. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 62 ASD and 57 typically developing (TD) children and adolescents. Whole-brain, data-driven regions of interest were derived from group independent component analysis. Sliding window analysis and k-means clustering were used to explore dFC and identify transient states. Across all regions, static overconnnectivity and increased variability over time in ASDs predominated. Furthermore, significant patterns of group differences emerged in two transient states that were not observed in the static FC matrix, with group differences in one state primarily involving sensory and motor networks, and in the other involving higher-order cognition networks. Default mode network segregation was significantly reduced in ASDs in both states. Results highlight that dynamic approaches may reveal more nuanced transient patterns of atypical FC in ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E Mash
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Annika C Linke
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Lindsay A Olson
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Inna Fishman
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Thomas T Liu
- Center for Functional MRI, Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
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141
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Schmitt LM, Shaffer RC, Hessl D, Erickson C. Executive Function in Fragile X Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2019; 9:E15. [PMID: 30654486 PMCID: PMC6356760 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive function (EF) supports goal-directed behavior and includes key aspects such as working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, attention, processing speed, and planning. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited monogenic cause of intellectual disability and is phenotypically characterized by EF deficits beyond what is expected given general cognitive impairments. Yet, a systematic review of behavioral studies using performance-based measures is needed to provide a summary of EF deficits across domains in males and females with FXS, discuss clinical and biological correlates of these EF deficits, identify critical limitations in available research, and offer suggestions for future studies in this area. Ultimately, this review aims to advance our understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to EF in FXS and to inform the development of outcome measures of EF and identification of new treatment targets in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Schmitt
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
| | - Rebecca C Shaffer
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
| | - David Hessl
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Craig Erickson
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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142
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Brandes-Aitken A, Anguera JA, Chang YS, Demopoulos C, Owen JP, Gazzaley A, Mukherjee P, Marco EJ. White Matter Microstructure Associations of Cognitive and Visuomotor Control in Children: A Sensory Processing Perspective. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 12:65. [PMID: 30692921 PMCID: PMC6339953 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2018.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: Recent evidence suggests that co-occurring deficits in cognitive control and visuomotor control are common to many neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, children with sensory processing dysfunction (SPD), a condition characterized by sensory hyper/hypo-sensitivity, show varying degrees of overlapping attention and visuomotor challenges. In this study, we assess associations between cognitive and visuomotor control abilities among children with and without SPD. In this same context, we also examined the common and unique diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tracts that may support the overlap of cognitive control and visuomotor control. Method: We collected cognitive control and visuomotor control behavioral measures as well as DTI data in 37 children with SPD and 25 typically developing controls (TDCs). We constructed regressions to assess for associations between behavioral performance and mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in selected regions of interest (ROIs). Results: We observed an association between behavioral performance on cognitive control and visuomotor control. Further, our findings indicated that FA in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) are associated with both cognitive control and visuomotor control, while FA in the superior corona radiata (SCR) uniquely correlate with cognitive control performance and FA in the posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) and the cerebral peduncle (CP) tract uniquely correlate with visuomotor control performance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that children who demonstrate lower cognitive control are also more likely to demonstrate lower visuomotor control, and vice-versa, regardless of clinical cohort assignment. The overlapping neural tracts, which correlate with both cognitive and visuomotor control suggest a possible common neural mechanism supporting both control-based processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Brandes-Aitken
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joaquin A Anguera
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Yi-Shin Chang
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Carly Demopoulos
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Julia P Owen
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adam Gazzaley
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Elysa J Marco
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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143
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Atsmon T, Yaakobi L, Lowinger S. Adults on the Autism Spectrum and Their Families: Residential Issues. AUTISM IN ADULTHOOD 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-28833-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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144
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Margari L, Palumbi R, Peschechera A, Craig F, de Giambattista C, Ventura P, Margari F. Sex-Gender Comparisons in Comorbidities of Children and Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:159. [PMID: 30971962 PMCID: PMC6445051 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last few years, new studies focused their attention on the gender-related features in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFA), often leading to controversial results. Another interesting aspect of these subtype of patients is linked to the complexity of clinical presentation, where besides core symptoms, other co-occurrence disorders may complicate the diagnostic evaluation. Therefore, we retrospectively studied 159 HFA patients, male and female, investigating their comorbidities and to find any gender difference. For each patient, were evaluated the presence/absence, type and gender distribution of psychopathological comorbidities, according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. The total sample was divided in 100 male and 59 female patients, age and intelligence quotient matched. In our sample, the psychiatric comorbidities observed were Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Anorexia Nervosa. No statistical significant differences were found between male and female HFA patients comorbidities except for Anorexia Nervosa. In both male and female patients, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders were found in high percentage. In conclusion, our investigation showed that a statistical significant difference of comorbidity between male and female HFA patients was found only for AN diagnosis. However, the question about the distinction between female and male HFA patients remains quite interesting and an open area of research for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Margari
- Basic Medical Sciences Neuroscience and Sense Organs Department, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Palumbi
- Basic Medical Sciences Neuroscience and Sense Organs Department, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonia Peschechera
- Basic Medical Sciences Neuroscience and Sense Organs Department, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Craig
- Unit for Severe Disabilities in Developmental Age and Young Adults, Developmental Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Brindisi, Italy
| | - Concetta de Giambattista
- Basic Medical Sciences Neuroscience and Sense Organs Department, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Patrizia Ventura
- Basic Medical Sciences Neuroscience and Sense Organs Department, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Margari
- Basic Medical Sciences Neuroscience and Sense Organs Department, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
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145
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Paul A, Gallot C, Lelouche C, Bouvard MP, Amestoy A. Victimisation in a French population of children and youths with autism spectrum disorder: a case control study. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2018; 12:48. [PMID: 30524501 PMCID: PMC6276214 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-018-0256-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children and youths with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have behavioural characteristics and severe social disabilities that make them vulnerable to victimisation. The current study explores the prevalence of peer victimisation in this population in France. METHODS We used the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-Screener Sum Version in a French sample of 39 children and youths with ASD and 53 typically developing (TD) children and youths and tested the association of the victimisation with socio-demographic factors and clinical factors of anxiety and post-traumatic stress. RESULTS The results indicate that 72% of the subjects with ASD had been victimised during the previous year and 94.9% during their entire lifetime. Of all students victimised at least once over the course of their lives, 75% had been victimised at school. Their peer victimisation score was significantly higher than in the TD group and was correlated to clinical factors such as a deficit in social skills and the severity of post-traumatic symptoms. Symptoms of anxiety were reported by parents of children and youths with ASD in 80% of cases. CONCLUSIONS Children and youths with ASD are particularly vulnerable to victimisation at school. Discussion focuses on the importance of considering the impacts and needs of school integration of this population in France in order to prevent these phenomena and their consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Paul
- 0000 0001 1554 2345grid.489895.1INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Centre Ressource Autisme Aquitaine, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France ,0000 0001 0226 3611grid.418076.cPresent Address: Centre Hospitalier Côte Basque, Bayonne, France
| | - C. Gallot
- 0000 0001 1554 2345grid.489895.1INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Centre Ressource Autisme Aquitaine, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France
| | - C. Lelouche
- 0000 0001 1554 2345grid.489895.1INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Centre Ressource Autisme Aquitaine, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France
| | - M. P. Bouvard
- 0000 0001 1554 2345grid.489895.1INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Centre Ressource Autisme Aquitaine, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France
| | - A. Amestoy
- 0000 0001 1554 2345grid.489895.1INCIA, CNRS, UMR 5287, Centre Ressource Autisme Aquitaine, Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France
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146
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Lukito SD, O'Daly OG, Lythgoe DJ, Whitwell S, Debnam A, Murphy CM, Ashwood K, Stoencheva V, Simonoff E, Rubia K. Neural Correlates of Duration Discrimination in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Their Comorbid Presentation. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:569. [PMID: 30487760 PMCID: PMC6246684 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often co-occur and share neurocognitive deficits. One such shared impairment is in duration discrimination. However, no studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have investigated whether these duration discrimination deficits are underpinned by the same or different underlying neurofunctional processes. In this study, we used fMRI to compare the neurofunctional correlates of duration discrimination between young adult males with ASD (n = 23), ADHD (n = 25), the comorbid condition of ASD+ADHD (n = 24), and typical development (TD, n = 26) using both region of interest (ROI) and whole brain analyses. Both the ROI and the whole-brain analyses showed that the comorbid ASD+ADHD group compared to controls, and for the ROI analysis relative to the other patient groups, had significant under-activation in right inferior frontal cortex (IFG) a key region for duration discrimination that is typically under-activated in boys with ADHD. The findings show that in young adult males with pure ASD, pure ADHD and comorbid ASD+ADHD with no intellectual disability, only the comorbid group demonstrates neurofunctional deficits in a typical duration discrimination region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve D. Lukito
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Owen G. O'Daly
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susannah Whitwell
- The Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder National Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda Debnam
- The Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder National Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Clodagh M. Murphy
- The Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder National Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Ashwood
- The Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder National Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimira Stoencheva
- The Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder National Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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147
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Rosello B, Berenguer C, Baixauli I, Colomer C, Miranda A. ADHD symptoms and learning behaviors in children with ASD without intellectual disability. A mediation analysis of executive functions. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207286. [PMID: 30427902 PMCID: PMC6241124 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of its importance for education, the relationship between learning behaviors (LB), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms (ADHD) and executive functioning (EF) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has hardly been explored. The first objective of the present study was to compare children with ASD without intellectual disability and children with typical development (TD) on ADHD symptoms and learning behaviors: Motivation/competence, attitude toward learning, persistence on the task, and strategy/flexibility. The second objective was to analyze the mediator role of behavioral regulation and metacognition components of EF between ADHD symptoms and learning behaviors in children with ASD. Participants were 89 children between 7 and 11 years old, 52 with ASD and 37 with TD, matched on age and intelligence. Their teachers filled out questionnaires assessing executive functioning as well as learning behaviors. Parents and teachers reported on inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity behaviors. Compared to children with TD, children with ASD presented significantly more ADHD symptoms and poorer learning behaviors. In addition, there were significant mediation effects of the behavioral regulation index (BRI) and metacognition index (MI) of EF, indicating that both are part of the route through which ADHD symptoms impact to learning behaviors of children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belen Rosello
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia,Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmen Berenguer
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia,Valencia, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Baixauli
- Faculty of Psychology, Teaching and Education Sciences, Catholic University of Valencia "San Vicente Mártir", Valencia, Spain
| | - Carla Colomer
- Department of Education, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Ana Miranda
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia,Valencia, Spain
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148
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Lipsker CW, Bölte S, Hirvikoski T, Lekander M, Holmström L, Wicksell RK. Prevalence of autism traits and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in a clinical sample of children and adolescents with chronic pain. J Pain Res 2018; 11:2827-2836. [PMID: 30519085 PMCID: PMC6235327 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s177534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Recent research has suggested that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be comorbid to pediatric chronic pain, but the empirical support is yet scarce. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the occurrence of traits and symptoms consistent with clinically significant ASD and ADHD in a group of children and adolescents with chronic debilitating pain and examine potential differences in pain and demographic variables between children with and without clinically significant traits and symptoms of ASD and ADHD. Patients and methods This cross-sectional study included 146 parent–child dyads (102 girls, 111 mothers, children 8–17 years) consecutively referred to a tertiary pain clinic. Parents completed the Social Responsiveness Scale to assess autistic traits, and Conners-3 to measure symptoms of ADHD in their children. Children completed the Lübeck Pain Questionnaire to evaluate experienced pain. Results Among children, 20 (13.7%) received scores consistent with clinically significant ASD and 29 (19.9%) received scores consistent with clinically significant ADHD, with a combined prevalence of clinically significant ASD/ADHD traits and symptoms of 26% of the total sample. Only 4.8% of children were previously diagnosed with either disorder. Among children with clinically significant ASD traits, girls were more prevalent, parents reported lower health, and the pain was more likely triggered by being in school. Among children with clinically significant ADHD symptoms, there were no gender differences and pain was more likely triggered by the family situation and new situations. No differences regarding pain intensity, duration, or frequency were found between children with and without clinically significant ASD traits or ADHD symptoms. Conclusion Children with debilitating chronic pain, particularly girls, may present with an elevated risk of having a comorbid, possibly high-functioning, neurodevelopmental disorder. Results suggest that clinical assessment of pediatric chronic pain should include screening for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Wiwe Lipsker
- Functional Area Medical Psychology/Functional Unit Behavior Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, .,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tatja Hirvikoski
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.,Habilitation and Health, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats Lekander
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, .,Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda Holmström
- Functional Area Medical Psychology/Functional Unit Behavior Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, .,Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rikard K Wicksell
- Functional Area Medical Psychology/Functional Unit Behavior Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden, .,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,
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149
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Boxhoorn S, Lopez E, Schmidt C, Schulze D, Hänig S, Freitag CM. Attention profiles in autism spectrum disorder and subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:1433-1447. [PMID: 29511887 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-018-1138-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Attention problems are observed in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most neuropsychological studies that compared both disorders focused on complex executive functions (EF), but missed to contrast basic attention functions, as well as ASD- and ADHD subtypes. The present study compared EF as well as basic attention functioning of children with the combined subtype (ADHD-C), the predominantly inattentive subtype (ADHD-I), and autism spectrum disorder without ADHD (ASD-) with typically developing controls (TD). Basic attention functions and EF profiles were analysed by testing the comprehensive attention function model of van Zomeren and Brouwer using profile analysis. Additionally, neurocognitive impairments in ASD- and ADHD were regressed on dimensional measures of attention- and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms across and within groups. ADHD-C revealed a strong impairment across measures of EF compared to ASD- and TD. The ADHD-C profile furthermore showed disorder specific impairments in interference control, whereas the ASD- profile showed a disorder specific impairment in basic attention component divided attention. Attention- and hyperactive-impulsive symptom severity did not predict neurocognitive impairments across- or within groups. Study findings thus support disorder and subtype specific attention/EF profiles, which refute the idea of a continuum of ADHD-I, ADHD-C, and ASD with increasing neurocognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Boxhoorn
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eva Lopez
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Catharina Schmidt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Diana Schulze
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susann Hänig
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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150
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Müller RA, Fishman I. Brain Connectivity and Neuroimaging of Social Networks in Autism. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:1103-1116. [PMID: 30391214 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in social communication (SC) predominate among the core diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Neuroimaging has revealed numerous findings of atypical activity and connectivity of 'social brain' networks, yet no consensus view on crucial developmental causes of SC deficits has emerged. Aside from methodological challenges, the deeper problem concerns the clinical label of ASD. While genetic studies have not comprehensively explained the causes of nonsyndromic ASDs, they highlight that the clinical label encompasses many etiologically different disorders. The question of how potential causes and etiologies converge onto a comparatively narrow set of SC deficits remains. Only neuroimaging designs searching for subtypes within ASD cohorts (rather than conventional group level designs) can provide translationally informative answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, SDSU Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
| | - Inna Fishman
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, SDSU Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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