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Beuriat PA, Cohen-Zimerman S, Smith GNL, Krueger F, Gordon B, Grafman J. Evidence of the role of the cerebellum in cognitive theory of mind using voxel-based lesion mapping. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4999. [PMID: 35322157 PMCID: PMC8943209 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09104-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) is a social-cognitive skill that allows the understanding of the intentions, beliefs, and desires of others. There is a distinction between affective and cognitive ToM, with evidence showing that these processes rely on partially distinct neural networks. The role of the cerebellum in social cognition has only been rarely explored. In this study, we tested whether the cerebellum is necessary for cognitive and affective ToM performance. We investigated adults with traumatic brain injury (n = 193) and healthy controls (n = 52) using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) and by measuring the impact on functional connectivity. First, we observed that damage to the cerebellum affected pure Cognitive ToM processing. Further, we found a lateralization effect for the role of the cerebellum in cognitive ToM with participants with left cerebellar injury performing worse than those with right cerebellar injury. Both VLSM and standard statistical analysis provided evidence that left cerebellar Crus I and lobule VI contributed to ToM processing. Lastly, we found that disconnection of the left thalamic projection and the left fronto-striatal fasciculus was associated with poor cognitive ToM performance. Our study is the first to reveal direct causal neuropsychological evidence for a role of the cerebellum in some but not all types of ToM, processing. It reinforces the idea that social cognition relies on a complex network functionally connected through white matter pathways that include the cerebellum. It supports evidence that the neural networks underpinning the different types of ToM can be differentiated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Aurélien Beuriat
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA. .,Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA. .,Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France. .,Rockfeller School of Medicine, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France.
| | - Shira Cohen-Zimerman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA.,Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gretchen N L Smith
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Barry Gordon
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA.,Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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2
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Schröder Y, Hohmann DM, Meller T, Evermann U, Pfarr JK, Jansen A, Kamp-Becker I, Grezellschak S, Nenadić I. Associations of subclinical autistic-like traits with brain structural variation using diffusion tensor imaging and voxel-based morphometry. Eur Psychiatry 2021; 64:e27. [PMID: 33653433 PMCID: PMC8080214 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous case–control studies of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) have identified altered brain structure such as altered frontal and temporal cortex volumes, or decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) within the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus in patients. It remains unclear whether subclinical autistic-like traits might also be related to variation in these brain structures. Methods In this study, we analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of 250 psychiatrically healthy subjects phenotyped for subclinical autistic-like traits using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). For data analysis, we used voxel-based morphometry of T1-MRIs (Computational Anatomy Toolbox) and tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion tensor imaging data. Results AQ attention switching subscale correlated negatively with FA values in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus as well as the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Higher AQ attention switching subscale scores were associated with increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity values in the uncinate fasciculus, while axial diffusivity values within this tract show a negative correlation. AQ attention to detail subscale correlated positively with gray matter volume in the right pre- and postcentral gyrus. Conclusions We demonstrate that individuals with higher levels of autism-spectrum-like features show decreased white matter integrity in tracts associated with higher-level visual processing and increased cortical volume in areas linked to movement sequencing and working memory. Our results resemble regional brain structure alterations found in individuals with ASD. This offers opportunities to further understand the etiology and pathogenesis of the disorder and shows a subclinical continuum perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Schröder
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Michelle Hohmann
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany
| | - Tina Meller
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany
| | - Ulrika Evermann
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia-Katharina Pfarr
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany.,Core-Facility BrainImaging, School of Medicine, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Inge Kamp-Becker
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Grezellschak
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany
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Cohen‐Zimerman S, Khilwani H, Smith GNL, Krueger F, Gordon B, Grafman J. The neural basis for mental state attribution: A voxel-based lesion mapping study. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:65-79. [PMID: 33030812 PMCID: PMC7721243 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to infer other persons' mental states, "Theory of Mind" (ToM), is a key function of social cognition and is needed when interpreting the intention of others. ToM is associated with a network of functionally related regions, with reportedly key prominent hubs located in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). The involvement of (mainly the right) TPJ in ToM is based primarily on functional imaging studies that provide correlational evidence for brain-behavior associations. In this lesion study, we test whether certain brain areas are necessary for intact ToM performance. We investigated individuals with penetrating traumatic brain injury (n = 170) and healthy matched controls (n = 30) using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) and by measuring the impact of a given lesion on white matter disconnections. ToM performance was compared between five patient groups based on lesion location: right TPJ, left TPJ, right dlPFC, left dlPFC, and other lesion, as well as healthy controls. The only group to present with lower ToM abilities was the one with lesions in the right dlPFC. Similarly, VLSM analysis revealed a main cluster in the right frontal middle gyrus and a secondary cluster in the left inferior parietal gyrus. Last, we found that disconnection of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and right superior longitudinal fasciculus were associated with poor ToM performance. This study highlights the importance of lesion studies in complementing functional neuroimaging findings and supports the assertion that the right dlPFC is a key region mediating mental state attribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shira Cohen‐Zimerman
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Harsh Khilwani
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Gretchen N. L. Smith
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems BiologyGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVirginiaUSA
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of MannheimMannheimGermany
| | - Barry Gordon
- Department of NeurologyJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Cognitive ScienceJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Cognitive Neuroscience LaboratoryBrain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLabChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
- Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of PsychologyNorthwestern UniversityChicagoIllinoisUSA
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Brain Network Organization Correlates with Autistic Features in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders and in Their Fathers: Preliminary Data from a DWI Analysis. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8040487. [PMID: 30974902 PMCID: PMC6518033 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8040487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that is characterized by an altered brain connectivity organization. Autistic traits below the clinical threshold (i.e., the broad autism phenotype; BAP) are frequent among first-degree relatives of subjects with ASD; however, little is known regarding whether subthreshold behavioral manifestations of ASD mirror also at the neuroanatomical level in parents of ASD probands. To this aim, we applied advanced diffusion network analysis to MRI of 16 dyads consisting of a child with ASD and his father in order to investigate: (i) the correlation between structural network organization and autistic features in preschoolers with ASD (all males; age range 1.5-5.2 years); (ii) the correlation between structural network organization and BAP features in the fathers of individuals with ASD (fath-ASD). Local network measures significantly correlated with autism severity in ASD children and with BAP traits in fath-ASD, while no significant association emerged when considering the global measures of brain connectivity. Notably, an overlap of some brain regions that are crucial for social functioning (cingulum, superior temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, frontal pole, and amygdala) in patients with ASD and fath-ASD was detected, suggesting an intergenerational transmission of these neural substrates. Overall, the results of this study may help in elucidating the neurostructural endophenotype of ASD, paving the way for bridging connections between underlying genetic and ASD symptomatology.
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Hrdlicka M, Sanda J, Urbanek T, Kudr M, Dudova I, Kickova S, Pospisilova L, Mohaplova M, Maulisova A, Krsek P, Kyncl M, Blatny M, Komarek V. Diffusion Tensor Imaging And Tractography In Autistic, Dysphasic, And Healthy Control Children. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019; 15:2843-2852. [PMID: 31632032 PMCID: PMC6781738 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s219545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful tool for investigating brain anatomical connectivity. The aim of our study was to compare brain connectivity among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), developmental dysphasia (DD), and healthy controls (HC) in the following tracts: the arcuate fasciculus (AF), inferior frontal occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and uncinate fasciculus (UF). METHODS Our sample consisted of 113 children with a mean age 8.7±2.2 years (77 boys, 36 girls), divided into three subgroups: ASD (n=39), DD (n=36), and HC (n=38). The International Classification of Diseases, 10th ed. was used to make clinical diagnoses. DTI images were collected using a 1.5 T Phillips Achieva MR imaging system. RESULTS Detailed analyses of fractional anisotropy (FA) revealed significant differences among the ASD, DD, and HC groups in the left AF (p=0.014) and right AF (p=0.001), the left IFOF (p<0.001) and right IFOF (p<0.001), the left ILF (p<0.001) and right ILF (p<0.001), but not in the UF. Post-hoc analyses revealed three patterns of FA differences among the groups: (1) in the right AF, right IFOF, and right ILF, FA was significantly lower in the ASD group compared to the DD and HC groups; however, there was no difference in FA between DD and HC; (2) in the left AF and left IFOF, FA was significantly lower in the ASD than in the HC group, but there were no differences between DD vs HC nor DD vs ASD; and (3) in the left ILF, no difference in FA was seen between ASD and DD, but FA in both was significantly lower than in the HC. CONCLUSION Microstructural white matter properties differed between ASD vs DD and HC subjects. The tract where FA impairment in ASD and DD subjects was the most similar was the left ILF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Hrdlicka
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Sanda
- Department of Radiology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Urbanek
- Institute of Psychology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kudr
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Dudova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Stepanka Kickova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Pospisilova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.,Charles University First Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Mohaplova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Maulisova
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Krsek
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kyncl
- Department of Radiology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Blatny
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Komarek
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
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Herbet G, Zemmoura I, Duffau H. Functional Anatomy of the Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus: From Historical Reports to Current Hypotheses. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:77. [PMID: 30283306 PMCID: PMC6156142 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) is a long-range, associative white matter pathway that connects the occipital and temporal-occipital areas of the brain to the anterior temporal areas. In view of the ILF's anatomic connections, it has been suggested that this pathway has a major role in a relatively large array of brain functions. Until recently, however, the literature data on these potential functions were scarce. Here, we review the key findings of recent anatomic, neuromodulation, and neuropsychological studies. We also summarize reports on how this tract is disrupted in a wide range of brain disorders, including psychopathologic, neurodevelopmental, and neurologic diseases. Our review reveals that the ILF is a multilayered, bidirectional tract involved in processing and modulating visual cues and thus in visually guided decisions and behaviors. Accordingly, sudden disruption of the ILF by neurologic insult is mainly associated with neuropsychological impairments of visual cognition (e.g., visual agnosia, prosopagnosia, and alexia). Furthermore, disruption of the ILF may constitute the pathophysiologic basis for visual hallucinations and socio-emotional impairments in schizophrenia, as well as emotional difficulties in autism spectrum disorder. Degeneration of the ILF in neurodegenerative diseases affecting the temporal lobe may explain (at least in part) the gradual onset of semantic and lexical access difficulties. Although some of the functions mediated by the ILF appear to be relatively lateralized, observations from neurosurgery suggest that disruption of the tract's anterior portion can be dynamically compensated for by the contralateral portion. This might explain why bilateral disruption of the ILF in either acute or progressive disease is highly detrimental in neuropsychological terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Herbet
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
- INSERM-1051, Team 4, Saint-Eloi Hospital, Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Ilyess Zemmoura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tours University Medical Center, Tours, France
- UMR 1253, iBrain, INSERM, University of Tours, Tours, France
| | - Hugues Duffau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
- INSERM-1051, Team 4, Saint-Eloi Hospital, Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Im WY, Ha JH, Kim EJ, Cheon KA, Cho J, Song DH. Impaired White Matter Integrity and Social Cognition in High-Function Autism: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Psychiatry Investig 2018; 15:292-299. [PMID: 29486546 PMCID: PMC5900363 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2017.08.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It is known that many of the cognitive and social deficits associated with autism can arise from abnormal functional connectivity between brain networks. This aberrant functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be explained by impaired integrity of white matter tracts that link distant regions of the networks. METHODS We investigated white matter in 9 children with high-function autism (HFA) compared to 13 typically developing controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The aim of this research is to provide supporting evidence for abnormalities in neural connectivity as an underlying pathophysiology of the main characteristics of ASD. RESULTS We found impairment of neural connectivity, mainly in association fiber tracts as evidenced by decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), the index of white matter integrity, of these tracts. Among them, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) had a significant relationship with ADI-R score. The inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) also showed decreased FA. Decreased FA of ILF and SLF had negative correlations with scores of social interaction. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that widespread abnormalities in association fiber tracts may contribute to both core and associated symptoms of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Young Im
- Department of Psychiatry and Myunggok Medical Research Institute, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medicine, the Graduate School of Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hye Ha
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Joo Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Keun-Ah Cheon
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeil Cho
- Yonsei Soul Psychiatric Clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Ho Song
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Ruan ZL, Liu L, Strodl E, Fan LJ, Yin XN, Wen GM, Sun DL, Xian DX, Jiang H, Jing J, Jin Y, Wu CA, Chen WQ. Antenatal Training with Music and Maternal Talk Concurrently May Reduce Autistic-Like Behaviors at around 3 Years of Age. Front Psychiatry 2017; 8:305. [PMID: 29375407 PMCID: PMC5768643 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Antenatal training through music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus is a topic of general interest for parents-to-be in China, but we still lack a comprehensive assessment of their effects on the development of autistic-like behaviors during early childhood. During 2014-2016, 34,749 parents of children around the age of 3 years who were enrolled at kindergarten in the Longhua district of Shenzhen participated in this study. Self-administered questionnaires regarding demographics, antenatal music training, and maternal talk to the fetus during pregnancy were completed by the children's primary caregivers. Autistic-like behaviors were assessed using the Autism Behavioral Checklist. Tobit regression analyses revealed that antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus was associated with a reduction in autistic-like behaviors in children, with a dose-dependent relationship. Furthermore, factorial analysis of covariance indicated a significant interaction effect between antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus on the autistic-like behaviors and found that children who often experienced antenatal music training and maternal talk concurrently had the lowest risk of autistic-like behaviors, while children who were never exposed to maternal talk and only sometimes experienced antenatal music training had the highest risk. Our results suggest that antenatal training through both music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus might reduce the risk of children's autistic-like behaviors at around 3 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeng-Liang Ruan
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Esben Strodl
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Li-Jun Fan
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Na Yin
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guo-Min Wen
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Deng-Li Sun
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan-Xia Xian
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Jin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuan-An Wu
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei-Qing Chen
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Information Management, Xinhua College of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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