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Wang J, Christensen D, Coombes SA, Wang Z. Cognitive and brain morphological deviations in middle-to-old aged autistic adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105782. [PMID: 38944227 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive challenges and brain structure variations are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but are rarely explored in middle-to-old aged autistic adults. Cognitive deficits that overlap between young autistic individuals and elderlies with dementia raise an important question: does compromised cognitive ability and brain structure during early development drive autistic adults to be more vulnerable to pathological aging conditions, or does it protect them from further decline? To answer this question, we have synthesized current theoretical models of aging in ASD and conducted a systematic literature review (Jan 1, 1980 - Feb 29, 2024) and meta-analysis to summarize empirical studies on cognitive and brain deviations in middle-to-old aged autistic adults. We explored findings that support different aging theories in ASD and addressed study limitations and future directions. This review sheds light on the poorly understood consequences of aging question raised by the autism community to pave the way for future studies to identify sensitive and reliable measures that best predict the onset, progression, and prognosis of pathological aging in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingying Wang
- Neurocognitive and Behavioral Development Laboratory, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, PO Box 118206, Gainesville, FL 32611-8205, USA
| | - Danielle Christensen
- Neurocognitive and Behavioral Development Laboratory, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, PO Box 118206, Gainesville, FL 32611-8205, USA; Laboratory for Rehabilitation Neuroscience, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, PO Box 118206, Gainesville, FL 32611-8205, USA
| | - Stephen A Coombes
- Laboratory for Rehabilitation Neuroscience, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, PO Box 118206, Gainesville, FL 32611-8205, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zheng Wang
- Neurocognitive and Behavioral Development Laboratory, Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, PO Box 118206, Gainesville, FL 32611-8205, USA.
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Chen L, Abate M, Fredericks M, Guo Y, Tao Z, Zhang X. Age-related differences in the intrinsic connectivity of the hippocampus and ventral temporal lobe in autistic individuals. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1394706. [PMID: 38938289 PMCID: PMC11208705 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1394706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although memory challenges in autistic individuals have been characterized recently, the functional connectivity of the hippocampus and ventral temporal lobe, two structures important for episodic and semantic memory functions, are poorly understood in autistic individuals. Moreover, age-related differences in the functional connectivity associated with these two memory networks are unrevealed. Methods The current study investigated age-related differences in intrinsic connectivity of the hippocampal and ventral temporal lobe (vTL) memory networks in well-matched ASD (n = 73; age range: 10.23-55.40 years old) and Non-ASD groups (n = 74; age range: 10.46-56.20 years old) from the open dataset ABIDE-I. Both theory-driven ROI-to-ROI approach and exploratory seed-based whole-brain approach were used. Results and discussion Our findings revealed reduced connectivity in ASD compared to Non-ASD peers, as well as an age-related reduction in the connectivity of hippocampal and vTL networks with triple networks, namely, the default mode network (DMN), the central executive network (CEN), and the salience network (SN), potentially underpinning their challenges in memory, language, and social functions. However, we did not observe reliable differences in age-related effects between the ASD and Non-ASD groups. Our study underscores the importance of understanding memory network dysfunctions in ASD across the lifespan to inform educational and clinical practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Chen
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Program, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Meghan Abate
- Neuroscience Program, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | | | - Yuanchun Guo
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Zhizhen Tao
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Xiuming Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
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3
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McQuaid GA, Duane SC, Ahmed N, Lee NR, Charlton R, Wallace GL. Increased anticholinergic medication use in middle-aged and older autistic adults and its associations with self-reported memory difficulties and cognitive decline. Autism Res 2024; 17:852-867. [PMID: 38108575 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Many commonly used prescription and over-the-counter medicines have potent anticholinergic (AC) effects. Among older adults, AC medications are associated with cognitive impairment and risk for cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Collectively, the impact of AC medications is known as anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB). Because of the high rates of co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions, autistic adults may have high AC exposure and, thus, may experience elevated ACB. However, no research has characterized AC exposure or examined its associations with cognitive outcomes in autistic adults. Autistic adults (40-83 years) recruited via Simons Powering Autism Research's (SPARK) Research Match service self-reported their medication use (N = 415) and memory complaints (N = 382) at Time (T)1. At T2, 2 years later, a subset of T1 participants (N = 197) self-reported on decline in cognition. Medications were coded using two scales of AC potency. A high proportion (48.2%-62.9%, depending upon the AC potency scale) of autistic adults reported taking at least one medication with AC effects, and 20.5% to 26.5% of autistic adults reported clinically-relevant levels of AC medication (potency ≥3). After controlling for birth-sex, and age, hierarchical linear regression models showed total ACB scores and AC potency values of ≥3 predicted greater memory complaints. Logistic regression models showed that AC medicines at T1 were associated with self-reported cognitive decline at follow-up 2 years later. Understanding AC medications-including potentially earlier AC polypharmacy-and their impacts on cognition (e.g., dementia risk) in autistic adults is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goldie A McQuaid
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Sean C Duane
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Neha Ahmed
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Nancy Raitano Lee
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rebecca Charlton
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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4
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Troci A, Philippen S, Rausch P, Rave J, Weyland G, Niemann K, Jessen K, Schmill LP, Aludin S, Franke A, Berg D, Bang C, Bartsch T. Disease- and stage-specific alterations of the oral and fecal microbiota in Alzheimer's disease. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgad427. [PMID: 38205031 PMCID: PMC10776369 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Microbial communities in the intestinal tract are suggested to impact the ethiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The human microbiome might modulate neuroinflammatory processes and contribute to neurodegeneration in AD. However, the microbial compositions in patients with AD at different stages of the disease are still not fully characterized. We used 16S rRNA analyses to investigate the oral and fecal microbiota in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 84), at-risk individuals (APOE4 carriers; n = 17), and healthy controls (n = 50) and investigated the relationship of microbial communities and disease-specific markers via multivariate- and network-based approaches. We found a slightly decreased diversity in the fecal microbiota of patients with AD (average Chao1 diversity for AD = 212 [SD = 66]; for controls = 215 [SD = 55]) and identified differences in bacterial abundances including Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcus, Sutterella, and Porphyromonadaceae. The diversity in the oral microbiota was increased in patients with AD and at-risk individuals (average Chao1 diversity for AD = 174 [SD = 60], for at-risk group = 195 [SD = 49]). Gram-negative proinflammatory bacteria including Haemophilus, Neisseria, Actinobacillus, and Porphyromonas were dominant oral bacteria in patients with AD and MCI and the abundance correlated with the cerebrospinal fluid biomarker. Taken together, we observed a strong shift in the fecal and the oral communities of patients with AD already prominent in prodromal and, in case of the oral microbiota, in at-risk stages. This indicates stage-dependent alterations in oral and fecal microbiota in AD which may contribute to the pathogenesis via a facilitated intestinal and systemic inflammation leading to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Troci
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sarah Philippen
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Philipp Rausch
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Julius Rave
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Gina Weyland
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Katharina Niemann
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Katharina Jessen
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Lars-Patrick Schmill
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Schekeb Aludin
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniela Berg
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Corinna Bang
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thorsten Bartsch
- Department of Neurology, Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
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Harker SA, Al-Hassan L, Huentelman MJ, Braden BB, Lewis CR. APOE ε4-Allele in Middle-Aged and Older Autistic Adults: Associations with Verbal Learning and Memory. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15988. [PMID: 37958971 PMCID: PMC10650864 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability and recent evidence suggests that autistic adults are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease (Alz) and other dementias compared to neurotypical (NT) adults. The ε4-allele of the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alz and negatively impacts cognition in middle-aged and older (MA+) adults. This study aimed to determine the impact of the APOE ε4-allele on verbal learning and memory in MA+ autistic adults (ages 40-71 years) compared to matched NT adults. Using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), we found that ε4 carriers performed worse on short-term memory and verbal learning across diagnosis groups, but there was no interaction with diagnosis. In exploratory analyses within sex and diagnosis groups, only autistic men carrying APOE ε4 showed worse verbal learning (p = 0.02), compared to autistic men who were not carriers. Finally, the APOE ε4-allele did not significantly affect long-term memory in this sample. These findings replicate previous work indicating that the APOE ε4-allele negatively impacts short-term memory and verbal learning in MA+ adults and presents new preliminary findings that MA+ autistic men may be vulnerable to the effects of APOE ε4 on verbal learning. Future work with a larger sample is needed to determine if autistic women may also be vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A. Harker
- School of Life Sciences and Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA;
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (L.A.-H.); (B.B.B.)
| | - Lamees Al-Hassan
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (L.A.-H.); (B.B.B.)
| | - Matthew J. Huentelman
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA;
| | - B. Blair Braden
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (L.A.-H.); (B.B.B.)
| | - Candace R. Lewis
- School of Life Sciences and Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA;
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA;
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Justus SA, Mirjalili S, Powell PS, Duarte A. Neural reinstatement of context memory in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8546-8556. [PMID: 37106572 PMCID: PMC10321090 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with episodic memory impairment. However, episodic memories include a variety of contextual details, and it is difficult to solely rely on behavioral data to assess how specifically (i.e. event-specific reinstatement) an event is remembered. We applied encoding-retrieval representational similarity (ERS) analysis to EEG data to assess event-specific ERS for object-context associations in a sample of 34 adults (17 with, 17 without ASD). Participants studied objects presented alongside 2 contextual features: scene/color, and attention was directed toward one object-context relationship. At retrieval, memory was assessed for the object and both contexts. Behavioral results revealed no group differences in item or context memory performance. ERS results revealed group temporal differences in reinstatement. Results may indicate differences in both encoding (i.e. fewer perceptual details) and retrieval (i.e. ineffectively skipping through memory fragments) in ASD and should be further investigated in studies modulating the perceptual detail required for memory decisions. Results highlight the utility of ERS as a methodology used to evaluate episodic reinstatement even in the absence of behavioral differences in memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidni A Justus
- Department of Psychological Science, Kennesaw State University, 402 Bartow Ave NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144, United States
| | - Soroush Mirjalili
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E Dean Keeton St, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Patrick S Powell
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta GA 30333, United States
| | - Audrey Duarte
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E Dean Keeton St, Austin, TX 78712, United States
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7
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Meng H, Li Q, Wang J, Yue W, Zhang D, Sun X, Wang L, Li J. The expansion of newborn neurons in hippocampus improves social recognition deficit in a mouse model of autism. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1162179. [PMID: 37215664 PMCID: PMC10196005 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1162179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by core symptoms of impaired social interaction and communication. The pathological mechanism and treatment are not clear and need further study. Our previous study found that the deletion of high-risk gene Autism Susceptibility 2 (AUTS2) in mice led to dentate gyrus (DG) hypoplasia that highly associated with impaired social novelty recognition. Here we aim to improve the social deficit through increasing the neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) and expanding the newborn granule neurons in DG. Methods Three approaches including repeated oxytocin administration, feeding in enriched environment and overexpression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4)-CyclinD1 complex in DG neural stem cells (NSCs) at the post-weaning stage were conducted. Results We found that the number of EdU labeled proliferative NSCs or retrovirus labeled newborn neurons was significantly increased after manipulations. The social recognition deficit was also significantly improved. Discussion Our findings suggested a possible strategy to restore the social deficit through expansion of newborn neurons in hippocampus, which might provide a new insight into the treatment of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Meng
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Qiongwei Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jinxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Weihua Yue
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Lifang Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jun Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
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8
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Klein CB, McQuaid GA, Charlton RA, Klinger LG, Wallace GL. Self-reported cognitive decline among middle and older age autistic adults. Autism Res 2023; 16:605-616. [PMID: 36513614 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Very little is known about autistic adults as they age. Early evidence suggests a potentially high risk for dementia and atypical cognitive decline in autistic middle and older age adults. Research in the general population indicates that self-reported cognitive decline may predict future dementia earlier than performance-based measures. Nevertheless, self-report dementia screeners have not been used to date in autism research. In a sample of middle and older age autistic adults (N = 210), participants completed a self-rated dementia screener, the AD8, to describe the rate of cognitive decline, examine associations of cognitive decline with age, educational level, sex designated at birth, and autistic traits, and document the psychometrics of a dementia screener in autistic adults. We found high rates of cognitive decline with 30% of the sample screening positive. The most common symptoms were declining interest in leisure activities, and increases in everyday problems with thinking, memory, and judgment. There was evidence that autistic individuals designated female at birth may be more vulnerable to cognitive decline than autistic individuals designated male at birth. Notably, reports of cognitive decline did not vary by age or educational level. Modestly elevated autistic traits were found in those screening positive versus negative for cognitive decline. Finally, the dementia screener showed good psychometrics, including convergent validity with an independent measure of current memory problems. These results could signal an emerging public health crisis in autistic adults as they age, and support the potential utility of self-report measures for early screening for cognitive decline in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire B Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Goldie A McQuaid
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Laura G Klinger
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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9
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Torenvliet C, Groenman AP, Radhoe TA, Agelink van Rentergem JA, Van der Putten WJ, Geurts HM. A longitudinal study on cognitive aging in autism. Psychiatry Res 2023; 321:115063. [PMID: 36709700 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal studies on cognitive aging in autism are scarce, and largely underpowered, yet essential to obtain more conclusive results on cognitive changes in autism during adulthood. In the largest longitudinal study on cognition thus far, we aimed to get more insight into cognitive aging in autism. As pre-registered, we computed reliable change indices (RCIs) and multilevel models to estimate cognitive changes in 128 autistic, and 112 non-autistic adults (range: 24-85 yrs.) over two to three timepoints (average interval: 3.5 yrs.). Participants were tested on 15 outcome measures, covering verbal memory, visual (working) memory, prospective memory, theory of mind, fluency, response speed, inhibition, planning, and switching. RCIs showed no significant differences between groups (autism/no-autism) in changes over time. Using multilevel models, most tasks showed sensitivity to cross-sectional age-related effects, and/or longitudinal changes, with worse performance at older age, and later timepoints. However, effects were not significantly different between the autism and no-autism group. This lack of group differences was substantiated by additional Bayesian analyses. In sum, the current study provides evidence for parallel (similar) cognitive aging in autism. Specifically, autistic individuals diagnosed in adulthood, without intellectual disability, do not seem at risk for accelerated cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Torenvliet
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center, Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - A P Groenman
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center, Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - T A Radhoe
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center, Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J A Agelink van Rentergem
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center, Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - W J Van der Putten
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center, Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leo Kannerhuis, autism clinic (Youz/Parnassia Group), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - H M Geurts
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center, Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leo Kannerhuis, autism clinic (Youz/Parnassia Group), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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10
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Torenvliet C, Groenman AP, Radhoe TA, Agelink van Rentergem JA, Geurts HM. One size does not fit all: An individualized approach to understand heterogeneous cognitive performance in autistic adults. Autism Res 2022; 16:734-744. [PMID: 36515294 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive performances of autistic people vary widely. Therefore, previous group-based comparisons on cognitive aging in autistic adults might have overlooked those autistic adults that are particularly vulnerable for cognitive decline. Multivariate normative comparisons (MNC) statistically assess individual cognitive differences on the entire cognitive profile. Cognitive deviancy as indicated by MNC accurately predicts future cognitive decline, and is therefore sensitive in detecting meaningful cognitive differences. The current study aimed to (1) investigate the applicability of MNC to assess cognitive performance in autism individually, and (2) understand heterogeneous cognitive performance in autistic adults. As pre-registered, we performed MNC in a sample of 254 non-autistic adults, and two independent samples of respectively 118, and 86 autistic adults (20-85 years, mean: 50 years). Cognitive performance was measured on 11 outcomes in six domains (verbal/visual memory, working memory, verbal fluency, Theory of Mind, and psychomotor speed). Using MNC, about twice as many autistic individuals had a deviant cognitive profile (i.e., deviated statistically from the multivariate normspace) as compared to non-autistic individuals. Importantly, most autistic individuals (>80%) did not have a deviant cognitive profile. Having a deviant profile was significantly associated with higher levels of psychological distress in autistic adults specifically, showing the clinical relevance of this method. Therefore, MNC seem a useful tool to individually detect meaningful cognitive differences in autism. These results are consistent with previous cognitive studies suggesting that most autistic adults show fairly similar cognitive profiles to non-autistic adults, yet highlight the necessity for approaches reflecting the heterogeneity observed in autistic people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolien Torenvliet
- Department of Psychology, Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annabeth P Groenman
- Department of Psychology, Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tulsi A Radhoe
- Department of Psychology, Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost A Agelink van Rentergem
- Department of Psychology, Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde M Geurts
- Department of Psychology, Dutch Autism & ADHD Research Center, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Leo Kannerhuis, autism clinic (Youz/Parnassia Group), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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11
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Walsh MJM, Ofori E, Pagni BA, Chen K, Sullivan G, Braden BB. Preliminary findings of accelerated visual memory decline and baseline brain correlates in middle-age and older adults with autism: The case for hippocampal free-water. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1029166. [PMID: 36437999 PMCID: PMC9694823 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1029166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research aimed at understanding cognitive and brain aging in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is growing, but critical longitudinal work is scant. Adults with ASD struggle with tasks involving visual memory compared with neurotypical adults (NT). This may be related to differences in size or integrity of the hippocampus and its' primary structural connectivity pathway, the fornix. The aim of this study was to describe preliminary findings of longitudinal aging trajectories in short- and long-term visual memory abilities in middle-age and older adults with ASD, compared with matched NT adults. We then evaluated baseline multi-modal imaging metrics of the hippocampal system, including the relatively novel metric of free-water, as potential correlates of longitudinal memory change in the ASD group. Middle-age and older adults with ASD (n = 25) and matched NT adults (n = 25) between the ages of 40 and 70 years were followed longitudinally at ~2-year intervals (range 2-5 years). Participants completed the Wechsler Memory Scale III Visual Reproduction task. Longitudinal mixed models were utilized to detect group differences in memory change with baseline age and sex as covariates. Hippocampal volume was measured via T1-weighted MRI images with FreeSurfer. Fornix fractional anisotropy and hippocampal and fornix free-water were measured from diffusion tensor imaging scans. Exploratory correlations were run between individual hippocampal system metrics and longitudinal slopes of visual memory change. There was a significant group by time interaction for long-term visual memory, such that middle-age and older adults with ASD declined faster than matched NT adults. There was no group by time interaction for short-term visual memory. Baseline hippocampal free-water was the only hippocampal system metric that correlated with long-term visual memory change in the ASD group. As one of the first longitudinal cognitive and brain aging studies in middle-age and older adults with ASD, our findings suggest vulnerabilities for accelerated long-term visual memory decline, compared to matched NT adults. Further, baseline hippocampal free-water may be a predictor of visual memory change in middle-age and older adults with ASD. These preliminary findings lay the groundwork for future prognostic applications of MRI for cognitive aging in middle-age and older adults with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J. M. Walsh
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Edward Ofori
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Broc A. Pagni
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Georgia Sullivan
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - B. Blair Braden
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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