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Gori S, Peverelli M, Bertoni S, Ruffino M, Ronconi L, Molteni F, Priftis K, Facoetti A. The engagement of temporal attention in left spatial neglect. Cortex 2024; 178:201-212. [PMID: 39024938 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.06.010] [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: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Previous literature showed how left spatial neglect arises from an asymmetrical distribution of spatial attention. However, it was also suggested that left spatial neglect might be partially caused or at least worsened by non-spatial attention disorders of the right-lateralized stimulus-driven attentional fronto-parietal network. Here, we psychophysically tested the efficiency of temporal attentional engagement of foveal perception through meta-contrast (Experiment 1) and "attentional" masking (Experiment 2) tasks in patients with right-hemisphere stroke with left neglect (N+), without left neglect (N-) and matched healthy controls (C). In both experiments, N+ patients showed higher thresholds, not only than Cs, but also than N- patients. Temporal engagement was clinically impaired in all N+ patients and highly correlated with their typical inability to direct spatial attention towards stimuli on the left side. Our findings suggest that a temporal impairment of attentional engagement is a relevant deficit of left spatial neglect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.
| | - Milena Peverelli
- "Villa Beretta" Rehabilitation Center, Costamasnaga (LC), "Valduce" Hospital (CO), Italy
| | - Sara Bertoni
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy; Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, General Psychology Department, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Milena Ruffino
- Servizio di Neuropsichiatria dell'Infanzia e dell'Adolescenza, Saronno ASST Valle Olona (VA), Italy
| | - Luca Ronconi
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Franco Molteni
- "Villa Beretta" Rehabilitation Center, Costamasnaga (LC), "Valduce" Hospital (CO), Italy
| | - Konstantinos Priftis
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre, University of Padova, Italy; General Psychology Department, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, General Psychology Department, University of Padova, Italy.
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2
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Amestoy A, Guillaud E, Bucchioni G, Zalla T, Umbricht D, Chatham C, Murtagh L, Houenou J, Delorme R, Moal MLL, Leboyer M, Bouvard M, Cazalets JR. Visual attention and inhibitory control in children, teenagers and adults with autism without intellectual disability: results of oculomotor tasks from a 2-year longitudinal follow-up study (InFoR). Mol Autism 2021; 12:71. [PMID: 34774105 PMCID: PMC8590241 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00474-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inhibitory control and attention processing atypicalities are implicated in various diseases, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These cognitive functions can be tested by using visually guided saccade-based paradigms in children, adolescents and adults to determine the time course of such disorders. METHODS In this study, using Gap, Step, Overlap and Antisaccade tasks, we analyzed the oculomotor behavior of 82 children, teenagers and adults with high functioning ASD and their peer typically developing (TD) controls in a two-year follow-up study under the auspices of the InFoR-Autism project. Analysis of correlations between oculomotors task measurements and diagnostic assessment of attentional (ADHD-RS and ADHD comorbidity indices) and executive functioning (BRIEF scales) were conducted in order to evaluate their relationship with the oculomotor performance of participants with ASD. RESULTS As indicated by the presence of a Gap and Overlap effects in all age groups, the oculomotor performances of ASD participants showed a preserved capability in overt attention switching. In contrast, the difference in performances of ASD participants in the Antisaccade task, compared to their TD peers, indicated an atypical development of inhibition and executive functions. From correlation analysis between our oculomotor data and ADHD comorbidity index, and scores of attention and executive function difficulties, our findings support the hypothesis that a specific dysfunction of inhibition skills occurs in ASD participants that is independent of the presence of ADHD comorbidity. LIMITATIONS These include the relatively small sample size of the ASD group over the study's two-year period, the absence of an ADHD-only control group and the evaluation of a TD control group solely at the study's inception. CONCLUSIONS Children and teenagers with ASD have greater difficulty in attention switching and inhibiting prepotent stimuli. Adults with ASD can overcome these difficulties, but, similar to teenagers and children with ASD, they make more erroneous and anticipatory saccades and display a greater trial-to-trial variability in all oculomotor tasks compared to their peers. Our results are indicative of a developmental delay in the maturation of executive and attentional functioning in ASD and of a specific impairment in inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouck Amestoy
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France. .,Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France. .,centre hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, 121, rue de la Béchade, CS 81285, 33076, Bordeaux Cedex, France.
| | - Etienne Guillaud
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Giulia Bucchioni
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,iBrain, UMR 1253 Inserm, Université de Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37044, Tours Cedex, France
| | | | - Daniel Umbricht
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Chatham
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lorraine Murtagh
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Josselin Houenou
- Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.,NeuroSpin, UNIACT Lab, Equipe de psychiatrie, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique, Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.,Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,AP-HP, DMU IMPACT, Psychiatry and Addictology Department, Mondor University Hospital, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Myriam Ly-Le Moal
- Institut Roche, Tour horizons- Bureau 18M3, Roche S.A.S., 30, cours de l'île Seguin, 92650, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Marion Leboyer
- Laboratoire de NeuroPsychiatrie translationnelle, INSERM, U955, IMRB, Créteil, France.,Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.,AP-HP, DMU IMPACT, Psychiatry and Addictology Department, Mondor University Hospital, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Manuel Bouvard
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France.,Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.,centre hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, 121, rue de la Béchade, CS 81285, 33076, Bordeaux Cedex, France
| | - Jean-René Cazalets
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France
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3
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Ronconi L, Vitale A, Federici A, Pini E, Molteni M, Casartelli L. Altered neural oscillations and connectivity in the beta band underlie detail-oriented visual processing in autism. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 28:102484. [PMID: 33395975 PMCID: PMC7663221 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensory and perceptual anomalies may have a major impact on basic cognitive and social skills in humans. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represents a special perspective to explore this relationship, being characterized by both these features. The present study employed electroencephalography (EEG) to test whether detail-oriented visual perception, a recognized hallmark of ASD, is associated with altered neural oscillations and functional connectivity in the beta frequency band, considering its role in feedback and top-down reentrant signalling in the typical population. Using a visual crowding task, where participants had to discriminate a peripheral target letter surrounded by flankers at different distances, we found that detail-oriented processing in children with ASD, as compared to typically developing peers, could be attributed to anomalous oscillatory activity in the beta band (15-30 Hz), while no differences emerged in the alpha band (8-12 Hz). Altered beta oscillatory response reflected in turn atypical functional connectivity between occipital areas, where the initial stimulus analysis is accomplished, and infero-temporal regions, where objects identity is extracted. Such atypical beta connectivity predicted both ASD symptomatology and their detail-oriented processing. Overall, these results might be explained by an altered feedback connectivity within the visual system, with potential cascade effects in visual scene parsing and higher order functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ronconi
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy.
| | - Andrea Vitale
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Alessandra Federici
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; IMT School of Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Elisa Pini
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy.
| | - Luca Casartelli
- Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Child Psychopathology Department, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
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4
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Mento G, Astle DE, Scerif G. Cross-frequency Phase–Amplitude Coupling as a Mechanism for Temporal Orienting of Attention in Childhood. J Cogn Neurosci 2018; 30:594-602. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Temporal orienting of attention operates by biasing the allocation of cognitive and motor resources in specific moments in time, resulting in the improved processing of information from expected compared with unexpected targets. Recent findings have shown that temporal orienting operates relatively early across development, suggesting that this attentional mechanism plays a core role for human cognition. However, the exact neurophysiological mechanisms allowing children to attune their attention over time are not well understood. In this study, we presented 8- to 12-year-old children with a temporal cueing task designed to test (1) whether anticipatory oscillatory dynamics predict children's behavioral performance on a trial-by-trial basis and (2) whether anticipatory oscillatory neural activity may be supported by cross-frequency phase–amplitude coupling as previously shown in adults. Crucially, we found that, similar to what has been reported in adults, children's ongoing beta rhythm was strongly coupled with their theta rhythm and that the strength of this coupling distinguished validly cued temporal intervals, relative to neutral cued trials. In addition, in long trials, there was an inverse correlation between oscillatory beta power and children's trial-by-trial reaction, consistent with oscillatory beta power reflecting better response preparation. These findings provide the first experimental evidence that temporal attention in children operates by exploiting oscillatory mechanism.
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Ronconi L, Gori S, Federici A, Devita M, Carna S, Sali ME, Molteni M, Casartelli L, Facoetti A. Weak surround suppression of the attentional focus characterizes visual selection in the ventral stream in autism. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:912-922. [PMID: 29876276 PMCID: PMC5988461 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Revised: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Neurophysiological findings in the typical population demonstrate that spatial scrutiny for visual selection determines a center-surround profile of the attentional focus, which is the result of recurrent processing in the visual system. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) manifest several anomalies in their visual selection, with strengths in detail-oriented tasks, but also difficulties in distractor inhibition tasks. Here, we asked whether contradictory aspects of perception in ASD might be due to a different center-surround profile of their attentional focus. In two experiments, we tested two independent samples of children with ASD, comparing them with typically developing (TD) peers. In Experiment 1, we used a psychophysical task that mapped the entire spatial profile of the attentional focus. In Experiment 2, we used dense-array electroencephalography (EEG) to explore its neurophysiological underpinnings. Experiment 1 results showed that the suppression, surrounding the attentional focus, was markedly reduced in children with ASD. Experiment 2 showed that the center-surround profile in TD children resulted in a modulation of the posterior N2 ERP component, with cortical sources in the lateral-occipital and medial/inferior temporal areas. In contrast, children with ASD did not show modulation of the N2 and related activations in the ventral visual stream. Furthermore, behavioural and neurophysiological measures of weaker suppression predicted more severe autistic symptomatology. The present findings, showing an altered center-surround profile during attentional selection, give an important insight to understand superior visual processing in autism as well as the experiencing of sensory overload.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ronconi
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Italy; Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy.
| | - Simone Gori
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy; Department of Human and Social Science, University of Bergamo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Federici
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Maria Devita
- Department of Human and Social Science, University of Bergamo, Italy
| | - Serena Carna
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Maria E Sali
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Luca Casartelli
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy; Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Italy.
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6
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Autism, Attention, and Alpha Oscillations: An Electrophysiological Study of Attentional Capture. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:528-536. [PMID: 29170759 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficits in adaptively orienting attention to behaviorally-relevant information. Neural oscillatory activity plays a key role in brain function and provides a high-resolution temporal marker of attention dynamics. Alpha band (8-12 Hz) activity is associated with both selecting task-relevant stimuli and filtering task-irrelevant information. Methods The present study used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine alpha-band oscillatory activity associated with attentional capture in nineteen children with ASD and twenty-one age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children. Participants completed a rapid serial visual presentation paradigm designed to investigate responses to behaviorally-relevant targets and contingent attention capture by task-irrelevant distractors, which either did or did not share a behaviorally-relevant feature. Participants also completed six minutes of eyes-open resting EEG. Results In contrast to their TD peers, children with ASD did not evidence posterior alpha desynchronization to behaviorally-relevant targets. Additionally, reduced target-related desynchronization and poorer target detection were associated with increased ASD symptomatology. TD children also showed behavioral and electrophysiological evidence of contingent attention capture, whereas children with ASD showed no behavioral facilitation or alpha desynchronization to distractors that shared a task-relevant feature. Lastly, children with ASD had significantly decreased resting alpha power, and for all participants increased resting alpha levels were associated with greater task-related alpha desynchronization. Conclusions These results suggest that in ASD under-responsivity and impairments in orienting to salient events within their environment are reflected by atypical EEG oscillatory neurodynamics, which may signify atypical arousal levels and/or an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance.
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7
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Bellocchi S, Henry V, Baghdadli A. Visual Attention Processes and Oculomotor Control in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Brief Review and Future Directions. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1891/1945-8959.16.1.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined as persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, individuals with ASD show clearly atypical visual patterns. So far, indications of abnormal visual attention and oculomotor control concerning stimuli independent of social function in ASD have been found. The same findings have been shown in individuals suffering of other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., developmental coordination disorder and developmental dyslexia [DD]). Furthermore, visual attention processes and oculomotor control are supposed to be subserved by the magnocellular visual system, which has been found, in turn, to be dysfunctional in ASD and other neurodevelopmental disabilities (i.e., DD). The purpose of this article is to briefly review the link between oculomotor control and visual attention processes and ASD, and to discuss the specificity and overlap of eye movement findings between ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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8
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Hills PJ, Thompson C, Jones SP, Piech RM, Painter L, Pake JM. Attentional modulation of the carry over of eye-movements between tasks. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2016; 167:1-15. [PMID: 27065011 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 02/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Task demands that influence scanning behaviour in one task can cause that behaviour to persist to a second unrelated task (carry over). This can also affect performance on a second task (e.g., hazard perception ratings), and has been attributed to a process of attentional bias that is modulated by top-down influences (Thompson & Crundall, 2011). In a series of experiments we explored how these top-down influences impact upon carry over. In all experiments, participants searched letters that were presented horizontally, vertically, or in a random array. They were then presented with a driving scene and rated the hazardousness of the scene. Carry over of eye-movements from the letter search to the scene was observed in all experiments. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that this carry over effect influenced hazard perception accuracy. The magnitude of carry over was correlated with task switching abilities, attentional conflicting, and attentional orienting (Experiment 1), and was affected by predictability of the primary task (Experiment 2). Furthermore, direct current stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and parietal areas affected the magnitude of the effect (Experiment 3). These results indicate that carry over is modulated by the specific ability to orient attention and disengage from this orientation. Over orienting leads to increased carry over and insufficient task switching is detrimental to task performance. As a result the current experiments provide evidence that the carry over effect is strongly influenced by attentional processes, namely orienting, inhibition, and task switching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Hills
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset BH12 5BB, UK.
| | - Catherine Thompson
- School of Health Sciences, University of Salford, The Cresent, Salford, Manchester, UK, M5 4WT
| | - Scott P Jones
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Hills Building, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Richard M Piech
- Department of Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge, Cambs CB1 1PT, UK
| | - Lee Painter
- Department of Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge, Cambs CB1 1PT, UK
| | - J Michael Pake
- Department of Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge, Cambs CB1 1PT, UK
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Gori S, Molteni M, Facoetti A. Visual Illusions: An Interesting Tool to Investigate Developmental Dyslexia and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:175. [PMID: 27199702 PMCID: PMC4842763 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A visual illusion refers to a percept that is different in some aspect from the physical stimulus. Illusions are a powerful non-invasive tool for understanding the neurobiology of vision, telling us, indirectly, how the brain processes visual stimuli. There are some neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by visual deficits. Surprisingly, just a few studies investigated illusory perception in clinical populations. Our aim is to review the literature supporting a possible role for visual illusions in helping us understand the visual deficits in developmental dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder. Future studies could develop new tools - based on visual illusions - to identify an early risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of BergamoBergamo, Italy
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio MedeaBosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio MedeaBosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio MedeaBosisio Parini, Italy
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of PadovaPadua, Italy
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10
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Mento G, Vallesi A. Spatiotemporally dissociable neural signatures for generating and updating expectation over time in children: A High Density-ERP study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2016; 19:98-106. [PMID: 26946428 PMCID: PMC6988099 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2016.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
8–12-year-old children can generate and update expectancy over time. Cue- and SOA-related ERPs reflect expectancy generation and updating, respectively. Only cue-related ERPs are correlated with age. Distinct cortical networks underlie cue- and SOA-related ERP effects. The neural bases of temporal expectation only partially differ in children and adults.
Temporal orienting (TO) is the allocation of attentional resources in time based on the a priori generation of temporal expectancy of relevant stimuli as well as the a posteriori updating of this expectancy as a function of both sensory-based evidence and elapsing time. These processes rely on dissociable cognitive mechanisms and neural networks. Yet, although there is evidence that TO may be a core mechanism for cognitive functioning in childhood, the developmental spatiotemporal neural dynamics of this mechanism are little understood. In this study we employed a combined approach based on the application of distributed source reconstruction on a high spatial resolution ERP data array obtained from eighteen 8- to 12-year-old children completing a TO paradigm in which both the cue (Temporal vs. Neutral) and the SOA (Short vs. Long) were manipulated. Results show both cue (N1) and SOA (CNV, Omission Detection Potential and Anterior Anticipatory Index) ERP effects, which were associated with expectancy generation and updating, respectively. Only cue-related effects were correlated with age, as revealed by a reduction of the N1 delta effect with increasing age. Our data suggest that the neural correlates underlying TO are already established at least from 8 to 12 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Mento
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 8, 35131, Padova (PD), Italy.
| | - Antonino Vallesi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 5, 35128, Padova (PD), Italy; Centro di Neuroscienze Cognitive, University of Padova, Italy
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Campione GC, Piazza C, Villa L, Molteni M. Three-Dimensional Kinematic Analysis of Prehension Movements in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: New Insights on Motor Impairment. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46:1985-1999. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2732-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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12
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The motor way: Clinical implications of understanding and shaping actions with the motor system in autism and drug addiction. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2015; 16:191-206. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-015-0399-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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13
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Gori S, Seitz AR, Ronconi L, Franceschini S, Facoetti A. Multiple Causal Links Between Magnocellular-Dorsal Pathway Deficit and Developmental Dyslexia. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:4356-4369. [PMID: 26400914 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Although impaired auditory-phonological processing is the most popular explanation of developmental dyslexia (DD), the literature shows that the combination of several causes rather than a single factor contributes to DD. Functioning of the visual magnocellular-dorsal (MD) pathway, which plays a key role in motion perception, is a much debated, but heavily suspected factor contributing to DD. Here, we employ a comprehensive approach that incorporates all the accepted methods required to test the relationship between the MD pathway dysfunction and DD. The results of 4 experiments show that (1) Motion perception is impaired in children with dyslexia in comparison both with age-match and with reading-level controls; (2) pre-reading visual motion perception-independently from auditory-phonological skill-predicts future reading development, and (3) targeted MD trainings-not involving any auditory-phonological stimulation-leads to improved reading skill in children and adults with DD. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, a causal relationship between MD deficits and DD, virtually closing a 30-year long debate. Since MD dysfunction can be diagnosed much earlier than reading and language disorders, our findings pave the way for low resource-intensive, early prevention programs that could drastically reduce the incidence of DD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Gori
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo 24129, Italy Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco 23842, Italy
| | - Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Luca Ronconi
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco 23842, Italy Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Sandro Franceschini
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco 23842, Italy Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute "E. Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco 23842, Italy Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padova 35131, Italy
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Schurger A, Kim MS, Cohen JD. Paradoxical Interaction between Ocular Activity, Perception, and Decision Confidence at the Threshold of Vision. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125278. [PMID: 25955162 PMCID: PMC4425469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and some other species perceptual decision-making is complemented by the ability to make confidence judgements about the certainty of sensory evidence. While both forms of decision process have been studied empirically, the precise relationship between them remains poorly understood. We performed an experiment that combined a perceptual decision-making task (identifying the category of a faint visual stimulus) with a confidence-judgement task (wagering on the accuracy of each perceptual decision). The visual stimulation paradigm required steady fixation, so we used eye-tracking to control for stray eye movements. Our data analyses revealed an unexpected and counterintuitive interaction between the steadiness of fixation (prior to and during stimulation), perceptual decision making, and post-decision wagering: greater variability in gaze direction during fixation was associated with significantly increased visual-perceptual sensitivity, but significantly decreased reliability of confidence judgements. The latter effect could not be explained by a simple change in overall confidence (i.e. a criterion artifact), but rather was tied to a change in the degree to which high wagers predicted correct decisions (i.e. the sensitivity of the confidence judgement). We found no evidence of a differential change in pupil diameter that could account for the effect and thus our results are consistent with fixational eye movements being the relevant covariate. However, we note that small changes in pupil diameter can sometimes cause artefactual fluctuations in measured gaze direction and this possibility could not be fully ruled out. In either case, our results suggest that perceptual decisions and confidence judgements can be processed independently and point toward a new avenue of research into the relationship between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Schurger
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- INSERM U992 / NeuroSpin, CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France
| | - Min-Soo Kim
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jonathan D. Cohen
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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Ronconi L, Franchin L, Valenza E, Gori S, Facoetti A. The attentional ‘zoom-lens’ in 8-month-old infants. Dev Sci 2015; 19:145-54. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ronconi
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab; Department of General Psychology; University of Padua; Italy
- Child Psychopathology Unit; Scientific Institute IRCSS ‘E. Medea’; Bosisio Parini Lecco Italy
| | - Laura Franchin
- Infant Cognitive Lab; Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology; University of Padua; Italy
| | - Eloisa Valenza
- Infant Cognitive Lab; Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology; University of Padua; Italy
| | - Simone Gori
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab; Department of General Psychology; University of Padua; Italy
- Child Psychopathology Unit; Scientific Institute IRCSS ‘E. Medea’; Bosisio Parini Lecco Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab; Department of General Psychology; University of Padua; Italy
- Child Psychopathology Unit; Scientific Institute IRCSS ‘E. Medea’; Bosisio Parini Lecco Italy
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16
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Where there is a goal, there is a way: what, why and how the parieto-frontal mirror network can mediate imitative behaviours. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 47:177-93. [PMID: 25149267 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The relationships between mirror neurons (MNs) and motor imitation, and its clinical implications in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been widely investigated; however, the literature remains—at least partially—controversial. In this review we support a multi-level action understanding model focusing on the mirror-based understanding. We review the functional role of the parieto-frontal MNs (PFMN) network claiming that PFMNs function cannot be limited to imitation nor can imitation be explained solely by the activity of PFMNs. The distinction between movement, motor act and motor action is useful to characterize deeply both act(ion) understanding and imitation of act(ion). A more abstract representation of act(ion) may be crucial for clarifying what, why and how an imitator is imitating. What counts in social interactions is achieving goals: it does not matter which effector or string of motor acts you eventually use for achieving (proximal and distal) goals. Similarly, what counts is the ability to recognize/imitate the style of act(ion) regardless of the way in which it is expressed. We address this crucial point referring to its potential implications in ASD.
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Exploring responses to art in adolescence: a behavioral and eye-tracking study. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102888. [PMID: 25048813 PMCID: PMC4105571 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a peculiar age mainly characterized by physical and psychological changes that may affect the perception of one's own and others' body. This perceptual peculiarity may influence the way in which bottom-up and top-down processes interact and, consequently, the perception and evaluation of art. This study is aimed at investigating, by means of the eye-tracking technique, the visual explorative behavior of adolescents while looking at paintings. Sixteen color paintings, categorized as dynamic and static, were presented to twenty adolescents; half of the images represented natural environments and half human individuals; all stimuli were displayed under aesthetic and movement judgment tasks. Participants' ratings revealed that, generally, nature images are explicitly evaluated as more appealing than human images. Eye movement data, on the other hand, showed that the human body exerts a strong power in orienting and attracting visual attention and that, in adolescence, it plays a fundamental role during aesthetic experience. In particular, adolescents seem to approach human-content images by giving priority to elements calling forth movement and action, supporting the embodiment theory of aesthetic perception.
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18
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Gori S, Cecchini P, Bigoni A, Molteni M, Facoetti A. Magnocellular-dorsal pathway and sub-lexical route in developmental dyslexia. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:460. [PMID: 25009484 PMCID: PMC4068287 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although developmental dyslexia (DD) is frequently associate with a phonological deficit, the underlying neurobiological cause remains undetermined. Recently, a new model, called "temporal sampling framework" (TSF), provided an innovative prospect in the DD study. TSF suggests that deficits in syllabic perception at a specific temporal frequencies are the critical basis for the poor reading performance in DD. This approach was presented as a possible neurobiological substrate of the phonological deficit of DD but the TSF can also easily be applied to the visual modality deficits. The deficit in the magnocellular-dorsal (M-D) pathway - often found in individuals with DD - fits well with a temporal oscillatory deficit specifically related to this visual pathway. This study investigated the visual M-D and parvocellular-ventral (P-V) pathways in dyslexic and in chronological age and IQ-matched normally reading children by measuring temporal (frequency doubling illusion) and static stimuli sensitivity, respectively. A specific deficit in M-D temporal oscillation was found. Importantly, the M-D deficit was selectively shown in poor phonological decoders. M-D deficit appears to be frequent because 75% of poor pseudo-word readers were at least 1 SD below the mean of the controls. Finally, a replication study by using a new group of poor phonological decoders and reading level controls suggested a crucial role of M-D deficit in DD. These results showed that a M-D deficit might impair the sub-lexical mechanisms that are critical for reading development. The possible link between these findings and TSF is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Gori
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università degli Studi di Padova Padova, Italy ; Developmental Neuropsychology Unit, Istituto Scientifico "E. Medea" di Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - Paolo Cecchini
- Ophthalmological Unit, Istituto Scientifico "E. Medea" di San Vito al Tagliamento Pordenone, Italy
| | - Anna Bigoni
- Ophthalmological Unit, Istituto Scientifico "E. Medea" di San Vito al Tagliamento Pordenone, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Developmental Neuropsychology Unit, Istituto Scientifico "E. Medea" di Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università degli Studi di Padova Padova, Italy ; Developmental Neuropsychology Unit, Istituto Scientifico "E. Medea" di Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
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19
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Perceptual learning as a possible new approach for remediation and prevention of developmental dyslexia. Vision Res 2014; 99:78-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Revised: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 11/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Ruffino M, Gori S, Boccardi D, Molteni M, Facoetti A. Spatial and temporal attention in developmental dyslexia. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:331. [PMID: 24904371 PMCID: PMC4033052 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the dominant view posits that developmental dyslexia (DD) arises from a deficit in phonological processing, emerging evidence suggest that DD could result from a more basic cross-modal letter-to-speech sound integration deficit. Letters have to be precisely selected from irrelevant and cluttering letters by rapid orienting of visual attention before the correct letter-to-speech sound integration applies. In the present study the time-course of spatial attention was investigated measuring target detection reaction times (RTs) in a cuing paradigm, while temporal attention was investigated by assessing impaired identification of the first of two sequentially presented masked visual objects. Spatial and temporal attention were slower in dyslexic children with a deficit in pseudoword reading (N = 14) compared to chronological age (N = 43) and to dyslexics without a deficit in pseudoword reading (N = 18), suggesting a direct link between visual attention efficiency and phonological decoding skills. Individual differences in these visual attention mechanisms were specifically related to pseudoword reading accuracy in dyslexics. The role of spatial and temporal attention in the graphemic parsing process might be related to a basic oscillatory "temporal sampling" dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Ruffino
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea Lecco, Italy
| | - Simone Gori
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea Lecco, Italy ; Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Daniela Boccardi
- Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea Lecco, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea Lecco, Italy ; Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua Padua, Italy
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