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Wang YC, Tai YM, Wu YY, Chiu YN, Tsai WC, Gau SSF. A follow-up study of peer relationships in autistic and non-autistic youths: Mediating effects from autistic, emotional and behavioral symptoms. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2024; 151:104768. [PMID: 38870673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about how clinical features prospectively influence peer relationships in autistic populations. AIMS This study investigated the clinical symptoms mediating the link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and peer relationships at follow-up, i.e. the second time evaluation of this study. METHODS The sample consisted of 366 autistic youths and 134 non-autistic comparisons. The autistic traits and emotional/behavioral problems were measured at baseline by Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The interactions and problems with peers were assessed by the Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA) at follow-up. RESULTS Each subscore of SRS and CBCL showed significant mediation effects. Multiple mediation analyses showed atypical social communication, social awareness problems, and delinquent behaviors mediated the link from ASD to less active peer interactions after controlling for sex, age, and IQ. Moreover, atypical social communication, social-emotional problems, and attention difficulties predicted problems with peers. After considering these mediation effects, the diagnosis of ASD still demonstrated a significantly direct effect on peer relationships at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings support that social-related autistic features, attention problems, and delinquent behaviors mediated a link between ASD and peer relationships. These mediators are potential measures for improving interactions and decreasing difficulties with peers in the autistic population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Ming Tai
- Department of Psychiatry, Beitou Branch, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Yu Wu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Nan Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Che Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
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Willfors C, Borg J, Kleberg JL, Hallman A, Van Der Poll M, Lundin Remnélius K, Björlin Avdic H, Bölte S, Nordgren A. Symptoms of autism in Williams syndrome: a transdiagnostic approach. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17583. [PMID: 39080307 PMCID: PMC11289373 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68089-0] [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: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is associated with atypical social communication and cognition reminiscent of the behaviours observed in autism. Nonetheless, WS also differs significantly from autism, such as regarding social motivation, which is typically enhanced in WS and reduced in autism. This study sought to examine the conditions' transdiagnostic similarities and differences for autistic symptoms and social functioning, and their developmental trajectories, by comparing individuals with WS (n = 24) and those diagnosed with idiopathic autism (n = 24) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 24), aged 9 to 53 years, on measures of autism, social functioning, IQ and cooccurring psychiatric conditions. Although only 12.5% in the WS group met the criteria for an autism diagnosis, a majority exhibited distinct difficulties within social communication, social cognition, repetitive behaviours, and atypical sensory reactivity resembling autism. Conversely, elevated social motivation and a high number of social initiatives accompany these characteristics. No group differences in the developmental trajectories of autism symptoms were found. Our results demonstrate that autistic behaviours are more frequent in individuals with WS, than in individuals with idiopathic ADHD, and emphasize the need for clinical management of these behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Willfors
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jacqueline Borg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Cognitive and Computational Neuropsychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Neuropsychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Lundin Kleberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Astrid Hallman
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marcus Van Der Poll
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karl Lundin Remnélius
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hanna Björlin Avdic
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Ann Nordgren
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Karolinska University Laboratory, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Anderson C, Wood CI, Franklin L, Iampieri A, Sarsony C. "Getting Autism": Educators, Parents, and Autistic Adults and Teens Reflect on the Importance of Teachers Who Understand. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06353-y. [PMID: 38743150 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06353-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the perspectives of educators, parents, and individuals on the autism spectrum regarding the qualities of teachers best equipped to support autistic students. METHODS In qualitative interviews parents of autistic adults (n = 35) discussed experiences they and their child faced during the school years, as did young autistic adults (n = 12) and teens (n = 11). Nineteen educators were also interviewed regarding how autistic students and their teachers were faring in public schools as well as what qualities and skills teachers needed to best support these students. RESULTS A critical emergent theme was the importance of educators who possess a deep, intuitive understanding of autistic individuals. "Getting autism" involved autism knowledge, obtained through training or experience; an intuitive ability to read, respond to, and appreciate autistic students; and flexibility adapting to these students' needs. Autistic students, parents, and educators alike experienced a stigmatizing judgement and lack of support from unenlightened individuals in the schools. In contrast, there was great appreciation for those who "got autism" and were able to ease the way of autistic students, or support autism-friendly teachers, in whatever grade or situation. CONCLUSION Research investigating how to cultivate, support, and reward autism-affirming teachers is needed. This will likely involve both didactic and experiential autism-focused training as well as recognition of the importance of high emotional intelligence and other qualities of teachers who "get autism." Future research should also explore the effects on these teachers and their students of larger systems, policies, and practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie Anderson
- Department of Health Sciences, Towson University, 8000 York Road-CHP Dean's Office, Towson, MD, 21252, USA.
| | - Caroline I Wood
- Department of Health Sciences, Towson University, 8000 York Road-CHP Dean's Office, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Leah Franklin
- Department of English (former Research Assistant on the project), Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Alan Iampieri
- Department of Psychology (former Research Assistant on the project), Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD, 21252, USA
| | - Clare Sarsony
- Former Research Assistant, Currently Unaffiliated, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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4
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Crisci G, Cardillo R, Mammarella IC. Social Functioning in Children and Adolescents with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Disorder Comparison. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2024; 53:489-502. [PMID: 38551850 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2024.2330479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Social functioning can be defined according to three main components: social perception, social performance, and social knowledge. Although they are important in daily life relationships and in children's adaptation, these components have never been tested together in children and adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using lab-based tasks. The present study used a cross-disorder approach to compare the performance of children with ADHD and ASD and non-diagnosed (ND) peers utilizing a task that involves these three fundamental social functioning components. METHODS Two hundred and twenty-five Italian children (86% boys) aged between 8 and 16 (66 with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD; 51 with a clinical diagnosis of ASD, level 1; 108 ND children) were enrolled. The three groups were matched for age, gender, and IQ. Social functioning was assessed using a lab-based task, including videos of problematic interactions among peers, created ad hoc for the study, and a semi-structured interview based on the Social Information Processing model. RESULTS Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs and multinomial mixed effects models. Our findings suggested that both groups with ADHD and ASD presented social functioning difficulties in comparison to ND children. However, a different pattern of performance emerged. Children with ADHD showed higher difficulties in social performance than those with ASD, whereas autistic children revealed more difficulties in social perception and in some aspects of social knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Our findings have important clinical implications for assessment, intervention, and differential diagnosis, and should encourage clinicians to investigate different aspects of social functioning and identify specific strengths and weaknesses in each social profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Crisci
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova
| | - Ramona Cardillo
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova
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Moser C, Campanelli A, Friedman L, Thurman AJ, Roberts JE, Abbeduto L, Klusek J. Characterising the social interaction style of autism in young adult males with fragile X syndrome. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2024; 68:464-476. [PMID: 38258970 PMCID: PMC11023774 DOI: 10.1111/jir.13121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The characterisation of autism in fragile X syndrome (FXS) has been a source of controversy due to the complexity of disentangling autism traits from common features of the FXS phenotype. Autism in FXS is significantly underdiagnosed in the community, which may be partly due to insufficient clinical description of the social interaction profile of autism within the FXS phenotype. In this study, we applied a classic framework for characterising social interaction styles in autism to a sample of young adult males with FXS and co-occurring autism to enhance understanding of how the social challenges associated with autism manifest within FXS. METHODS Participants were 41 males (M age = 18 years) with FXS and co-occurring autism. Interaction samples were coded for expression of predominately 'active' (characterised by a desire to make social approaches) or 'passive' (characterised by lack of initiation of social approach towards others) interaction profiles. Differences in the expression of phenotypic features of FXS, including anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, cognitive, adaptive and language impairments and autism symptom severity, were examined across those with passive and active interaction styles. RESULTS Approximately half of the sample was classified as active and half as passive, demonstrating diversity in the social phenotype of autism associated with FXS. The two subtypes did not differ in autism severity, anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms or in cognitive, adaptive or language abilities. CONCLUSIONS This study enhances understanding of FXS-associated autism by documenting phenotypic variability in the social interaction profile in this group, with active and passive social interaction styles represented. The two social interaction styles were not associated with differential expression of common phenotypic features of FXS, suggesting similar support needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly Moser
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, 1705 College Street, Columbia SC 29208, USA
| | - Alyssa Campanelli
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, 1705 College Street, Columbia SC 29208, USA
| | - Laura Friedman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, 1705 College Street, Columbia SC 29208, USA
| | - Angela John Thurman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and MIND Institute, University of California Davis Health, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jane E. Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and MIND Institute, University of California Davis Health, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jessica Klusek
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, 1705 College Street, Columbia SC 29208, USA
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Shiraishi T, Katayama Y, Nishiyama M, Shoji H, Miyakawa T, Mizoo T, Matsumoto A, Hijikata A, Shirai T, Mayanagi K, Nakayama KI. The complex etiology of autism spectrum disorder due to missense mutations of CHD8. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02491-y. [PMID: 38438524 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02491-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
CHD8 is an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling factor encoded by the most frequently mutated gene in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although many studies have examined the consequences of CHD8 haploinsufficiency in cells and mice, few have focused on missense mutations, the most common type of CHD8 alteration in ASD patients. We here characterized CHD8 missense mutations in ASD patients according to six prediction scores and experimentally examined the effects of such mutations on the biochemical activities of CHD8, neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells, and mouse behavior. Only mutations with high prediction scores gave rise to ASD-like phenotypes in mice, suggesting that not all CHD8 missense mutations detected in ASD patients are directly responsible for the development of ASD. Furthermore, we found that mutations with high scores cause ASD by mechanisms either dependent on or independent of loss of chromatin-remodeling function. Our results thus provide insight into the molecular underpinnings of ASD pathogenesis caused by missense mutations of CHD8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taichi Shiraishi
- Division of Cell Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yuta Katayama
- Division of Cell Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masaaki Nishiyama
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan
| | - Taisuke Mizoo
- Division of Cell Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Akinobu Matsumoto
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8602, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hijikata
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0392, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Shirai
- Department of Computer Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, 1266 Tamura-Cho, Nagahama, Shiga, 526-0829, Japan
| | - Kouta Mayanagi
- Department of Drug Discovery Structural Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Keiichi I Nakayama
- Division of Cell Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
- Anticancer Strategies Laboratory, TMDU Advanced Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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Wang Z, Yueh H, Chau M, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, O'Reilly KC. Circuits underlying social function and dysfunction. Autism Res 2023; 16:1268-1288. [PMID: 37458578 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2978] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Substantial advances have been made toward understanding the genetic and environmental risk factors for autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder with social impairment as a core feature. In combination with optogenetic and chemogenetic tools to manipulate neural circuits in vivo, it is now possible to use model systems to test how specific neural circuits underlie social function and dysfunction. Here, we review the literature that has identified circuits associated with social interest (sociability), social reward, social memory, dominance, and aggression, and we outline a preliminary roadmap of the neural circuits driving these social behaviors. We highlight the neural circuitry underlying each behavioral domain, as well as develop an interactive map of how these circuits overlap across domains. We find that some of the circuits underlying social behavior are general and are involved in the control of multiple behavioral aspects, whereas other circuits appear to be specialized for specific aspects of social behavior. Our overlapping circuit map therefore helps to delineate the circuits involved in the various domains of social behavior and to identify gaps in knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwen Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hannah Yueh
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mirabella Chau
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kally C O'Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
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Vegni N, D'Ardia C, Di Filippo G, Melchiori FM. The impact of Lego® Therapy on cognitive skills in Autism Spectrum Disorders: a brief discussion. AIMS Neurosci 2023; 10:190-199. [PMID: 37426776 PMCID: PMC10323259 DOI: 10.3934/neuroscience.2023016] [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: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the years, several interventions have been implemented, including Lego® Therapy, with the aim of supporting and implementing social and communication skills impairments in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Although recent studies have shown that the ability to learn implicitly is preserved in ASDs, no study related to Lego® Therapy has analyzed whether and how this training can also affect aspects not directly treated. In this study, we report a first attempt of assessment of Lego® Therapy's effect on the specific area of cognitive skills in an ASD child. Over a period of 12 months, a child with ASD had weekly meetings with an expert operator of Lego® aiming to improve the child's ability to communicate, reduce impulsiveness and hyper verbalism, and encourage pro-social behavior. The intervention resulted in positive outcomes that were assessed after 12 months.
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Effect of functional and effective brain connectivity in identifying vowels from articulation imagery procedures. Cogn Process 2022; 23:593-618. [PMID: 35794496 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-022-01103-3] [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: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Articulation imagery, a form of mental imagery, refers to the activity of imagining or speaking to oneself mentally without an articulation movement. It is an effective domain of research in speech impaired neural disorders, as speech imagination has high similarity to real voice communication. This work employs electroencephalography (EEG) signals acquired from articulation and articulation imagery in identifying the vowel being imagined during different tasks. EEG signals from chosen electrodes are decomposed using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method into a series of intrinsic mode functions. Brain connectivity estimators and entropy measures have been computed to analyze the functional cooperation and causal dependence between different cortical regions as well as the regularity in the signals. Using machine learning techniques such as multiclass support vector machine (MSVM) and random forest (RF), the vowels have been classified. Three different training and testing protocols (Articulation-AR, Articulation imagery-AI and Articulation vs Articulation imagery-AR vs AI) were employed for identifying the vowel being imagined of articulating. An overall classification accuracy of 80% was obtained for articulation imagery protocol which was found to be higher than the other two protocols. Also, MSVM techniques outperformed the RF technique in terms of the classification accuracy. The effect of brain connectivity estimators and machine learning techniques seems to be reliable in identifying the vowel from the subjects' thought and thereby assisting the people with speech impairment.
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An Explorative Study of Atypical Social Interaction Styles in Adult Men with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Men with Personality Disorders and Men from the General Population. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:2297-2305. [PMID: 35298755 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05521-2] [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: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Different atypical social interaction styles (SISs) were defined and tested in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Whether these styles can also be distinguished in adults with ASD has not yet been explored. In men with ASD, men with personality disorder (PD), and men from the general population (N = 90), aged 18-65 years, we tested which SISs can be distinguished and how they relate to the presence of PD traits. We found a significant distinction in allocation to atypical SISs between the three groups. This study shows the presence of atypical SISs in adults with ASD, and complements previous SIS findings in children and adolescents with ASD.Trial registration The Netherlands National Trial Register NTR6391. Registered 04 May 2017.
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Yau SY, Yip YSL, Formolo DA, He S, Lee THY, Wen C, Hryciw DH. Chronic consumption of a high linoleic acid diet during pregnancy, lactation and post-weaning period increases depression-like behavior in male, but not female offspring. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113538. [PMID: 34418475 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an essential role in brain development. Emerging data have suggested a possible link between an imbalance in PUFAs and cognitive behavioral deficits in offspring. A diet rich in high linoleic acid (HLA), typically from preconception to lactation, leads to an increase in the ratio of omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids in the fetus. Arising research has suggested that a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids is a potential risk factor for inducing autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like behavioral deficits. However, the impact of a high n- diet during preconception, pregnancy, lactation, and post-weaning on the brain development of adolescent offspring are yet to be determined. This study examined whether consumption of an HLA diet during pregnancy, lactation, and post-weaning induced social and cognitive impairments in female and male offspring rats that resemble autistic phenotypes in humans. Female Wistar Kyoto rats were fed with either HLA or low linoleic acid (LLA) control diet for 10 weeks before mating, then continued with the same diet throughout the pregnancy and lactation period. Female and male offspring at 5 weeks old were subjected to behavioral tests to assess social interaction behavior and depression-/anxiety-like behavior. Our result showed that chronic consumption of an HLA diet did not affect sociability and social recognition memory, but induced depression-like behavior in male but not in female offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suk-Yu Yau
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Yvette Siu Ling Yip
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Douglas A Formolo
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Siyuen He
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas Ho Yin Lee
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Chunyi Wen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Deanne H Hryciw
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia; School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia; Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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12
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Kawamura A, Katayama Y, Nishiyama M, Shoji H, Tokuoka K, Ueta Y, Miyata M, Isa T, Miyakawa T, Hayashi-Takagi A, Nakayama KI. Oligodendrocyte dysfunction due to Chd8 mutation gives rise to behavioral deficits in mice. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:1274-1291. [PMID: 32142125 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding the chromatin remodeler CHD8 are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). CHD8 haploinsufficiency also results in autistic phenotypes in humans and mice. Although myelination defects have been observed in individuals with ASD, whether oligodendrocyte dysfunction is responsible for autistic phenotypes has remained unknown. Here we show that reduced expression of CHD8 in oligodendrocytes gives rise to abnormal behavioral phenotypes in mice. CHD8 was found to regulate the expression of many myelination-related genes and to be required for oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination. Ablation of Chd8 specifically in oligodendrocytes of mice impaired myelination, slowed action potential propagation and resulted in behavioral deficits including increased social interaction and anxiety-like behavior, with similar effects being apparent in Chd8 heterozygous mutant mice. Our results thus indicate that CHD8 is essential for myelination and that dysfunction of oligodendrocytes as a result of CHD8 haploinsufficiency gives rise to several neuropsychiatric phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuki Kawamura
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yuta Katayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masaaki Nishiyama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Kota Tokuoka
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Ueta
- Department of Physiology I (Neurophysiology), Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Mariko Miyata
- Department of Physiology I (Neurophysiology), Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan
| | - Tadashi Isa
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Akiko Hayashi-Takagi
- Laboratory of Medical Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Keiichi I Nakayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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13
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Ridley E, Riby DM, Leekam SR. A cross-syndrome approach to the social phenotype of neurodevelopmental disorders: Focusing on social vulnerability and social interaction style. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2020; 100:103604. [PMID: 32142968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Following Annette Karmiloff-Smith's approach to cognitive research, this study applied a cross-syndrome approach to the social phenotype, focusing on social vulnerability (SV) and the factors that contribute to it. AIMS To (i) identify syndrome-specific differences in SV across four neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) groups, (ii) determine the contribution of intellectual disability (ID), age or gender to SV, and (iii) explore its relationship with social interaction style (SIS). METHODS AND PROCEDURES 262 parents of children: Autism (n = 29), Williams syndrome (n = 29), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n = 36), Fragile X syndrome (n = 18), and Neurotypical (n = 150) reported on their child's SV, quality of SIS and other factors (ID, age, gender). OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Heightened SV was not syndrome-specific. Instead it was found equally across NDD groups (and not in the neurotypical group), and independently of ID, age and gender. Different atypical SISs were also distributed across NDD groups and each were significantly related to SV, independent of the factors above and beyond neurodevelopmental diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The findings emphasise that social phenotypes are best understood as distributed across diagnostic boundaries and offer opportunities to further test the role of varied atypical SISs in the development of heightened SV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Ridley
- Centre for Developmental Disorders, Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham, UK.
| | - Deborah M Riby
- Centre for Developmental Disorders, Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham, UK
| | - Susan R Leekam
- Wales Autism Research Centre, Cardiff University Centre for Human Developmental Science, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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14
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Uljarević M, Phillips JM, Schuck RK, Schapp S, Solomon EM, Salzman E, Allerhand L, Libove RA, Frazier TW, Hardan AY. Exploring Social Subtypes in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study. Autism Res 2020; 13:1335-1342. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Uljarević
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University Stanford California USA
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health SciencesThe University of Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Jennifer M. Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Rachel K. Schuck
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Salena Schapp
- Department of PsychiatryKaiser Permanente Redwood City California USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Davis Medical CenterUniversity of California Sacramento California USA
| | - Emma Salzman
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of California San Francisco San Francisco California USA
| | - Lauren Allerhand
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Robin A. Libove
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University Stanford California USA
| | - Thomas W. Frazier
- Autism Speaks New York USA
- Department of PsychologyJohn Carroll University, University Heights Ohio USA
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University Stanford California USA
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15
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Scheeren AM, Koot HM, Begeer S. Stability and change in social interaction style of children with autism spectrum disorder: A 4-year follow-up study. Autism Res 2020; 13:74-81. [PMID: 31472004 PMCID: PMC6973179 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show atypical social behavior but vary in their social interaction style (SIS), ranging from social aloofness to awkward social approaches. In a 4-year follow-up study, we examined longitudinal stability and change of SIS in children and adolescents with ASD and a normal intellectual ability (n = 55; mean age Time 1: 13 years; mean age Time 2: 17 years). Children's SIS was assessed with a parent questionnaire, the Wing Subtypes Questionnaire. As expected, most participants (69%) showed SIS stability across the 4-year interval. Some participants (18%) shifted to a more typical or more active (but odd) SIS, while others (13%) shifted to a less typical or less active (but odd) SIS. A decrease in ASD symptoms predicted a shift toward a more typical or active SIS, but children's age and receptive verbal ability did not. SISs may be a meaningful way to create ASD subgroups and thus offer a promising research venue to further disentangle the heterogeneous autism spectrum. Autism Res 2020, 13: 74-81. © 2019 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate different social interaction styles (SIS), ranging from social aloofness to awkward social approaches. We examined if and how SIS changes across a 4-year period in 55 children and adolescents with ASD (mean age Time 1 = 13 years; mean age Time 2 = 17 years). Most children (69%) showed the same SIS at both time points, indicating that SIS might be a relatively stable trait across adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke M. Scheeren
- Department of Clinical, Neuro & Developmental Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care ResearchVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Hans M. Koot
- Department of Clinical, Neuro & Developmental Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care ResearchVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Sander Begeer
- Department of Clinical, Neuro & Developmental Psychology and EMGO Institute for Health and Care ResearchVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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16
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Phillips JM, Uljarević M, Schuck RK, Schapp S, Solomon EM, Salzman E, Allerhand L, Libove RA, Frazier TW, Hardan AY. Development of the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale: initial validation in autism spectrum disorder and in neurotypicals. Mol Autism 2019; 10:48. [PMID: 31890146 PMCID: PMC6921422 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0298-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this paper was to provide an initial validation of a newly developed parent questionnaire-the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS), designed to capture individual differences across several key social dimensions including social motivation in children and adolescents with and without psychiatric disorders. Methods The initial validation sample was comprised of parents of 175 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (35 females, 140 males; Mage = 7.19 years, SDage = 3.96) and the replication sample consisted of 624 parents of children who were either typically developing or presented with a range of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders (302 females, 322 males; Mage = 11.49 years, SDage = 4.48). Parents from both samples completed the SSDS and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2). Results Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling indicated that a 5-factor model provided adequate to excellent fit to the data in the initial ASD sample (comparative fit index [CFI] = .940, Tucker-Lewis Index [TLI] = .919, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .048, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .038). The identified factors were interpreted as Social Motivation, Social Affiliation, Expressive Social Communication, Social Recognition, and Unusual Approach. This factor structure was further confirmed in Sample 2 (CFI = 946, TLI = .930, RMSEA = .044, SRMR = .026). Internal consistency for all subscales was in the good to excellent range across both samples as indicated by Composite Reliability scores of ≥ .72. Convergent and divergent validity was strong as indexed by the pattern of correlations with relevant SRS-2 and Child Behavior Checklist domains and with verbal and non-verbal intellectual functioning scores in Sample 1 and with the Need to Belong Scale and Child Social Preference Scale scores in Sample 2. Across both samples, females had higher social motivation and expressive social communication scores. Discriminant validity was strong given that across all SSDS subscales, the ASD sample had significantly higher impairment than both the typically developing group and the group with other clinical conditions, which in turn, had significantly higher impairment than the typically developing group. Conclusions Our findings provide initial validation of a new scale designed to comprehensively capture individual differences in social motivation and other key social dimensions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Rachel K. Schuck
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Salena Schapp
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser Permanente, Redwood City, CA USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Emma Salzman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Lauren Allerhand
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Robin A. Libove
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | | | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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17
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Song TJ, Lan XY, Wei MP, Zhai FJ, Boeckers TM, Wang JN, Yuan S, Jin MY, Xie YF, Dang WW, Zhang C, Schön M, Song PW, Qiu MH, Song YY, Han SP, Han JS, Zhang R. Altered Behaviors and Impaired Synaptic Function in a Novel Rat Model With a Complete Shank3 Deletion. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:111. [PMID: 30971895 PMCID: PMC6444209 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations within the Shank3 gene, which encodes a key postsynaptic density (PSD) protein at glutamatergic synapses, contribute to the genetic etiology of defined autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), including Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) and intellectual disabilities (ID). Although there are a series of genetic mouse models to study Shank3 gene in ASDs, there are few rat models with species-specific advantages. In this study, we established and characterized a novel rat model with a deletion spanning exons 11–21 of Shank3, leading to a complete loss of the major SHANK3 isoforms. Synaptic function and plasticity of Shank3-deficient rats were impaired detected by biochemical and electrophysiological analyses. Shank3-depleted rats showed impaired social memory but not impaired social interaction behaviors. In addition, impaired learning and memory, increased anxiety-like behavior, increased mechanical pain threshold and decreased thermal sensation were observed in Shank3-deficient rats. It is worth to note that Shank3-deficient rats had nearly normal levels of the endogenous social neurohormones oxytocin (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP). This new rat model will help to further investigate the etiology and assess potential therapeutic target and strategy for Shank3-related neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Jia Song
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xing-Yu Lan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Ping Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Fu-Jun Zhai
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jia-Nan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Yuan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Ying Jin
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Fei Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wan-Wen Dang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Michael Schön
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Pei-Wen Song
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mei-Hong Qiu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya-Yue Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Song-Ping Han
- Wuxi HANS Health Medical Technology Co., Ltd., Wuxi, China
| | - Ji-Sheng Han
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
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18
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Lai SS, Tsai CH, Wu CC, Chen CT, Li HJ, Chen KL. Identifying the Cognitive Correlates of Reciprocity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 50:2007-2018. [PMID: 30847708 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-03957-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the cognitive correlates of reciprocity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A total of 59 children with ASD were assessed with the Interactive Drawing Task, Theory of Mind Task Battery, Children's Card Change Sort Task, and Children's Gambling Task respectively for their reciprocity, theory of mind, cool executive function (EF), and hot EF. The correlational findings revealed that cool EF (r = .482 and - .501, p < .01) and hot EF (r = .396, p < .05) were significantly correlated with children's total reciprocity. The regression models also showed that cool and hot EF abilities were significant predictors. Conclusively, cool and hot EF abilities are the correlates of reciprocity rather than of ToM in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szu-Shen Lai
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan City, 701, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Occupational Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 123, Dinghu Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Ching-Hong Tsai
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, No. 130, Kaisyuan 2nd. Rd., Lingya Dist., Kaohsiung City, 802, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chin-Chin Wu
- Department of Psychology, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shiquan 1st Rd., Sanmin Dist., Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, No. 100, Ziyou 1st Rd., Sanmin Dist., Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Cheng-Te Chen
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Hsing-Jung Li
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, No. 130, Kaisyuan 2nd. Rd., Lingya Dist., Kaohsiung City, 802, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Kuan-Lin Chen
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan City, 701, Taiwan, R.O.C..
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Rd., Tainan City, 701, Taiwan, R.O.C..
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19
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Masuda F, Nakajima S, Miyazaki T, Yoshida K, Tsugawa S, Wada M, Ogyu K, Croarkin PE, Blumberger DM, Daskalakis ZJ, Mimura M, Noda Y. Motor cortex excitability and inhibitory imbalance in autism spectrum disorder assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:110. [PMID: 30846682 PMCID: PMC6405856 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0444-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortical excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalances contribute to various clinical symptoms observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the detailed pathophysiologic underpinning of E/I imbalance remains uncertain. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) motor-evoked potentials (MEP) are a non-invasive tool for examining cortical inhibition in ASD. Here, we conducted a systematic review on TMS neurophysiology in motor cortex (M1) such as MEPs and short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) between individuals with ASD and controls. Out of 538 initial records, we identified six articles. Five studies measured MEP, where four studies measured SICI. There were no differences in MEP amplitudes between the two groups, whereas SICI was likely to be reduced in individuals with ASD compared with controls. Notably, SICI largely reflects GABA(A) receptor-mediated function. Conversely, other magnetic resonance spectroscopy and postmortem methodologies assess GABA levels. The present review demonstrated that there may be neurophysiological deficits in GABA receptor-mediated function in ASD. In conclusion, reduced GABAergic function in the neural circuits could underlie the E/I imbalance in ASD, which may be related to the pathophysiology of clinical symptoms of ASD. Therefore, a novel treatment that targets the neural circuits related to GABA(A) receptor-mediated function in regions involved in the pathophysiology of ASD may be promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumi Masuda
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan ,0000 0000 9747 6806grid.410827.8Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan ,0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Multimodal Imaging Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Takahiro Miyazaki
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunari Yoshida
- 0000 0004 0459 167Xgrid.66875.3aDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Sakiko Tsugawa
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masataka Wada
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kamiyu Ogyu
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Paul E. Croarkin
- 0000 0000 8793 5925grid.155956.bPharmacogenetics Research Clinic, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Daniel M. Blumberger
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Zafiris J. Daskalakis
- 0000 0001 2157 2938grid.17063.33Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Masaru Mimura
- 0000 0004 1936 9959grid.26091.3cDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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20
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Mikami AY, Miller M, Lerner MD. Social functioning in youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder: transdiagnostic commonalities and differences. Clin Psychol Rev 2019; 68:54-70. [PMID: 30658861 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are both neurodevelopmental disorders originating in childhood with high associated impairments and public health significance. There has been growing recognition of the frequent co-occurrence, and potential interrelatedness, between ADHD and ASD without intellectual disability. In fact, the most recent (5th) edition of the DSM is the first to allow ADHD and ASD to be diagnosed in the same individual. The study of transdiagnostic features in ADHD and ASD is important for understanding, and treating, these commonly co-occurring disorders. Social impairment is central to the description and prognosis of both disorders, and many youth with some combination of ADHD and ASD present to clinics for social skills training interventions. However, the aspects of social functioning that are impaired may have both shared and distinct features between the two disorders, relating to some overlapping and some diverse etiologies of social problems in ADHD compared to ASD. These findings have implications for interventions to address social problems in youth with these conditions. We conclude with a discussion about areas for future research and novel intervention targets in youth with ADHD, ASD, and their comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghan Miller
- University of California Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, CA, USA
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21
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He Y, Su Q, Wang L, He W, Tan C, Zhang H, Ng ML, Yan N, Chen Y. The Characteristics of Intelligence Profile and Eye Gaze in Facial Emotion Recognition in Mild and Moderate Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:402. [PMID: 31281268 PMCID: PMC6596453 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can easily be misdiagnosed, due to the nonspecific social and communicational deficits associated with the disorder. The present study attempted to profile the mental development and visual attention toward emotion among preschool children with mild or moderate ASD who were attending mainstream kindergartens. A total of 21 children (17 boys and 4 girls) diagnosed with mild or moderate ASD selected from 5,178 kindergarteners from the Xi'an city were recruited. Another group of 21 typically developing (TD) children who were matched with age, gender, and class served as controls. All children were assessed using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Chinese (GDS-C), and their social visual attention was assessed during watching 20 ecologically valid film scenes by using eye tracking technique. The results showed that ASD children had lower mental development scores in the Locomotor, Personal-Social, Language, Performance, and Practical Reasoning subscales than the TD peers. Moreover, deficits in recognizing emotions from facial expressions based on naturalistic scene stimuli with voice were found for ASD children. The deficits were significantly correlated with their ability in social interaction and development quotient in ASD group. ASD children showed atypical eye-gaze pattern when compared to TD children during facial emotion expression task. Children with ASD had reduced visual attention to facial emotion expression, especially for the eye region. The findings confirmed the deficits of ASD children in real life multimodal of emotion recognition, and their atypical eye-gaze pattern for emotion recognition. Parents and teachers of children with mild or moderate ASD should make informed educational decisions according to their level of mental development. In addition, eye tracking technique might clinically help provide evidence diagnosing children with mild or moderate ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying He
- Department of Pediatrics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.,Child Healthcare Department, Xi'an Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Qi Su
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenxiang He
- Department of Pediatrics, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Chuanxue Tan
- Child Healthcare Department, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Haiqing Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Manwa L Ng
- Speech Science Laboratory, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nan Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanni Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China.,Department of Pediatrics, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China.,Child Healthcare Department, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
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22
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Meng FC, Xu XJ, Song TJ, Shou XJ, Wang XL, Han SP, Han JS, Zhang R. Development of an Autism Subtyping Questionnaire Based on Social Behaviors. Neurosci Bull 2018; 34:789-800. [PMID: 29633087 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-018-0224-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder can be differentiated into three subtypes (aloof, passive, and active-but-odd) based on social behaviors according to the Wing Subgroups Questionnaire (WSQ). However, the correlations between the scores on some individual items and the total score are poor. In the present study, we translated the WSQ into Chinese, modified it, validated it in autistic and typically-developing Chinese children, and renamed it the Beijing Autism Subtyping Questionnaire (BASQ). Our results demonstrated that the BASQ had improved validity and reliability, and differentiated autistic children into these three subtypes more precisely. We noted that the autistic symptoms tended to be severe in the aloof, moderate in the passive, and mild in the active-but-odd subtypes. The modified questionnaire may facilitate etiological studies and the selection of therapeutic regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan-Chao Meng
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xin-Jie Xu
- Central Laboratory, Research Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Scientific Research, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Tian-Jia Song
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Shou
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiao-Li Wang
- Division of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Song-Ping Han
- Wuxi Shenpingxintai Medical Technology Co., Ltd., Wuxi, 214000, China
| | - Ji-Sheng Han
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China. .,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China. .,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China. .,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Rong Zhang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China. .,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China. .,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China. .,Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.
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23
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Kapp SK. Social Support, Well-being, and Quality of Life Among Individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Pediatrics 2018; 141:S362-S368. [PMID: 29610418 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-4300n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Social support plays a critical role in the quality of life (adaptive functioning and subjective well-being) of individuals on the autism spectrum across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven K Kapp
- Human Development & Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; and Sociology and Egenis, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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24
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Munkhaugen EK, Torske T, Gjevik E, Nærland T, Pripp AH, Diseth TH. Individual characteristics of students with autism spectrum disorders and school refusal behavior. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2017; 23:413-423. [PMID: 29241346 DOI: 10.1177/1362361317748619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study compared social, executive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of students with autism spectrum disorder who did and did not display school refusal behavior. The participants were 62 students with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability aged 9-16 years attending inclusive schools. Parents first completed questionnaires assessing social and executive functioning as well as emotional and behavioral problems. They then documented their child's school refusal behavior for a period of 20 days. Compared to students without school refusal behavior (n = 29), students with school refusal behavior (n = 33) were significantly less socially motivated; displayed more deficits in initiating tasks or activities, in generating ideas, responses, or problem-solving strategies; and displayed more withdrawn and depressive symptoms. Assessing social and executive functioning, as well as emotional problems, may help professionals provide tailored interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder and school refusal behavior, which will further be valuable in recognizing characteristics associated with school refusal behavior.
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25
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Thomas AM, Schwartz MD, Saxe MD, Kilduff TS. Cntnap2 Knockout Rats and Mice Exhibit Epileptiform Activity and Abnormal Sleep-Wake Physiology. Sleep 2017; 40:2661545. [PMID: 28364455 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsw026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Study Objectives Although recent innovations have enabled modification of the rat genome, it is unclear whether enhanced utility of rodents as human disease models will result. We compared electroencephalogram (EEG) and behavioral phenotypes of rats and mice with homozygous deletion of Cntnap2, a gene associated with cortical dysplasia-focal epilepsy (CDFE) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Methods Male contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2) knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) rats and male Cntnap2 KO and WT mice were implanted with telemeters to record EEG, electromyogram, body temperature, and locomotor activity. Animals were subjected to a test battery for ASD-related behaviors, followed by 24-hr EEG recordings that were analyzed for sleep-wake parameters and subjected to spectral analysis. Results Cntnap2 KO rats exhibited severe motor seizures, hyperactivity, and increased consolidation of wakefulness and REM sleep. By contrast, Cntnap2 KO mice demonstrated absence seizure-like events, hypoactivity, and wake fragmentation. Although seizures observed in Cntnap2 KO rats were more similar to those in CDFE patients than in KO mice, neither model fully recapitulated the full spectrum of disease symptoms. However, KOs in both species had reduced spectral power in the alpha (9-12 Hz) range during wake, suggesting a conserved EEG biomarker. Conclusions Deletion of Cntnap2 impacts similar behaviors and EEG measures in rats and mice, but with profound differences in nature and phenotypic severity. These observations highlight the importance of cross-species comparisons to understand conserved gene functions and the limitations of single- species models to provide translational insights relevant to human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia M Thomas
- Biosciences Division, Center for Neuroscience, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
| | - Michael D Schwartz
- Biosciences Division, Center for Neuroscience, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
| | - Michael D Saxe
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Disease DTA, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas S Kilduff
- Biosciences Division, Center for Neuroscience, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
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26
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Crespi BJ, Procyshyn TL. Williams syndrome deletions and duplications: Genetic windows to understanding anxiety, sociality, autism, and schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 79:14-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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27
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Boily R, Kingston SE, Montgomery JM. Trait and Ability Emotional Intelligence in Adolescents With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/0829573517717160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Social-emotional impairments are considered core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although numerous interventions have been developed to remediate the social deficits in children with ASD, few have been designed to meet the needs of youth. Given research demonstrating relations between emotional intelligence (EI) and social outcomes in adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS), the current study examined both trait and ability EI to elucidate the nature of the EI strengths and impairments in youth with and without ASD. Twenty-five adolescents with ASD and 25 adolescents without ASD aged 13 to 17 years completed measures of ability and trait EI. Findings suggest that aspects of both trait and ability EI were significantly weaker in adolescents with ASD compared with typically developing adolescents. Implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.
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Stichter JP, Herzog MJ, Kilgus SP, Schoemann AM. Exploring the Moderating Effects of Cognitive Abilities on Social Competence Intervention Outcomes. Behav Modif 2017; 42:84-107. [DOI: 10.1177/0145445517698654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Many populations served by special education, including those identified with autism, emotional impairments, or students identified as not ready to learn, experience social competence deficits. The Social Competence Intervention-Adolescents’ (SCI-A) methods, content, and materials were designed to be maximally pertinent and applicable to the social competence needs of early adolescents (i.e., age 11-14 years) identified as having scholastic potential but experiencing significant social competence deficits. Given the importance of establishing intervention efficacy, the current paper highlights the results from a four-year cluster randomized trial (CRT) to examine the efficacy of SCI-A (n = 146 students) relative to Business As Usual (n = 123 students) school-based programming. Educational personnel delivered all programming including both intervention and BAU conditions. Student functioning was assessed across multiple time points, including pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Outcomes of interest included social competence behaviors, which were assessed via both systematic direct observation and teacher behavior rating scales. Data were analyzed using multilevel models, with students nested within schools. Results suggested after controlling for baseline behavior and student IQ, BAU and SCI students differed to a statistically significant degree across multiple indicators of social performance. Further consideration of standardized mean difference effect sizes revealed these between-group differences to be representative of medium effects (d > .50). Such outcomes pertained to student (a) awareness of social cues and information, and (b) capacity to appropriately interact with teachers and peers. The need for additional power and the investigation of potential moderators and mediators of social competence effectiveness are explored.
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29
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Methamphetamine-induced deficits in social interaction are not observed following abstinence from single or repeated exposures. Behav Pharmacol 2016; 26:786-97. [PMID: 26536631 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to assess social interaction (SI) following acute and repeated methamphetamine (MA) administration. Rats were injected with 5.0 mg/kg of MA and SI was tested 30 min or 24 h later. In another group of animals, MA sensitization was induced using 5.0 mg/kg of MA, and SI was assessed after 1 or 30 days of abstinence. SI was reduced in rats injected with MA 30 min, but not 24 h, before testing, compared with saline controls. Impaired SI was observed in combination with active avoidance of the conspecific animal. Repeated injections of MA progressively reduced locomotor activity and increased stereotypy, indicating that animals were sensitized. However, no differences in SI were observed 24 h or 30 days following the induction of sensitization. The absence of detectable differences in SI following MA sensitization may be attributable to the relatively short regimen used to induce sensitization. However, the current series of experiments provides evidence that an acute injection of MA decreases SI and simultaneously increases avoidance behavior, which supports a link between psychostimulant use and impaired social functioning. These data suggest that the acute injection model may provide a useful model to explore the neural basis of impaired social functioning and antisocial behavior.
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30
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Abstract
Abstract
ASD research is at an important crossroads. The ASD diagnosis is important for assigning a child to early behavioral intervention and explaining a child’s condition. But ASD research has not provided a diagnosis-specific medical treatment, or a consistent early predictor, or a unified life course. If the ASD diagnosis also lacks biological and construct validity, a shift away from studying ASD-defined samples would be warranted. Consequently, this paper reviews recent findings for the neurobiological validity of ASD, the construct validity of ASD diagnostic criteria, and the construct validity of ASD spectrum features. The findings reviewed indicate that the ASD diagnosis lacks biological and construct validity. The paper concludes with proposals for research going forward.
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31
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Kok FM, Groen Y, Becke M, Fuermaier ABM, Tucha O. Self-Reported Empathy in Adult Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders - A Systematic Mini Review. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151568. [PMID: 26998928 PMCID: PMC4801394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is limited research on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in females. Although the empathy construct has been examined thoroughly in autism, little attention has been paid to empathy in adult women with this condition or to gender differences within the disorder. OBJECTIVE Self-reported empathy in adult women with ASD was examined and compared to that of typically developed men and women as well as to men with this condition. METHODS Online databases were searched for articles investigating self-reported empathy among adult women with ASD. Only six studies comparing women to men were identified. RESULTS All studies found women with an ASD to report lower levels of empathy than typically developed women, and typically developed men, but similar levels to men with this condition. CONCLUSION The self-reported empathic ability of women diagnosed with ASD resembles that of their male counterparts most closely; they show a hypermasculinisation in empathy. This is particularly surprising considering the large gender difference in empathy in the general population. DISCUSSION One of the limitations of this review is that the current diagnostic criteria for ASD are oriented towards male-specific behaviour and fail to integrate gender specific characteristics. Hence, women diagnosed with ASD are likely to be at the male end of the continuum. The suggested hypermasculinisation of women on the spectrum, as evident from this review, may therefore be exaggerated due to a selection bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francien M. Kok
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Yvonne Groen
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Miriam Becke
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anselm B. M. Fuermaier
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Oliver Tucha
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, and Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Kamps D, Thiemann-Bourque K, Heitzman-Powell L, Schwartz I, Rosenberg N, Mason R, Cox S. A comprehensive peer network intervention to improve social communication of children with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized trial in kindergarten and first grade. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 45:1809-24. [PMID: 25510450 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2340-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this randomized control group study was to examine the effects of a peer network intervention that included peer mediation and direct instruction for Kindergarten and First-grade children with autism spectrum disorders. Trained school staff members provided direct instruction for 56 children in the intervention group, and 39 children participated in a comparison group. Results showed children in the intervention group displayed significantly more initiations to peers than did the comparison group during non-treatment social probes and generalization probes. Treatment session data showed significant growth for total communications over baseline levels. Children in treatment also showed more growth in language and adaptive communication. Finally, teachers' ratings of prosocial skills revealed significantly greater improvements for the intervention group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra Kamps
- Life Span Institute, Juniper Gardens Children's Project, University of Kansas, 444 Minnesota Avenue, 3rd floor, Kansas City, KS, 66101, USA,
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Begeer S, Howlin P, Hoddenbach E, Clauser C, Lindauer R, Clifford P, Gevers C, Boer F, Koot HM. Effects and Moderators of a Short Theory of Mind Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Autism Res 2015; 8:738-48. [PMID: 25847054 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Limited perspective taking or "Theory of Mind" (ToM) abilities are a core deficit of autism, and many interventions are aimed to improve ToM abilities. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a ToM treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and, for the first time, the moderating roles of social interaction style (SIS) and disruptive behavior (DB), to determine which children are most likely to respond to this intervention. The trial protocol is registered at www.trialregister.nl, trial number 2327 and published before the data collection was finished (www.trialsjournal.com). Children with autism aged 7-12 years (n = 97) were randomized over a waitlist control or a treatment condition. Outcome measures included ToM and emotion understanding, parent and teacher questionnaires on children's social skills, ToM-related social behavior, and autistic traits. Six-month follow-up parent reported data were collected for the treatment group. The treatment had a positive effect on ToM understanding, parent-reported ToM behavior, and autistic traits, but not on parent or teacher-reported social behavior. Passive SIS was associated with diminished treatment effects on autistic traits, but DB was unrelated to outcomes. The ToM intervention improved conceptual social understanding and ToM-related behavior of children with ASD. However, broader application of learned skills to other domains of functioning was limited. Individual differences with regard to treatment response are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Begeer
- VU University, Department of Developmental Psychology, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,School of Psychology, Brennan MacCallum Building (A18) The University of Sydney NSW 2006
| | - Patricia Howlin
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, 16 De Crespigny Park London SE5 8AF.,Faculty of Health Sciences, C42 - Cumberland Campus, The University of Sydney Lidcombe NSW 2141, Australia
| | - Elske Hoddenbach
- VU University, Department of Developmental Psychology, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,De Bascule, Rijksstraatweg 145 1115, AP Duivendrecht
| | | | | | | | | | - Frits Boer
- De Bascule, Rijksstraatweg 145 1115, AP Duivendrecht
| | - Hans M Koot
- VU University, Department of Developmental Psychology, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Damiano CR, Cockrell DC, Dunlap K, Hanna EK, Miller S, Bizzell J, Kovac M, Turner-Brown L, Sideris J, Kinard J, Dichter GS. Neural mechanisms of negative reinforcement in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. J Neurodev Disord 2015; 7:12. [PMID: 25829969 PMCID: PMC4379694 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-015-9107-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous research has found accumulating evidence for atypical reward processing in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), particularly in the context of social rewards. Yet, this line of research has focused largely on positive social reinforcement, while little is known about the processing of negative reinforcement in individuals with ASD. Methods The present study examined neural responses to social negative reinforcement (a face displaying negative affect) and non-social negative reinforcement (monetary loss) in children with ASD relative to typically developing children, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results We found that children with ASD demonstrated hypoactivation of the right caudate nucleus while anticipating non-social negative reinforcement and hypoactivation of a network of frontostriatal regions (including the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen) while anticipating social negative reinforcement. In addition, activation of the right caudate nucleus during non-social negative reinforcement was associated with individual differences in social motivation. Conclusions These results suggest that atypical responding to negative reinforcement in children with ASD may contribute to social motivational deficits in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara R Damiano
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #3270, Davie Hall, 27599-3270 Chapel Hill, NC USA ; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7255, 27599-7255 Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Dillon C Cockrell
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #3270, Davie Hall, 27599-3270 Chapel Hill, NC USA ; Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute, 2 Riverside Circle Suite M140, 24016 Roanoke, VA USA
| | - Kaitlyn Dunlap
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center (BIAC), Duke University Medical Center, 2424 Erwin Road Suite 501, 27708 Durham, NC USA
| | - Eleanor K Hanna
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7255, 27599-7255 Chapel Hill, NC USA ; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Box # 90999, 27708 Durham, NC USA
| | - Stephanie Miller
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7255, 27599-7255 Chapel Hill, NC USA ; UNC School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education, CB #3550, 27599-3550 Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Joshua Bizzell
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center (BIAC), Duke University Medical Center, 2424 Erwin Road Suite 501, 27708 Durham, NC USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7160, 27599-7160 Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Megan Kovac
- School Psychology Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education, CB #3550, 27599-3550 Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Lauren Turner-Brown
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7255, 27599-7255 Chapel Hill, NC USA ; TEACCH Autism Program, CB# 7180 UNC-Chapel Hill, 27599-7180 Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - John Sideris
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #8185, 27599-8185 Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Jessica Kinard
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7255, 27599-7255 Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Gabriel S Dichter
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #3270, Davie Hall, 27599-3270 Chapel Hill, NC USA ; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7255, 27599-7255 Chapel Hill, NC USA ; Brain Imaging and Analysis Center (BIAC), Duke University Medical Center, 2424 Erwin Road Suite 501, 27708 Durham, NC USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #7160, 27599-7160 Chapel Hill, NC USA
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Crespi BJ, Hurd PL. Cognitive-behavioral phenotypes of Williams syndrome are associated with genetic variation in the GTF2I gene, in a healthy population. BMC Neurosci 2014; 15:127. [PMID: 25429715 PMCID: PMC4247780 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-014-0127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals with Williams syndrome, a neurogenetic condition caused by deletion of a set of genes at chromosomal location 7q11.23, exhibit a remarkable suite of traits including hypersociality with high, nonselective friendliness and low social anxiety, expressive language relatively well-developed but under-developed social-communication skills overall, and reduced visual-spatial abilities. Deletions and duplications of the Williams-syndrome region have also been associated with autism, and with schizophrenia, two disorders centrally involving social cognition. Several lines of evidence have linked the gene GTF2I (General Transcription Factor IIi) with the social phenotypes of Williams syndrome, but a role for this gene in sociality within healthy populations has yet to be investigated. Results We genotyped a large set of healthy individuals for two single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the GTF2I gene that have recently been significantly associated with autism, and thus apparently exhibit functional effects on autism-related social phenotypes. GTF2I genotypes for these SNPs showed highly significant association with low social anxiety combined with reduced social-communication abilities, which represents a metric of the Williams-syndrome cognitive profile as described from previous studies. Conclusions These findings implicate the GTF2I gene in the neurogenetic basis of social communication and social anxiety, both in Williams syndrome and among individuals in healthy populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby V5A 1S6, , BC, Canada.
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36
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van den Bergh SFWM, Scheeren AM, Begeer S, Koot HM, Geurts HM. Age related differences of executive functioning problems in everyday life of children and adolescents in the autism spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:1959-71. [PMID: 24562693 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2071-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies investigated executive functioning (EF) problems in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using laboratory EF tasks. As laboratory task performances often differ from real life observations, the current study focused on EF in everyday life of 118 children and adolescents with ASD (6-18 years). We investigated age-related and individual differences in EF problems as reported by parents on the Behavioral Rating Inventory Executive Functions (BRIEF: Gioia et al. in Behavior rating inventory of executive function. Psychological Assessment Resources, Odesse 2000), and examined the association with autism severity. Inhibition problems were mostly found in the youngest group (6- to 8-year-olds), whereas problems with planning where more evident for 12- to 14-year-olds as compared to 9- to 11-year-olds. In a subsample of participants meeting the ADOS ASD cut-off criteria the age related differences in planning were absent, while problems with cognitive flexibility were less apparent in 15- to 18-year-olds, compared to 9- to 11-, and 12- to 14-year olds. EF problems surpassing the clinical cutoff were only observed in 20% (planning) to 51% (cognitive flexibility) of the children and adolescents, and no relation was found with ASD symptom severity. This underlines the heterogeneous nature of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne F W M van den Bergh
- Autism Clinic, Research and Development, Dr. Leo Kannerhuis, Houtsniplaan 1, 6865 XZ, Doorwerth, The Netherlands,
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Narzisi A, Muratori F, Calderoni S, Fabbro F, Urgesi C. Neuropsychological profile in high functioning autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 43:1895-909. [PMID: 23224514 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1736-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A comprehensive investigation of the neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses of children with autism may help to better describe their cognitive abilities and to design appropriate interventions. To this end we compared the NEPSY-II profiles of 22 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) with those of 44 healthy control (HC) children 2:1 matched by gender, age, race and education. Results showed that only Visuospatial Processing was relatively spared in HFASD, while deficits were observed in Attention and Executive Functions, Language, Learning and Memory, and Sensorimotor Processing. Theory of Mind difficulties were observed in verbal tasks but not in the understanding of emotional contexts, suggesting that appropriate contextual cues might help emotion understanding in HFASD children. These widespread neuropsychological impairments reflect alterations in multiple cognitive domains in HFASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Narzisi
- Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, University of Pisa, Via dei Giacinti, 2, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy.
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Barron-Linnankoski S, Reinvall O, Lahervuori A, Voutilainen A, Lahti-Nuuttila P, Korkman M. Neurocognitive performance of children with higher functioning autism spectrum disorders on the NEPSY-II. Child Neuropsychol 2014; 21:55-77. [PMID: 24397431 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2013.873781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
This study examined patterns of strengths and weaknesses in the neurocognitive performance of children with higher functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The participants were 30 children with higher functioning ASD ranging from 6 to 11 years, and 60 typically developing (TD) children, who were matched with the children with higher functioning ASD in terms of age, gender, and maternal education. The TD children were drawn from the Finnish standardization sample for the NEPSY-II. The cognitive abilities of the children with higher functioning ASD were assessed with the WISC-III, and the neurocognitive performance of the children with higher functioning ASD and TD children on the NEPSY-II was compared. The children with higher functioning ASD were found to have strengths in verbal reasoning skills with respect to the population mean and weaknesses in set-shifting, verbal fluency, and narrative memory in comparison with the TD children. Minor weaknesses were also observed in facial memory and fine and visuomotor skills.
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Scheeren AM, Koot HM, Mundy PC, Mous L, Begeer S. Empathic responsiveness of children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2013; 6:362-71. [PMID: 24039228 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown reduced empathic responsiveness to others' emotions in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and an intellectual disability. However, age and intelligence may promote children's empathic responsiveness. Therefore, we examined the empathic responsiveness in normally intelligent school-aged children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of ASD (n = 151) and in a typically developing comparison group (n = 50), using structured observations and parent reports. Based on the observations, participants' responses to the emotional displays of an interviewer were surprisingly similar. However, compared with parents from the comparison group, parents of a child with ASD reported significantly fewer empathic responses, particularly when the child received a high score on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Even though parents report a reduced empathic responsiveness in school-aged children and adolescents with ASD, it may be difficult to find these empathic limitations during brief observations in a structured setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke M Scheeren
- VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Autism Research Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Bauman MD, Iosif AM, Ashwood P, Braunschweig D, Lee A, Schumann CM, Van de Water J, Amaral DG. Maternal antibodies from mothers of children with autism alter brain growth and social behavior development in the rhesus monkey. Transl Psychiatry 2013; 3:e278. [PMID: 23838889 PMCID: PMC3731783 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2013.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies directed against fetal brain proteins of 37 and 73 kDa molecular weight are found in approximately 12% of mothers who have children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but not in mothers of typically developing children. This finding has raised the possibility that these immunoglobulin G (IgG) class antibodies cross the placenta during pregnancy and impact brain development, leading to one form of ASD. We evaluated the pathogenic potential of these antibodies by using a nonhuman primate model. IgG was isolated from mothers of children with ASD (IgG-ASD) and of typically developing children (IgG-CON). The purified IgG was administered to two groups of female rhesus monkeys (IgG-ASD; n=8 and IgG-CON; n=8) during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Another control group of pregnant monkeys (n=8) was untreated. Brain and behavioral development of the offspring were assessed for 2 years. Behavioral differences were first detected when the macaque mothers responded to their IgG-ASD offspring with heightened protectiveness during early development. As they matured, IgG-ASD offspring consistently deviated from species-typical social norms by more frequently approaching familiar peers. The increased approach was not reciprocated and did not lead to sustained social interactions. Even more striking, IgG-ASD offspring displayed inappropriate approach behavior to unfamiliar peers, clearly deviating from normal macaque social behavior. Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging analyses revealed that male IgG-ASD offspring had enlarged brain volume compared with controls. White matter volume increases appeared to be driving the brain differences in the IgG-ASD offspring and these differences were most pronounced in the frontal lobes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
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Scheeren AM, de Rosnay M, Koot HM, Begeer S. Rethinking theory of mind in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2013; 54:628-35. [PMID: 23072222 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sociocommunicative problems in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are traditionally linked to impairments in theory of mind (ToM), the ability to ascribe mental states to others. Although ToM impairments are consistently reported in young children with ASD, findings on more advanced ToM understanding in older individuals with high-functioning ASD (HFASD) are less straightforward. Therefore, we assessed the advanced ToM abilities of a large sample of school-aged children and adolescents with HFASD (n = 194; 6-20 years) and compared them to a typically developing (TD) comparison group (n = 60). METHODS Participants' advanced ToM was assessed with five social stories containing second-order false beliefs, display rules, double bluff, faux pas, and sarcasm. RESULTS Participants with HFASD performed equally well on each of the ToM stories as their TD peers. Consistent age effects were noticed with adolescents outperforming the children. Furthermore, advanced ToM was positively associated with participants' age, verbal abilities, and general reasoning abilities. CONCLUSIONS Counter to what the ToM theory of ASD would predict, school-aged children and adolescents with HFASD seem to be able to master the theoretical principles of advanced mental state reasoning. However, they may still fail to apply these theoretical principles during everyday social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke M Scheeren
- VU University Amsterdam, Department of Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Lerner MD, White SW, McPartland JC. Mechanisms of change in psychosocial interventions for autism spectrum disorders. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2013. [PMID: 23226955 PMCID: PMC3513684 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2012.14.3/mlerner] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research into psychosocial interventions (particularly cognitive-behavior therapies and social skills training) for social-communication deficits among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has proliferated over the past decade. While this research has provided some empirical support for the efficacy of these interventions, little work has begun to elucidate therapeutic mechanisms-the when, why, how, for whom, and under what conditions an intervention may produce change, identification of mechanisms underlying these effects should help advance ASD intervention research. This article describes methods for assessing such mechanisms (ie, mediators and moderators) and presents promising candidates for common mechanisms impacting treatment response: behavior modification, therapeutic relationship, social knowledge, social motivation, social information processing, executive functioning, and internalizing comorbidities. Finally, future directions are discussed as a program of psychosocial intervention research designed to identify predictors of individual differences in treatment response (including biomarkers), isolate active therapeutic ingredients, and promote dissemination of optimized interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400, USA.
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Bauminger-Zviely N, Eden S, Zancanaro M, Weiss PL, Gal E. Increasing social engagement in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder using collaborative technologies in the school environment. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2013; 17:317-39. [PMID: 23614935 DOI: 10.1177/1362361312472989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based, collaborative technology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy to teach the concepts of social collaboration and social conversation to children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (n = 22) as well as to enhance their actual social engagement behaviors (collaboration and social conversation) with peers. Two computer programs were included in the intervention: "Join-In" to teach collaboration and "No-Problem" to teach conversation. Assessment in the socio-cognitive area included concept perception measures, problem solving, Theory of Mind, and a dyadic drawing collaborative task to examine change in children's social engagement. Results demonstrated improvement in the socio-cognitive area with children providing more active social solutions to social problems and revealing more appropriate understanding of collaboration and social conversation after intervention, with some improvement in Theory of Mind. Improvement in actual social engagement was more scattered.
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Hoddenbach E, Koot HM, Clifford P, Gevers C, Clauser C, Boer F, Begeer S. Individual differences in the efficacy of a short theory of mind intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2012; 13:206. [PMID: 23140338 PMCID: PMC3551840 DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-13-206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2012] [Accepted: 10/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Having a ‘theory of mind’, or having the ability to attribute mental states to oneself or others, is considered one of the most central domains of impairment among children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many interventions focus on improving theory of mind skills in children with ASD. Nonetheless, the empirical evidence for the effect of these interventions is limited. The main goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a short theory of mind intervention for children with ASD. A second objective is to determine which subgroups within the autism spectrum profit most from the intervention. Methods This study is a randomized controlled trial. One hundred children with ASD, aged 7 to 12 years will be randomly assigned to an intervention or a waiting list control group. Outcome measures include the completion of theory of mind and emotion understanding tasks, and parent and teacher questionnaires on children’s social skills. Follow-up data for the intervention group will be collected 6 months after the interventions. Discussion This study evaluates the efficacy of a theory of mind intervention for children with ASD. Hypotheses, strengths, and limitations of the study are discussed. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register NTR2327
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