1
|
Parvan M, Nozari M, Shabani M, Nozari H, Kohlmeier KA, Mohammadi S. Effects of agmatine on radial-arm maze memory performance and autistic-like behaviors in a male rat model of autism. Birth Defects Res 2024; 116:e2379. [PMID: 38958465 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2379] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the fastest-growing child neuropsychiatric condition. Cognitive dysfunctions such as memory impairments are experienced by patients along with social disturbances and repetitive/stereotypic movements. We have used the radial arm maze (RAM), for measurement of working and reference memory errors in an animal model of autism. In addition, the potential effects of agmatine, an endogenous NMDA antagonist, on RAM performance and autistic-like behaviors were assessed. METHODS Autism was modeled by valproic acid (VPA) administration at gestational Day 12.5. Autism-associated behaviors in male offspring were examined in an open field test (OFT) and three-chambered test (TCT) on postnatal days 50-51. Thereafter, the animals were trained in the RAM (PND 55) until they attained the criteria of 80% correct choices during five consecutive trials. Forty-eight hours after the acquisition of criteria, agmatine was injected 30 min before subsequent behavioral testing, which included the retention phase of the RAM, OFT, and TCT. RESULTS VPA-treated and intact rats showed the same performance in RAM, and acute injection of agmatine rescued social and anxiety-like behavior induced by VPA without the effect on RAM. CONCLUSION In a rat model of autism, spatial learning, and memory did not change. Agmatine rescued social and anxiety-like behavior in autistic animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahdieh Parvan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Nozari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hojat Nozari
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Kristi Anne Kohlmeier
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Somayeh Mohammadi
- Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Astle DE, Bassett DS, Viding E. Understanding divergence: Placing developmental neuroscience in its dynamic context. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105539. [PMID: 38211738 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Neurodevelopment is not merely a process of brain maturation, but an adaptation to constraints unique to each individual and to the environments we co-create. However, our theoretical and methodological toolkits often ignore this reality. There is growing awareness that a shift is needed that allows us to study divergence of brain and behaviour across conventional categorical boundaries. However, we argue that in future our study of divergence must also incorporate the developmental dynamics that capture the emergence of those neurodevelopmental differences. This crucial step will require adjustments in study design and methodology. If our ultimate aim is to incorporate the developmental dynamics that capture how, and ultimately when, divergence takes place then we will need an analytic toolkit equal to these ambitions. We argue that the over reliance on group averages has been a conceptual dead-end with regard to the neurodevelopmental differences. This is in part because any individual differences and developmental dynamics are inevitably lost within the group average. Instead, analytic approaches which are themselves new, or simply newly applied within this context, may allow us to shift our theoretical and methodological frameworks from groups to individuals. Likewise, methods capable of modelling complex dynamic systems may allow us to understand the emergent dynamics only possible at the level of an interacting neural system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Duncan E Astle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Dani S Bassett
- Departments of Bioengineering, Electrical & Systems Engineering, Physics & Astronomy, Neurology, and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, United States; The Santa Fe Institute, United States
| | - Essi Viding
- Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Peristeri E, Kamona X, Varlokosta S. The Acquisition of Relative Clauses in Autism: The Role of Executive Functions and Language. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06159-4. [PMID: 37898582 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06159-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Relative clauses present a well-known processing asymmetry between object-extracted and subject-extracted dependencies across both typical and atypical populations. The present study aimed at exploring the comprehension of object and subject relative clauses as conceptualized by the Relativized Minimality framework in autistic children and in a group of age- and IQ-matched typically-developing children. The study also explored the way performance in relative clauses would be affected by the children's language and executive function skills. METHOD Relative clause comprehension was tested through a sentence-picture matching task and language was tested with a receptive vocabulary task. Executive functions were assessed through backward digit recall and a Flanker test. RESULTS Object relative clauses were harder to parse for both groups than subject relatives, while number mismatch between the moved object Noun Phrase and the intervening subject Noun Phrase in object relatives boosted both groups' performances. Typically-developing children's performance in object relatives was predicted by both language and executive functions, while autistic children failed to use language and did not systematically draw on their executive functions in object relative clause comprehension. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that relative clause processing in autism follows a normal developmental trajectory, and that difficulty with parsing object relative clauses stems from reduced language and executive functions rather than deficits in the children's morphosyntactic skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Peristeri
- School of English, Faculty of Philosophy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece.
| | - Xanthi Kamona
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Philology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Spyridoula Varlokosta
- Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Philology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Le Donne I, Attanasio M, Bologna A, Vagnetti R, Masedu F, Valenti M, Mazza M. Autism and intention attribution test: a non-verbal evaluation with comic strips. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2023; 22:29. [PMID: 37573317 PMCID: PMC10422844 DOI: 10.1186/s12991-023-00461-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mentalization being two words often associated in the literature, the assessment of this ability in individuals with ASD in the clinical setting is still limited. Indeed, there are no standardized Theory of Mind (ToM) tests that are adaptable to different cognitive profiles, such as individuals with language poverty, and intellectual or memory impairments. This study proposes a non-verbal test (Intentions Attribution-Comic Strip Test; IA-CST) to evaluate the ability to infer the intentions of others, a basic component of ToM, in the clinical setting. METHOD In Study 1, the test was administered to 261 healthy individuals and we performed structural validation using Exploratory Graph Analysis. In Study 2, the final version of the test was administered to 32 individuals with ASD to assess the known group validity of the measure by comparing their scores with a sample of IQ-matched controls. Moreover, we performed logistic regression and ROC curve to preliminarily assess the diagnostic performance of the IA-CST. RESULTS The IA-CST resulted in a 3-dimension measure with good structural stability. Group comparison indicated that the ASD group shows significantly lower performance in intention attribution but not in inferring causal consequences. The test demonstrated known group validity and that, preliminarily, it is suitable for implementation within the clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS The results support the IA-CST as a valid non-verbal task for evaluating intentions attribution in the clinical setting. Difficulties in ToM are early and relevant in ASD, so assessing these aspects is valuable for structuring individualized and evidence-based interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Le Donne
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - Margherita Attanasio
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Antony Bologna
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Francesco Masedu
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, Località Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hartston M, Avidan G, Pertzov Y, Hadad BS. Weaker face recognition in adults with autism arises from perceptually based alterations. Autism Res 2023; 16:723-733. [PMID: 36691922 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2893] [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: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Face recognition has been shown to be impaired in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, it is still debated whether these face processing deficits arise from perceptually based alterations. We tested individuals with ASD and matched typically developing (TD) individuals using a delayed estimation task in which a single target face was shown either upright or inverted. Participants selected a face that best resembled the target face out of a cyclic space of morphed faces. To enable the disentanglement of visual from mnemonic processing, reports were required either following a 1 and 6 second retention interval, or simultaneously while the target face was still visible. Individuals with ASD made significantly more errors than TD individuals in both the simultaneous and delayed intervals, indicating that face recognition deficits in autism are also perceptual rather than strictly memory based. Moreover, individuals with ASD exhibited weaker inversion effects than the TD individuals, on all retention intervals. This finding, that was mostly evident in precision errors, suggests that contrary to the more precise representations of upright faces in TD individuals, individuals with ASD exhibit similar levels of precision for inverted and upright faces, for both simultaneous and delayed conditions. These results suggest that weakened memory for faces reported in ASD may be secondary to an underlying perceptual deficit in face processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Hartston
- Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Galia Avidan
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Yoni Pertzov
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Bat-Sheva Hadad
- Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.,Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Centre, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
O'Brien AM, Perrachione TK, Wisman Weil L, Sanchez Araujo Y, Halverson K, Harris A, Ostrovskaya I, Kjelgaard M, Kenneth Wexler, Tager-Flusberg H, Gabrieli JDE, Qi Z. Altered engagement of the speech motor network is associated with reduced phonological working memory in autism. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 37:103299. [PMID: 36584426 PMCID: PMC9830373 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nonword repetition, a common clinical measure of phonological working memory, involves component processes of speech perception, working memory, and speech production. Autistic children often show behavioral challenges in nonword repetition, as do many individuals with communication disorders. It is unknown which subprocesses of phonological working memory are vulnerable in autistic individuals, and whether the same brain processes underlie the transdiagnostic difficulty with nonword repetition. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the brain bases for nonword repetition challenges in autism. We compared activation during nonword repetition in functional brain networks subserving speech perception, working memory, and speech production between neurotypical and autistic children. Autistic children performed worse than neurotypical children on nonword repetition and had reduced activation in response to increasing phonological working memory load in the supplementary motor area. Multivoxel pattern analysis within the speech production network classified shorter vs longer nonword-repetition trials less accurately for autistic than neurotypical children. These speech production motor-specific differences were not observed in a group of children with reading disability who had similarly reduced nonword repetition behavior. These findings suggest that atypical function in speech production brain regions may contribute to nonword repetition difficulties in autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M O'Brien
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
| | - Tyler K Perrachione
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, USA
| | - Lisa Wisman Weil
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Emerson College, USA
| | | | - Kelly Halverson
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Houston, USA
| | - Adrianne Harris
- The Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Margaret Kjelgaard
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bridgewater State University, USA
| | - Kenneth Wexler
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA; Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
| | | | - John D E Gabrieli
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
| | - Zhenghan Qi
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders & Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mihailescu I, Andrei LE, Frunza AA, Manea M, Rad F. Computer-Based Assessment and Self-Report Measures of Executive Functions in High-Functioning Adults with Autism. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081069. [PMID: 36009132 PMCID: PMC9405696 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study analyzes the profile of executive functions (EF) in high-functioning adults with autism (HFA), both in terms of performance on four computer-based tasks, as well as how these functions are perceived by the individuals through self-reporting measures. The study included 64 participants: 32 individuals with HFA, and 32 typically developing controls. Four CANTAB tasks were used (assessing spatial working memory, planning, visual memory, and inhibition), as well as a self-reported measure of executive functions (BDEFS) and a scale for the severity of autism symptoms (RAADS-R). The participants in the ASD group performed significantly lower than the control group on all four computer-based tasks, as measured by the total number of errors made (for the spatial working memory, visual memory, and inhibition tasks) and the number of problems solved at the first choice (for the planning task). No correlation was found in the ASD group between the severity of autism symptoms and the computer-based measures. These findings provide evidence that HFA adults may have various executive functioning impairments, and subsequent daily life problems, but these deficits do not necessarily correlate with the severity of core ASD symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilinca Mihailescu
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia” Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence: (I.M.); (L.E.A.); Tel.: +40-726778518 (I.M.); +40-755423922 (L.E.A.)
| | - Lucia Emanuela Andrei
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence: (I.M.); (L.E.A.); Tel.: +40-726778518 (I.M.); +40-755423922 (L.E.A.)
| | - Alina Alexandra Frunza
- Psychiatry Department, Mina Minovici National Institute of Legal Medicine, 042122 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mirela Manea
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Psychiatry, “Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia” Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florina Rad
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hernández Finch ME, Trammell B, Hulse AR, Finch WH, Wildrick A, Floyd EF, Pittenger J, McIntosh DE. Relationship of executive functioning and memory to autism symptomology and adaptive functioning: Implications for reducing future underemployment. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Beth Trammell
- Department of Psychology Indiana University East Richmond Indiana USA
| | - Asia R. Hulse
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| | - William H. Finch
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| | - Aimee Wildrick
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| | - Elizabeth F. Floyd
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| | - Jenna Pittenger
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| | - David E. McIntosh
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lynn A, Luna B, O'Hearn K. Visual working memory performance is intact across development in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2022; 15:881-891. [PMID: 35128834 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical visual processing and deficits in working memory (WM). Visual WM performance typically improves between childhood and adulthood, but such improvement may be atypical in ASD. To better understand how visual WM develops, we used a well-established change detection task across multiple visual features. We examined visual WM for color, shape, and pattern in children, adolescents, and adults with and without ASD. VWM capacity and performance for all visual features improved across age similarly for both the TD and ASD groups. While performance was better on set size 4 trials than set size 8 trials for color, shape, and no change trials, such an effect was not evident for pattern change trials. Overall, the present findings suggest that VWM for different visual features may be intact across development in ASD. The ability to hold multiple objects in mind (WM) improves across typical development, but it remains unclear whether such improvement occurs in ASD. We found that developmental improvements in WM for different types of object details (e.g., color, shape, and pattern) is generally similar for both ASD and typical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Lynn
- Department of Psychology & Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kirsten O'Hearn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
What Ability Can Predict Mathematics Performance in Typically Developing Preschoolers and Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder? J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:2062-2077. [PMID: 35113327 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05454-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Research evaluating predictors of mathematics ability in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is scarce and inconclusive. The present study first compared the mathematics ability and cognitive abilities of preschoolers with ASD and age-matched typically developing (TD) peers. Then, we examined the relative contributions of cognitive abilities to the mathematics ability of preschoolers with ASD and TD. The results show that compared to those of their age-matched TD peers, the mathematics and cognitive abilities of preschoolers with ASD were impaired. The predictors of mathematics ability were found to differ among preschoolers with ASD and their age-matched TD peers. For TD preschoolers, the domain-specific approximate number system (ANS) was the key predictor of mathematics ability. For preschoolers with ASD, domain-general working memory (WM) was most important.
Collapse
|
11
|
Rasmussen JM, Graham AM, Gyllenhammer LE, Entringer S, Chow DS, O’Connor TG, Fair DA, Wadhwa PD, Buss C. Neuroanatomical Correlates Underlying the Association Between Maternal Interleukin 6 Concentration During Pregnancy and Offspring Fluid Reasoning Performance in Early Childhood. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:24-33. [PMID: 33766778 PMCID: PMC8458517 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal inflammation during pregnancy can alter offspring brain development and influence risk for disorders commonly accompanied by deficits in cognitive functioning. We therefore examined associations between maternal interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentrations during pregnancy and offspring cognitive ability and concurrent magnetic resonance imaging-based measures of brain anatomy in early childhood. We further examined newborn brain anatomy in secondary analyses to consider whether effects are evident soon after birth and to increase capacity to differentiate effects of pre- versus postnatal exposures. METHODS IL-6 concentrations were quantified in early (12.6 ± 2.8 weeks), mid (20.4 ± 1.5 weeks), and late (30.3 ± 1.3 weeks) pregnancy. Offspring nonverbal fluid intelligence (Gf) was assessed at 5.2 ± 0.6 years using a spatial reasoning task (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Matrix) (n = 49). T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired at birth (n = 89, postmenstrual age = 42.9 ± 2.0 weeks) and in early childhood (n = 42, scan age = 5.1 ± 1.0 years). Regional cortical volumes were examined for a joint association between maternal IL-6 and offspring Gf performance. RESULTS Average maternal IL-6 concentration during pregnancy was inversely associated with offspring Gf performance after adjusting for socioeconomic status and the quality of the caregiving and learning environment (R2 = 13%; p = .02). Early-childhood pars triangularis volume was jointly associated with maternal IL-6 and childhood Gf (pcorrected < .001). An association also was observed between maternal IL-6 and newborn pars triangularis volume (R2 = 6%; p = .02). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the origins of variation in child cognitive ability can, in part, trace back to maternal conditions during the intrauterine period of life and support the role of inflammation as an important component of this putative biological pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerod M. Rasmussen
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Corresponding Authors: Claudia Buss, PhD, Institute for Medical Psychology, Charité University Medicine, Luisenstr. 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Tel: +49 (0)30 450 529 222, Fax: +49 (0)30 450 529 990, ; Jerod M. Rasmussen, PhD., UC Irvine Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 3117 Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility (GNRF), 837 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92697,
| | - Alice M. Graham
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience,Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, 97239, United States
| | - Lauren E. Gyllenhammer
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Department of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel S. Chow
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697
| | - Thomas G. O’Connor
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience and Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA 14642
| | - Damien A. Fair
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience,Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR, 97239, United States
| | - Pathik D. Wadhwa
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697
| | - Claudia Buss
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California, USA 92697.,Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Department of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany.,Corresponding Authors: Claudia Buss, PhD, Institute for Medical Psychology, Charité University Medicine, Luisenstr. 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Tel: +49 (0)30 450 529 222, Fax: +49 (0)30 450 529 990, ; Jerod M. Rasmussen, PhD., UC Irvine Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 3117 Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility (GNRF), 837 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92697,
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Montgomery L, Chondrogianni V, Fletcher-Watson S, Rabagliati H, Sorace A, Davis R. Measuring the Impact of Bilingualism on Executive Functioning Via Inhibitory Control Abilities in Autistic Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:3560-3573. [PMID: 34406588 PMCID: PMC9296418 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05234-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
One factor that may influence how executive functions develop is exposure to more than one language in childhood. This study explored the impact of bilingualism on inhibitory control in autistic (n = 38) and non-autistic children (n = 51). Bilingualism was measured on a continuum of exposure to investigate the effects of language environment on two facets of inhibitory control. Behavioural control of motor impulses was modulated positively through increased bilingual exposure, irrespective of diagnostic status, but bilingual exposure did not significantly affect inhibition involving visual attention. The results partially support the hypothesis that bilingual exposure differentially affects components of inhibitory control and provides important evidence for families that bilingualism is not detrimental to their development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Montgomery
- The Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, 5th Floor, Kennedy Tower, Morningside Place, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Vicky Chondrogianni
- School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Sue Fletcher-Watson
- The Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, 5th Floor, Kennedy Tower, Morningside Place, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Hugh Rabagliati
- School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Antonella Sorace
- School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Rachael Davis
- The Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, 5th Floor, Kennedy Tower, Morningside Place, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wagle S, Ghosh A, Karthic P, Ghosh A, Pervaiz T, Kapoor R, Patil K, Gupta N. Development and testing of a game-based digital intervention for working memory training in autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13800. [PMID: 34226615 PMCID: PMC8257736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93258-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is prevalent globally, yet it lacks cost-effective treatment approaches. Deficits in executive functions occur frequently in autism spectrum disorder and present a target for intervention. Here we report the design and development of five smartphone-based games for training working memory in children with ASD. These open-source games, available free of cost to the community, were designed to match the behavioral preferences and sensorimotor abilities of children with ASD. We then conducted a preliminary trial to test the effectiveness of a month-long intervention using these games. Although we did not see a significant change in the working memory of all children with a month-long training, children who performed better on the games also showed more improvement in their working memory, suggesting that a longer intervention with the games might be useful in improving working memory. Using a Hindi translation of the autism treatment evaluation checklist, we also tested the collateral gains of the training in reducing autistic symptoms. We found no significant change in the autistic symptoms after the intervention. Further, there was no correlation between the change in the working memory and the change in the autistic symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Surbhit Wagle
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Arka Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - P Karthic
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Akriti Ghosh
- Amrita School for Special Children and Rehabilitation Center, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208005, India
| | - Tarana Pervaiz
- Amrita School for Special Children and Rehabilitation Center, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208005, India
| | - Rashmi Kapoor
- Amrita School for Special Children and Rehabilitation Center, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208005, India
- Regency Hospital Limited, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208005, India
| | - Koumudi Patil
- Design Program and Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Nitin Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
- Cognitive Science Program, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
- Mehta Family Center for Engineering in Medicine, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Coburn KL, Williams DL. Brief Report: Visuospatial and Spoken Language Recall in Autism: Preliminary Findings. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2831-2837. [PMID: 34181142 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05143-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Challenges to verbal encoding may affect the ability of autistic individuals to express their ideas. Therefore, visuospatial expression may represent a person's knowledge and skills more accurately than spoken language. To test this hypothesis, we asked seven autistic adults to linguistically retell and visuospatially reenact several animated clips. On average, visuospatial responses contained more correct elements than spoken responses. The level of intention of the three stimulus categories did not systematically affect response accuracy. Participants who produced visuospatial responses before spoken responses and those who had watched a greater number of stimuli assigned higher intentionality to shapes in the animations that were designed to elicit mentalizing. The modality used for expression may affect accuracy of responses by autistic individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L Coburn
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, 308 Ford Building, University Park, PA, 16801, USA.
| | - Diane L Williams
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, 308 Ford Building, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kuijper SJM, Hartman CA, Hendriks P. Children's Pronoun Interpretation Problems Are Related to Theory of Mind and Inhibition, But Not Working Memory. Front Psychol 2021; 12:610401. [PMID: 34149504 PMCID: PMC8212991 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.610401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In several languages, including English and Dutch, children’s acquisition of the interpretation of object pronouns (e.g., him) is delayed compared to that of reflexives (e.g., himself). Various syntactic and pragmatic explanations have been proposed to account for this delay in children’s acquisition of pronoun interpretation. This study aims to provide more insight into this delay by investigating potential cognitive mechanisms underlying this delay. Dutch-speaking children between 6 and 12 years old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 47), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 36) or typical development (TD; n = 38) were tested on their interpretation and production of object pronouns and reflexives and on theory of mind, working memory, and response inhibition. It was found that all three groups of children had difficulty with pronoun interpretation and that their performance on pronoun interpretation was associated with theory of mind and inhibition. These findings support an explanation of object pronoun interpretation in terms of perspective taking, according to which listeners need to consider the speaker’s perspective in order to block coreference between the object pronoun and the subject of the same sentence. Unlike what is predicted by alternative theoretical accounts, performance on pronoun interpretation was not associated with working memory, and the children made virtually no errors in their production of object pronouns. As the difficulties with pronoun interpretation were similar for children with ASD, children with ADHD and typically developing children, this suggests that certain types of perspective taking are unaffected in children with ASD and ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanne J M Kuijper
- Inclusive and Special Needs Education Unit, Department of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Catharina A Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Petra Hendriks
- Center for Language and Cognition Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Edmunds SR, Colman C, Vidal P, Faja S. Brief Report: Examining the Links Between Language Processes and Working Memory Impairments in Toddlers and Preschoolers with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1872-1880. [PMID: 33959845 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05049-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in working memory have not been fully explored in toddlers and preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We investigated the relationship between language (verbal ability, verbal self-talk) and visuospatial working memory in 2- and 4-year-olds with ASD (n = 65) and typical development (TD) (n = 54). Children with ASD displayed impairments in working memory and verbal ability, but not verbal self-talk, compared to TD peers. Verbal ability and working memory were positively correlated; this association was stronger for children with ASD. For 2-year-olds, self-talk and working memory were negatively correlated. Results suggest that verbal ability and working memory are linked, especially for young children with ASD. Self-talk may be a compensatory strategy for toddlers with less developed working memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Edmunds
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, AU459, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Carly Colman
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, AU459, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Paige Vidal
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, AU459, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Susan Faja
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, AU459, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Udhnani MD, Kenworthy L, Wallace GL, Yerys BE. Brief Report: Performance-Based Executive Functioning Abilities are Associated with Caregiver Report of Adaptive Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:4541-4547. [PMID: 32333300 PMCID: PMC7584745 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04505-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Executive functioning is thought to contribute to adaptive behavior skills development in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, supporting data are largely based on caregiver reports of executive functioning. The current study evaluated whether performance-based measures of executive functioning (working memory and inhibition) explained unique variance in parent-reported adaptive functioning among youth with ASD without an intellectual disability. Both spatial and verbal working memory were associated with adaptive functioning, particularly communication and daily living skills. Our findings demonstrate a robust relationship between working memory and adaptive functioning that translates across different measurement modalities. This preliminary study highlights that targeting executive functioning may be a critical component of an adaptive function training program.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manisha D Udhnani
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Lauren Kenworthy
- Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children's National, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Benjamin E Yerys
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Gordon A, Krug MK, Wulff R, Elliott MV, Hogeveen J, Lesh T, Carter C, Solomon M. Components of Executive Control in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Examination of Dual-Mechanism Accounts. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:792-801. [PMID: 33558195 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It remains unclear whether executive control (EC) deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent a failure in proactive EC (engaged and maintained before a cognitively demanding event) or in reactive EC (engaged transiently as the event occurs). We addressed this question by administering a paradigm investigating components of EC in a sample of individuals with ASD and typically developing individuals during functional magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS During functional magnetic resonance imaging, 141 participants (64 ASD, 77 typically developing) completed a rapid preparing to overcome prepotency task that required participants to respond to an arrow probe based on the color of an initially presented cue. We examined functional recruitment and connectivity in the frontoparietal task control, cingulo-opercular task control, salience, and default mode networks during cue and probe phases of the task. RESULTS ASD participants showed evidence of behavioral EC impairment. Analyses of functional recruitment and connectivity revealed that ASD participants showed significantly greater activity during the cue in networks associated with proactive control processes, but on the less cognitively demanding trials. On the more cognitively demanding trials, cue activity was similar across groups. During the probe, connectivity between regions associated with reactive control processes was uniquely enhanced on more-demanding (relative to less-demanding) trials in individuals with ASD but not in typically developing individuals. CONCLUSIONS The current data suggest that rather than arising from a specific failure to engage proactive or reactive forms of EC, the deficits in EC commonly observed in ASD may be due to reduced proactive EC and a consequent overreliance on reactive EC on more cognitively demanding tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gordon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of California, Davis, Sacramento.
| | - Marie K Krug
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of California, Davis, Sacramento
| | - Rachel Wulff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of California, Davis, Sacramento
| | - Matthew V Elliott
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
| | - Jeremy Hogeveen
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Tyler Lesh
- Imaging Research Center, Sacramento, California
| | | | - Marjorie Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of California, Davis, Sacramento; Imaging Research Center, Sacramento, California
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Theory of Mind, Executive Functions, and Syntax in Bilingual Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. LANGUAGES 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/languages5040067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Impairments in Theory of Mind (ToM) are a core feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ToM may be enhanced by various factors, including bilingualism, executive functions (EF), and complex syntax. This work investigates the language-cognition interface in ASD by exploring whether ToM can be enhanced by bilingualism, whether such ToM boosts would be due to EF or syntax, and whether routes to mentalizing would differ between bilinguals and monolinguals on the spectrum. Twenty-seven monolingual Greek-speaking and twenty-nine bilingual Albanian-Greek children with ASD were tested on ToM reasoning in verbal and low-verbal ToM tasks, an executive function 2-back task, and a sentence repetition task. Results revealed that bilingual children with ASD performed better than monolinguals with ASD in the low-verbal ToM and the 2-back tasks. In the sentence repetition task, bilinguals scored higher than monolinguals in complex sentences, and specifically in adverbials and relatives. Regarding the relations between ToM, EF, and sentence repetition, the monolingual group’s performance in the verbal ToM tasks was associated with complement syntax, whereas, for the bilingual children with ASD, performance in both verbal and low-verbal ToM tasks was associated with EF and adverbial clause repetition. The overall pattern of results suggests that mentalizing may follow distinct pathways across the two groups.
Collapse
|
20
|
Krishnamurthy K, Yeung MK, Chan AS, Han YMY. Effortful Control and Prefrontal Cortex Functioning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An fNIRS Study. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E880. [PMID: 33233632 PMCID: PMC7699801 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Effortful control (EC) is an important dimension of temperament, but is impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While EC is associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning in typically developing (TD) children, it is unclear whether EC deficits are associated with PFC dysfunction in ASD. This study examines the relationship between EC and PFC activation and connectivity in children with high-functioning ASD. Thirty-nine right-handed children (ASD: n = 20; TD: n = 19) aged 8-12 years were recruited. The EC level was assessed with the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R), and PFC functioning, in terms of activation and connectivity during a frontal-sensitive (n-back) task, was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Children with ASD showed a significant deficit in EC and its related constructs (i.e., executive, and socioemotional functions) compared to TD controls. They also showed significantly increased overall PFC activation and reduced right frontal connectivity during the n-back task. Among children with ASD, the EC level correlated significantly with neither PFC activation nor connectivity; it significantly correlated with social functioning only. This study demonstrated EC deficits and altered PFC functioning in children with ASD, but the exact neural basis of EC deficits remains to be determined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karthikeyan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China; (K.K.); (M.K.Y.)
| | - Michael K. Yeung
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China; (K.K.); (M.K.Y.)
| | - Agnes S. Chan
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Yvonne M. Y. Han
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China; (K.K.); (M.K.Y.)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Bochynska A, Coventry KR, Vulchanov V, Vulchanova M. Tell me where it is: Selective difficulties in spatial language on the autism spectrum. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 24:1740-1757. [PMID: 32498589 PMCID: PMC7545647 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320921040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT How we think and talk about space is an essential ability, necessary for understanding the world around us. We recruit spatial thinking every day when finding our way or using tools but also in more advanced tasks, such as reading complex graphs or maps. We do so also in daily communication when we use spatial language, terms such as under, over, to the left of or in front of, and when we give instructions. Spatial terms appear in children's early vocabularies and continue to develop until late childhood or even early adolescence. Because spatial language develops over many years, some spatial terms are mastered very early, whereas others take longer to acquire. In the current set of studies, we tested how intellectually high-functioning children and adults on the autism spectrum use and understand these early- and late-acquired spatial terms in comparison to typically developing age-matched individuals. We found that children and adults on the autism spectrum experience difficulties with the use of some spatial terms (e.g. near and far or out of and down off) but not with others, which are acquired early (e.g. in and on or over and under). We also found that remembering spatial terms from short stories was more difficult for the individuals on the autism spectrum compared with typically developing individuals. These results reveal difficulties that can profoundly affect everyday communication of children and adults on the autism spectrum but also open new directions of research on language development in autism spectrum disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agata Bochynska
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
- New York University, USA
| | | | | | - Mila Vulchanova
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Yeung MK, Chan AS. Executive function, motivation, and emotion recognition in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2020; 105:103730. [PMID: 32682219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several neurocognitive theories have been put forward to explain autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the specificity of executive cognitive, motivational (i.e., reward-related), and emotion-recognition impairments in ASD, and the role of early language delay in these impairments remain largely unclear. AIM This study aimed to examine executive cognitive, motivational, and emotion-recognition functions while considering the potential effect of language delay in ASD. METHODS Twenty-two adolescents with high-functioning ASD (20 males) and 22 typically developing (TD) adolescents (16 males) aged 11-18 years were recruited. Each completed seven computerized tasks measuring executive cognitive (i.e., set-shifting, inhibition, updating, and access/generativity), motivational (i.e., flexible reinforcement learning and affective decision-making), and emotion-recognition functions (i.e., facial emotion recognition). RESULTS We found that ASD participants with early language delay (n = 10) had poorer executive cognitive, motivational, and emotion-recognition functioning than TD controls, and had poorer executive cognitive and motivational functioning than ASD participants without language delay (n = 12). ASD participants without language delay only had poorer emotion recognition than TD controls. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS These preliminary findings suggest impairments in executive cognitive and motivational functions as well as emotion recognition in ASD with language delay, and impairment only in emotion recognition in ASD without language delay. They implicate a potential partial distinction in mental abilities between ASD with and without early language delay, highlighting the importance of considering language delay when evaluating executive cognitive and motivational functions in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Yeung
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Agnes S Chan
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Chanwuyi Research Center for Neuropsychological Well-Being, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Li S, Hu J, Chang R, Li Q, Wan P, Liu S. Eye Movements of Spatial Working Memory Encoding in Children with and without Autism: Chunking Processing and Reference Preference. Autism Res 2020; 14:897-910. [PMID: 32959979 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience spatial working memory deficits and show different encoding mechanisms from typical developing (TD) peers. To effectively describe the encoding strategies of those with ASD and highlight their characteristics in cognitive processing, we adopted improved change detection tasks and added eye-movement indicators to investigate the chunking function and reference preference of children with and without ASD. The current study included 20 participants with ASD aged 8-16 and 20 TD children matched for age, gender, and intelligence. Experiment 1 used high/low-structured change detection tasks, and eye-movement indexes were recorded as they memorized the locations of the items to investigate spatial chunking strategies. In Experiment 2, changes in eye movement patterns were observed by adding a frame of reference. The results suggested different encoding strategies in ASD and TD individuals. The ASD group showed local processing bias and had difficulty adopting chunking strategies in spatial working memory. Eye-movement analysis suggested that they rarely showed integrated information processing tendency observed in TD children. Moreover, as a compensatory processing, they were more likely to use the frame of reference. In this study, we compared the spatial chunking strategies and reference preference of children with and without ASD, and eye-movement analysis was used to investigate the processing mechanism. These findings are significant for research on cognitive characteristics of ASD and provide a new focus for working memory training in children with ASD. LAY SUMMARY: The current study suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder are poorer at organizing items into chunks in spatial working memory, but rely more on reference frames. If the purpose of location memory is to strengthen the adaptability of children with autism, it should provide them with more clues or references. If it is for the purpose of intervention such as cognitive training, it should guide them to integrate information to improve the basic cognitive processing efficiency. Autism Res 2021, 14: 897-910. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Songze Li
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Jinsheng Hu
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Ruosong Chang
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Peng Wan
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Shuqing Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Petrolini V, Jorba M, Vicente A. The Role of Inner Speech in Executive Functioning Tasks: Schizophrenia With Auditory Verbal Hallucinations and Autistic Spectrum Conditions as Case Studies. Front Psychol 2020; 11:572035. [PMID: 33041942 PMCID: PMC7527436 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Several theories propose that one of the core functions of inner speech (IS) is to support subjects in the completion of cognitively effortful tasks, especially those involving executive functions (EF). In this paper we focus on two populations who notoriously encounter difficulties in performing EF tasks, namely, people diagnosed with schizophrenia who experience auditory verbal hallucinations (Sz-AVH) and people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). We focus on these two populations because they represent two different ways in which IS can fail to help in EF tasks, which can be illustrative for other mental conditions. First, we review the main components of EF (see section "Executive Functions"). Then we explain the functions that IS is taken to perform in the domain of EF (see section "Inner Speech and Executive Functions") and review the evidence concerning problems about EF in the two populations of our study: Sz-AVH (see section "Executive Functions and Inner Speech in Sz-AVH") and ASC (see section "Executive Function and Inner Speech in ASC"). After this we further detail our account about what a properly functioning IS can do for both populations and how different IS profiles may impact EF performance: in the case of Sz-AVH, the uncontrolled and intrusive character of IS negatively affects EF performance, whereas in ASC, EF is not sufficiently supported by IS, given the tendency in this population to present a diminished use of IS (see section "IS in ASC and Sz-AVH: How It Relates to EF"). We finally briefly discuss Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Language Disorders (DLD) (see section "Further Considerations").
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Petrolini
- Centro de Investigación Micaela Portilla, Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Marta Jorba
- Centro de Investigación Micaela Portilla, Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Agustín Vicente
- Centro de Investigación Micaela Portilla, Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Ring M, Guillery-Girard B, Quinette P, Gaigg SB, Bowler DM. Short-Term Memory Span and Cross-Modality Integration in Younger and Older Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:1970-1984. [PMID: 32926571 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This study tested whether adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show the same pattern of difficulties and absence of age-related differences in short-term memory (STM) as those that have been reported in episodic long-term memory (LTM). Fifty-three adults with ASD (age range: 25-65 years) were compared to 52 age-, biological sex-, and intelligence-matched typically developing (TD; age range: 21-67 years) adults on three STM span tasks, which tested STM performance for letters (Verbal), grid locations (Visuospatial), or letters in grid locations (Multimodal). A subsample of 34 TD and 33 ASD participants ranging in age from 25 to 64 years completed a fourth Multimodal Integration task. We also administered the Color Trails Test as a measure of executive function. ASD participants' accuracy was lower than that of the TD participants on the three span tasks (Cohen's d: 0.26-0.50). The Integration task difference was marginally significant (p = .07) but had a moderate effect size (Cohen's d = 0.50). Regression analyses confirmed reduced STM performance only for older TD participants. Analyses also indicated that executive processes played a greater role in the ASD group's performance. The demonstration of similar difficulties and age-related patterning of STM in ASD to those documented for LTM and the greater recruitment of executive processes by older ASD participants on the Integration task suggest a compensatory role of frontal processes both as a means of achieving undiminished task performance and as a possible protection against older age cognitive decline in ASD. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm this. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1970-1984. © 2020 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC. LAY SUMMARY: Little is known about short-term memory (STM) in younger and older adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study tested different kinds of STM and showed that ASD adults remembered shorter sequences of letters, crosses, or letters in grid cells less well than matched participants with typical development. However, older ASD individuals performed similarly to younger ASD individuals, nor showing the reduction in performance usually seen with older age. The data suggest that ASD individuals use different underlying mechanisms when performing the tasks and that this might help protect their memory as they grow older.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Ring
- Clinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
| | - Bérengère Guillery-Girard
- Normandie Univ., UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Peggy Quinette
- Normandie Univ., UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Sebastian B Gaigg
- Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
| | - Dermot M Bowler
- Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Trimarco B, Manti F, Nardecchia F, Melogno S, Testa M, Meledandri G, Carducci C, Penge R, Leuzzi V. Executive functioning, adaptive skills, emotional and behavioral profile: A comparison between autism spectrum disorder and phenylketonuria. Mol Genet Metab Rep 2020; 23:100577. [PMID: 32181141 PMCID: PMC7066217 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgmr.2020.100577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Influential theories maintain that some of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) core symptoms may arise from deficits in executive functions (EF). EF deficits are also considered a neuropsychological marker of early treated individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU). Aims of this study were: to verify the occurrence and patterns of specific EF impairments in both clinical groups; to explore the coexistence of EF alterations with adaptive, behavioral and emotional problems in each clinical condition. MATERIAL AND METHODS We assessed EF, adaptive, behavioral and emotional profile in 21 participants with ASD, 15 early treated PKU individuals, comparable for age and IQ, and 14 controls, comparable for age to the clinical groups (age range: 7-14 years). RESULTS ASD and PKU participants presented two different, but partially overlapping patterns of EF impairment. While ASD participants showed a specific deficit in cognitive flexibility only, PKU individuals showed a more extensive impairment in EF with a weaker performance in two core EF domains (inhibition, cognitive flexibility) as compared to healthy controls. Psychological and adaptive profile was typical in PKU participants, while ASD participants experienced behavioral (externalizing symptoms), emotional (internalizing symptoms) and adaptive disorders (general, practical, social domains). CONCLUSIONS Present results support the view of a relative disengagement of adaptive and emotional-behavioral profile with respect to EF skills and suggest that other dysfunctions contribute to the multidimensional phenotype of ASD participants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Trimarco
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Manti
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Nardecchia
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Melogno
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Mara Testa
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Meledandri
- Department of Human Science, “Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi”, Via Plinio 44, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Carducci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Penge
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Leuzzi
- Department of Human Neuroscience, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Sabelli 108, 00185 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Eryilmaz H, Dowling KF, Hughes DE, Rodriguez-Thompson A, Tanner A, Huntington C, Coon WG, Roffman JL. Working memory load-dependent changes in cortical network connectivity estimated by machine learning. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116895. [PMID: 32360929 PMCID: PMC8202087 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory engages multiple distributed brain networks to support goal-directed behavior and higher order cognition. Dysfunction in working memory has been associated with cognitive impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders. It is important to characterize the interactions among cortical networks that are sensitive to working memory load since such interactions can also hint at the impaired dynamics in patients with poor working memory performance. Functional connectivity is a powerful tool used to investigate coordinated activity among local and distant brain regions. Here, we identified connectivity footprints that differentiate task states representing distinct working memory load levels. We employed linear support vector machines to decode working memory load from task-based functional connectivity matrices in 177 healthy adults. Using neighborhood component analysis, we also identified the most important connectivity pairs in classifying high and low working memory loads. We found that between-network coupling among frontoparietal, ventral attention and default mode networks, and within-network connectivity in ventral attention network are the most important factors in classifying low vs. high working memory load. Task-based within-network connectivity profiles at high working memory load in ventral attention and default mode networks were the most predictive of load-related increases in response times. Our findings reveal the large-scale impact of working memory load on the cerebral cortex and highlight the complex dynamics of intrinsic brain networks during active task states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamdi Eryilmaz
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Kevin F Dowling
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dylan E Hughes
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anais Rodriguez-Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra Tanner
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charlie Huntington
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William G Coon
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joshua L Roffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Peristeri E, Baldimtsi E, Andreou M, Tsimpli IM. The impact of bilingualism on the narrative ability and the executive functions of children with autism spectrum disorders. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2020; 85:105999. [PMID: 32413648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2020.105999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
While there is ample evidence that monolingual children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) face difficulties with narrative story-telling and executive functions (EF), there is considerable uncertainty about how bilingualism impacts these skills in autism. The current study explores the effect of bilingualism on the narrative and EF skills of forty 7-to-12-year-old bilingual and monolingual children with ASD, as well as forty age-matched bilingual and monolingual children of typical development (TD). Narrative production data were elicited using the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument (ENNI; Schneider et al., 2005), which was developed to measure narrative production at a microstructural and macrostructural level. The same children were administered two EF tasks, namely, a global-local visual attention task and a 2-back working memory task. In story-telling, bilingual children with ASD achieved higher scores than monolingual children with ASD on story structure complexity and use of adverbial clauses, and they tended to use significantly fewer ambiguous referential forms than their monolingual peers with ASD. In the global-local task, bilingual children with ASD were faster and more accurate in global trials than monolingual children with ASD, who tended to be more susceptible to interference from locally presented information than the other experimental groups. Higher accuracy and faster response times were also observed for bilingual children with ASD in the 2-back task. Further correlation analyses between the story-telling and EF tasks revealed that bilingual children with ASD drew on a broader range of EF in narrative production than their monolingual peers. The overall findings reveal that bilingual children with ASD outperformed their monolingual peers with ASD in both the microstructure and macrostructure of their narrative production, as well as in their visual attention and working memory skills.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Peristeri
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110, Larisa, Greece.
| | - Eleni Baldimtsi
- Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Maria Andreou
- Department of English, University of Cologne, 50939, Germany.
| | - Ianthi Maria Tsimpli
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, English Faculty Building, Room TR-11, 9 West Road, CB3 9DP, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Barón-Mendoza I, González-Arenas A. Relationship between the effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on brain plasticity and the improvement on cognition and behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Nutr Neurosci 2020; 25:387-410. [PMID: 32338174 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2020.1755793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Objective: This work aimed to compile information about the neuronal processes in which polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could modulate brain plasticity, in order to analyze the role of nutritional intervention with the ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids as a therapeutic strategy for the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)-related signs and symptoms.Methods: We reviewed different articles reporting the effect of PUFAS on neurite elongation, membrane expansion, cytoskeleton rearrangement and neurotransmission, considering the ASD-related abnormalities in these processes.Results: In accordance to the reviewed studies, it is clear that ASD is one of the neurological conditions associated with an impairment in neuronal plasticity; therefore, PUFAs-rich diet improvements on cognition and behavioral deficits in individuals with autism, could be involved with the regulation of neuronal processes implicated in the atypical brain plasticity related with this neurodevelopmental disorder.Discussion: The behavioral and cognitive improvement observed in individuals with ASD after PUFAs treatment might underlie, at least in part, in the ability of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids to induce neurite outgrowth, probably, through the dynamic regulation of the neuronal cytoskeleton along with the expansion of neuronal membranes. Furthermore, it might also be associated with an enhancement of the efficacy of synaptic transmission and the modulation of neurotransmitters release.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Barón-Mendoza
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, CDMX, México
| | - Aliesha González-Arenas
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, CDMX, México
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Xie R, Sun X, Yang L, Guo Y. Characteristic Executive Dysfunction for High-Functioning Autism Sustained to Adulthood. Autism Res 2020; 13:2102-2121. [PMID: 32298047 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The comprehensiveness and severity of executive dysfunction in high-functioning autism (HFA) spectrum disorder have not reached a unified conclusion especially in patients in adulthood. Clarifying this issue is critical for guiding clinical diagnosis and targeted intervention. The primary objective of the present meta-analysis was to study the characteristics of executive function (EF) in adults with HFA compared to typically developing (TD) adults, by taking five key components into consideration, including inhibition, working memory, flexibility, planning, and fluency. The PubMed and Embase databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies that compared EF in adults with and without HFA from 1980 to November 2018. Hedges' g effect sizes were computed to measure the primary outcome. Moderators like age, sex, and diagnostic tools were controlled using meta-regressions. Forty-two studies satisfying the selection criteria were included, which resulted in a large sample size of 2419 participants. A moderate overall effect size for reduced EF across domains was found in adults with HFA, compared with TD (g = 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.47-0.66). Subsequently, a broad executive dysfunction was found in adults with HFA in this study (flexibility [g = 0.69], planning [g = 0.64], inhibition [g = 0.61], working memory [g = 0.48], fluency [g = 0.42]), with the predominated impairment on flexibility and planning. Taken together, these results provide evidence for the executive dysfunction hypothesis and may assist in the clinical diagnosis and targeted intervention, suggesting the necessity of sustained intervention on EF for individuals with HFA from childhood to adulthood. LAY SUMMARY: The meta-analysis explored the characteristics of EF in adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) comparing to typically developing controls. Moderate effect sizes for reduced EF across domains were found in adults with HFA, with the flexibility and planning being the most predominately impaired. A comprehensive measurement of EF in adults with HFA has important clinical implications for the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and a fundamental understanding for developmental trajectory of these patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rao Xie
- Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Sun
- Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Li Yang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| | - Yanqing Guo
- Peking University Sixth Hospital (Institute of Mental Health), National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, (Peking University), Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Uncharacteristic Task-Evoked Pupillary Responses Implicate Atypical Locus Ceruleus Activity in Autism. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3815-3826. [PMID: 32253362 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2680-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized partly by atypical attentional engagement, reflected in exaggerated and variable responses to sensory stimuli. Attentional engagement is known to be regulated by the locus ceruleus (LC). Moderate baseline LC activity globally dampens neural responsivity and is associated with adaptive deployment and narrowing of attention to task-relevant stimuli. In contrast, increased baseline LC activity enhances neural responsivity across cortex and widening of attention to environmental stimuli regardless of their task relevance. Given attentional atypicalities in ASD, this study is the first to evaluate whether, under different attentional task demands, individuals with ASD exhibit a different profile of LC activity compared with typically developing controls. Males and females with ASD and age- and gender-matched controls participated in a one-back letter detection test while task-evoked pupillary responses, an established correlate for LC activity, were recorded. Participants completed this task in two conditions, either in the absence or presence of distractor auditory tones. Compared with controls, individuals with ASD evinced atypical pupillary responses in the presence versus absence of distractors. Notably, this atypical pupillary profile was evident despite the fact that both groups exhibited equivalent task performance. Moreover, between-group differences in pupillary responses were observed specifically in response to task-relevant events, providing confirmation that the group differences most likely were specifically associated with distinctions in LC activity. These findings suggest that individuals with ASD show atypical modulation of LC activity with changes in attentional demands, offering a possible mechanistic and neurobiological account for attentional atypicalities in ASD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit atypical attentional behaviors, including altered sensory responses and atypical fixedness, but the neural mechanism underlying these behaviors remains elusive. One candidate mechanism is atypical locus ceruleus (LC) activity, as the LC plays a critical role in attentional modulation. Specifically, LC activity is involved in regulating the trade-off between environmental exploration and focused attention. This study shows that, under tightly controlled conditions, task-evoked pupil responses, an LC activity proxy, are lower in individuals with ASD than in controls, but only in the presence of task-irrelevant stimuli. This suggests that individuals with ASD evince atypical modulation of LC activity in accordance with changes in attentional demands, offering a mechanistic account for attentional atypicalities in ASD.
Collapse
|
32
|
Behavioral and Neuropsychological Evaluation of Executive Functions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Gulf Region. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10020120. [PMID: 32098341 PMCID: PMC7071509 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10020120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the executive functioning abilities and development profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The participants were 119 children with ASD and 30 typically developing children (age range: 6–12 years) who were recruited from three Gulf states. The findings revealed executive functioning deficits in the ASD population when compared to the normative data or to those children without ASD. However, not all the forms of executive functioning were found to be impaired. Age-related differences in the patterns of performance on the utilized measures of executive functioning were also identified. The overall findings provide valuable information regarding the different components of the executive functions, which may prove useful in relation to the development of assessment protocols for ASD.
Collapse
|
33
|
Matsuo K, Yabuki Y, Fukunaga K. 5-aminolevulinic acid inhibits oxidative stress and ameliorates autistic-like behaviors in prenatal valproic acid-exposed rats. Neuropharmacology 2020; 168:107975. [PMID: 31991146 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.107975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) constitute a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits, repetitive behaviors, and learning disability. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are associated with ASD brain pathology. Here, we used oxidative stress in prenatal valproic acid (VPA)-exposed rats as an ASD model. After maternal VPA exposure (600 mg/kg, p.o.) on embryonic day (E) 12.5, temporal analyses of oxidative stress in the brain using an anti-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal antibody revealed that oxidative stress was increased in the hippocampus after birth. This was accompanied by aberrant enzymatic activity in the mitochondrial electron transport chain and reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in the hippocampus. VPA-exposed rats exhibited impaired spatial reference and object recognition memory alongside impaired social behaviors and repetitive behaviors. ASD-like behaviors including learning and memory were rescued by chronic oral administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA; 30 mg/kg/day) and intranasal administration of oxytocin (OXT; 12 μg/kg/day), a neuropeptide that improves social behavior in ASD patients. 5-ALA but not OXT treatment ameliorated oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus of VPA-exposed rats. Fewer parvalbumin-positive interneurons were observed in VPA-exposed rats. Both 5-ALA and OXT treatments augmented the number of parvalbumin-positive interneurons. Collectively, our results indicate that oral 5-ALA administration ameliorated oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that 5-ALA administration improves ASD-like neuropathology and behaviors via mechanisms different to those of OXT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Matsuo
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yasushi Yabuki
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kohji Fukunaga
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Wuang YP, Huang CL, Tsai HY. Sensory Integration and Perceptual-Motor Profiles in School-Aged Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2020; 16:1661-1673. [PMID: 32753871 PMCID: PMC7351620 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s253337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the sensory integration and perceptual-motor performances in elementary school children (5-12 years) with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in Taiwan. The impacts of comprehensive body functions on activity participations in ASD were also investigated to provide evidence for clinical applications and further study. METHODS One hundred and seventeen children with ASD (42 females; aged 5-13 years, average age 8 years 3 months) were recruited. All participants were assessed with standardized measures of body functions and activity participations. The body function measures included Bruininks-Oseretsky of Motor Proficiency - Second Edition, Sensory Profile, Test of Sensory Integration Functions, and Test of Visual Perception Skills - Third Edition. The activity participation measures included the Chinese versions of both Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale and School Function Assessment. RESULTS School-aged children with ASD had different levels of impairments on body function measures. Most participant scores fell within the impairment range on 13 to 15 items out of the total 19 sensory and perceptual-motor measure subtests, with worst performance on coordination-related motor task and most sensory integrative dimensions. The results indicated a significant main effect for age and sex on some body functions and activity participations. Correlation analyses indicated strong associations between body function and activity participation across settings in ASD. CONCLUSION Our findings characterized the developmental continuum of body functions of school-aged children with ASD and showed their associations with adaptation and participation. While emphasizing the development of functional skills to facilitate age-appropriate activity participation in multiple scenarios, interventions aiming to improve body functions are indispensable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Pay Wuang
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ling Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Yu Tsai
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Demetriou EA, Park SH, Ho N, Pepper KL, Song YJC, Naismith SL, Thomas EE, Hickie IB, Guastella AJ. Machine Learning for Differential Diagnosis Between Clinical Conditions With Social Difficulty: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Early Psychosis, and Social Anxiety Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:545. [PMID: 32636768 PMCID: PMC7319094 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Differential diagnosis in adult cohorts with social difficulty is confounded by comorbid mental health conditions, common etiologies, and shared phenotypes. Identifying shared and discriminating profiles can facilitate intervention and remediation strategies. The objective of the study was to identify salient features of a composite test battery of cognitive and mood measures using a machine learning paradigm in clinical cohorts with social interaction difficulties. We recruited clinical participants who met standardized diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD: n = 62), early psychosis (EP: n = 48), or social anxiety disorder (SAD: N = 83) and compared them with a neurotypical comparison group (TYP: N = 43). Using five machine-learning algorithms and repeated cross-validation, we trained and tested classification models using measures of cognitive and executive function, lower- and higher-order social cognition and mood severity. Performance metrics were the area under the curve (AUC) and Brier Scores. Sixteen features successfully differentiated between the groups. The control versus social impairment cohorts (ASD, EP, SAD) were differentiated by social cognition, visuospatial memory and mood measures. Importantly, a distinct profile cluster drawn from social cognition, visual learning, executive function and mood, distinguished the neurodevelopmental cohort (EP and ASD) from the SAD group. The mean AUC range was between 0.891 and 0.916 for social impairment versus control cohorts and, 0.729 to 0.781 for SAD vs neurodevelopmental cohorts. This is the first study that compares an extensive battery of neuropsychological and self-report measures using a machine learning protocol in clinical and neurodevelopmental cohorts characterized by social impairment. Findings are relevant for diagnostic, intervention and remediation strategies for these groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni A Demetriou
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| | - Shin H Park
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| | - Nicholas Ho
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| | - Karen L Pepper
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| | - Yun J C Song
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| | | | - Emma E Thomas
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia.,Youth Mental Health Unit, Brain and Mind Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| | - Adam J Guastella
- Autism Clinic for Translational Research, Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead l Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia.,Youth Mental Health Unit, Brain and Mind Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Autstralia
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Yuk V, Urbain C, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Frontoparietal Network Connectivity During an N-Back Task in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:551808. [PMID: 33033481 PMCID: PMC7509600 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.551808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short-term and working memory (STM and WM) deficits have been demonstrated in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and may emerge through atypical functional activity and connectivity of the frontoparietal network, which exerts top-down control necessary for successful STM and WM processes. Little is known regarding the spectral properties of the frontoparietal network during STM or WM processes in ASD, although certain neural frequencies have been linked to specific neural mechanisms. METHODS We analysed magnetoencephalographic data from 39 control adults (26 males; 27.15 ± 5.91 years old) and 40 adults with ASD (26 males; 27.17 ± 6.27 years old) during a 1-back condition (STM) of an n-back task, and from a subset of this sample during a 2-back condition (WM). We performed seed-based connectivity analyses using regions of the frontoparietal network. Interregional synchrony in theta, alpha, and beta bands was assessed with the phase difference derivative and compared between groups during periods of maintenance and recognition. RESULTS During maintenance of newly presented vs. repeated stimuli, the two groups did not differ significantly in theta, alpha, or beta phase synchrony for either condition. Adults with ASD showed alpha-band synchrony in a network containing the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral inferior parietal lobules (IPL), and precuneus in both 1- and 2-back tasks, whereas controls demonstrated alpha-band synchrony in a sparser set of regions, including the left insula and IPL, in only the 1-back task. During recognition of repeated vs. newly presented stimuli, adults with ASD exhibited decreased theta-band connectivity compared to controls in a network with hubs in the right inferior frontal gyrus and left IPL in the 1-back condition. Whilst there were no group differences in connectivity in the 2-back condition, adults with ASD showed no frontoparietal network recruitment during recognition, whilst controls activated networks in the theta and beta bands. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that since adults with ASD performed well on the n-back task, their appropriate, but effortful recruitment of alpha-band mechanisms in the frontoparietal network to maintain items in STM and WM may compensate for atypical modulation of this network in the theta band to recognise previously presented items in STM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Yuk
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Charline Urbain
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Group, Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences and ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Laboratoire de Cartographie Fonctionnelle du Cerveau, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Tse VWS, Crabtree J, Islam S, Stott J. Comparing Intellectual and Memory Abilities of Older Autistic Adults with Typically Developing Older Adults Using WAIS-IV and WMS-IV. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:4123-4133. [PMID: 31440868 PMCID: PMC6751140 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04122-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to compare cognitive and memory abilities between older adults with and without autism over the age of 50. Twenty-eight individuals with autism and 29 typically developing (TD) older adults took part in the current study. Participants’ cognitive and memory abilities were assessed by WAIS-IV and WMS-IV. Older autistic adults were found to have poorer performance in processing speed and visual working memory, but they performed at a similar level as TD controls in all other domains. Poorer processing speed and visual working memory are also often found to be associated with age-related decline in neurotypical adults. Longitudinal studies are warranted to explore how the combination of ageing and autism affects cognitive functioning in older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Venus W S Tse
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | | | | | - Joshua Stott
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Right-lateralized frontal activation underlies successful updating of verbal working memory in adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Biol Psychol 2019; 148:107743. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
39
|
Zhou P, Zhan L, Ma H. Understanding Others' Minds: Social Inference in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:4523-4534. [PMID: 31414263 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04167-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The study used an eye-tracking task to investigate whether preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are able to make inferences about others' behavior in terms of their mental states in a social setting. Fifty typically developing (TD) 4- and 5-year-olds and 22 5-year-olds with ASD participated in the study, where their eye-movements were recorded as automatic responses to given situations. The results show that unlike their TD peers, children with ASD failed to exhibit eye gaze patterns that reflect their ability to infer about others' behavior by spontaneously encoding socially relevant information and attributing mental states to others. Implications of the findings were discussed in relation to the proposal that implicit/spontaneous Theory of Mind is persistently impaired in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhou
- Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. .,Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Child Cognition Lab, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Likan Zhan
- Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Huimin Ma
- Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Mencarelli L, Neri F, Momi D, Menardi A, Rossi S, Rossi A, Santarnecchi E. Stimuli, presentation modality, and load-specific brain activity patterns during n-back task. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:3810-3831. [PMID: 31179585 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory (WM) refers to a set of cognitive processes that allows for the temporary storage and manipulation of information, crucial for everyday life skills. WM deficits are present in several neurological, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders, thus making the full understanding of its neural correlates a key aspect for the implementation of cognitive training interventions. Here, we present a quantitative meta-analysis focusing on the underlying neural substrates upon which the n-back, one of the most commonly used tasks for WM assessment, is believed to rely on, as highlighted by functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography findings. Relevant published work was scrutinized through the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) statistical framework in order to generate a set of task-specific activation maps, according to n-back difficulty. Our results confirm the known involvement of frontoparietal areas across different types of n-back tasks, as well as the recruitment of subcortical structures, cerebellum and precuneus. Specific activations maps for four stimuli types, six presentation modalities, three WM loads and their combination are provided and discussed. Moreover, functional overlap with resting-state networks highlighted a strong similarity between n-back nodes and the Dorsal Attention Network, with less overlap with other networks like Salience, Language, and Sensorimotor ones. Additionally, neural deactivations during n-back tasks and their functional connectivity profile were examined. Clinical and functional implications are discussed in the context of potential noninvasive brain stimulation and cognitive enhancement/rehabilitation programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Mencarelli
- Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Neri
- Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Davide Momi
- Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Arianna Menardi
- Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Simone Rossi
- Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.,Siena Robotics and Systems Lab (SIRS-Lab), Engineering and Mathematics Department, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.,Human Physiology Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rossi
- Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.,Human Physiology Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.,Berenson-Allen Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Habib A, Harris L, Pollick F, Melville C. A meta-analysis of working memory in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216198. [PMID: 31039192 PMCID: PMC6490940 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders. It is not clear whether working memory (WM) deficits are commonly experienced by individuals with ASD. AIM To determine whether individuals with ASD experience significant impairments in WM and whether there are specific domains of working memory that are impaired. METHODS We conducted a meta-analysis using four electronic databases EMBASE (OVID), MEDLINE (OVID), PsychINFO (EBSCOHOST), and Web of Science, to examine the literature to investigate whether people with ASD experience impairments related to WM. Meta-analyses were conducted separately for phonological and visuospatial domains of WM. Subgroup analyses investigated age and intelligence quotient as potential moderators. RESULTS A total of 29 papers containing 34 studies measuring phonological and visuospatial domains of WM met the inclusion criteria. WM scores were significantly lower for individuals with ASD compared to typically developed (TD) controls, in both the visuospatial domain when investigating accuracy (d: -0.73, 95% CI -1.04 to -0.42, p < 0.05) and error rates (d: 0.56, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.88, p<0.05), and the phonological domain when investigating accuracy (d:-0.67, 95% CI -1.10 to -0.24, p>0.05) and error rate (d: 1.45, 95% CI -0.07 to 2.96, p = 0.06). Age and IQ did not explain the differences in WM in ASD. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that across the lifespan, individuals with ASD demonstrate large impairments in WM across both phonological and visuospatial WM domains when compared to healthy individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Habib
- College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Mental Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Leanne Harris
- College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Mental Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Pollick
- College of Science and Engineering, School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Craig Melville
- College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Mental Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Semino S, Zanobini M, Usai MC. Visual memory profile in children with high functioning autism. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-CHILD 2019; 10:26-36. [PMID: 30998085 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2019.1594231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Visual memory in children with high-functioning autism (HFA) is an area of debate. According to the few studies that have examined visual memory in children with autism, the memory profile appears to vary according to the memory process and type of stimuli, and contrasting results may be found. This study aims to analyze the visual memory profile of children with HFA. Fifteen children with HFA (mean age 9.6) and 15 typically developing children (TD; mean age 9.2) matched by chronological age and Leiter-R Brief IQ score took part in the study. Associative and recognition memory as well as visuospatial working memory were assessed. Impairments in face recognition and forward memory were found, whereas associative memory and shape recognition were preserved. The memory profile in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) showed relatively stronger abilities in associative memory than in the other visual memory domains. The results support the hypothesis that the level of stimulus processing may influence memory performance by having a large impact on tasks and stimuli that require access to a semantic or global level of processing. In contrast to the TD population, children with ASD may have difficulty extracting underlying regularities from experiences and generalizing that information. Highlights Children with high-functioning autism (HFA) show preserved ability in associative memory and shape recognition. Face recognition appears to be a specific deficit in children with HFA. Associative memory appeared to be the strongest ability in the memory profile of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Semino
- Department of Education, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Velikonja T, Fett AK, Velthorst E. Patterns of Nonsocial and Social Cognitive Functioning in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76:135-151. [PMID: 30601878 PMCID: PMC6439743 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.3645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Many studies have investigated impairments in cognitive domains in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, to date, a comprehensive overview on the patterns of cognitive functioning is lacking. OBJECTIVE To provide an overview of nonsocial and social cognitive functioning in various domains in adults with ASD, allowing for comparison of the severity of deficits between different domains. DATA SOURCES A literature search performed in an academic medical setting was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Medline databases with the combination of the following free-text and Medical Subject Headings where applicable: [cogniti* OR neurocogniti* OR neuropsycholog* OR executive function* OR IQ OR intelligence quotient OR social cognition OR emotion perception OR affect perception OR emotion recognition OR attribution OR ToM OR mentalising OR mentalizing OR prosody OR social knowledge OR mind reading OR social cue OR social judgment] AND [autis* OR ASD OR Asperger OR Asperger's OR PDD OR pervasive developmental disorder]. The search was further limited to studies published between 1980 (first inclusion of autism diagnosis in the DSM-III) and July 2018. STUDY SELECTION Studies included were published as a primary peer-reviewed research article in English, included individuals with ASD 16 years or older, and assessed at least 1 domain of neurocognitive functioning or social cognition using standard measures. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Of 9892 articles identified and screened, 75 met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and meta-analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Hedges g effect sizes were computed, and random-effects models were used for all analyses. Moderators of between-study variability in effect sizes were assessed using meta-regressions. RESULTS The systematic review and meta-analysis included 75 studies, with a combined sample of 3361 individuals with ASD (mean [SD] age, 32.0 [9.3] years; 75.9% male) and 5344 neurotypical adults (mean [SD] age, 32.3 [9.1] years; 70.1% male). Adults with ASD showed large impairments in theory of mind (g = -1.09; 95% CI, -1.25 to -0.92; number of studies = 39) and emotion perception and processing (g = -0.80; 95% CI, -1.04 to -0.55; n = 18), followed by medium impairments in processing speed (g = -0.61; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.38; n = 21) and verbal learning and memory (g = -0.55; 95% CI, -0.86 to -0.25; n = 12). The least altered cognitive domains were attention and vigilance (g = -0.30; 95% CI, -0.81 to 0.21; n = 5) and working memory (g = -0.23; 95% CI, -0.47 to 0.01; n = 19). Meta-regressions confirmed robustness of the results. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that adults with ASD show impairments in social cognitive domains and in specific nonsocial cognitive domains. These findings contribute to the understanding of the patterns of cognitive functioning in adults with ASD and may assist in the identification of targets for cognitive interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tjasa Velikonja
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York,The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Anne-Kathrin Fett
- Department of Psychology, City University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Velthorst
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York,The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Hogeveen J, Krug MK, Elliott MV, Carter CS, Solomon M. Proactive control as a double-edged sword in autism spectrum disorder. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 127:429-435. [PMID: 29745707 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Proactive control refers to the active representation of contextual information to bias cognitive processing and facilitate goal-directed behavior. Despite research suggesting that proactive control may be impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the associations between proactive control and clinical symptoms of ASD remain underspecified. Here, we combined a children's version of the AX Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) with gold standard clinical assessments in children with ASD (N = 34) or typical development (TYP; N = 45). After controlling for full-scale IQ (FSIQ), measures of proactive control were similar between ASD and TYP. However, specifically within ASD we observed paradoxical relationships between proactive control and clinical symptoms. Increased reliance on proactive control was associated with reduced attention problems and increased restricted and repetitive behaviors in ASD. Therefore, proactive control appears to represent a double-edged sword in ASD: improved attentional control at the cost of heightened behavioral inflexibility. This represents a compelling and new characterization of the specific association between cognitive control processes isolated in computerized laboratory tasks and the multidimensional cognitive symptoms characteristic of ASD. (PsycINFO Database Record
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie K Krug
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis
| | | | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Imaging Research Center, University of California, Davis
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Yamashita M, Yoshihara Y, Hashimoto R, Yahata N, Ichikawa N, Sakai Y, Yamada T, Matsukawa N, Okada G, Tanaka SC, Kasai K, Kato N, Okamoto Y, Seymour B, Takahashi H, Kawato M, Imamizu H. A prediction model of working memory across health and psychiatric disease using whole-brain functional connectivity. eLife 2018; 7:38844. [PMID: 30526859 PMCID: PMC6324880 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory deficits are present in many neuropsychiatric diseases with diagnosis-related severity. However, it is unknown whether this common behavioral abnormality is a continuum explained by a neural mechanism shared across diseases or a set of discrete dysfunctions. Here, we performed predictive modeling to examine working memory ability (WMA) as a function of normative whole-brain connectivity across psychiatric diseases. We built a quantitative model for letter three-back task performance in healthy participants, using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). This normative model was applied to independent participants (N = 965) including four psychiatric diagnoses. Individual’s predicted WMA significantly correlated with a measured WMA in both healthy population and schizophrenia. Our predicted effect size estimates on WMA impairment were comparable to previous meta-analysis results. These results suggest a general association between brain connectivity and working memory ability applicable commonly to health and psychiatric diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Yamashita
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yujiro Yoshihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryuichiro Hashimoto
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriaki Yahata
- Department of Youth Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan
| | - Naho Ichikawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuki Sakai
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamada
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan.,Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Matsukawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Go Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Saori C Tanaka
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Kasai
- Department of Youth Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobumasa Kato
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Okamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ben Seymour
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan.,Computational and Biological Learning Laboratory, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Kawato
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Imamizu
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Psychology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Reed P. Behavioural flexibility of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on a card-sorting task with varying task difficulty. Heliyon 2018; 4:e00842. [PMID: 30302414 PMCID: PMC6174547 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflexibility is taken to be a key characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), although it is unclear which aspect of cognitive functioning is critical in this context. The current study investigated task-switching problems and inflexibility with a group of children with ASD, and a mental-aged matched control group. Participants (n = 50; mean age = 7 years) completed two card-sorting tasks, which involved learning to sort by either two or three possible dimensions, and then the sorting rule was switched although the number of dimensions required to sort the cards remained the same. Following the sorting rule change, the ASD group made more errors compared to controls. Errors were also related to task type (two or three dimensions), but this was not found to interact with ASD. If poor performance were solely dependent on executive function (working memory) problems in ASD, then a steeper decrease in performance with an increase in task difficulty for one group, compared to another group, would be expected. The current results suggest that task difficulty is an aspect of importance in set-shifting, but shifting is not differentially affected by this component.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phil Reed
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Davidson MM, Kaushanskaya M, Ellis Weismer S. Reading Comprehension in Children With and Without ASD: The Role of Word Reading, Oral Language, and Working Memory. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 48:3524-3541. [PMID: 29802485 PMCID: PMC6143428 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3617-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Word reading and oral language predict reading comprehension, which is generally poor, in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, working memory (WM), despite documented weaknesses, has not been thoroughly investigated as a predictor of reading comprehension in ASD. This study examined the role of three parallel WM N-back tasks using abstract shapes, familiar objects, and written words in children (8-14 years) with ASD (n = 19) and their typically developing peers (n = 24). All three types of WM were significant predictors of reading comprehension when considered alone. However, these relationships were rendered non-significant with the addition of age, word reading, vocabulary, and group entered into the models. Oral vocabulary emerged as the strongest predictor of reading comprehension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meghan M Davidson
- Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas, 1966 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA.
| | - Margarita Kaushanskaya
- Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Susan Ellis Weismer
- Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Funabiki Y, Shiwa T. Weakness of visual working memory in autism. Autism Res 2018; 11:1245-1252. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.1981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Funabiki
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida‐nihonmatsu‐cho, Sakyo‐ku Kyoto Japan
- Department of Psychiatry Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
| | - Taiko Shiwa
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida‐nihonmatsu‐cho, Sakyo‐ku Kyoto Japan
- Department of Psychiatry Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Wang Z, Jing J, Igarashi K, Fan L, Yang S, Li Y, Jin Y. Executive function predicts the visuospatial working memory in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Autism Res 2018; 11:1148-1156. [PMID: 30095242 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) always show working memory deficits. However, research findings on the factors that affected the working memory in ASD and ADHD were inconsistent. Thus, we developed the present study to investigate the association of executive function (EF) with the visuospatial working memory (VSWM) in ASD and ADHD. Three groups of participants were examined: 21 children with ASD, 28 children with ADHD and 28 typically developing (TD) children as the controls. All participants completed two tests: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Corsi Block Tapping Test for measuring EF and VSWM, respectively. The WCST included four domains: categories achieved (CA), perseverative errors (PE), failures to maintain set (FMS), and total errors (TE). The findings indicated that (1) the ASD group showed poorer performance in VSWM than the ADHD and TD groups; (2) for the ASD group, VSWM was positively correlated with CA, and was negatively correlated with PE and TE; (3) for the ADHD group, FMS showed a negative relationship with VSWM; and (4) TE predicted the performance of VSWM in ASD group, while FMS predicted VSWM in ADHD group. The study results suggested that VSWM was impaired in ASD but not in ADHD. Also, the EF domains were differently correlated with the VSWM performance in ASD and ADHD. Our study suggests that we should consider different intervention targets of working memory and EF contributions in improving the cognitive capacity of ASD and ADHD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1148-1156. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The present study compared the visuospatial working memory (VSWM) in three groups of children: autism (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and typically developed children (TD). The ASD group showed poorer VSWM than the ADHD and TD groups. The total error of executive function predicted the performance of VSWM in ASD, while failures to maintain set predicted VSWM in ADHD . These findings suggested that we should consider the different working memory and executive function training targets to increase cognitive capacity of ASD and ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zengjian Wang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Kazue Igarashi
- Clinical Center for Developmental Disorders, Shirayuri College, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Lijun Fan
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Siyuan Yang
- Guangzhou Children's Hospital, Guangzhou, 510120 , China
| | - YongMei Li
- Child Developmental and Behavioral Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yu Jin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Load matters: neural correlates of verbal working memory in children with autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:19. [PMID: 29859034 PMCID: PMC5984739 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9236-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by diminished social reciprocity and communication skills and the presence of stereotyped and restricted behaviours. Executive functioning deficits, such as working memory, are associated with core ASD symptoms. Working memory allows for temporary storage and manipulation of information and relies heavily on frontal-parietal networks of the brain. There are few reports on the neural correlates of working memory in youth with ASD. The current study identified the neural systems underlying verbal working memory capacity in youth with and without ASD using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods Fifty-seven youth, 27 with ASD and 30 sex- and age-matched typically developing (TD) controls (9–16 years), completed a one-back letter matching task (LMT) with four levels of difficulty (i.e. cognitive load) while fMRI data were recorded. Linear trend analyses were conducted to examine brain regions that were recruited as a function of increasing cognitive load. Results We found similar behavioural performance on the LMT in terms of reaction times, but in the two higher load conditions, the ASD youth had lower accuracy than the TD group. Neural patterns of activations differed significantly between TD and ASD groups. In TD youth, areas classically used for working memory, including the lateral and medial frontal, as well as superior parietal brain regions, increased in activation with increasing task difficulty, while areas related to the default mode network (DMN) showed decreasing activation (i.e., deactivation). The youth with ASD did not appear to use this opposing cognitive processing system; they showed little recruitment of frontal and parietal regions across the load but did show similar modulation of the DMN. Conclusions In a working memory task, where the load was manipulated without changing executive demands, TD youth showed increasing recruitment with increasing load of the classic fronto-parietal brain areas and decreasing involvement in default mode regions. In contrast, although they modulated the default mode network, youth with ASD did not show the modulation of increasing brain activation with increasing load, suggesting that they may be unable to manage increasing verbal information. Impaired verbal working memory in ASD would interfere with the youths’ success academically and socially. Thus, determining the nature of atypical neural processing could help establish or monitor working memory interventions for ASD.
Collapse
|