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Zheng X, Zhou F, Fu M, Xu L, Wang J, Li J, Li K, Sindermann C, Montag C, Becker B, Zhan Y, Kendrick KM. Patterns of neural activity in response to threatening faces are predictive of autistic traits: modulatory effects of oxytocin receptor genotype. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:168. [PMID: 38553454 PMCID: PMC10980722 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02889-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Autistic individuals generally demonstrate impaired emotion recognition but it is unclear whether effects are emotion-specific or influenced by oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotype. Here we implemented a dimensional approach using an implicit emotion recognition task together with functional MRI in a large cohort of neurotypical adult participants (N = 255, male = 131, aged 17-29 years) to establish associations between autistic traits and neural and behavioral responses to specific face emotions, together with modulatory effects of OXTR genotype. A searchlight-based multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed an extensive network of frontal, basal ganglia, cingulate and limbic regions exhibiting significant predictability for autistic traits from patterns of responses to angry relative to neutral expression faces. Functional connectivity analyses revealed a genotype interaction (OXTR SNPs rs2254298, rs2268491) for coupling between the orbitofrontal cortex and mid-cingulate during angry expression processing, with a negative association between coupling and autistic traits in the risk-allele group and a positive one in the non-risk allele group. Overall, results indicate extensive emotion-specific associations primarily between patterns of neural responses to angry faces and autistic traits in regions processing motivation, reward and salience but not in early visual processing. Functional connections between these identified regions were not only associated with autistic traits but also influenced by OXTR genotype. Thus, altered patterns of neural responses to threatening faces may be a potential biomarker for autistic symptoms although modulatory influences of OXTR genotype need to be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meina Fu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jialin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Keshuang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Cornelia Sindermann
- University of Stuttgart, Computational Digital Psychology, Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hongkong, Hongkong, China
| | - Yang Zhan
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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2
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Alves CL, Toutain TGLDO, de Carvalho Aguiar P, Pineda AM, Roster K, Thielemann C, Porto JAM, Rodrigues FA. Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder based on functional brain networks and machine learning. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8072. [PMID: 37202411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34650-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental condition whose accurate diagnosis may be challenging because the associated symptoms and severity vary considerably. The wrong diagnosis can affect families and the educational system, raising the risk of depression, eating disorders, and self-harm. Recently, many works have proposed new methods for the diagnosis of autism based on machine learning and brain data. However, these works focus on only one pairwise statistical metric, ignoring the brain network organization. In this paper, we propose a method for the automatic diagnosis of autism based on functional brain imaging data recorded from 500 subjects, where 242 present autism spectrum disorder considering the regions of interest throughout Bootstrap Analysis of Stable Cluster map. Our method can distinguish the control group from autism spectrum disorder patients with high accuracy. Indeed the best performance provides an AUC near 1.0, which is higher than that found in the literature. We verify that the left ventral posterior cingulate cortex region is less connected to an area in the cerebellum of patients with this neurodevelopment disorder, which agrees with previous studies. The functional brain networks of autism spectrum disorder patients show more segregation, less distribution of information across the network, and less connectivity compared to the control cases. Our workflow provides medical interpretability and can be used on other fMRI and EEG data, including small data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline L Alves
- Institute of Mathematical and Computer Sciences (ICMC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil.
- BioMEMS Lab, Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences, Aschaffenburg, Germany.
| | | | - Patricia de Carvalho Aguiar
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aruane M Pineda
- Institute of Mathematical and Computer Sciences (ICMC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kirstin Roster
- Institute of Mathematical and Computer Sciences (ICMC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Francisco A Rodrigues
- Institute of Mathematical and Computer Sciences (ICMC), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Liu J, Zhang Y, Qiu J, Wei D. Linking negative affect, personality and social conditions to structural brain development during the transition from late adolescent to young adulthood. J Affect Disord 2023; 325:14-21. [PMID: 36623558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transition from late adolescence to early adulthood is a period that experiences a surge of life changes and brain reorganization caused by internal and external factors, including negative affect, personality, and social conditions. METHODS Non-imaging phenotype and structural brain variables were available on 497 healthy participants (279 females and 218 males) between 17 and 22 years old. We used sparse canonical correlation analysis (sCCA) on the high-dimensional and longitudinal data to extract modes with maximum covariation between structural brain changes and negative affect, personality, and social conditions. RESULTS Separate sCCAs for cortical volume, cortical thickness, cortical surface area and subcortical volume confirmed that each imaging phenotype was correlated with non-imaging features (sCCA |r| range: 0.21-0.38, all pFDR < 0.01). Bilateral superior frontal, left caudal anterior cingulate and bilateral caudate had the highest canonical cross-loadings (|ρ| = 0.15-0.32). In longitudinal data analysis, scan-interval, negative affect, and enthusiasm had the highest association with structural brain changes (|ρ| = 0.07-0.38); at baseline, intellect and politeness were associated with individual variability in the structural brain (|ρ| = 0.10-0.25). LIMITATIONS The present study used non-imaging variables only at baseline, making it impossible to explore the relationship between changing behavior and structural brain development. CONCLUSIONS Individual structural brain changes are associated with multiple factors. In addition to time-dependent variables, we find that negative affect, enthusiasm and social support play a numerically weak but significant role in structural brain development during the transition from late adolescence to young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China; Southwest University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, China.
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing 400715, China.
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4
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Louveau C, Ellul P, Iftimovici A, Dubreucq J, Laidi C, Leyrolle Q, Purper-Ouakil D, Jacquemont S, Lyonnet S, Barthélémy C, Krebs MO, Bai J, Olivier P, Chaumette B. Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) without boundaries: research and interventions beyond classifications. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:473-479. [PMID: 36719463 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02586-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
On June 2022, the 2nd Webinar "Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) without boundaries took place at the Imagine Institute in Paris and was broadcasted live and in replay. The aim of this webinar is to address NDD in a dimensional rather than in a categorical approach. Several speakers were invited to present their researches on the subject. Classifications in NDD were discussed: irritability in NDD, involvement of the immune system in neurodevelopment, nutrition and gut microbiota modulate brain inflammation and neurodevelopment, co-occurring conditions in autistic adolescents and adults without intellectual disability. Classifications in psychiatric disorders were asked: mapping the effect of genes on cognition and autism risk, epigenetics and symptomatic trajectory in neurodevelopmental disorders, the autism-schizophrenia continuum in two examples: minor neurological signs and EEG microstates, the cerebellum in schizophrenia and autism: from imaging to intervention perspectives. Both genetic and environmental factors, along with clinical and imaging features, argue toward a continnum between NDD but also with adult psychiatric presentations. This new paradigm could modify the therapeutic strategy, with the development of large-spectrum treatments or new psychotherapies addressing co-occuring symptoms. The complexity and the heterogeneity of NDD apply well to the next scientific and political challenges: developing international convergence to push back the frontiers of our knowledge. This article is a summary of the 2nd webinar "Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD) without boundaries: research and interventions beyond classifications" sponsored by the French National Academy of Medicine, the autism and neurodevelopmental disorders scientific interest group (GIS), the International Research Network Dev-O-Psy and the French Institute of Psychiatry (GDR3557). Oral presentations are available as a replay on the following website (in French): https://autisme-neurodev.org/evenements/2022/04/12/tnd-sans-frontieres-la-recherche-et-les-interventions-au-dela-des-classifications/ .
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pierre Ellul
- Excellence Centre for Autism and Neuro-Developmental Disorders, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris Cité University, Paris, France
- Immunology, Immunopathology, Immunotherapy, INSERM U959, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Anton Iftimovici
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Julien Dubreucq
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Saint-Etienne University Hospital and CNRS UMR 5229, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Marc Jeannerod, University Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | | | - Quentin Leyrolle
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, Bordeaux, France
| | - Diane Purper-Ouakil
- CHU Montpellier-Saint Eloi Hospital, University of Montpellier, Unit of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (MPEA1), Montpellier, France
- Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP), INSERM U 1018, Paris-Saclay University, Villejuif, France
| | - Sebastien Jacquemont
- Department of Pediatrics, Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, H4A3J1, Canada
| | - Stanislas Lyonnet
- INSERM-UMR1163, Université Paris Cité, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Barthélémy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tours, Tours, France
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France
| | - Marie-Odile Krebs
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France
| | - Jing Bai
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Paul Olivier
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France.
| | - Boris Chaumette
- GHU-Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1266, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris, Paris, France
- Autism and NDD GIS (GIS Autisme et Troubles du Neurodéveloppement), Paris, France
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Mali I, Payne M, King C, Maze TR, Davison T, Challans B, Bossmann SH, Plakke B. Adolescent female valproic acid rats have impaired extra-dimensional shifts of attention and enlarged anterior cingulate cortices. Brain Res 2023; 1800:148199. [PMID: 36509128 PMCID: PMC9835202 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148199] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In order to develop better treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) it is critical to understand the developmental trajectory of the disorder and the accompanying brain changes. This study used the valproic acid (VPA) model to induce ASD-like symptoms in rodents. Prior studies have demonstrated that VPA animals are impaired on executive function tasks, paralleling results in humans with ASD. Here, VPA adolescent female rats were impaired on a set-shifting task and had enlarged frontal cortices compared to control females. The deficits observed in the VPA female rats mirrors results in females with ASD. In addition, adolescent VPA females with enlarged frontal cortices performed the worst across the entire task. These brain changes in adolescence are also found in adolescent humans with ASD. These novel findings highlight the importance of studying the brain at different developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivina Mali
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Macy Payne
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Cole King
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Tessa R Maze
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Taylor Davison
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Brandon Challans
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Stefan H Bossmann
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Bethany Plakke
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
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6
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Klöbl M, Prillinger K, Diehm R, Doganay K, Lanzenberger R, Poustka L, Plener P, Konicar L. Individual brain regulation as learned via neurofeedback is related to affective changes in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2023; 17:6. [PMID: 36635760 PMCID: PMC9837918 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-022-00549-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotions often play a role in neurofeedback (NF) regulation strategies. However, investigations of the relationship between the induced neuronal changes and improvements in affective domains are scarce in electroencephalography-based studies. Thus, we extended the findings of the first study on slow cortical potential (SCP) NF in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by linking affective changes to whole-brain activity during rest and regulation. METHODS Forty-one male adolescents with ASD were scanned twice at rest using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Between scans, half underwent NF training, whereas the other half received treatment as usual. Furthermore, parents reported on their child's affective characteristics at each measurement. The NF group had to alternatingly produce negative and positive SCP shifts during training and was additionally scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging while applying their developed regulation strategies. RESULTS No significant treatment group-by-time interactions in affective or resting-state measures were found. However, we found increases of resting activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and right inferior temporal gyrus as well as improvements in affective characteristics over both groups. Activation corresponding to SCP differentiation in these regions correlated with the affective improvements. A further correlation was found for Rolandic operculum activation corresponding to positive SCP shifts. There were no significant correlations with the respective achieved SCP regulation during NF training. CONCLUSION SCP NF in ASD did not lead to superior improvements in neuronal or affective functioning compared to treatment as usual. However, the affective changes might be related to the individual strategies and their corresponding activation patterns as indicated by significant correlations on the whole-brain level. Trial registration This clinical trial was registered at drks.de (DRKS00012339) on 20th April, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Klöbl
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Prillinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Diehm
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kamer Doganay
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Paul Plener
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lilian Konicar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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7
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Bogdanova OV, Bogdanov VB, Pizano A, Bouvard M, Cazalets JR, Mellen N, Amestoy A. The Current View on the Paradox of Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:910824. [PMID: 35935443 PMCID: PMC9352888 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.910824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which affects 1 in 44 children and may cause severe disabilities. Besides socio-communicational difficulties and repetitive behaviors, ASD also presents as atypical sensorimotor function and pain reactivity. While chronic pain is a frequent co-morbidity in autism, pain management in this population is often insufficient because of difficulties in pain evaluation, worsening their prognosis and perhaps driving higher mortality rates. Previous observations have tended to oversimplify the experience of pain in autism as being insensitive to painful stimuli. Various findings in the past 15 years have challenged and complicated this dogma. However, a relatively small number of studies investigates the physiological correlates of pain reactivity in ASD. We explore the possibility that atypical pain perception in people with ASD is mediated by alterations in pain perception, transmission, expression and modulation, and through interactions between these processes. These complex interactions may account for the great variability and sometimes contradictory findings from the studies. A growing body of evidence is challenging the idea of alterations in pain processing in ASD due to a single factor, and calls for an integrative view. We propose a model of the pain cycle that includes the interplay between the molecular and neurophysiological pathways of pain processing and it conscious appraisal that may interfere with pain reactivity and coping in autism. The role of social factors in pain-induced response is also discussed. Pain assessment in clinical care is mostly based on subjective rather than objective measures. This review clarifies the strong need for a consistent methodology, and describes innovative tools to cope with the heterogeneity of pain expression in ASD, enabling individualized assessment. Multiple measures, including self-reporting, informant reporting, clinician-assessed, and purely physiological metrics may provide more consistent results. An integrative view on the regulation of the pain cycle offers a more robust framework to characterize the experience of pain in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olena V. Bogdanova
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Volodymyr B. Bogdanov
- Laboratoire EA 4136 – Handicap Activité Cognition Santé HACS, Collège Science de la Sante, Institut Universitaire des Sciences de la Réadaptation, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Adrien Pizano
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Manuel Bouvard
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Rene Cazalets
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicholas Mellen
- Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Anouck Amestoy
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
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8
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James D, Lam VT, Jo B, Fung LK. Region-specific associations between gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor binding and cortical thickness in high-functioning autistic adults. Autism Res 2022; 15:1068-1082. [PMID: 35261207 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The neurobiology of autism has been shown to involve alterations in cortical morphology and gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA ) receptor density. We hypothesized that GABAA receptor binding potential (GABAA R BPND ) would correlate with cortical thickness, but their correlations would differ between autistic adults and typically developing (TD) controls. We studied 50 adults (23 autism, 27 TD, mean age of 27 years) using magnetic resonance imaging to measure cortical thickness, and [18 F]flumazenil positron emission tomography imaging to measure GABAA R BPND . We determined the correlations between cortical thickness and GABAA R BPND by cortical lobe, region-of-interest, and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We also explored potential sex differences in the relationship between cortical thickness and autism characteristics, as measured by autism spectrum quotient (AQ) scores. Comparing autism and TD groups, no significant differences were found in cortical thickness or GABAA R BPND . In both autism and TD groups, a negative relationship between cortical thickness and GABAA R BPND was observed in the frontal and occipital cortices, but no relationship was found in the temporal or limbic cortices. A positive correlation was seen in the parietal cortex that was only significant for the autism group. Interestingly, in an exploratory analysis, we found sex differences in the relationships between cortical thickness and GABAA R BPND , and cortical thickness and AQ scores in the left postcentral gyrus. LAY SUMMARY: The thickness of the brain cortex and the density of the receptors associated with inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA have been hypothesized to underlie the neurobiology of autism. In this study, we found that these biomarkers correlate positively in the parietal cortex, but negatively in the frontal and occipital cortical regions of the brain. Furthermore, we collected preliminary evidence that the correlations between cortical thickness and GABA receptor density are sexdependent in a brain region where sensory inputs are registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- David James
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Vicky T Lam
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Lawrence K Fung
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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9
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Shiohama T, Ortug A, Warren JLA, Valli B, Levman J, Faja SK, Tsujimura K, Maunakea AK, Takahashi E. Small Nucleus Accumbens and Large Cerebral Ventricles in Infants and Toddlers Prior to Receiving Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:1200-1211. [PMID: 34455432 PMCID: PMC8924432 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Early interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are increasingly available, while only 42-50% of ASD children are diagnosed before 3 years old (YO). To identify neuroimaging biomarkers for early ASD diagnosis, we evaluated surface- and voxel-based brain morphometry in participants under 3YO who were later diagnosed with ASD. Magnetic resonance imaging data were retrospectively obtained from patients later diagnosed with ASD at Boston Children's Hospital. The ASD participants with comorbidities such as congenital disorder, epilepsy, and global developmental delay/intellectual disability were excluded from statistical analyses. Eighty-five structural brain magnetic resonance imaging images were collected from 81 participants under 3YO and compared with 45 images from 45 gender- and age-matched nonautistic controls (non-ASD). Using an Infant FreeSurfer pipeline, 236 regionally distributed measurements were extracted from each scan. By t-tests and linear mixed models, the smaller nucleus accumbens and larger bilateral lateral, third, and fourth ventricles were identified in the ASD group. Vertex-wise t-statistical maps showed decreased thickness in the caudal anterior cingulate cortex and increased thickness in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex in ASD. The smaller bilateral accumbens nuclei and larger cerebral ventricles were independent of age, gender, or gestational age at birth, suggesting that there are MRI-based biomarkers in prospective ASD patients before they receive the diagnosis and that the volume of the nucleus accumbens and cerebral ventricles can be key MRI-based early biomarkers to predict the emergence of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Shiohama
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba 2608670, Japan
| | - Alpen Ortug
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jose Luis Alatorre Warren
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Briana Valli
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jacob Levman
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia B2G 2W5, Canada
| | - Susan K Faja
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Keita Tsujimura
- Group of Brain Function and Development, Nagoya University Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan.,Research Unit for Developmental Disorders, Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
| | - Alika K Maunakea
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, 651 Ilalo Street, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI 96813, USA
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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10
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Disrupted functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and posterior cingulate cortex in autism spectrum disorder. Neuroreport 2021; 33:43-47. [PMID: 34873110 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Dysfunctions in the basal ganglia have been repeatedly found in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is known for its central role in social functions and also in its abnormality in ASD. In this study, whole-brain functional connectivity of the NAcc was examined to isolate brain regions that are differently connected to the NAcc in autism, using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data. METHODS In the initial dataset, 68 individuals with ASD (13.13 ± 2.41 years old) and 77 typically developing individuals (14.79 ± 3.57 years old) were compared. RESULTS The precuneus cortex, lingual gyrus, thalamus, dorsal striatum, anterior cingulate cortex and posterior cingulate cortex showed weaker connectivity to the NAcc in the group with ASD. Among these regions, dysconnectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was replicated in the replication dataset, with 78 individuals with ASD and 105 without ASD. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that the dysconnectivity between the NAcc and PCC may account for social dysfunctions in ASD.
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11
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Alemany S, Blok E, Jansen PR, Muetzel RL, White T. Brain morphology, autistic traits, and polygenic risk for autism: A population-based neuroimaging study. Autism Res 2021; 14:2085-2099. [PMID: 34309210 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with widespread brain alterations. Previous research in our group linked autistic traits with altered gyrification, but without pronounced differences in cortical thickness. Herein, we aim to replicate and extend these findings using a larger and older sample. Additionally, we examined whether (a) brain correlates of autistic traits were associated with polygenic risk scores (PRS) for ASD, and (b) autistic traits are related with brain morphological changes over time in a subset of children with longitudinal data available. The sample included 2400 children from the Generation R cohort. Autistic traits were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) at age 6 years. Gyrification, cortical thickness, surface area, and global morphological measures were obtained from high-resolution structural MRI scans at ages 9-to-12 years. We performed multiple linear regression analyses on a vertex-wise level. Corresponding regions of interest were tested for association with PRS. Results showed that autistic traits were related to (a) lower gyrification in the lateral occipital and the superior and inferior parietal lobes, (b) lower cortical thickness in the superior frontal region, and (c) lower surface area in inferior temporal and rostral middle frontal regions. PRS for ASD and longitudinal analyses showed significant associations that did not survive correction for multiple testing. Our findings support stability in the relationship between higher autistic symptoms and lower gyrification and smaller surface areas in school-aged children. These relationships remained when excluding ASD cases, providing neurobiological evidence for the extension of autistic traits into the general population. LAY SUMMARY: We found that school-aged children with higher levels of autistic traits had smaller total brain volume, cerebellum, cortical thickness, and surface area. Further, we also found differences in the folding patterns of the brain (gyrification). Overall, genetic susceptibility for autism spectrum disorders was not related to these brain regions suggesting that other factors could be involved in their origin. These results remained significant when excluding children with a diagnosis of ASD, providing support for the extension of the relationship between autistic traits and brain findings into the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Alemany
- IS Global, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisabet Blok
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip R Jansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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12
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Andica C, Kamagata K, Kirino E, Uchida W, Irie R, Murata S, Aoki S. Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging reveals white matter microstructural alterations in adults with autism. Mol Autism 2021; 12:48. [PMID: 34193257 PMCID: PMC8247240 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00456-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Evidences suggesting the association between behavioral anomalies in autism and white matter (WM) microstructural alterations are increasing. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is widely used to infer tissue microstructure. However, due to its lack of specificity, the underlying pathology of reported differences in DTI measures in autism remains poorly understood. Herein, we applied neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to quantify and define more specific causes of WM microstructural changes associated with autism in adults. Methods NODDI (neurite density index [NDI], orientation dispersion index, and isotropic volume fraction [ISOVF]) and DTI (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity [RD]) measures were compared between autism (N = 26; 19 males and 7 females; 32.93 ± 9.24 years old) and age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD; N = 25; 17 males and 8 females; 34.43 ± 9.02 years old) groups using tract-based spatial statistics and region-of-interest analyses. Linear discriminant analysis using leave-one-out cross-validation (LDA-LOOCV) was also performed to assess the discriminative power of diffusion measures in autism and TD. Results Significantly lower NDI and higher ISOVF, suggestive of decreased neurite density and increased extracellular free-water, respectively, were demonstrated in the autism group compared with the TD group, mainly in commissural and long-range association tracts, but with distinct predominant sides. Consistent with previous reports, the autism group showed lower FA and higher MD and RD when compared with TD group. Notably, LDA-LOOCV suggests that NDI and ISOVF have relatively higher accuracy (82%) and specificity (NDI, 84%; ISOVF, 88%) compared with that of FA, MD, and RD (accuracy, 67–73%; specificity, 68–80%). Limitations The absence of histopathological confirmation limit the interpretation of our findings. Conclusions Our results suggest that NODDI measures might be useful as imaging biomarkers to diagnose autism in adults and assess its behavioral characteristics. Furthermore, NODDI allows interpretation of previous findings on changes in WM diffusion tensor metrics in individuals with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Andica
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Koji Kamagata
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eiji Kirino
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Wataru Uchida
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Irie
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Syo Murata
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Radiological Sciences, Faculty of Healthy Sciences, Komazawa University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeki Aoki
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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Zoltowski AR, Lyu I, Failla M, Mash LE, Dunham K, Feldman JI, Woynaroski TG, Wallace MT, Barquero LA, Nguyen TQ, Cutting LE, Kang H, Landman BA, Cascio CJ. Cortical Morphology in Autism: Findings from a Cortical Shape-Adaptive Approach to Local Gyrification Indexing. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5188-5205. [PMID: 34195789 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been challenging to elucidate the differences in brain structure that underlie behavioral features of autism. Prior studies have begun to identify patterns of changes in autism across multiple structural indices, including cortical thickness, local gyrification, and sulcal depth. However, common approaches to local gyrification indexing used in prior studies have been limited by low spatial resolution relative to functional brain topography. In this study, we analyze the aforementioned structural indices, utilizing a new method of local gyrification indexing that quantifies this index adaptively in relation to specific sulci/gyri, improving interpretation with respect to functional organization. Our sample included n = 115 autistic and n = 254 neurotypical participants aged 5-54, and we investigated structural patterns by group, age, and autism-related behaviors. Differing structural patterns by group emerged in many regions, with age moderating group differences particularly in frontal and limbic regions. There were also several regions, particularly in sensory areas, in which one or more of the structural indices of interest either positively or negatively covaried with autism-related behaviors. Given the advantages of this approach, future studies may benefit from its application in hypothesis-driven examinations of specific brain regions and/or longitudinal studies to assess brain development in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa R Zoltowski
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Ilwoo Lyu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | - Michelle Failla
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,College of Nursing, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Lisa E Mash
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
| | - Kacie Dunham
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jacob I Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Laura A Barquero
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Tin Q Nguyen
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Laurie E Cutting
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.,Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.,Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hakmook Kang
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Bennett A Landman
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.,Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Carissa J Cascio
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.,Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
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14
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Chien YL, Chen YC, Gau SSF. Altered cingulate structures and the associations with social awareness deficits and CNTNAP2 gene in autism spectrum disorder. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 31:102729. [PMID: 34271514 PMCID: PMC8280509 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
ASD individuals showed thinner cortical thickness in bilateral cingulate subregions. The right anterior cingulate WM volume was correlated with social awareness deficit. The CNTNAP2 variant might be associated with the right middle cingulate WM volume. The CNTNAP2 might interact with ASD diagnosis and age on the cortical thickness.
Backgrounds Although evidence suggests that the activity of the anterior cingulate cortex involves social cognition, there are inconsistent findings regarding the aberrant cingulate gray matter (GM) and scanty evidence about altered cortical thickness and white matter (WM) of cingulate in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Evidence supports the association between the genetic variants of CNTNAP2 and altered brain connectivity. This study investigated the cingulate substructure and its association with social awareness deficits and the CNTNAP2 variants in individuals with ASD and typically-developing controls (TDC). Methods We assessed 118 individuals with ASD and 122 TDC with MRI and clinical evaluation. The GM, WM volumes and cortical thickness of the cingulate gyrus were compared between ASD and TDC based on fine parcellation. Five SNPs of the CNTNAP2 linked to ASD and brain structural abnormality were genotyped, and rs2710102, rs2538991, rs2710126 passed quality control filters. Results ASD individuals showed thinner cortical thickness in bilateral cingulate subregions than TDC without significant group differences in GM and WM volumes. The WM volume of the right anterior cingulate gyrus was correlated with social awareness deficits in ASD. The CNTNAP2 variant demonstrated a main effect on the WM volumes of the right middle cingulate gyrus. Besides, the CNTNAP2 variants interacted with ASD diagnosis and age on the cortical thickness of the left anterior middle cingulate cortex. Conclusions Our findings suggest that aberrant cingulate structure in ASD might be associated with the social awareness deficits and genetic variants of the CNTNAP2. These novel findings need validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ling Chien
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chieh Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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15
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Tamouza R, Krishnamoorthy R, Leboyer M. Understanding the genetic contribution of the human leukocyte antigen system to common major psychiatric disorders in a world pandemic context. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 91:731-739. [PMID: 33031918 PMCID: PMC7534661 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is a complex genetic system that encodes proteins which predominantly regulate immune/inflammatory processes. It can be involved in a variety of immuno-inflammatory disorders ranging from infections to autoimmunity and cancers. The HLA system is also suggested to be involved in neurodevelopment and neuroplasticity, especially through microglia regulation and synaptic pruning. Consequently, this highly polymorphic gene region has recently emerged as a major player in the etiology of several major psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and bipolar disorder and with less evidence for major depressive disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. We thus review here the role of HLA genes in particular subgroups of psychiatric disorders and foresee their potential implication in future research. In particular, given the prominent role that the HLA system plays in the regulation of viral infection, this review is particularly timely in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryad Tamouza
- Université Paris Est Créteil, INSERM U955, IMRB, Laboratoire Neuro-Psychiatrie Translationnelle, F-94010 Creteil, France; AP-HP, Hopital Henri Mondor, Département Medico-Universitaire de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie (DMU ADAPT), F-94010, France; Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.
| | | | - Marion Leboyer
- Université Paris Est Créteil, INSERM U955, IMRB, Laboratoire Neuro-Psychiatrie Translationnelle, F-94010 Creteil, France; AP-HP, Hopital Henri Mondor, Département Medico-Universitaire de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie (DMU ADAPT), F-94010, France; Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France
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16
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Neonatal immune challenge induces female-specific changes in social behavior and somatostatin cell number. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 90:332-345. [PMID: 32860938 PMCID: PMC7556772 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Decreases in social behavior are a hallmark aspect of acute "sickness behavior" in response to infection. However, immune insults that occur during the perinatal period may have long-lasting consequences for adult social behavior by impacting the developmental organization of underlying neural circuits. Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, are sensitive to immune stimulation and play a critical role in the developmental sculpting of neural circuits, making them likely mediators of this process. Here, we investigated the impact of a postnatal day (PND) 4 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge on social behavior in adult mice. Somewhat surprisingly, neonatal LPS treatment decreased sociability in adult female, but not male mice. LPS-treated females also displayed reduced social interaction and social memory in a social discrimination task as compared to saline-treated females. Somatostatin (SST) interneurons within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) have recently been suggested to modulate a variety of social behaviors. Interestingly, the female-specific changes in social behavior observed here were accompanied by an increase in SST interneuron number in the ACC. Finally, these changes in social behavior and SST cell number do not appear to depend on microglial inflammatory signaling, because microglia-specific genetic knock-down of myeloid differentiation response protein 88 (MyD88; the removal of which prevents LPS from increasing proinflammatory cytokines such as TNFα and IL-1β) did not prevent these LPS-induced changes. This study provides novel evidence for enduring effects of neonatal immune activation on social behavior and SST interneurons in females, largely independent of microglial inflammatory signaling.
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17
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Mihailov A, Philippe C, Gloaguen A, Grigis A, Laidi C, Piguet C, Houenou J, Frouin V. Cortical signatures in behaviorally clustered autistic traits subgroups: a population-based study. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:207. [PMID: 32594096 PMCID: PMC7320967 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00894-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Extensive heterogeneity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has hindered the characterization of consistent biomarkers, which has led to widespread negative results. Isolating homogenized subtypes could provide insight into underlying biological mechanisms and an overall better understanding of ASD. A total of 1093 participants from the population-based "Healthy Brain Network" cohort (Child Mind Institute in the New York City area, USA) were selected based on score availability in behaviors relevant to ASD, aged 6-18 and IQ >= 70. All participants underwent an unsupervised clustering analysis on behavioral dimensions to reveal subgroups with ASD traits, identified by the presence of social deficits. Analysis revealed three socially impaired ASD traits subgroups: (1) high in emotionally dysfunctional traits, (2) high in ADHD-like traits, and (3) high in anxiety and depressive symptoms. 527 subjects had good quality structural MRI T1 data. Site effects on cortical features were adjusted using the ComBat method. Neuroimaging analyses compared cortical thickness, gyrification, and surface area, and were controlled for age, gender, and IQ, and corrected for multiple comparisons. Structural neuroimaging analyses contrasting one combined heterogeneous ASD traits group against controls did not yield any significant differences. Unique cortical signatures, however, were observed within each of the three individual ASD traits subgroups versus controls. These observations provide evidence of ASD traits subtypes, and confirm the necessity of applying dimensional approaches to extract meaningful differences, thus reducing heterogeneity and paving the way to better understanding ASD traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeline Mihailov
- Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191, France.
| | - Cathy Philippe
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France
| | - Arnaud Gloaguen
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,CNRS-Centrale Supélec, 3 rue Joliot-Curie, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Antoine Grigis
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France
| | - Charles Laidi
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,APHP, Mondor Univ. Hospitals, DMU IMPACT, INSERM, U955, Translational Neuropsychiatry Team, University of Paris-Est Créteil, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Camille Piguet
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Josselin Houenou
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France ,APHP, Mondor Univ. Hospitals, DMU IMPACT, INSERM, U955, Translational Neuropsychiatry Team, University of Paris-Est Créteil, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Vincent Frouin
- grid.460789.40000 0004 4910 6535Neurospin, Institut Joliot, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 France
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