201
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Abstract
Joubert syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with partial or complete agenesis of cerebellar vermis. This syndrome is identified mainly by the presence of molar tooth sign in magnetic resonance imaging of the brain since it has a varied phenotypic presentation. Of the 200 cases reported so far in the literature, only three reports show the presence of autistic symptoms in siblings suggesting a link between the cerebellar vermis and autistic spectrum disorders. In this case report of two siblings, the female child satisfied the criterion for autistic spectrum disorder in accordance with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Editon. The boy showed developmental delay with autistic features (not amounting to diagnostic threshold). This report is important in that it adds evidence to the literature that abnormalities of cerebellum are involved in the cognitive development and autistic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Vijaya Raghavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - V Vimal Doshi
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Shanthi Nambi
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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202
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Postnatal Stress Induced by Injection with Valproate Leads to Developing Emotional Disorders Along with Molecular and Cellular Changes in the Hippocampus and Amygdala. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:6774-6785. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9600-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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203
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Brun L, Auzias G, Viellard M, Villeneuve N, Girard N, Poinso F, Da Fonseca D, Deruelle C. Localized Misfolding Within Broca's Area as a Distinctive Feature of Autistic Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2015; 1:160-168. [PMID: 29560874 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that autism spectrum disorder results from abnormalities in the cortical folding pattern. Usual morphometric measurements have failed to provide reliable neuroanatomic markers. Here, we propose that sulcal pits, which are the deepest points in each fold, are suitable candidates to uncover this atypical cortical folding. METHODS Sulcal pits were extracted from a magnetic resonance imaging database of 102 children (1.5-10 years old) distributed in three groups: children with autistic disorder (n = 59), typically developing children (n = 22), and children with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (n = 21). The geometrical properties of sulcal pits were compared between these three groups. RESULTS Fold-level analyses revealed a reduced pit depth in the left ascending ramus of the Sylvian fissure in children with autistic disorder only. The depth of this central fold of Broca's area was correlated with the social communication impairments that are characteristic of the pathology. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an atypical gyrogenesis of this specific fold in autistic disorder that could be used for differential diagnosis. Sulcal pits constitute valuable markers of the cortical folding dynamics and could help for the early detection of atypical brain maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Brun
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7289, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France
| | - Guillaume Auzias
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7289, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France
| | - Marine Viellard
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7289, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France; Centre de Ressource Autisme, Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Ste Marguerite, Marseille, France
| | - Nathalie Villeneuve
- Centre de Ressource Autisme, Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Ste Marguerite, Marseille, France
| | - Nadine Girard
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7339, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille Timone, Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostique et Interventionnelle, Marseille, France
| | - François Poinso
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7289, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France; Centre de Ressource Autisme, Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Ste Marguerite, Marseille, France
| | - David Da Fonseca
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7289, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France; Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Salvator, Marseille, France
| | - Christine Deruelle
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7289, Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France.
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204
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Sacco R, Gabriele S, Persico AM. Head circumference and brain size in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2015; 234:239-51. [PMID: 26456415 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Macrocephaly and brain overgrowth have been associated with autism spectrum disorder. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an overall estimate of effect size and statistical significance for both head circumference and total brain volume in autism. Our literature search strategy identified 261 and 391 records, respectively; 27 studies defining percentages of macrocephalic patients and 44 structural brain imaging studies providing total brain volumes for patients and controls were included in our meta-analyses. Head circumference was significantly larger in autistic compared to control individuals, with 822/5225 (15.7%) autistic individuals displaying macrocephaly. Structural brain imaging studies measuring brain volume estimated effect size. The effect size is higher in low functioning autistics compared to high functioning and ASD individuals. Brain overgrowth was recorded in 142/1558 (9.1%) autistic patients. Finally, we found a significant interaction between age and total brain volume, resulting in larger head circumference and brain size during early childhood. Our results provide conclusive effect sizes and prevalence rates for macrocephaly and brain overgrowth in autism, confirm the variation of abnormal brain growth with age, and support the inclusion of this endophenotype in multi-biomarker diagnostic panels for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sacco
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy.
| | - Stefano Gabriele
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio M Persico
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Mafalda Luce Center for Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Milan, Italy
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205
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Yitzhak N, Harel A, Yaari M, Friedlander E, Yirmiya N. The Mullen scales of early learning: ceiling effects among preschool children. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2015.1073584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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206
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Khan AJ, Nair A, Keown CL, Datko MC, Lincoln AJ, Müller RA. Cerebro-cerebellar Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:625-34. [PMID: 25959247 PMCID: PMC5708535 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cerebellum plays important roles in sensori-motor and supramodal cognitive functions. Cellular, volumetric, and functional abnormalities of the cerebellum have been found in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but no comprehensive investigation of cerebro-cerebellar connectivity in ASD is available. METHODS We used resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging in 56 children and adolescents (28 subjects with ASD, 28 typically developing subjects) 8-17 years old. Partial and total correlation analyses were performed for unilateral regions of interest (ROIs), distinguished in two broad domains as sensori-motor (premotor/primary motor, somatosensory, superior temporal, and occipital) and supramodal (prefrontal, posterior parietal, and inferior and middle temporal). RESULTS There were three main findings: 1) Total correlation analyses showed predominant cerebro-cerebellar functional overconnectivity in the ASD group; 2) partial correlation analyses that emphasized domain specificity (sensori-motor vs. supramodal) indicated a pattern of robustly increased connectivity in the ASD group (compared with the typically developing group) for sensori-motor ROIs but predominantly reduced connectivity for supramodal ROIs; and 3) this atypical pattern of connectivity was supported by significantly increased noncanonical connections (between sensori-motor cerebral and supramodal cerebellar ROIs and vice versa) in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that sensori-motor intrinsic functional connectivity is atypically increased in ASD, at the expense of connectivity supporting cerebellar participation in supramodal cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Khan
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Aarti Nair
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.; Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Christopher L Keown
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.; Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Michael C Datko
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Alan J Lincoln
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego, California
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California..
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207
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Maier S, Tebartz van Elst L, Beier D, Ebert D, Fangmeier T, Radtke M, Perlov E, Riedel A. Increased hippocampal volumes in adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorder and an IQ>100: A manual morphometric study. Psychiatry Res 2015; 234:152-5. [PMID: 26337007 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies concerning the volumes of the amygdala and the hippocampus in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show inconsistent results. We acquired magnetic resonance images of 30 individuals with ASD and individually matched controls. All participants had an IQ>100 to increase the likelihood of including non-syndromal forms of ASD. Manually defined amygdala volumes showed no significant group difference, while hippocampi were significantly enlarged in ASD. This finding is discussed with regard to the 'intense world hypothesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Maier
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ludger Tebartz van Elst
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Universitäres Zentrum Autismus Spektrum, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Daniel Beier
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Ebert
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Universitäres Zentrum Autismus Spektrum, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Fangmeier
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Universitäres Zentrum Autismus Spektrum, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martina Radtke
- Universitäres Zentrum Autismus Spektrum, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Evgeniy Perlov
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Riedel
- Section for Experimental Neuropsychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Universitäres Zentrum Autismus Spektrum, Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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208
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Ure AM, Treyvaud K, Thompson DK, Pascoe L, Roberts G, Lee KJ, Seal ML, Northam E, Cheong JL, Hunt RW, Inder T, Doyle LW, Anderson PJ. Neonatal brain abnormalities associated with autism spectrum disorder in children born very preterm. Autism Res 2015; 9:543-52. [PMID: 26442616 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Very preterm (VP) survivors are at increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with term-born children. This study explored whether neonatal magnetic resonance (MR) brain features differed in VP children with and without ASD at 7 years. One hundred and seventy-two VP children (<30 weeks' gestation or <1250 g birth weight) underwent structural brain MR scans at term equivalent age (TEA; 40 weeks' gestation ±2 weeks) and were assessed for ASD at 7 years of age. The presence and severity of white matter, cortical gray matter, deep nuclear gray matter, and cerebellar abnormalities were assessed, and total and regional brain volumes were measured. ASD was diagnosed using a standardized parent report diagnostic interview and confirmed via an independent assessment. Eight VP children (4.7%) were diagnosed with ASD. Children with ASD had more cystic lesions in the cortical white matter at TEA compared with those without ASD (odds ratio [OR] 8.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5, 51.3, P = 0.02). There was also some evidence for smaller cerebellar volumes in children with ASD compared with those without ASD (OR = 0.82, CI = 0.66, 1.00, P = 0.06). Overall, the results suggest that VP children with ASD have different brain structure in the neonatal period compared with those who do not have ASD. Autism Res 2016, 9: 543-552. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Ure
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Karli Treyvaud
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Deanne K Thompson
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Leona Pascoe
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gehan Roberts
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Katherine J Lee
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Marc L Seal
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elisabeth Northam
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jeanie L Cheong
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rod W Hunt
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.,University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Terrie Inder
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | - Lex W Doyle
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
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209
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Zwaigenbaum L, Bauman ML, Stone WL, Yirmiya N, Estes A, Hansen RL, McPartland JC, Natowicz MR, Choueiri R, Fein D, Kasari C, Pierce K, Buie T, Carter A, Davis PA, Granpeesheh D, Mailloux Z, Newschaffer C, Robins D, Roley SS, Wagner S, Wetherby A. Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recommendations for Practice and Research. Pediatrics 2015; 136 Suppl 1:S10-40. [PMID: 26430168 PMCID: PMC9923897 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-3667c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is essential to ensure that children can access specialized evidence-based interventions that can help to optimize long-term outcomes. Early identification also helps shorten the stressful "diagnostic odyssey" that many families experience before diagnosis. There have been important advances in research into the early development of ASDs, incorporating prospective designs and new technologies aimed at more precisely delineating the early emergence of ASD. Thus, an updated review of the state of the science of early identification of ASD was needed to inform best practice. These issues were the focus of a multidisciplinary panel of clinical practitioners and researchers who completed a literature review and reached consensus on current evidence addressing the question "What are the earliest signs and symptoms of ASD in children aged ≤24 months that can be used for early identification?" Summary statements address current knowledge on early signs of ASD, potential contributions and limitations of prospective research with high-risk infants, and priorities for promoting the incorporation of this knowledge into clinical practice and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;
| | - Margaret L. Bauman
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Nurit Yirmiya
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Annette Estes
- Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Robin L. Hansen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, California
| | | | | | - Roula Choueiri
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Memorial Children’s Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Deborah Fein
- Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Connie Kasari
- Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Karen Pierce
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Timothy Buie
- Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alice Carter
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Zoe Mailloux
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Craig Newschaffer
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Diana Robins
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Susanne Smith Roley
- USC Mrs T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Los Angeles, California
| | - Sheldon Wagner
- Behavioral Development & Educational Services, New Bedford, Massachusetts; and
| | - Amy Wetherby
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
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210
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has a strong genetic basis, and is heterogeneous in its etiopathogenesis and clinical presentation. Neuroimaging studies, in concert with neuropathological and clinical research, have been instrumental in delineating trajectories of development in children with ASD. Structural neuroimaging has revealed ASD to be a disorder with general and regional brain enlargement, especially in the frontotemporal cortices, while functional neuroimaging studies have highlighted diminished connectivity, especially between frontal-posterior regions. The diverse and specific neuroimaging findings may represent potential neuroendophenotypes, and may offer opportunities to further understand the etiopathogenesis of ASD, predict treatment response, and lead to the development of new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajneesh Mahajan
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research (CNIR), Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Stewart H. Mostofsky
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research (CNIR), Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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211
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Gori I, Giuliano A, Muratori F, Saviozzi I, Oliva P, Tancredi R, Cosenza A, Tosetti M, Calderoni S, Retico A. Gray Matter Alterations in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Comparing Morphometry at the Voxel and Regional Level. J Neuroimaging 2015. [PMID: 26214066 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Sophisticated algorithms to infer disease diagnosis, pathology progression and patient outcome are increasingly being developed to analyze brain MRI data. They have been successfully implemented in a variety of diseases and are currently investigated in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aim to test the ability to predict ASD from subtle morphological changes in structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). METHODS The analysis of sMRI of a cohort of male ASD children and controls matched for age and nonverbal intelligence quotient (NVIQ) has been carried out with two widely used preprocessing software packages (SPM and Freesurfer) to extract brain morphometric information at different spatial scales. Then, support vector machines have been implemented to classify the brain features and to localize which brain regions contribute most to the ASD-control separation. RESULTS The features extracted from the gray matter subregions provide the best classification performance, reaching an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 74%. This value is enhanced to 80% when considering only subjects with NVIQ over 70. CONCLUSIONS Despite the subtle impact of ASD on brain morphology and a limited cohort size, results from sMRI-based classifiers suggest a consistent network of altered brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Gori
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Italy
| | - Alessia Giuliano
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Italy.,Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università of Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Piernicola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Cagliari, Italy
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212
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Dajani DR, Uddin LQ. Local brain connectivity across development in autism spectrum disorder: A cross-sectional investigation. Autism Res 2015; 9:43-54. [PMID: 26058882 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
There is a general consensus that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is accompanied by alterations in brain connectivity. Much of the neuroimaging work has focused on assessing long-range connectivity disruptions in ASD. However, evidence from both animal models and postmortem examination of the human brain suggests that local connections may also be disrupted in individuals with the disorder. Here, we investigated how regional homogeneity (ReHo), a measure of similarity of a voxel's timeseries to its nearest neighbors, varies across age in individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals using a cross-sectional design. Resting-state fMRI data obtained from a publicly available database were analyzed to determine group differences in ReHo between three age cohorts: children, adolescents, and adults. In typical development, ReHo across the entire brain was higher in children than in adolescents and adults. In contrast, children with ASD exhibited marginally lower ReHo than TD children, while adolescents and adults with ASD exhibited similar levels of local connectivity as age-matched neurotypical individuals. During all developmental stages, individuals with ASD exhibited lower local connectivity in sensory processing brain regions and higher local connectivity in complex information processing regions. Further, higher local connectivity in ASD corresponded to more severe ASD symptomatology. These results demonstrate that local connectivity is disrupted in ASD across development, with the most pronounced differences occurring in childhood. Developmental changes in ReHo do not mirror findings from fMRI studies of long-range connectivity in ASD, pointing to a need for more nuanced accounts of brain connectivity alterations in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina R Dajani
- From Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- From Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.,Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
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213
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Marjonen H, Sierra A, Nyman A, Rogojin V, Gröhn O, Linden AM, Hautaniemi S, Kaminen-Ahola N. Early maternal alcohol consumption alters hippocampal DNA methylation, gene expression and volume in a mouse model. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124931. [PMID: 25970770 PMCID: PMC4430308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The adverse effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy are known, but the molecular events that lead to the phenotypic characteristics are unclear. To unravel the molecular mechanisms, we have used a mouse model of gestational ethanol exposure, which is based on maternal ad libitum ingestion of 10% (v/v) ethanol for the first 8 days of gestation (GD 0.5-8.5). Early neurulation takes place by the end of this period, which is equivalent to the developmental stage early in the fourth week post-fertilization in human. During this exposure period, dynamic epigenetic reprogramming takes place and the embryo is vulnerable to the effects of environmental factors. Thus, we hypothesize that early ethanol exposure disrupts the epigenetic reprogramming of the embryo, which leads to alterations in gene regulation and life-long changes in brain structure and function. Genome-wide analysis of gene expression in the mouse hippocampus revealed altered expression of 23 genes and three miRNAs in ethanol-exposed, adolescent offspring at postnatal day (P) 28. We confirmed this result by using two other tissues, where three candidate genes are known to express actively. Interestingly, we found a similar trend of upregulated gene expression in bone marrow and main olfactory epithelium. In addition, we observed altered DNA methylation in the CpG islands upstream of the candidate genes in the hippocampus. Our MRI study revealed asymmetry of brain structures in ethanol-exposed adult offspring (P60): we detected ethanol-induced enlargement of the left hippocampus and decreased volume of the left olfactory bulb. Our study indicates that ethanol exposure in early gestation can cause changes in DNA methylation, gene expression, and brain structure of offspring. Furthermore, the results support our hypothesis of early epigenetic origin of alcohol-induced disorders: changes in gene regulation may have already taken place in embryonic stem cells and therefore can be seen in different tissue types later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Marjonen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alejandra Sierra
- Department of Neurobiology, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anna Nyman
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vladimir Rogojin
- Institute of Biomedicine & Genome-Scale Biology Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Gröhn
- Department of Neurobiology, A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anni-Maija Linden
- Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sampsa Hautaniemi
- Institute of Biomedicine & Genome-Scale Biology Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nina Kaminen-Ahola
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- * E-mail:
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214
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Wolff JJ, Gerig G, Lewis JD, Soda T, Styner MA, Vachet C, Botteron KN, Elison JT, Dager SR, Estes AM, Hazlett HC, Schultz RT, Zwaigenbaum L, Piven J. Altered corpus callosum morphology associated with autism over the first 2 years of life. Brain 2015; 138:2046-58. [PMID: 25937563 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous brain imaging studies indicate that the corpus callosum is smaller in older children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. However, there are no published studies examining the morphological development of this connective pathway in infants at-risk for the disorder. Magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 270 infants at high familial risk for autism spectrum disorder and 108 low-risk controls at 6, 12 and 24 months of age, with 83% of infants contributing two or more data points. Fifty-seven children met criteria for ASD based on clinical-best estimate diagnosis at age 2 years. Corpora callosa were measured for area, length and thickness by automated segmentation. We found significantly increased corpus callosum area and thickness in children with autism spectrum disorder starting at 6 months of age. These differences were particularly robust in the anterior corpus callosum at the 6 and 12 month time points. Regression analysis indicated that radial diffusivity in this region, measured by diffusion tensor imaging, inversely predicted thickness. Measures of area and thickness in the first year of life were correlated with repetitive behaviours at age 2 years. In contrast to work from older children and adults, our findings suggest that the corpus callosum may be larger in infants who go on to develop autism spectrum disorder. This result was apparent with or without adjustment for total brain volume. Although we did not see a significant interaction between group and age, cross-sectional data indicated that area and thickness differences diminish by age 2 years. Regression data incorporating diffusion tensor imaging suggest that microstructural properties of callosal white matter, which includes myelination and axon composition, may explain group differences in morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Wolff
- 1 Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Guido Gerig
- 2 Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - John D Lewis
- 3 Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Takahiro Soda
- 4 Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Martin A Styner
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 6 Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Clement Vachet
- 2 Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- 7 Department of Psychiatry, Washington University at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- 8 Institute for Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Stephen R Dager
- 9 Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Annette M Estes
- 10 Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Heather C Hazlett
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 6 Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- 11 Centre for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- 12 Department of Paediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Joseph Piven
- 5 Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 6 Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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215
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Sivaratnam CS, Newman LK, Tonge BJ, Rinehart NJ. Attachment and Emotion Processing in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Neurobiological, Neuroendocrine, and Neurocognitive Considerations. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-015-0048-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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216
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Conti E, Calderoni S, Marchi V, Muratori F, Cioni G, Guzzetta A. The first 1000 days of the autistic brain: a systematic review of diffusion imaging studies. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:159. [PMID: 25859207 PMCID: PMC4374458 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
There is overwhelming evidence that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is related to altered brain connectivity. While these alterations are starting to be well characterized in subjects where the clinical picture is fully expressed, less is known on their earlier developmental course. In the present study we systematically reviewed current knowledge on structural connectivity in ASD infants and toddlers. We searched PubMed and Medline databases for all English language papers, published from year 2000, exploring structural connectivity in populations of infants and toddlers whose mean age was below 30 months. Of the 264 papers extracted, four were found to be eligible and were reviewed. Three of the four selected studies reported higher fractional anisotropy values in subjects with ASD compared to controls within commissural fibers, projections fibers, and association fibers, suggesting brain hyper-connectivity in the earliest phases of the disorder. Similar conclusions emerged from the other diffusion parameters assessed. These findings are reversed to what is generally found in studies exploring older patient groups and suggest a developmental course characterized by a shift toward hypo-connectivity starting at a time between two and four years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Conti
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation Pisa, Italy ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Calderoni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation Pisa, Italy
| | - Viviana Marchi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation Pisa, Italy ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation Pisa, Italy ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation Pisa, Italy ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Guzzetta
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation Pisa, Italy ; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa Pisa, Italy
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217
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Kazim SF, Cardenas-Aguayo MDC, Arif M, Blanchard J, Fayyaz F, Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K. Sera from children with autism induce autistic features which can be rescued with a CNTF small peptide mimetic in rats. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118627. [PMID: 25769033 PMCID: PMC4359103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized clinically by impairments in social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication skills as well as restricted interests and repetitive behavior. It has been hypothesized that altered brain environment including an imbalance in neurotrophic support during early development contributes to the pathophysiology of autism. Here we report that sera from children with autism which exhibited abnormal levels of various neurotrophic factors induced cell death and oxidative stress in mouse primary cultured cortical neurons. The effects of sera from autistic children were rescued by pre-treatment with a ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) small peptide mimetic, Peptide 6 (P6), which was previously shown to exert its neuroprotective effect by modulating CNTF/JAK/STAT pathway and LIF signaling and by enhancing brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. Similar neurotoxic effects and neuroinflammation were observed in young Wistar rats injected intracerebroventricularly with autism sera within hours after birth. The autism sera injected rats demonstrated developmental delay and deficits in social communication, interaction, and novelty. Both the neurobiological changes and the behavioral autistic phenotype were ameliorated by P6 treatment. These findings implicate the involvement of neurotrophic imbalance during early brain development in the pathophysiology of autism and a proof of principle of P6 as a potential therapeutic strategy for autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Faraz Kazim
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
- Neural and Behavioral Science Graduate Program, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Center for Developmental Neuroscience (CDN), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria del Carmen Cardenas-Aguayo
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Mohammad Arif
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Julie Blanchard
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Fatima Fayyaz
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Inge Grundke-Iqbal
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (NYSIBR), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
- SUNY Downstate/NYSIBR Center for Developmental Neuroscience (CDN), Staten Island, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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218
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Marko MK, Crocetti D, Hulst T, Donchin O, Shadmehr R, Mostofsky SH. Behavioural and neural basis of anomalous motor learning in children with autism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 138:784-97. [PMID: 25609685 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social and communication skills and repetitive and stereotyped interests and behaviours. Although not part of the diagnostic criteria, individuals with autism experience a host of motor impairments, potentially due to abnormalities in how they learn motor control throughout development. Here, we used behavioural techniques to quantify motor learning in autism spectrum disorder, and structural brain imaging to investigate the neural basis of that learning in the cerebellum. Twenty children with autism spectrum disorder and 20 typically developing control subjects, aged 8-12, made reaching movements while holding the handle of a robotic manipulandum. In random trials the reach was perturbed, resulting in errors that were sensed through vision and proprioception. The brain learned from these errors and altered the motor commands on the subsequent reach. We measured learning from error as a function of the sensory modality of that error, and found that children with autism spectrum disorder outperformed typically developing children when learning from errors that were sensed through proprioception, but underperformed typically developing children when learning from errors that were sensed through vision. Previous work had shown that this learning depends on the integrity of a region in the anterior cerebellum. Here we found that the anterior cerebellum, extending into lobule VI, and parts of lobule VIII were smaller than normal in children with autism spectrum disorder, with a volume that was predicted by the pattern of learning from visual and proprioceptive errors. We suggest that the abnormal patterns of motor learning in children with autism spectrum disorder, showing an increased sensitivity to proprioceptive error and a decreased sensitivity to visual error, may be associated with abnormalities in the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mollie K Marko
- 1 Laboratory for Computational Motor Control, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Deana Crocetti
- 2 Centre for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas Hulst
- 3 Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Opher Donchin
- 4 The Motor Learning Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Reza Shadmehr
- 1 Laboratory for Computational Motor Control, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Stewart H Mostofsky
- 2 Centre for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 5 Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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219
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Chmielewski WX, Beste C. Action control processes in autism spectrum disorder – Insights from a neurobiological and neuroanatomical perspective. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 124:49-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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220
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Hernandez LM, Rudie JD, Green SA, Bookheimer S, Dapretto M. Neural signatures of autism spectrum disorders: insights into brain network dynamics. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:171-89. [PMID: 25011468 PMCID: PMC4262896 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging investigations of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have advanced our understanding of atypical brain function and structure, and have recently converged on a model of altered network-level connectivity. Traditional task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and volume-based structural MRI studies have identified widespread atypicalities in brain regions involved in social behavior and other core ASD-related behavioral deficits. More recent advances in MR-neuroimaging methods allow for quantification of brain connectivity using diffusion tensor imaging, functional connectivity, and graph theoretic methods. These newer techniques have moved the field toward a systems-level understanding of ASD etiology, integrating functional and structural measures across distal brain regions. Neuroimaging findings in ASD as a whole have been mixed and at times contradictory, likely due to the vast genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity characteristic of the disorder. Future longitudinal studies of brain development will be crucial to yield insights into mechanisms of disease etiology in ASD sub-populations. Advances in neuroimaging methods and large-scale collaborations will also allow for an integrated approach linking neuroimaging, genetics, and phenotypic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanna M Hernandez
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rudie
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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221
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Abstract
Deletions and duplications of the recurrent ~600 kb chromosomal BP4-BP5 region of 16p11.2 are associated with a broad variety of neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorder. A clue to the pathogenesis of the copy number variant (CNV)'s effect on the brain is that the deletion is associated with a head size increase, whereas the duplication is associated with a decrease. Here we analyzed brain structure in a clinically ascertained group of human deletion (N = 25) and duplication (N = 17) carriers from the Simons Variation in Individuals Project compared with age-matched controls (N = 29 and 33, respectively). Multiple brain measures showed increased size in deletion carriers and reduced size in duplication carriers. The effects spanned global measures of intracranial volume, brain size, compartmental measures of gray matter and white matter, subcortical structures, and the cerebellum. Quantitatively, the largest effect was on the thalamus, but the collective results suggest a pervasive rather than a selective effect on the brain. Detailed analysis of cortical gray matter revealed that cortical surface area displays a strong dose-dependent effect of CNV (deletion > control > duplication), whereas average cortical thickness is less affected. These results suggest that the CNV may exert its opposing influences through mechanisms that influence early stages of embryonic brain development.
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222
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Erickson CA, Ray B, Maloney B, Wink LK, Bowers K, Schaefer TL, McDougle CJ, Sokol DK, Lahiri DK. Impact of acamprosate on plasma amyloid-β precursor protein in youth: a pilot analysis in fragile X syndrome-associated and idiopathic autism spectrum disorder suggests a pharmacodynamic protein marker. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 59:220-8. [PMID: 25300441 PMCID: PMC4253657 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding of the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains limited. Brain overgrowth has been hypothesized to be associated with the development of ASD. A derivative of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP), secreted APPα (sAPPα), has neuroproliferative effects and has been shown to be elevated in the plasma of persons with ASD compared to control subjects. Reduction in sAPPα holds promise as a novel molecular target of treatment in ASD. Research into the neurochemistry of ASD has repeatedly implicated excessive glutamatergic and deficient GABAergic neurotransmission in the disorder. With this in mind, acamprosate, a novel modulator of glutamate and GABA function, has been studied in ASD. No data is available on the impact of glutamate or GABA modulation on sAPPα function. METHODS Plasma APP derivative levels pre- and post-treatment with acamprosate were determined in two pilot studies involving youth with idiopathic and fragile X syndrome (FXS)-associated ASD. We additionally compared baseline APP derivative levels between youth with FXS-associated or idiopathic ASD. RESULTS Acamprosate use was associated with a significant reduction in plasma sAPP(total) and sAPPα levels but no change occurred in Aβ40 or Aβ42 levels in 15 youth with ASD (mean age: 11.1 years). Youth with FXS-associated ASD (n = 12) showed increased sAPPα processing compared to age-, gender- and IQ-match youth with idiopathic ASD (n = 11). CONCLUSIONS Plasma APP derivative analysis holds promise as a potential biomarker for use in ASD targeted treatment. Reduction in sAPP (total) and sAPPα may be a novel pharmacodynamic property of acamprosate. Future study is required to address limitations of the current study to determine if baseline APP derivative analysis may predict subgroups of persons with idiopathic or FXS-associated ASD who may respond best to acamprosate or to potentially other modulators of glutamate and/or GABA neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Balmiki Ray
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Bryan Maloney
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Logan K. Wink
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Katherine Bowers
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Tori L. Schaefer
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Christopher J. McDougle
- Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah K. Sokol
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Debomoy K. Lahiri
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Corresponding Author: Debomoy K. Lahiri, Ph.D., Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Neuroscience Research Building, 320 West 15th Street, NB 200C, Indianapolis, IN 46202-2266, USA, Tel: (317) 274-2706; Fax: (317) 231-0200
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223
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Autism spectrum disorder as early neurodevelopmental disorder: evidence from the brain imaging abnormalities in 2-3 years old toddlers. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:1633-40. [PMID: 24419870 PMCID: PMC4057630 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that occurs within the first 3 years of life, which is marked by social skills and communication deficits along with stereotyped repetitive behavior. Although great efforts have been made to clarify the underlying neuroanatomical abnormalities and brain-behavior relationships in adolescents and adults with ASD, literature is still limited in information about the neurobiology of ASD in the early age of life. Brain images of 50 toddlers with ASD and 28 age, gender, and developmental quotient matched toddlers with developmental delay (DD) (control group) between ages 2 and 3 years were captured using combined magnetic resonance-based structural imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Structural magnetic resonance imaging was applied to assess overall gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes, and regional alterations were assessed by voxel-based morphometry. DTI was used to investigate the white matter tract integrity. Compared with DD, significant increases were observed in ASD, primarily in global GM and WM volumes and in right superior temporal gyrus regional GM and WM volumes. Higher fractional anisotropy value was also observed in the corpus callosum, posterior cingulate cortex, and limbic lobes of ASD. The converging findings of structural and white matter abnormalities in ASD suggest that alterations in neural-anatomy of different brain regions may be involved in behavioral and cognitive deficits associated with ASD, especially in an early age of 2-3 years old toddlers.
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Lange N, Travers BG, Bigler ED, Prigge MBD, Froehlich AL, Nielsen JA, Cariello AN, Zielinski BA, Anderson JS, Fletcher PT, Alexander AA, Lainhart JE. Longitudinal volumetric brain changes in autism spectrum disorder ages 6-35 years. Autism Res 2014; 8:82-93. [PMID: 25381736 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Since the impairments associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to persist or worsen from childhood into adulthood, it is of critical importance to examine how the brain develops over this growth epoch. We report initial findings on whole and regional longitudinal brain development in 100 male participants with ASD (226 high-quality magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] scans; mean inter-scan interval 2.7 years) compared to 56 typically developing controls (TDCs) (117 high-quality scans; mean inter-scan interval 2.6 years) from childhood into adulthood, for a total of 156 participants scanned over an 8-year period. This initial analysis includes between one and three high-quality scans per participant that have been processed and segmented to date, with 21% having one scan, 27% with two scans, and 52% with three scans in the ASD sample; corresponding percentages for the TDC sample are 30%, 30%, and 40%. The proportion of participants with multiple scans (79% of ASDs and 68% of TDCs) was high in comparison to that of large longitudinal neuroimaging studies of typical development. We provide volumetric growth curves for the entire brain, total gray matter (GM), frontal GM, temporal GM, parietal GM, occipital GM, total cortical white matter (WM), corpus callosum, caudate, thalamus, total cerebellum, and total ventricles. Mean volume of cortical WM was reduced significantly. Mean ventricular volume was increased in the ASD sample relative to the TDCs across the broad age range studied. Decreases in regional mean volumes in the ASD sample most often were due to decreases during late adolescence and adulthood. The growth curve of whole brain volume over time showed increased volumes in young children with autism, and subsequently decreased during adolescence to meet the TDC curve between 10 and 15 years of age. The volume of many structures continued to decline atypically into adulthood in the ASD sample. The data suggest that ASD is a dynamic disorder with complex changes in whole and regional brain volumes that change over time from childhood into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Lange
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Neurostatistics Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
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Morgan JT, Barger N, Amaral DG, Schumann CM. Stereological study of amygdala glial populations in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110356. [PMID: 25330013 PMCID: PMC4201518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala undergoes aberrant development in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We previously found that there are reduced neuron numbers in the adult postmortem amygdala from individuals with ASD compared to typically developing controls. The current study is a comprehensive stereological examination of four non-neuronal cell populations: microglia, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and endothelial cells, in the same brains studied previously. We provide a detailed neuroanatomical protocol for defining each cell type that may be applied to other studies of the amygdala in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. We then assess whether cell numbers and average volumes differ between ASD and typically developing brains. We hypothesized that a reduction in neuron numbers in ASD might relate to altered immune function and/or aberrant microglial activation, as indicated by increased microglial number and cell body volume. Overall, average non-neuronal cell numbers and volumes did not differ between ASD and typically developing brains. However, there was evident heterogeneity within the ASD cohort. Two of the eight ASD brains displayed strong microglial activation. Contrary to our original hypothesis, there was a trend toward a positive correlation between neuronal and microglial numbers in both ASD and control cases. There were fewer oligodendrocytes in the amygdala of adult individuals with ASD ages 20 and older compared to typically developing controls. This finding may provide a possible sign of altered connectivity or impaired neuronal communication that may change across the lifespan in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T. Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the M. I. N. D. Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Nicole Barger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the M. I. N. D. Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - David G. Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the M. I. N. D. Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Cynthia M. Schumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the M. I. N. D. Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kirkovski M, Enticott PG, Fitzgerald PB. A review of the role of female gender in autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 43:2584-603. [PMID: 23525974 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1811-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews the literature exploring gender differences associated with the clinical presentation of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The potentially mediating effect of comorbid psychopathology, biological and neurodevelopmental implications on these gender differences is also discussed. A vastly heterogeneous condition, while females on the lower-functioning end of the spectrum appear to be more severely affected, an altered clinical manifestation of the disorder among high-functioning females may consequently result in many being un- or mis-diagnosed. To date, there is strong bias in the literature towards the clinical presentation of ASD in males. It is imperative that future research explores gender differences across the autism spectrum, in order to improve researchers', clinicians' and the public's understanding of this debilitating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Kirkovski
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Level 4, 607 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia,
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227
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Campbell DJ, Chang J, Chawarska K. Early generalized overgrowth in autism spectrum disorder: prevalence rates, gender effects, and clinical outcomes. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 53:1063-73.e5. [PMID: 25245350 PMCID: PMC4173120 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although early head and body overgrowth have been well documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their prevalence and significance remain unclear. It is also unclear whether overgrowth affects males and females differentially, and whether it is associated with clinical outcomes later in life. METHOD To evaluate prevalence of somatic overgrowth, gender effects, and associations with clinical outcomes, head circumference, height, and weight measurements were collected retrospectively between birth and 2 years of age in toddlers with ASD (n = 200) and typically developing (TD; n = 147) community controls. Symptom severity, verbal, and nonverbal functioning were assessed at 4 years. RESULTS Abnormalities in somatic growth in infants with ASD were consistent with early generalized overgrowth (EGO). Boys but not girls with ASD were larger and exhibited an increased rate of extreme EGO compared to community controls (18.0% versus 3.4%). Presence of a larger body at birth and postnatal overgrowth were associated independently with poorer social, verbal, and nonverbal skills at 4 years. CONCLUSION Although early growth abnormalities in ASD are less common than previously thought, their presence is predictive of lower social, verbal, and nonverbal skills at 4 years, suggesting that they may constitute a biomarker for identifying toddlers with ASD at risk for less-optimal outcomes. The results highlight that the search for mechanisms underlying atypical brain development in ASD should consider factors responsible for both neural and nonneural tissue development during prenatal and early postnatal periods, and can be informed by the finding that early overgrowth may be more readily observed in males than in females with ASD.
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228
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Zwaigenbaum L, Young GS, Stone WL, Dobkins K, Ozonoff S, Brian J, Bryson SE, Carver LJ, Hutman T, Iverson JM, Landa RJ, Messinger D. Early head growth in infants at risk of autism: a baby siblings research consortium study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 53:1053-62. [PMID: 25245349 PMCID: PMC4173119 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although early brain overgrowth is frequently reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the relationship between ASD and head circumference (HC) is less clear, with inconsistent findings from longitudinal studies that include community controls. Our aim was to examine whether head growth in the first 3 years differed between children with ASD from a high-risk (HR) sample of infant siblings of children with ASD (by definition, multiplex), HR siblings not diagnosed with ASD, and low-risk (LR) controls. METHOD Participants included 442 HR and 253 LR infants from 12 sites of the international Baby Siblings Research Consortium. Longitudinal HC data were obtained prospectively, supplemented by growth records. Random effects nonlinear growth models were used to compare HC in HR infants and LR infants. Additional comparisons were conducted with the HR group stratified by diagnostic status at age 3: ASD (n = 77), developmental delay (DD; n = 32), and typical development (TD; n = 333). Nonlinear growth models were also developed for height to assess general overgrowth associated with ASD. RESULTS There was no overall difference in head circumference growth over the first 3 years between HR and LR infants, although secondary analyses suggested possible increased total growth in HR infants, reflected by the model asymptote. Analyses stratifying the HR group by 3-year outcomes did not detect differences in head growth or height between HR infants who developed ASD and those who did not, nor between infants with ASD and LR controls. CONCLUSION Head growth was uninformative as an ASD risk marker within this HR cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rebecca J Landa
- Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore
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229
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Schore AN. Early interpersonal neurobiological assessment of attachment and autistic spectrum disorders. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1049. [PMID: 25339916 PMCID: PMC4184129 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is now a strong if not urgent call in both the attachment and autism literatures for updated, research informed, clinically relevant interventions that can more effectively assess the mother infant dyad during early periods of brain plasticity. In this contribution I describe my work in regulation theory, an overarching interpersonal neurobiological model of the development, psychopathogenesis, and treatment of the early forming subjective self system. The theory models the psychoneurobiological mechanisms by which early rapid, spontaneous and thereby implicit emotionally laden attachment communications indelibly impact the experience-dependent maturation of the right brain, the “emotional brain.” Reciprocal right-lateralized visual-facial, auditory-prosodic, and tactile–gestural non-verbal communications lie at the psychobiological core of the emotional attachment bond between the infant and primary caregiver. These affective communications can in turn be interactively regulated by the primary caregiver, thereby expanding the infant’s developing right brain regulatory systems. Regulated and dysregulated bodily based communications can be assessed in order to determine the ongoing status of both the infant’s emotional and social development as well as the quality and efficiency of the infant–mother attachment relationship. I then apply the model to the assessment of early stages of autism. Developmental neurobiological research documents significant alterations of the early developing right brain in autistic infants and toddlers, as well profound attachment failures and intersubjective deficits in autistic infant–mother dyads. Throughout I offer implications of the theory for clinical assessment models. This work suggests that recent knowledge of the social and emotional functions of the early developing right brain may not only bridge the attachment and autism worlds, but facilitate more effective attachment and autism models of early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan N Schore
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles Northridge, CA, USA
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230
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Neubauer S. Endocasts: possibilities and limitations for the interpretation of human brain evolution. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2014; 84:117-34. [PMID: 25247826 DOI: 10.1159/000365276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Brains are not preserved in the fossil record but endocranial casts are. These are casts of the internal bony braincase, revealing approximate brain size and shape, and they are also informative about brain surface morphology. Endocasts are the only direct evidence of human brain evolution, but they provide only limited data ('paleoneurology'). This review discusses some new fossil endocasts and recent methodological advances that have allowed novel analyses of old endocasts, leading to intriguing findings and hypotheses. The interpretation of paleoneurological data always relies on comparative information from living species whose brains and behavior can be directly investigated. It is therefore important that future studies attempt to better integrate different approaches. Only then will we be able to gain a better understanding about hominin brain evolution. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Neubauer
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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231
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Wegiel J, Flory M, Kuchna I, Nowicki K, Ma SY, Imaki H, Wegiel J, Cohen IL, London E, Wisniewski T, Brown WT. Stereological study of the neuronal number and volume of 38 brain subdivisions of subjects diagnosed with autism reveals significant alterations restricted to the striatum, amygdala and cerebellum. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2014; 2:141. [PMID: 25231243 PMCID: PMC4177256 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-014-0141-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction A total of 38 brain cytoarchitectonic subdivisions, representing subcortical and cortical structures, cerebellum, and brainstem, were examined in 4- to 60-year-old subjects diagnosed with autism and control subjects (a) to detect a global pattern of developmental abnormalities and (b) to establish whether the function of developmentally modified structures matches the behavioral alterations that are diagnostic for autism. The volume of cytoarchitectonic subdivisions, neuronal numerical density, and total number of neurons per region of interest were determined in 14 subjects with autism and 14 age-matched controls by using unbiased stereological methods. Results The study revealed that significant differences between the group of subjects with autism and control groups are limited to a few brain regions, including the cerebellum and some striatum and amygdala subdivisions. In the group of individuals with autism, the total number and numerical density of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum were reduced by 25% and 24%, respectively. In the amygdala, significant reduction of neuronal density was limited to the lateral nucleus (by 12%). Another sign of the topographic selectivity of developmental alterations in the brain of individuals with autism was an increase in the volumes of the caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens by 22% and 34%, respectively, and the reduced numerical density of neurons in the nucleus accumbens and putamen by 15% and 13%, respectively. Conclusions The observed pattern of developmental alterations in the cerebellum, amygdala and striatum is consistent with the results of magnetic resonance imaging studies and their clinical correlations, and of some morphometric studies that indicate that detected abnormalities may contribute to the social and communication deficits, and repetitive and stereotypical behaviors observed in individuals with autism.
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232
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Furlong MA, Engel SM, Barr DB, Wolff MS. Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides and reciprocal social behavior in childhood. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2014; 70:125-31. [PMID: 24934853 PMCID: PMC4144339 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPs) has been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood, including low IQ, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), attention problems and ADHD. Many of these disorders involve impairments in social functioning. Thus, we investigated the relationship between biomarkers of prenatal OP exposure and impaired reciprocal social behavior in childhood, as measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Using a multi-ethnic urban prospective cohort of mother-infant pairs in New York City recruited between 1998 and 2002 (n=404) we examined the relation between third trimester maternal urinary levels of dialkylphosphate (ΣDAP) OP metabolites and SRS scores among 136 children who returned for the 7-9year visit. Overall, there was no association between OPs and SRS scores, although in multivariate adjusted models, associations were heterogeneous by race and by sex. Among blacks, each 10-fold increase in total diethylphosphates (ΣDEP) was associated with poorer social responsiveness (β=5.1 points, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8, 9.4). There was no association among whites or Hispanics, or for total ΣDAP or total dimethylphosphate (ΣDMP) biomarker levels. Additionally, stratum-specific models supported a stronger negative association among boys for ΣDEPs (β=3.5 points, 95% CI 0.2, 6.8), with no notable association among girls. Our results support an association of prenatal OP exposure with deficits in social functioning among blacks and among boys, although this may be in part reflective of differences in exposure patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Furlong
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
| | - Stephanie M Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Mary S Wolff
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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233
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No significant brain volume decreases or increases in adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and above average intelligence: a voxel-based morphometric study. Psychiatry Res 2014; 223:67-74. [PMID: 24953998 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly being recognized as an important issue in adult psychiatry and psychotherapy. High intelligence indicates overall good brain functioning and might thus present a particularly good opportunity to study possible cerebral correlates of core autistic features in terms of impaired social cognition, communication skills, the need for routines, and circumscribed interests. Anatomical MRI data sets for 30 highly intelligent patients with high-functioning autism and 30 pairwise-matched control subjects were acquired and analyzed with voxel-based morphometry. The gray matter volume of the pairwise-matched patients and the controls did not differ significantly. When correcting for total brain volume influences, the patients with ASD exhibited smaller left superior frontal volumes on a trend level. Heterogeneous volumetric findings in earlier studies might partly be explained by study samples biased by a high inclusion rate of secondary forms of ASD, which often go along with neuronal abnormalities. Including only patients with high IQ scores might have decreased the influence of secondary forms of ASD and might explain the absence of significant volumetric differences between the patients and the controls in this study.
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234
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Ye AX, Leung RC, Schäfer CB, Taylor MJ, Doesburg SM. Atypical resting synchrony in autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:6049-66. [PMID: 25116896 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly understood to be associated with aberrant functional brain connectivity. Few studies, however, have described such atypical neural synchrony among specific brain regions. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to characterize alterations in functional connectivity in adolescents with ASD through source space analysis of phase synchrony. Resting-state MEG data were collected from 16 adolescents with ASD and 15 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) adolescents. Atlas-guided reconstruction of neural activity at various cortical and subcortical regions was performed and inter-regional phase synchrony was calculated in physiologically relevant frequency bands. Using a multilevel approach, we characterized atypical resting-state synchrony within specific anatomically defined networks as well as altered network topologies at both regional and whole-network scales. Adolescents with ASD demonstrated frequency-dependent alterations in inter-regional functional connectivity. Hyperconnectivity was observed among the frontal, temporal, and subcortical regions in beta and gamma frequency ranges. In contrast, parietal and occipital regions were hypoconnected to widespread brain regions in theta and alpha bands in ASD. Furthermore, we isolated a hyperconnected network in the gamma band in adolescents with ASD which encompassed orbitofrontal, subcortical, and temporal regions implicated in social cognition. Results from graph analyses confirmed that frequency-dependent alterations of network topologies exist at both global and local levels. We present the first source-space investigation of oscillatory phase synchrony in resting-state MEG in ASD. This work provides evidence of atypical connectivity at physiologically relevant time scales and indicates that alterations of functional connectivity in adolescents with ASD are frequency dependent and region dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette X Ye
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario; Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario
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235
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Abstract
Cerebellar research has focused principally on adult motor function. However, the cerebellum also maintains abundant connections with nonmotor brain regions throughout postnatal life. Here we review evidence that the cerebellum may guide the maturation of remote nonmotor neural circuitry and influence cognitive development, with a focus on its relationship with autism. Specific cerebellar zones influence neocortical substrates for social interaction, and we propose that sensitive-period disruption of such internal brain communication can account for autism's key features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S-H Wang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Alexander D Kloth
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Aleksandra Badura
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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236
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Abstract
Adolescence brings dramatic changes in behavior and neural organization. Unfortunately, for some 30% of individuals with autism, there is marked decline in adaptive functioning during adolescence. We propose a two-hit model of autism. First, early perturbations in neural development function as a "first hit" that sets up a neural system that is "built to fail" in the face of a second hit. Second, the confluence of pubertal hormones, neural reorganization, and increasing social demands during adolescence provides the "second hit" that interferes with the ability to transition into adult social roles and levels of adaptive functioning. In support of this model, we review evidence about adolescent-specific neural and behavioral development in autism. We conclude with predictions and recommendations for empirical investigation about several domains in which developmental trajectories for individuals with autism may be uniquely deterred in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Picci
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
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237
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Broek JA, Guest PC, Rahmoune H, Bahn S. Proteomic analysis of post mortem brain tissue from autism patients: evidence for opposite changes in prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in synaptic connectivity-related proteins. Mol Autism 2014; 5:41. [PMID: 25126406 PMCID: PMC4131484 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired language, communication and social skills. Although genetic studies have been carried out in this field, none of the genes identified have led to an explanation of the underlying causes. Here, we have investigated molecular alterations by proteomic profiling of post mortem brain samples from autism patients and controls. The analysis focussed on prefrontal cortex and cerebellum as previous studies have found that these two brain regions are structurally and functionally connected, and they have been implicated in autism. Methods Post mortem prefrontal cortex and cerebellum samples from autism patients and matched controls were analysed using selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SRM-MS). The main objective was to identify significantly altered proteins and biological pathways and to compare these across these two brain regions. Results Targeted SRM-MS resulted in identification of altered levels of proteins related to myelination, synaptic vesicle regulation and energy metabolism. This showed decreased levels of the immature astrocyte marker vimentin in both brain regions, suggesting a decrease in astrocyte precursor cells. Also, decreased levels of proteins associated with myelination and increased synaptic and energy-related proteins were found in the prefrontal cortex, indicative of increased synaptic connectivity. Finally, opposite directional changes were found for myelination and synaptic proteins in the cerebellum. Conclusion These findings suggest altered structural and/or functional connectivity in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in autism patients, as shown by opposite effects on proteins involved in myelination and synaptic function. Further investigation of these findings could help to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying autism relating to brain connectivity, with the ultimate aim of facilitating novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jantine Ac Broek
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QT Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul C Guest
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QT Cambridge, UK
| | - Hassan Rahmoune
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QT Cambridge, UK
| | - Sabine Bahn
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QT Cambridge, UK ; Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Dr. Molenwaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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238
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Abstract
WNT-β-catenin signalling is involved in a multitude of developmental processes and the maintenance of adult tissue homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, genetic stability and apoptosis, as well as by maintaining adult stem cells in a pluripotent state. Not surprisingly, aberrant regulation of this pathway is therefore associated with a variety of diseases, including cancer, fibrosis and neurodegeneration. Despite this knowledge, therapeutic agents specifically targeting the WNT pathway have only recently entered clinical trials and none has yet been approved. This Review examines the problems and potential solutions to this vexing situation and attempts to bring them into perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kahn
- USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, USC Center for Molecular Pathways and Drug Discovery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
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239
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Wee C, Wang L, Shi F, Yap P, Shen D. Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders using regional and interregional morphological features. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:3414-30. [PMID: 25050428 PMCID: PMC4109659 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This article describes a novel approach to identify autism spectrum disorder (ASD) utilizing regional and interregional morphological patterns extracted from structural magnetic resonance images. Two types of features are extracted to characterize the morphological patterns: (1) Regional features, which includes the cortical thickness, volumes of cortical gray matter, and cortical-associated white matter regions, and several subcortical structures extracted from different regions-of-interest (ROIs); (2) Interregional features, which convey the morphological change pattern between pairs of ROIs. We demonstrate that the integration of regional and interregional features via multi-kernel learning technique can significantly improve the classification performance of ASD, compared with using either regional or interregional features alone. Specifically, the proposed framework achieves an accuracy of 96.27% and an area of 0.9952 under the receiver operating characteristic curve, indicating excellent diagnostic power and generalizability. The best performance is achieved when both feature types are weighted approximately equal, indicating complementary between these two feature types. Regions that contributed the most to classification are in line with those reported in the previous studies, particularly the subcortical structures that are highly associated with human emotional modulation and memory formation. The autistic brains demonstrate a significant rightward asymmetry pattern particularly in the auditory language areas. These findings are in agreement with the fact that ASD is a behavioral- and language-related neurodevelopmental disorder. By concurrent consideration of both regional and interregional features, the current work presents an effective means for better characterization of neurobiological underpinnings of ASD that facilitates its identification from typically developing children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong‐Yaw Wee
- Image DisplayEnhancementand Analysis (IDEA) LaboratoryBiomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC)Department of RadiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Li Wang
- Image DisplayEnhancementand Analysis (IDEA) LaboratoryBiomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC)Department of RadiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Feng Shi
- Image DisplayEnhancementand Analysis (IDEA) LaboratoryBiomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC)Department of RadiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Pew‐Thian Yap
- Image DisplayEnhancementand Analysis (IDEA) LaboratoryBiomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC)Department of RadiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Image DisplayEnhancementand Analysis (IDEA) LaboratoryBiomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC)Department of RadiologyUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
- Department of Brain and Cognitive EngineeringKorea UniversitySeoulKorea
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240
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Mevel K, Fransson P, Bölte S. Multimodal brain imaging in autism spectrum disorder and the promise of twin research. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2014; 19:527-41. [PMID: 24916451 DOI: 10.1177/1362361314535510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Current evidence suggests the phenotype of autism spectrum disorder to be driven by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors impacting onto brain maturation, synaptic function, and cortical networks. However, findings are heterogeneous, and the exact neurobiological pathways of autism spectrum disorder still remain poorly understood. The co-twin control or twin-difference design is a potentially powerful tool to disentangle causal genetic and environmental contributions on neurodevelopment in autism spectrum disorder. To this end, monozygotic twins discordant for this condition provide unique means for the maximum control of potentially confounding factors. Unfortunately, only few studies of a rather narrow scope, and limited sample size, have been conducted. In an attempt to highlight the great potential of combining the brain connectome approach with monozygotic twin design, we first give an overview of the existing neurobiological evidence for autism spectrum disorder and its cognitive correlates. Then, a special focus is made onto the brain imaging findings reported within populations of monozygotic twins phenotypically discordant for autism spectrum disorder. Finally, we introduce the brain connectome model and describe an ongoing project using this approach among the largest cohort of monozygotic twins discordant for autism spectrum disorder ever recruited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katell Mevel
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden CNRS UMR 8240, University of Caen Basse-Normandie and University of Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Peter Fransson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm County Council, Sweden
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241
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Impairments in facial affect recognition associated with autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis. Dev Psychopathol 2014; 26:933-45. [PMID: 24915526 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579414000479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by social impairments, including inappropriate responses to affective stimuli and nonverbal cues, which may extend to poor face-emotion recognition. However, the results of empirical studies of face-emotion recognition in individuals with ASD have yielded inconsistent findings that occlude understanding the role of face-emotion recognition deficits in the development of ASD. The goal of this meta-analysis was to address three as-yet unanswered questions. Are ASDs associated with consistent face-emotion recognition deficits? Do deficits generalize across multiple emotional expressions or are they limited to specific emotions? Do age or cognitive intelligence affect the magnitude of identified deficits? The results indicate that ASDs are associated with face-emotion recognition deficits across multiple expressions and that the magnitude of these deficits increases with age and cannot be accounted for by intelligence. These findings suggest that, whereas neurodevelopmental processes and social experience produce improvements in general face-emotion recognition abilities over time during typical development, children with ASD may experience disruptions in these processes, which suggested distributed functional impairment in the neural architecture that subserves face-emotion processing, an effect with downstream developmental consequences.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation improves the behavior of children with autism. METHODS A group of 3- to 10-year-old children with autism were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive a supplement containing 200 mg of DHA or a placebo for 6 months. The parents and the investigator completed the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale to rate changes in core symptoms of autism after 3 and 6 months. The parents completed the Child Development Inventory and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and both parents and teachers completed the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC) at enrollment and after 6 months. RESULTS A total of 48 children (40 [83%] boys, mean age [standard deviation] 6.1 [2.0] years) were enrolled; 24 received DHA and 24 placebo. Despite a median 431% increase in total plasma DHA levels after 6 months, the DHA group was not rated as improved in core symptoms of autism compared to the placebo group on the CGI-I. Based on the analysis of covariance models adjusted for the baseline rating scores, parents (but not teachers) provided a higher average rating of social skills on the BASC for the children in the placebo group compared to the DHA group (P = 0.04), and teachers (but not parents) provided a higher average rating of functional communication on the BASC for the children in the DHA group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Dietary DHA supplementation of 200 mg/day for 6 months does not improve the core symptoms of autism. Our results may have been limited by inadequate sample size.
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Verhoeff B. Stabilizing autism: A Fleckian account of the rise of a neurodevelopmental spectrum disorder. STUDIES IN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES 2014; 46:65-78. [PMID: 24816029 DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Using the conceptual tools of philosopher of science Ludwik Fleck, I argue that the reframing of autism as a neurodevelopmental spectrum disorder is constrained by two governing 'styles of thought' of contemporary psychiatry. The first is the historically conditioned 'readiness for directed perception' of, and thinking in terms of, ontologically distinct diseases. The clinical gaze of mental health professionals, the bureaucratic needs of health administration, the clinical and scientific utility of disease categories, and the practices of autism-oriented advocacy groups all imply a bias toward thinking about autism and related disorders as ontologically distinct psychiatric and scientific entities. Second, within the 'neuromolecular style of thought', mental disorders are more and more located at the neurobiological levels of the brain. In autism research, one of the biggest challenges is the identification of autism's neurobiological singularity. However, at a moment when biological and categorical approaches toward autism face serious empirical difficulties, a balance is established that holds together these two styles of thought. With a need to account for some of the most persistent uncertainties and conflicts in autism research, namely ubiquitous heterogeneity and a failure to identify disease specific biomarkers, the reframing of autism as a neurodevelopmental spectrum disorder satisfies the scientific, institutional and socio-political needs for stability and homogenization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berend Verhoeff
- Theory and History of Psychology Department, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
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244
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Wei H, Alberts I, Li X. The apoptotic perspective of autism. Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 36:13-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hongen Wei
- Central LaboratoryShanxi Provincial People's HospitalAffiliate of Shanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Ian Alberts
- Department of Natural SciencesLaGuardia CC, CUNYNew YorkNY11101USA
| | - Xiaohong Li
- Department of NeurochemistryNY State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental DisabilitiesNew YorkNY10314USA
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245
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Mills BD, Lai J, Brown TT, Erhart M, Halgren E, Reilly J, Appelbaum M, Moses P. Gray matter structure and morphosyntax within a spoken narrative in typically developing children and children with high functioning autism. Dev Neuropsychol 2014; 38:461-80. [PMID: 24138216 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2013.820306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based measures of gray matter structure and morphosyntax production in a spoken narrative in 17 typical children (TD) and 11 children with high functioning autism (HFA) between 6 and 13 years of age. In the TD group, cortical structure was related to narrative performance in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca's area), the right middle frontal sulcus, and the right inferior temporal sulcus. No associations were found in children with HFA. These findings suggest a systematic coupling between brain structure and spontaneous language in TD children and a disruption of these relationships in children with HFA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Mills
- a Department of Psychology , San Diego State University , San Diego , California
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246
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Kodish I, Rockhill CM, Webb SJ. ASD: Psychopharmacologic Treatments and Neurophysiologic Underpinnings. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 21:257-75. [PMID: 24683058 PMCID: PMC4180816 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder encompasses a range of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by early deficits in social communication in addition to restricted and repetitive behaviors. Symptoms are increasingly understood to be associated with abnormalities in the coordination of neuronal assemblies responsible for processing information essential for early adaptive behaviors. Pharmacologic treatments carry evidence for clinically significant benefit of multiple impairing symptoms of ASD, yet these benefits are limited and range across a broad spectrum of medication classes, making it difficult to characterize associated neurochemical impairments. Increasing prevalence of both ASD and its pharmacologic management calls for greater understanding of the neurophysiologic basis of the disorder. This paper reviews underlying alterations in local brain regions and coordination of brain activation patterns during both resting state and task-related processes. We propose that new pharmacologic treatments may focus on realigning trajectories of network specialization across development by working in combination with behavioral treatments to enhance social and emotional learning by bolstering the impact of experience-induced plasticity on neuronal network connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Kodish
- University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
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247
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Stoner R, Chow ML, Boyle MP, Sunkin SM, Mouton PR, Roy S, Wynshaw-Boris A, Colamarino SA, Lein ES, Courchesne E. Patches of disorganization in the neocortex of children with autism. N Engl J Med 2014; 370:1209-1219. [PMID: 24670167 PMCID: PMC4499461 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa1307491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 484] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism involves early brain overgrowth and dysfunction, which is most strongly evident in the prefrontal cortex. As assessed on pathological analysis, an excess of neurons in the prefrontal cortex among children with autism signals a disturbance in prenatal development and may be concomitant with abnormal cell type and laminar development. METHODS To systematically examine neocortical architecture during the early years after the onset of autism, we used RNA in situ hybridization with a panel of layer- and cell-type-specific molecular markers to phenotype cortical microstructure. We assayed markers for neurons and glia, along with genes that have been implicated in the risk of autism, in prefrontal, temporal, and occipital neocortical tissue from postmortem samples obtained from children with autism and unaffected children between the ages of 2 and 15 years. RESULTS We observed focal patches of abnormal laminar cytoarchitecture and cortical disorganization of neurons, but not glia, in prefrontal and temporal cortical tissue from 10 of 11 children with autism and from 1 of 11 unaffected children. We observed heterogeneity between cases with respect to cell types that were most abnormal in the patches and the layers that were most affected by the pathological features. No cortical layer was uniformly spared, with the clearest signs of abnormal expression in layers 4 and 5. Three-dimensional reconstruction of layer markers confirmed the focal geometry and size of patches. CONCLUSIONS In this small, explorative study, we found focal disruption of cortical laminar architecture in the cortexes of a majority of young children with autism. Our data support a probable dysregulation of layer formation and layer-specific neuronal differentiation at prenatal developmental stages. (Funded by the Simons Foundation and others.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rich Stoner
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Maggie L Chow
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Maureen P Boyle
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Susan M Sunkin
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Peter R Mouton
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Subhojit Roy
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Anthony Wynshaw-Boris
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Sophia A Colamarino
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Ed S Lein
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
| | - Eric Courchesne
- University of California, San Diego, Autism Center of Excellence (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., E.C.), and the Departments of Neuroscience (R.S., M.L.C., M.P.B., S.R., E.C.) and Pathology (S.R.), University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle (M.P.B., S.M.S., E.S.L.); the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida School of Medicine and Alzheimer's Institute and Research Center, Tampa (P.R.M.); the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland (A.W.-B.); and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (S.A.C.)
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248
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Haebig E, McDuffie A, Ellis Weismer S. Brief report: parent verbal responsiveness and language development in toddlers on the autism spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 43:2218-27. [PMID: 23361917 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1763-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the longitudinal associations between parent verbal responsiveness and language 3 years later in 34 toddlers with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder. Parent-child play samples were coded for child engagement and communication acts and for parent verbal responsiveness. Measures of responsive verbal behaviors were used to predict language gain scores 3 years later. Parent directives for language that followed into the child's focus of attention were predictive of child receptive language gains. Parent comments that followed into the child's focus of attention yielded differential effects depending on initial levels of child language. Children who were minimally verbal at age 2½ benefited from parent comments that followed into the their focus of attention, whereas children who were verbally fluent did not demonstrate such a benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Haebig
- University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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249
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Wegiel J, Flory M, Kuchna I, Nowicki K, Ma SY, Imaki H, Wegiel J, Cohen IL, London E, Brown WT, Wisniewski T. Brain-region-specific alterations of the trajectories of neuronal volume growth throughout the lifespan in autism. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2014; 2:28. [PMID: 24612906 PMCID: PMC4007529 DOI: 10.1186/2051-5960-2-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Several morphometric studies have revealed smaller than normal neurons in the neocortex of autistic subjects. To test the hypothesis that abnormal neuronal growth is a marker of an autism-associated global encephalopathy, neuronal volumes were estimated in 16 brain regions, including various subcortical structures, Ammon's horn, archicortex, cerebellum, and brainstem in 14 brains from individuals with autism 4 to 60 years of age and 14 age-matched control brains. This stereological study showed a significantly smaller volume of neuronal soma in 14 of 16 regions in the 4- to 8-year-old autistic brains than in the controls. Arbitrary classification revealed a very severe neuronal volume deficit in 14.3% of significantly altered structures, severe in 50%, moderate in 21.4%, and mild in 14.3% structures. This pattern suggests desynchronized neuronal growth in the interacting neuronal networks involved in the autistic phenotype. The comparative study of the autistic and control subject brains revealed that the number of structures with a significant volume deficit decreased from 14 in the 4- to 8-year-old autistic subjects to 4 in the 36- to 60-year-old. Neuronal volumes in 75% of the structures examined in the older adults with autism are comparable to neuronal volume in age-matched controls. This pattern suggests defects of neuronal growth in early childhood and delayed up-regulation of neuronal growth during adolescence and adulthood reducing neuron soma volume deficit in majority of examined regions. However, significant correction of neuron size but limited clinical improvements suggests that delayed correction does not restore functional deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Michael Flory
- Department of Infant Development, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Izabela Kuchna
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Krzysztof Nowicki
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Shuang Yong Ma
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Humi Imaki
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Jarek Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Ira L Cohen
- Department of Psychology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Eric London
- Department of Psychology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - W Ted Brown
- Department of Human Genetics, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurology and Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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250
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Cocks G, Curran S, Gami P, Uwanogho D, Jeffries AR, Kathuria A, Lucchesi W, Wood V, Dixon R, Ogilvie C, Steckler T, Price J. The utility of patient specific induced pluripotent stem cells for the modelling of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1079-88. [PMID: 23839283 PMCID: PMC3932164 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3196-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Until now, models of psychiatric diseases have typically been animal models. Whether they were to be used to further understand the pathophysiology of the disorder, or as drug discovery tools, animal models have been the choice of preference in mimicking psychiatric disorders in an experimental setting. While there have been cellular models, they have generally been lacking in validity. This situation is changing with the advent of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In this article, we give a methodological evaluation of the current state of the iPS technology with reference to our own work in generating patient-specific iPSCs for the study of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). In addition, we will give a broader perspective on the validity of this technology and to what extent it can be expected to complement animal models of ASD in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham Cocks
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Sarah Curran
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department and MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Priya Gami
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Dafe Uwanogho
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Aaron R. Jeffries
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Annie Kathuria
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Walter Lucchesi
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Victoria Wood
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Rosemary Dixon
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
| | - Caroline Ogilvie
- Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Centre for Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis and Genetics Centre, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Thomas Steckler
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jack Price
- Department of Neuroscience, The James Black Centre, King’s College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, UK
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