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Arutiunian V, Santhosh M, Neuhaus E, Sullivan CAW, Bernier RA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M, Geschwind DH, Jack A, McPartland JC, Van Horn JD, Pelphrey KA, Gupta AR, Webb SJ. A common genetic variant in the Neurexin family member CNTNAP2 is related to language but not communication skills in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2024. [PMID: 38984666 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
One of the candidate genes related to language variability in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the contactin-associated protein-like 2 gene (CNTNAP2), a member of the Neurexin family. However, due to the different assessment tools used, it is unknown whether the polymorphisms of the CNTNAP2 gene are linked to structural language skills or more general communication abilities. A total of 302 youth aged 7 to 18 years participated in the present study: 131 verbal youth with ASD (62 female), 130 typically developing (TD) youth (64 female), and 41 unaffected siblings (US) of youth with ASD (25 female). Blood samples were collected to obtain genomic DNA and processed by the Rutgers University Cell and Data Repository or using standard protocols (Gentra Puregene Blood DNA extraction kit; Qiagen). Language and verbal communication skills were screened with the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamental-4 (CELF-4) and Vineland-II Communication domain, subsequently. The results showed that the polymorphism of CNTNAP2 (SNP rs2710102) was related to structural language abilities, such that participants carrying the A-allele had lower language skills in comparison to the G-allele homozygotes. No relationship was found between the polymorphism of CNTNAP2 and more general communication abilities. Although the study revealed genetic mechanisms that are associated with CELF-4 measures but not Vineland-II in youth with ASD, follow-up studies are needed that will include measures of language and communication that are less correlated to each other as well as will include a group of minimally and/or non-verbal individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vardan Arutiunian
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Megha Santhosh
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Emily Neuhaus
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Virginia, USA
| | - Abha R Gupta
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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2
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Ortug A, Guo Y, Feldman HA, Ou Y, Warren JLA, Dieuveuil H, Baumer NT, Faja SK, Takahashi E. Autism-associated brain differences can be observed in utero using MRI. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae117. [PMID: 38602735 PMCID: PMC11008691 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae117] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Developmental changes that occur before birth are thought to be associated with the development of autism spectrum disorders. Identifying anatomical predictors of early brain development may contribute to our understanding of the neurobiology of autism spectrum disorders and allow for earlier and more effective identification and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. In this study, we used retrospective clinical brain magnetic resonance imaging data from fetuses who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders later in life (prospective autism spectrum disorders) in order to identify the earliest magnetic resonance imaging-based regional volumetric biomarkers. Our results showed that magnetic resonance imaging-based autism spectrum disorder biomarkers can be found as early as in the fetal period and suggested that the increased volume of the insular cortex may be the most promising magnetic resonance imaging-based fetal biomarker for the future emergence of autism spectrum disorders, along with some additional, potentially useful changes in regional volumes and hemispheric asymmetries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alpen Ortug
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, United States
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Yurui Guo
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Henry A Feldman
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Yangming Ou
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Jose Luis Alatorre Warren
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, United States
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Harrison Dieuveuil
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Nicole T Baumer
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Susan K Faja
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Brookline, MA 02115, United States
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, United States
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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3
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Sano M, Hirosawa T, Yoshimura Y, Hasegawa C, An KM, Tanaka S, Yaoi K, Naitou N, Kikuchi M. Neural responses to syllable-induced P1m and social impairment in children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing Peers. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298020. [PMID: 38457397 PMCID: PMC10923473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In previous magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to respond differently to speech stimuli than typically developing (TD) children. Quantitative evaluation of this difference in responsiveness may support early diagnosis and intervention for ASD. The objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between syllable-induced P1m and social impairment in children with ASD and TD children. We analyzed 49 children with ASD aged 40-92 months and age-matched 26 TD children. We evaluated their social impairment by means of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and their intelligence ability using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Multiple regression analysis with SRS score as the dependent variable and syllable-induced P1m latency or intensity and intelligence ability as explanatory variables revealed that SRS score was associated with syllable-induced P1m latency in the left hemisphere only in the TD group and not in the ASD group. A second finding was that increased leftward-lateralization of intensity was correlated with higher SRS scores only in the ASD group. These results provide valuable insights but also highlight the intricate nature of neural mechanisms and their relationship with autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masuhiko Sano
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Tetsu Hirosawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yuko Yoshimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Faculty of Education, Institute of Human and Social Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kyung-Min An
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sanae Tanaka
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Ken Yaoi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Nobushige Naitou
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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4
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Matsuba ESM, Prieve BA, Cary E, Pacheco D, Madrid A, McKernan E, Kaplan-Kahn E, Russo N. A Preliminary Study Characterizing Subcortical and Cortical Auditory Processing and Their Relation to Autistic Traits and Sensory Features. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:75-92. [PMID: 36227444 PMCID: PMC9559145 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05773-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This study characterizes the subcortical auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR) and cortical auditory processing (P1 and Mismatch Negativity; MMN) to speech sounds and their relationship to autistic traits and sensory features within the same group of autistic children (n = 10) matched on age and non-verbal IQ to their typically developing (TD) peers (n = 21). No speech-ABR differences were noted, but autistic individuals had larger P1 and faster MMN responses. Correlations revealed that larger P1 amplitudes and MMN responses were associated with greater autistic traits and more sensory features. These findings highlight the complexity of the auditory system and its relationships to behaviours in autism, while also emphasizing the importance of measurement and developmental matching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin S. M. Matsuba
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
| | - Beth A. Prieve
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Syracuse University, 1200 Skytop Road, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
| | - Emily Cary
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
| | - Devon Pacheco
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Syracuse University, 1200 Skytop Road, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
| | - Angela Madrid
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Syracuse University, 1200 Skytop Road, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
| | - Elizabeth McKernan
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
| | - Elizabeth Kaplan-Kahn
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
| | - Natalie Russo
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, 430 Huntington Hall, Syracuse, NY 13079 USA
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5
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Márquez-García AV, Ng BK, Iarocci G, Moreno S, Vakorin VA, Doesburg SM. Atypical Associations between Functional Connectivity during Pragmatic and Semantic Language Processing and Cognitive Abilities in Children with Autism. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1448. [PMID: 37891816 PMCID: PMC10605927 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by both atypical functional brain connectivity and cognitive challenges across multiple cognitive domains. The relationship between task-dependent brain connectivity and cognitive abilities, however, remains poorly understood. In this study, children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers engaged in semantic and pragmatic language tasks while their task-dependent brain connectivity was mapped and compared. A multivariate statistical approach revealed associations between connectivity and psychometric assessments of relevant cognitive abilities. While both groups exhibited brain-behavior correlations, the nature of these associations diverged, particularly in the directionality of overall correlations across various psychometric categories. Specifically, greater disparities in functional connectivity between the groups were linked to larger differences in Autism Questionnaire, BRIEF, MSCS, and SRS-2 scores but smaller differences in WASI, pragmatic language, and Theory of Mind scores. Our findings suggest that children with ASD utilize distinct neural communication patterns for language processing. Although networks recruited by children with ASD may appear less efficient than those typically engaged, they could serve as compensatory mechanisms for potential disruptions in conventional brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amparo V. Márquez-García
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Bonnie K. Ng
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC V3T 0A3, Canada
| | - Grace Iarocci
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada;
| | - Sylvain Moreno
- School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC V3T 0A3, Canada
| | - Vasily A. Vakorin
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Sam M. Doesburg
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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6
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Morrel J, Singapuri K, Landa RJ, Reetzke R. Neural correlates and predictors of speech and language development in infants at elevated likelihood for autism: a systematic review. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1211676. [PMID: 37662636 PMCID: PMC10469683 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1211676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an increasingly prevalent and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition, characterized by social communicative differences, and a combination of repetitive behaviors, focused interests, and sensory sensitivities. Early speech and language delays are characteristic of young autistic children and are one of the first concerns reported by parents; often before their child's second birthday. Elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying these delays has the potential to improve early detection and intervention efforts. To fill this gap, this systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on early neurobiological correlates and predictors of speech and language development across different neuroimaging modalities in infants with and without a family history of autism [at an elevated (EL infants) and low likelihood (LL infants) for developing autism, respectively]. A comprehensive, systematic review identified 24 peer-reviewed articles published between 2012 and 2023, utilizing structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; n = 2), functional MRI (fMRI; n = 4), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS; n = 4), and electroencephalography (EEG; n = 14). Three main themes in results emerged: compared to LL infants, EL infants exhibited (1) atypical language-related neural lateralization; (2) alterations in structural and functional connectivity; and (3) mixed profiles of neural sensitivity to speech and non-speech stimuli, with some differences detected as early as 6 weeks of age. These findings suggest that neuroimaging techniques may be sensitive to early indicators of speech and language delays well before overt behavioral delays emerge. Future research should aim to harmonize experimental paradigms both within and across neuroimaging modalities and additionally address the feasibility, acceptability, and scalability of implementing such methodologies in non-academic, community-based settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Morrel
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kripi Singapuri
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Rebecca J. Landa
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Rachel Reetzke
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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7
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Labache L, Ge T, Yeo BTT, Holmes AJ. Language network lateralization is reflected throughout the macroscale functional organization of cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3405. [PMID: 37296118 PMCID: PMC10256741 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39131-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemispheric specialization is a fundamental feature of human brain organization. However, it is not yet clear to what extent the lateralization of specific cognitive processes may be evident throughout the broad functional architecture of cortex. While the majority of people exhibit left-hemispheric language dominance, a substantial minority of the population shows reverse lateralization. Using twin and family data from the Human Connectome Project, we provide evidence that atypical language dominance is associated with global shifts in cortical organization. Individuals with atypical language organization exhibit corresponding hemispheric differences in the macroscale functional gradients that situate discrete large-scale networks along a continuous spectrum, extending from unimodal through association territories. Analyses reveal that both language lateralization and gradient asymmetries are, in part, driven by genetic factors. These findings pave the way for a deeper understanding of the origins and relationships linking population-level variability in hemispheric specialization and global properties of cortical organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Labache
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, US.
| | - Tian Ge
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, US
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, US
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, US
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Centre for Sleep and Cognition, National University of Singapore, Singapore, SG, 119077, Singapore
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research, National University of Singapore, Singapore, SG, 119077, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, SG, 119077, Singapore
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129, US
- National University of Singapore Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, SG, 119077, Singapore
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, US.
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, US.
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, US.
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, US.
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8
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Hassanzadeh E, Hornak A, Hassanzadeh M, Warfield SK, Pearl PL, Bolton J, Suarez R, Stone S, Stufflebeam S, Ailion AS. Comparison of fMRI language laterality with and without sedation in pediatric epilepsy. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103448. [PMID: 37285796 PMCID: PMC10250119 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103448] [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: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Functional MRI is an essential component of presurgical language mapping. In clinical settings, young children may be sedated for the MRI with the functional stimuli presented passively. Research has found that sedation changes language activation in healthy adults and children. However, there is limited research comparing sedated and unsedated functional MRI in pediatric epilepsy patients. We compared language activation patterns in children with epilepsy who received sedation for functional MRI to the ones who did not. We retrospectively identified the patients with focal epilepsy who underwent presurgical functional MRI including Auditory Descriptive Decision Task at Boston Children's Hospital from 2014 to 2022. Patients were divided into sedated and awake groups, based on their sedation status during functional MRI. Auditory Descriptive Decision Task stimuli were presented passively to the sedated group per clinical protocol. We extracted language activation maps contrasted against a control task (reverse speech) in the Frontal and Temporal language regions and calculated separate language laterality indexes for each region. We considered positive laterality indexes as left dominant, negative laterality indexes as right dominant, and absolute laterality indexes <0.2 as bilateral. We defined 2 language patterns: typical (i.e., primarily left-sided) and atypical. Typical pattern required at least one left dominant region (either frontal or temporal) and no right dominant region. We then compared the language patterns between the sedated and awake groups. Seventy patients met the inclusion criteria, 25 sedated, and 45 awake. Using the Auditory Descriptive Decision Task paradigm, when adjusted for age, handedness, gender, and laterality of lesion in a weighted logistic regression model, the odds of the atypical pattern were 13.2 times higher in the sedated group compared to the awake group (Confidence Interval: 2.55-68.41, p-value < 0.01). Sedation may alter language activation patterns in pediatric epilepsy patients. Language patterns on sedated functional MRI with passive tasks may not represent language networks during wakefulness, sedation may differentially suppress some networks, or require a different task or method of analysis to capture the awake language network. Given the critical surgical implication of these findings, additional studies are needed to better understand how sedation impacts the functional MRI blood oxygenation level-dependent signal. Consistent with current practice, sedated functional MRI should be interpreted with greater caution and requires additional validation as well as research on post-surgical language outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmira Hassanzadeh
- Neuroradiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA.
| | - Alena Hornak
- Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
| | | | - Simon K Warfield
- Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
| | - Phillip L Pearl
- Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
| | - Jeffrey Bolton
- Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
| | - Ralph Suarez
- Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
| | - Scellig Stone
- Neurosurgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
| | - Steve Stufflebeam
- Neuroradiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
| | - Alyssa S Ailion
- Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 02116, USA
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9
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Knaus TA, Burns CO, Kamps J, Foundas AL. Action viewing and language in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:559-570. [PMID: 36625967 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06540-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The mirror neuron system consists of fronto-parietal regions and responds to both goal-directed action execution and observation. The broader action observation network is specifically involved in observation of actions and is thought to play a role in understanding the goals of the motor act, the intention of others, empathy, and language. Many, but not all, studies have found mirror neuron system or action observation network dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder. The objective of this study was to use observation of a goal-directed action fMRI paradigm to examine the action observation network in autism spectrum disorder and to determine whether fronto-parietal activation is associated with language ability. Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (n = 23) were compared to typically developing adolescents (n = 20), 11-17 years. Overall, there were no group differences in activation, however, the autism spectrum group with impaired expressive language (n = 13) had significantly reduced inferior frontal and inferior parietal activation during action viewing. In controls, right supramarginal gyrus activation was associated with higher expressive language; bilateral supramarginal and left pars opercularis activation was associated with better verbal-gesture integration. Results suggest that action-observation network dysfunction may characterize a subgroup of individuals with autism spectrum disorder with expressive language deficits. Therefore, interventions that target this dysfunctional network may improve expressive language in this autism spectrum subgroup. Future treatment studies should individualize therapeutic approaches based on brain-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey A Knaus
- Brain and Behavior Program at Children's Hospital, Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, New Orleans, USA. .,Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Claire O Burns
- Brain and Behavior Program at Children's Hospital, Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, New Orleans, USA.,Michael R. Boh Center for Child Development, Ochsner Hospital, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jodi Kamps
- Department of Psychology, Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State Univeristy Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, USA
| | - Anne L Foundas
- Brain and Behavior Program at Children's Hospital, Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, New Orleans, USA.,The Brain Institute of Louisiana, New Orleans, USA
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10
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Persichetti AS, Shao J, Gotts SJ, Martin A. Maladaptive Laterality in Cortical Networks Related to Social Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9045-9052. [PMID: 36257690 PMCID: PMC9732822 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1229-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) consistently find an aberrant pattern of reduced laterality in brain networks that support functions related to social communication and language. However, it is unclear how the underlying functional organization of these brain networks is altered in ASD individuals. We tested four models of reduced laterality in a social communication network in 70 ASD individuals (14 females) and a control group of the same number of tightly matched typically developing (TD) individuals (19 females) using high-quality resting-state fMRI data and a method of measuring patterns of functional laterality across the brain. We found that a functionally defined social communication network exhibited the typical pattern of left laterality in both groups, whereas there was a significant increase in within- relative to across-hemisphere connectivity of homotopic regions in the right hemisphere in ASD individuals. Furthermore, greater within- relative to across-hemisphere connectivity in the left hemisphere was positively correlated with a measure of verbal ability in both groups, whereas greater within- relative to across-hemisphere connectivity in the right hemisphere in ASD, but not TD, individuals was negatively correlated with the same verbal measure. Crucially, these differences in patterns of laterality were not found in two other functional networks and were specifically correlated to a measure of verbal ability but not metrics of other core components of the ASD phenotype. These results suggest that previous reports of reduced laterality in social communication regions in ASD is because of the two hemispheres functioning more independently than seen in TD individuals, with the atypical right-hemisphere network component being maladaptive.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A consistent neuroimaging finding in individuals with ASD is an aberrant pattern of reduced laterality of the brain networks that support functions related to social communication and language. We tested four models of reduced laterality in a social communication network in ASD individuals and a TD control group using high-quality resting-state fMRI data. Our results suggest that reduced laterality of social communication regions in ASD may be because of the two hemispheres functioning more independently than seen in TD individuals, with atypically greater within- than across-hemisphere connectivity in the right hemisphere being maladaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Persichetti
- Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Jiayu Shao
- Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Stephen J Gotts
- Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Alex Martin
- Section on Cognitive Neuropsychology, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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11
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Li M, Wang Y, Tachibana M, Rahman S, Kagitani-Shimono K. Atypical structural connectivity of language networks in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies. Autism Res 2022; 15:1585-1602. [PMID: 35962721 PMCID: PMC9546367 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show pervasive and complex language impairments that are closely associated with aberrant structural connectivity of language networks. However, the characteristics of white matter connectivity in ASD have remained inconclusive in previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies. The current meta‐analysis aimed to comprehensively elucidate the abnormality in language‐related white matter connectivity in individuals with ASD. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Medline databases to identify relevant studies. The standardized mean difference was calculated to measure the pooled difference in DTI metrics in each tract between the ASD and typically developing (TD) groups. The moderating effects of age, sex, language ability, and symptom severity were investigated using subgroup and meta‐regression analysis. Thirty‐three DTI studies involving 831 individuals with ASD and 836 TD controls were included in the meta‐analysis. ASD subjects showed significantly lower fractional anisotropy or higher mean diffusivity across language‐associated tracts than TD controls. These abnormalities tended to be more prominent in the left language networks than in the right. In addition, children with ASD exhibit more pronounced and pervasive disturbances in white matter connectivity than adults. These results support the under‐connectivity hypothesis and demonstrate the widespread abnormal microstructure of language‐related tracts in patients with ASD. Otherwise, white matter abnormalities in the autistic brain could vary depending on the developmental stage and hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yide Wang
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaya Tachibana
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shafiur Rahman
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kuriko Kagitani-Shimono
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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12
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Deemyad T. Lateralized Changes in Language Associated Auditory and Somatosensory Cortices in Autism. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:787448. [PMID: 35300070 PMCID: PMC8923120 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.787448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateralized specialization of the two cerebral hemispheres is a fundamental structural hallmark of the human brain and underlies many cognitive functions and behavioral abilities. In typical developing individuals the influence of handedness on performance of various sensory modalities and the cortical processing has been well recognized. Increasing evidence suggests that several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with abnormal patterns of cerebral lateralization. Individuals with ASD exhibit abnormal structural and functional lateralization of circuits subserving motor, auditory, somatosensory, visual face processing, and language-related functions. Furthermore, a high prevalence of atypical handedness has been reported in ASD individuals. While the hemispheric dominance is also related to functions other than handedness, there is a clear relationship between handedness and language-related cortical dominance. This minireview summarizes these recent findings on asymmetry in somatosensory and auditory cortical structures associated with language processing in ASD. I will also discuss the importance of cortical dominance and interhemispheric disruption of balance between excitatory and inhibitory synapses as pathophysiological mechanisms in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Deemyad
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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13
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Kong X, Postema MC, Guadalupe T, de Kovel C, Boedhoe PSW, Hoogman M, Mathias SR, van Rooij D, Schijven D, Glahn DC, Medland SE, Jahanshad N, Thomopoulos SI, Turner JA, Buitelaar J, van Erp TGM, Franke B, Fisher SE, van den Heuvel OA, Schmaal L, Thompson PM, Francks C. Mapping brain asymmetry in health and disease through the ENIGMA consortium. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:167-181. [PMID: 32420672 PMCID: PMC8675409 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Left-right asymmetry of the human brain is one of its cardinal features, and also a complex, multivariate trait. Decades of research have suggested that brain asymmetry may be altered in psychiatric disorders. However, findings have been inconsistent and often based on small sample sizes. There are also open questions surrounding which structures are asymmetrical on average in the healthy population, and how variability in brain asymmetry relates to basic biological variables such as age and sex. Over the last 4 years, the ENIGMA-Laterality Working Group has published six studies of gray matter morphological asymmetry based on total sample sizes from roughly 3,500 to 17,000 individuals, which were between one and two orders of magnitude larger than those published in previous decades. A population-level mapping of average asymmetry was achieved, including an intriguing fronto-occipital gradient of cortical thickness asymmetry in healthy brains. ENIGMA's multi-dataset approach also supported an empirical illustration of reproducibility of hemispheric differences across datasets. Effect sizes were estimated for gray matter asymmetry based on large, international, samples in relation to age, sex, handedness, and brain volume, as well as for three psychiatric disorders: autism spectrum disorder was associated with subtly reduced asymmetry of cortical thickness at regions spread widely over the cortex; pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder was associated with altered subcortical asymmetry; major depressive disorder was not significantly associated with changes of asymmetry. Ongoing studies are examining brain asymmetry in other disorders. Moreover, a groundwork has been laid for possibly identifying shared genetic contributions to brain asymmetry and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang‐Zhen Kong
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Merel C. Postema
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Tulio Guadalupe
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Carolien de Kovel
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Premika S. W. Boedhoe
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical CenterVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Martine Hoogman
- Department of Human GeneticsRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CentreNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Samuel R. Mathias
- Department of PsychiatryBoston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Daan van Rooij
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CentreNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Dick Schijven
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - David C. Glahn
- Department of PsychiatryBoston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of Living, Hartford HospitalHartfordConnecticutUSA
| | - Sarah E. Medland
- Psychiatric GeneticsQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics InstituteKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaMarina del ReyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sophia I. Thomopoulos
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics InstituteKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaMarina del ReyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jessica A. Turner
- Tri‐institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS)Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Jan Buitelaar
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CentreNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CentreNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent PsychiatryNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Theo G. M. van Erp
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human BehaviorUniversity of California IrvineIrvineCaliforniaUSA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and MemoryUniversity of California IrvineIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Simon E. Fisher
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviorRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Odile A. van den Heuvel
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical CenterVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental HealthParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Centre for Youth Mental HealthThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Tri‐institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS)Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language and Genetics DepartmentMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviorRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
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14
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Deng Z, Wang S. Sex differentiation of brain structures in autism: Findings from a gray matter asymmetry study. Autism Res 2021; 14:1115-1126. [PMID: 33769688 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed much more often in males than females. This male predominance has prompted a number of studies to examine how sex differences are related to the neural expression of ASD. Different theories, such as the "extreme male brain" theory, the "female protective effect" (FPE) theory, and the gender incoherence (GI) theory, provide different explanations for the mixed findings of sex-related neural expression of ASD. This study sought to clarify whether either theory applies to the brain structure in individuals with ASD by analyzing a selective high-quality data subset from an open data resource (Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I and II) including 35 males/35 females with ASD and 86 male/86 female typical-controls (TCs). We examined the sex-related changes in ASD in gray matter asymmetry measures (i.e., asymmetry index, AI) derived from voxel-based morphometry using a 2 (diagnosis: ASD vs. TC) × 2 (sex: female vs. male) factorial design. A diagnosis-by-sex interaction effect was identified in the planum temporale/Heschl's gyrus: (i) compared to females, males exhibited decreased AI (indicating more leftward brain asymmetry) in the TC group, whereas AI was greater (indicating less leftward brain asymmetry) for males than for females in the ASD group; and (ii) females with ASD showed reduced AI (indicating more leftward brain asymmetry) compared to female TCs, whereas there were no differences between ASDs and TCs in the male group. This interaction pattern supports the FPE theory in showing greater brain structure changes (masculinization) in females with ASD. LAY SUMMARY: To understand the neural mechanisms underlying male predominance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we investigated the sex differences in ASD-related alterations in brain asymmetry. We found greater changes in females with ASD compared with males with ASD, revealing a female protective effect. These findings provide novel insights into the neurobiology of sex differences in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhizhou Deng
- Department of Applied Psychology, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou, China
| | - Suiping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Šimić G, Vukić V, Kopić J, Krsnik Ž, Hof PR. Molecules, Mechanisms, and Disorders of Self-Domestication: Keys for Understanding Emotional and Social Communication from an Evolutionary Perspective. Biomolecules 2020; 11:E2. [PMID: 33375093 PMCID: PMC7822183 DOI: 10.3390/biom11010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural crest hypothesis states that the phenotypic features of the domestication syndrome are due to a reduced number or disruption of neural crest cells (NCCs) migration, as these cells differentiate at their final destinations and proliferate into different tissues whose activity is reduced by domestication. Comparing the phenotypic characteristics of modern and prehistoric man, it is clear that during their recent evolutionary past, humans also went through a process of self-domestication with a simultaneous prolongation of the period of socialization. This has led to the development of social abilities and skills, especially language, as well as neoteny. Disorders of neural crest cell development and migration lead to many different conditions such as Waardenburg syndrome, Hirschsprung disease, fetal alcohol syndrome, DiGeorge and Treacher-Collins syndrome, for which the mechanisms are already relatively well-known. However, for others, such as Williams-Beuren syndrome and schizophrenia that have the characteristics of hyperdomestication, and autism spectrum disorders, and 7dupASD syndrome that have the characteristics of hypodomestication, much less is known. Thus, deciphering the biological determinants of disordered self-domestication has great potential for elucidating the normal and disturbed ontogenesis of humans, as well as for the understanding of evolution of mammals in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (J.K.); (Ž.K.)
| | - Vana Vukić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (J.K.); (Ž.K.)
| | - Janja Kopić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (J.K.); (Ž.K.)
| | - Željka Krsnik
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (V.V.); (J.K.); (Ž.K.)
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
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16
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The Neurobiology of Semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 51:3266-3279. [PMID: 33222060 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04794-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Semantic processing impairments are present in a proportion of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite the numerous imaging studies investigating this language domain in ASD, there is a lack of consensus regarding the brain structures showing abnormal pattern of activity. This meta-analysis aimed to identify neural activation patterns present during semantic processing in ASD. Findings reveal activation of areas associated with semantic processing and executive functions in ASD. However, the activation was less concise in comparison to controls and there was less activation in the right hemisphere and in areas associated with executive functions. This provides strong support for impaired semantic processing in ASD that is consistently associated with abnormal patterns of neural activity in the semantic network.
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17
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Ehlen F, Roepke S, Klostermann F, Baskow I, Geise P, Belica C, Tiedt HO, Behnia B. Small Semantic Networks in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Without Intellectual Impairment: A Verbal Fluency Approach. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:3967-3987. [PMID: 32198662 PMCID: PMC7560923 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04457-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience a variety of symptoms sometimes including atypicalities in language use. The study explored differences in semantic network organisation of adults with ASD without intellectual impairment. We assessed clusters and switches in verbal fluency tasks ('animals', 'human feature', 'verbs', 'r-words') via curve fitting in combination with corpus-driven analysis of semantic relatedness and evaluated socio-emotional and motor action related content. Compared to participants without ASD (n = 39), participants with ASD (n = 32) tended to produce smaller clusters, longer switches, and fewer words in semantic conditions (no p values survived Bonferroni-correction), whereas relatedness and content were similar. In ASD, semantic networks underlying cluster formation appeared comparably small without affecting strength of associations or content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicitas Ehlen
- Department of Neurology, Motor and Cognition Group, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry, Jüdisches Krankenhaus Berlin, Heinz-Galinski-Straße 1, 13347, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Stefan Roepke
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fabian Klostermann
- Department of Neurology, Motor and Cognition Group, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Irina Baskow
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pia Geise
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
- Universität Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Cyril Belica
- Department of Digital Linguistics, Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache, R5, 6-13, 68161, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Hannes Ole Tiedt
- Department of Neurology, Motor and Cognition Group, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Behnoush Behnia
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
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18
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Jouravlev O, Kell AJE, Mineroff Z, Haskins AJ, Ayyash D, Kanwisher N, Fedorenko E. Reduced Language Lateralization in Autism and the Broader Autism Phenotype as Assessed with Robust Individual-Subjects Analyses. Autism Res 2020; 13:1746-1761. [PMID: 32935455 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
One of the few replicated functional brain differences between individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and neurotypical (NT) controls is reduced language lateralization. However, most prior reports relied on comparisons of group-level activation maps or functional markers that had not been validated at the individual-subject level, and/or used tasks that do not isolate language processing from other cognitive processes, complicating interpretation. Furthermore, few prior studies have examined functional responses in other brain networks, as needed to determine the spatial selectivity of the effect. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we compared language lateralization between 28 adult ASD participants and carefully pairwise-matched controls, with the language regions defined individually using a well-validated language "localizer" task. Across two language comprehension paradigms, ASD participants showed less lateralized responses due to stronger right hemisphere activity. Furthermore, this effect did not stem from a ubiquitous reduction in lateralization of function across the brain: ASD participants did not differ from controls in the lateralization of two other large-scale networks-the Theory of Mind network and the Multiple Demand network. Finally, in an exploratory study, we tested whether reduced language lateralization may also be present in NT individuals with high autism-like traits. Indeed, autistic trait load in a large set of NT participants (n = 189) was associated with less lateralized language responses. These results suggest that reduced language lateralization is robustly associated with autism and, to some extent, with autism-like traits in the general population, and this lateralization reduction appears to be restricted to the language system. LAY SUMMARY: How do brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) differ from those of neurotypical (NT) controls? One of the most consistently reported differences is the reduction of lateralization during language processing in individuals with ASD. However, most prior studies have used methods that made this finding difficult to interpret, and perhaps even artifactual. Using robust individual-level markers of lateralization, we found that indeed, ASD individuals show reduced lateralization for language due to stronger right-hemisphere activity. We further show that this reduction is not due to a general reduction of lateralization of function across the brain. Finally, we show that greater autistic trait load is associated with less lateralized language responses in the NT population. These results suggest that reduced language lateralization is robustly associated with autism and, to some extent, with autism-like traits in the general population. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1746-1761. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olessia Jouravlev
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexander J E Kell
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zachary Mineroff
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Eberly Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amanda J Haskins
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Dima Ayyash
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nancy Kanwisher
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Evelina Fedorenko
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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19
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Ahtam B, Braeutigam S, Bailey A. Semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorders Is Associated With the Timing of Language Acquisition: A Magnetoencephalographic Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:267. [PMID: 32754020 PMCID: PMC7366733 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism show difficulties in using sentence context to identify the correct meaning of ambiguous words, such as homonyms. In this study, the brain basis of sentence context effects on word understanding during reading was examined in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typical development (TD) using magnetoencephalography. The correlates of a history of developmental language delay in ASD were also investigated. Event related field responses at early (150 ms after the onset of a final word) and N400 latencies are reported for three different types of sentence final words: dominant homonyms, subordinate homonyms, and unambiguous words. Clear evidence for semantic access was found at both early and conventional N400 latencies in both TD participants and individuals with ASD with no history of language delay. By contrast, modulation of evoked activity related to semantic access was weak and not significant at early latencies in individuals with ASD with a history of language delay. The reduced sensitivity to semantic context in individuals with ASD and language delay was accompanied by strong right hemisphere lateralization at early and N400 latencies; such strong activity was not observed in TD individuals and individuals with ASD without a history of language delay at either latency. These results provide new evidence and support for differential neural mechanisms underlying semantic processing in ASD, and indicate that delayed language acquisition in ASD is associated with different lateralization and processing of language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banu Ahtam
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sven Braeutigam
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Bailey
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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20
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Malatesta G, Marzoli D, Apicella F, Abiuso C, Muratori F, Forrester GS, Vallortigara G, Scattoni ML, Tommasi L. Received Cradling Bias During the First Year of Life: A Retrospective Study on Children With Typical and Atypical Development. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:91. [PMID: 32174855 PMCID: PMC7056836 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A population-level left cradling bias exists whereby 60-90% of mothers hold their infants on the left side. This left biased positioning appears to be mutually beneficial to both the mother and the baby's brain organization for processing of socio-emotional stimuli. Previous research connected cradling asymmetries and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), entailing impairment in socio-communicative relationships and characterized by an early hypo-lateralization of brain functions. In this explorative study, we aimed to provide a contribution to the retrospective investigations by looking for early behavioral markers of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD. We hypothesized that an atypical trajectory in maternal cradling might be one of the possible signs of an interference in mother-infant socio-emotional communication, and thus of potential neurodevelopmental dysfunctions. To this aim, we examined photos depicting mother-child early cradling interactions by consulting family albums of 27 children later diagnosed with ASD and 63 typically developing children. As regards the first half of the first year of life, no differences were shown between maternal cradling-side preferences in typical and ASD groups, both exhibiting the left-cradling bias in the 0-3 months period, but not in the 3-6 months period. However, our results show dissimilar patterns of cradling preferences during the second half of the first year of life. In particular, the absence of left-cradling shown in typical mothers was not observed in ASD mothers, who exhibited a significant left-cradling bias in the 6-12 months age group. This difference might reflect the fact that mother-infant relationship involving children later diagnosed with ASD might remain "basic" because mothers experience a lack of social activity in such children. Alternatively, it may reflect the overstimulation in which mothers try to engage infants in response to their lack of responsiveness and social initiative. However, further investigations are needed both to distinguish between these two possibilities and to define the role of early typical and reversed cradling experiences on neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Malatesta
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Daniele Marzoli
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gillian S. Forrester
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Research Coordination and Support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Tommasi
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University “G. d'Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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21
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Fourie E, Palser ER, Pokorny JJ, Neff M, Rivera SM. Neural Processing and Production of Gesture in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychol 2020; 10:3045. [PMID: 32038408 PMCID: PMC6987472 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate impairments in non-verbal communication, including gesturing and imitation deficits. Reduced sensitivity to biological motion (BM) in ASD may impair processing of dynamic social cues like gestures, which in turn may impede encoding and subsequent performance of these actions. Using both an fMRI task involving observation of action gestures and a charade style paradigm assessing gesture performance, this study examined the brain-behavior relationships between neural activity during gesture processing, gesturing abilities and social symptomology in a group of children and adolescents with and without ASD. Compared to typically developing (TD) controls, participants with ASD showed atypical sensitivity to movement in right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), a region implicated in action processing, and had poorer overall gesture performance with specific deficits in hand posture. The TD group showed associations between neural activity, gesture performance and social skills, that were weak or non-significant in the ASD group. These findings suggest that those with ASD demonstrate abnormalities in both processing and production of gestures and may reflect dysfunction in the mechanism underlying perception-action coupling resulting in atypical development of social and communicative skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Fourie
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Eleanor R Palser
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer J Pokorny
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Michael Neff
- Department of Computer Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Department of Cinema and Digital Media, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Susan M Rivera
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
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22
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Verly M, Gerrits R, Sleurs C, Lagae L, Sunaert S, Zink I, Rommel N. The mis-wired language network in children with developmental language disorder: insights from DTI tractography. Brain Imaging Behav 2020; 13:973-984. [PMID: 29934818 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9903-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to detect the neural substrate underlying the language impairment in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography. Deterministic DTI tractography was performed in a group of right-handed children with DLD (N = 17; mean age 10;07 ± 2;01 years) and a typically developing control group matched for age, gender and handedness (N = 22; mean age 11;00 ± 1;11 years) to bilaterally identify the superior longitudinal fascicle, arcuate fascicle, anterior lateral segment and posterior lateral segment (also called dorsal language network) and the middle and inferior longitudinal fascicle, extreme capsule fiber system and uncinate fascicle (also called ventral language network). Language skills were assessed using an extensive, standardized test battery. Differences in language performance, white matter organization and structural lateralization of the language network were statistically analyzed. Children with DLD showed a higher overall volume and higher ADC values for the left-hemispheric language related WM tracts. In addition, in children with DLD, the majority (88%; 7/8) of the studied language related WM tracts did not show a significant left or right lateralization pattern. These structural alterations might underlie the language impairment in children with DLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein Verly
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Robin Gerrits
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Lieven Lagae
- Department of Pediatrics, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stefan Sunaert
- Department of Radiology, Translational MRI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Radiology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Inge Zink
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Rommel
- Department of Neurosciences, ExpORL, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, bus 721, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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23
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Altered structural brain asymmetry in autism spectrum disorder in a study of 54 datasets. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4958. [PMID: 31673008 PMCID: PMC6823355 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13005-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered structural brain asymmetry in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been reported. However, findings have been inconsistent, likely due to limited sample sizes. Here we investigated 1,774 individuals with ASD and 1,809 controls, from 54 independent data sets of the ENIGMA consortium. ASD was significantly associated with alterations of cortical thickness asymmetry in mostly medial frontal, orbitofrontal, cingulate and inferior temporal areas, and also with asymmetry of orbitofrontal surface area. These differences generally involved reduced asymmetry in individuals with ASD compared to controls. Furthermore, putamen volume asymmetry was significantly increased in ASD. The largest case-control effect size was Cohen’s d = −0.13, for asymmetry of superior frontal cortical thickness. Most effects did not depend on age, sex, IQ, severity or medication use. Altered lateralized neurodevelopment may therefore be a feature of ASD, affecting widespread brain regions with diverse functions. Large-scale analysis was necessary to quantify subtle alterations of brain structural asymmetry in ASD. Changes in brain structure asymmetry have been reported in autism spectrum disorder. Here the authors investigate this issue using a large-scale sample consisting of 54 data sets.
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24
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Malatesta G, Marzoli D, Tommasi L. The association between received maternal cradling and neurodevelopment: Is left better? Med Hypotheses 2019; 134:109442. [PMID: 31655361 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The vast majority of women (60-90%) hold infants on their left side. Such a population-level lateral bias has been shown to improve the processing of socio-emotional stimuli in both the woman and the baby. Recently, some studies related cradling lateralization and Autism Spectrum Disorders (which entail socio-communicative deficits and a reduction of the typical lateralization of brain functions), raising the possibility that the asymmetrical cradling behavior experienced during infanthood might be related to the infant's neurodevelopment. Any progress made towards earlier diagnoses could significantly increase the chance of successful intervention for these patients. We here suggest that a wide retrospective investigation on family photo albums and home movies of children diagnosed with Autism might provide useful data about early behavioral signs of this condition. We hypothesize that an atypical trajectory in maternal cradling might be one of the early signs of interference in dyadic socio-emotional communication, and thus of potential neurodevelopmental dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Malatesta
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 31, I-66100 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Daniele Marzoli
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 31, I-66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Luca Tommasi
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 31, I-66100 Chieti, Italy
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25
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Vingerhoets G. Phenotypes in hemispheric functional segregation? Perspectives and challenges. Phys Life Rev 2019; 30:1-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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26
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Altered structural brain connectivity involving the dorsal and ventral language pathways in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 13:430-445. [PMID: 29629500 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9859-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Copy number variants at the chromosomal locus 16p11.2 contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and language and articulation disorders. Here, we provide detailed findings on the disrupted structural brain connectivity in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome (patients: N = 21, age range: 8-16 years; typically developing (TD) controls: 18, 9-16 years) using structural and diffusion MRI. We performed global short-, middle-, long-range, and interhemispheric connectivity analysis in the whole brain using gyral topology-based cortical parcellation. Using region of interest analysis, we studied bilateral dorsal (3 segments of arcuate fasciculus (AF)) and ventral (inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), uncinate fasciculus (UF)) language pathways. Our results showed significantly increased axial (AD) and radial (RD) diffusivities in bilateral anterior AF, decreased volume for left long AF, increased mean diffusivity (MD) and RD for right long AF, and increased AD for bilateral UF in the 16p11.2 deletion group in the absence of significant abnormalities in the whole-brain gyral and interhemispheric connectivity. The selective involvement of the language networks may aid in understanding effects of altered white matter connectivity on neurodevelopmental outcomes in 16p11.2 deletion.
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27
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One size fits all does not apply to brain lateralisation: Comment on "Phenotypes in hemispheric functional segregation? Perspectives and challenges" by Guy Vingerhoets. Phys Life Rev 2019; 30:30-33. [PMID: 31377201 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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28
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Gao Y, Linke A, Jao Keehn RJ, Punyamurthula S, Jahedi A, Gates K, Fishman I, Müller RA. The language network in autism: Atypical functional connectivity with default mode and visual regions. Autism Res 2019; 12:1344-1355. [PMID: 31317655 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders associated with atypical brain connectivity. Although language abilities vary widely, they are impaired or atypical in most children with ASDs. Underlying brain mechanisms, however, are not fully understood. The present study examined intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of the extended language network in a cohort of 52 children and adolescents with ASDs (ages 8-18 years), using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that, in comparison to typically developing peers (n = 50), children with ASDs showed increased connectivity between some language regions. In addition, seed-to-whole brain analyses revealed increased connectivity of language regions with posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and visual regions in the ASD group. Post hoc effective connectivity analyses revealed a mediation effect of PCC on the iFC between bilateral inferior frontal and visual regions in an ASD subgroup. This finding qualifies and expands on previous reports of recruitment of visual areas in language processing in ASDs. In addition, increased iFC between PCC and visual regions was linked to lower language scores in this ASD subgroup, suggesting that increased connectivity with visual cortices, mediated by default mode regions, may be detrimental to language abilities. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1344-1355. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: We examined the functional connectivity between regions of the language network in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) compared to typically developing peers. We found connectivity to be intact between core language in the ASD group, but also showed abnormally increased connectivity between regions of an extended language network. Additionally, connectivity was increased with regions associated with brain networks responsible for self-reflection and visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangfeifei Gao
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California
| | - Annika Linke
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Ruth Joanne Jao Keehn
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Sanjana Punyamurthula
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Afrooz Jahedi
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Kathleen Gates
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Inna Fishman
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.,San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California
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29
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Sensorimotor Cortical Oscillations during Movement Preparation in 16p11.2 Deletion Carriers. J Neurosci 2019; 39:7321-7331. [PMID: 31270155 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3001-17.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor deficits are prevalent in many neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, including one of its common genetic etiologies, a 600 kb reciprocal deletion/duplication at 16p11.2. We have previously shown that copy number variations of 16p11.2 impact regional brain volume, white matter integrity, and early sensory responses in auditory cortex. Here, we test the hypothesis that abnormal cortical neurophysiology is present when genes in the 16p11.2 region are haploinsufficient, and in humans that this in turn may account for behavioral deficits specific to deletion carriers. We examine sensorimotor cortical network activity in males and females with 16p11.2 deletions compared with both typically developing individuals, and those with duplications of 16p11.2, using magnetoencephalographic imaging during preparation of overt speech or hand movements in tasks designed to be easy for all participants. In deletion carriers, modulation of beta oscillations (12-30 Hz) were increased during both movement types over effector-specific regions of motor cortices compared with typically developing individuals or duplication carriers, with no task-related performance differences between cohorts, even when corrected for their own cognitive and sensorimotor deficits. Reduced left hemispheric language specialization was observed in deletion carriers but not in duplication carriers. Neural activity over sensorimotor cortices in deletion carriers was linearly related to clinical measures of speech and motor impairment. These findings link insufficient copy number repeats at 16p11.2 to excessive neural activity (e.g., increased beta oscillations) in motor cortical networks for speech and hand motor control. These results have significant implications for understanding the neural basis of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The recurrent ∼600 kb deletion at 16p11.2 (BP4-BP5) is one of the most common genetic etiologies of ASD and, more generally, of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we use high-resolution magnetoencephalographic imaging (MEG-I) to define with millisecond precision the underlying neurophysiological signature of motor impairments for individuals with 16p11.2 deletions. We identify significant increases in beta (12-30 Hz) suppression in sensorimotor cortices related to performance during speech and hand movement tasks. These findings not only provide a neurophysiological phenotype for the clinical presentation of this genetic deletion, but also guide our understanding of how genetic variation encodes for neural oscillatory dynamics.
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30
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Mohammadi H, Papadatou-Pastou M. Cerebral laterality as assessed by hand preference measures and developmental stuttering. Laterality 2019; 25:127-149. [PMID: 31144576 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2019.1621329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The causes of developmental stuttering, a neurodevelopmental communicative disorder, have not been elucidated to date. Neuroimaging studies suggest that atypical cerebral laterality could be one of such causal factors. Moreover, handedness, a behavioural index for cerebral laterality, has been linked to stuttering and recovery from it. However, findings are conflicting, possibly due to sample selection procedures, which typically rely on self-reported stuttering, and to the fact that handedness is typically assessed with regards to its direction rather than degree. We investigated the possible relationship between handedness and stuttering. This is the first study where children who stutter (CWS) were selected using clinical criteria as well as speech samples and where a non-Western population was studied. Findings from 83 CWS aged 3-9 years (mean = 6.43, SD = 1.84) and 90 age- and sex-matched children who do not stutter (mean = 6.45, SD = 1.71) revealed no differences in their hand preference scores as evaluated by parent-completed Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, for both direction and degree. The severity of stuttering was not found to correlate with the degree of handedness. We suggest that parents and professionals not treat left- or mixed-hand preference as a reason for concern with regards to stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiwa Mohammadi
- Department of Neurology & Sleep Disorders Research Center, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- School of Education, Faculty of Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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31
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Matsuzaki J, Kuschner ES, Blaskey L, Bloy L, Kim M, Ku M, Edgar JC, Embick D, Roberts TPL. Abnormal auditory mismatch fields are associated with communication impairment in both verbal and minimally verbal/nonverbal children who have autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2019; 12:1225-1235. [PMID: 31136103 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal auditory discrimination neural processes, indexed by mismatch fields (MMFs) recorded by magnetoencephalography (MEG), have been reported in verbal children with ASD. Association with clinical measures indicates that delayed MMF components are associated with poorer language and communication performance. At present, little is known about neural correlates of language and communication skills in extremely language impaired (minimally-verbal/non-verbal) children who have ASD: ASD-MVNV. It is hypothesized that MMF delays observed in language-impaired but nonetheless verbal children with ASD will be exacerbated in ASD-MVNV. The present study investigated this hypothesis, examining MMF responses bilaterally during an auditory oddball paradigm with vowel stimuli in ASD-MVNV, in a verbal ASD cohort without cognitive impairment and in typically developing (TD) children. The verbal ASD cohort without cognitive impairment was split into those demonstrating considerable language impairment (CELF core language index <85; "ASD-LI") versus those with less or no language impairment (CELF CLI >85; "ASD-V"). Eighty-four participants (8-12 years) were included in final analysis: ASD-MVNV: n = 9, 9.67 ± 1.41 years, ASD: n = 48, (ASD-V: n = 27, 10.55 ± 1.21 years, ASD-LI: n = 21, 10.67 ± 1.20 years) and TD: n = 27, 10.14 ± 1.38 years. Delayed MMF latencies were found bilaterally in ASD-MVNV compared to verbal ASD (both ASD-V and ASD-LI) and TD children. Delayed MMF responses were associated with diminished language and communication skills. Furthermore, whereas the TD children showed leftward lateralization of MMF amplitude, ASD-MVNV and verbal ASD (ASD-V and ASD-LI) showed abnormal rightward lateralization. Findings suggest delayed auditory discrimination processes and abnormal rightward laterality as objective markers of language/communication skills in both verbal and MVNV children who have ASD. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1225-1235. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Brain imaging showed abnormal auditory discrimination processes in minimally-verbal/non-verbal children (MVNV) who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Delays in auditory discrimination were associated with impaired language and communication skills. Findings suggest these auditory neural measures may be objective markers of language and communication skills in both verbal and, previously-understudied, MVNV children who have ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Matsuzaki
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Emily S Kuschner
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lisa Blaskey
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Luke Bloy
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mina Kim
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Matthew Ku
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - James Christopher Edgar
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David Embick
- Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Department of Radiology, Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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32
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Liu J, Tsang T, Jackson L, Ponting C, Jeste SS, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Altered lateralization of dorsal language tracts in 6-week-old infants at risk for autism. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12768. [PMID: 30372577 PMCID: PMC6470045 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Altered structural connectivity has been identified as a possible biomarker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in the developing brain. Core features of ASD include impaired social communication and early language delay. Thus, examining white matter tracts associated with language may lend further insight into early signs of ASD risk and the mechanisms that underlie language impairments associated with the disorder. Evidence of altered structural connectivity has previously been detected in 6-month-old infants at high familial risk for developing ASD. However, as language processing begins in utero, differences in structural connectivity between language regions may be present in the early infant brain shortly after birth. Here we investigated key white matter pathways of the dorsal language network in 6-week-old infants at high (HR) and low (LR) risk for ASD to identify atypicalities in structural connectivity that may predict altered developmental trajectories prior to overt language delays and the onset of ASD symptomatology. Compared to HR infants, LR infants showed higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF); in contrast, in the right SLF, HR infants showed higher FA than LR infants. Additionally, HR infants showed more rightward lateralization of the SLF. Across both groups, measures of FA and lateralization of these pathways at 6 weeks of age were related to later language development at 18 months of age as well as ASD symptomatology at 36 months of age. These findings indicate that early differences in the structure of language pathways may provide an early predictor of future language development and ASD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle Liu
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tawny Tsang
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn Ponting
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shafali S. Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Y. Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Center for Cognitive Neurosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Knaus TA, Kamps J, Foundas AL, Tager-Flusberg H. Atypical PT anatomy in children with autism spectrum disorder with expressive language deficits. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 12:1419-1430. [PMID: 29260380 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9795-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Deficits in communication are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, structural language abilities are highly variable, ranging from minimally verbal to superior linguistic skills. Differences in the anatomy of cortical language regions, including anterior and posterior areas, have been found in ASD. It remains unclear, however, if anatomical differences distinguish individuals with impaired expressive language from those without such deficits. In addition, anatomical differences have not been explored in children with extremely low expressive language. This study included 34 boys with ASD, 7-11 years old, including an expressive language impaired group (n = 17) and an average-high language group (n = 17). The language impaired group was subdivided into a low (n = 9) and extremely low (n = 8) language subgroup for exploratory analyses to determine whether children with ASD with extremely low expressive language abilities exhibit distinct anatomy. Gray matter volume of the pars triangularis, pars opercularis, and planum temporale (PT) were measured on MRIs. PT volume was smaller in the ASD group with expressive language impairment relative to those without language deficits. The right PT volume was also positively correlated with language scores. The exploratory analyses revealed differences in the left PT, with smaller volume in the extremely low language subgroup, relative to the average and moderately low language groups. Results suggest that smaller PT volumes in both hemispheres are associated with severe language impairments in ASD. The PT may therefore, be a biomarker of language outcome in young children with ASD, with more studies of PT anatomy necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey A Knaus
- Brain and Behavior Program at Children's Hospital, Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans, 1542 Tulane Avenue, 7th Floor, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
| | - Jodi Kamps
- Department of Psychology, Children's Hospital, 200 Henry Clay Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Anne L Foundas
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, 2007 Percival Stern Hall, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 100 Cummington Mall, Room 170E, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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Chong CD, Peplinski J, Berisha V, Ross K, Schwedt TJ. Differences in fibertract profiles between patients with migraine and those with persistent post-traumatic headache. Cephalalgia 2019; 39:1121-1133. [DOI: 10.1177/0333102418815650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Often, persistent post-traumatic headache and migraine are phenotypically similar. However, the similarities and differences in the neuropathological underpinnings of persistent post-traumatic headache and migraine require further understanding. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and a novel method for detecting subtle changes in fibertract integrity by measuring node-by-node parameters along each tract to compare fibertract profiles between those with migraine and those with persistent post-traumatic headache, and compared both cohorts to a group of controls. Methods Eighteen fibertracts were reconstructed for 131 subjects, including 49 patients with persistent post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury, 41 with migraine, and 41 controls. Node-by-node diffusion parameters of mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity were calculated along each tract. Mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity measurements were averaged along quartiles of each tract for statistical interpretation and group comparison. Using a post-hoc analysis, correlations between tract quartile measurements and headache frequency were calculated. Results There were significant differences between migraine and persistent post-traumatic headache cohorts for quartile measurements of mean diffusivity or radial diffusivity in the bilateral anterior thalamic radiations, cingulum (angular bundles and cingulate gyri), inferior longitudinal fasciculi, and uncinate fasciculi, the left corticospinal tract, and the right superior longitudinal fasciculi-parietal portion. For migraine patients, there was a significant positive correlation between headache frequency and forceps major mean diffusivity, whereas for persistent post-traumatic headache there was a positive correlation between headache frequency and cingulum angular bundle mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity. Conclusions Quartile measurements of radial diffusivity and mean diffusivity indicate unique differences in fibertract profiles between those with migraine vs. persistent post-traumatic headache. Although for both migraine and persistent post-traumatic headache there was a positive relationship between fibertract alterations and headache frequency, there were disease-specific differences between headache frequency and fibertract injury patterns. These findings might suggest potential differences in the neuropathological mechanisms underlying migraine and persistent post-traumatic headache.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob Peplinski
- School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering and Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Visar Berisha
- School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering and Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Katherine Ross
- Phoenix VA Health Care System, Audiology and Speech Pathology Service, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Todd J Schwedt
- Mayo Clinic Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Nomi JS, Molnar-Szakacs I, Uddin LQ. Insular function in autism: Update and future directions in neuroimaging and interventions. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:412-426. [PMID: 30381235 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The insular cortex, hidden within the lateral sulcus of the human brain, participates in a range of cognitive, affective, and sensory functions. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition affecting all of these functional domains, has increasingly been linked with atypical activation and connectivity of the insular cortices. Here we review the latest research linking atypical insular function to a range of behaviors characteristic of ASD, with an emphasis on neuroimaging findings in the domains of social cognition and executive function. We summarize some of the recent work linking the insula to interventions in autism, including oxytocin-based pharmacological treatments and music therapy. We suggest that future directions likely to yield significant insights into insular pathology in ASD include the analysis of the dynamics of this brain region. We also conclude that more basic research is necessary on the use of oxytocin pharmacotherapy, and larger studies addressing participant heterogeneity are needed on the use of music therapy in ASD. Long-term studies are needed to ascertain sustained effects of these interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Nomi
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
| | | | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Zhang F, Roeyers H. Exploring brain functions in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 137:41-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Gullett JM, Lamb DG, Porges E, Woods AJ, Rieke J, Thompson P, Jahanshad N, Nir TM, Tashima K, Cohen RA. The Impact of Alcohol Use on Frontal White Matter in HIV. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1640-1649. [PMID: 29957870 PMCID: PMC6120768 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is prevalent among individuals diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and both HIV and alcohol use have been shown to negatively affect the integrity of white matter pathways in the brain. Behavioral, functional, and anatomical impairments have been linked independently to HIV and alcohol use, and these impairments have bases in specific frontally mediated pathways within the brain. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired for 37 HIV+ participants without dementia or hepatitis C. Imaging data were processed through the FreeSurfer and TraCULA pipelines to obtain 4 bilateral frontal white matter tracts for each participant. Diffusion metrics of white matter integrity along the highest probability pathway for each tract were analyzed with respect to demographics, disease-specific variables, and reported substance use. RESULTS Significantly increased axial diffusivity (decreased axonal integrity) and a trending increase in mean diffusivity were observed along the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) in participants with a history of AUD. A diagnosis of AUD explained over 36% of the variance in diffusivity along the ATR overall when accounting for clinical variables including nadir CD4 and age-adjusted HIV infection length. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence of HIV-related associations between alcohol use and indicators of axonal integrity loss along the ATR, a frontal pathway involved in the inhibition of addictive or unwanted behaviors. Reduced axonal integrity of this pathway was greatest in HIV+ participants with an AUD, even when considering the effect of age-adjusted disease length and severity (nadir CD4). This finding implicates a potential biological mechanism linking reduced integrity of frontal white matter to the high prevalence of AUD in an HIV+ population without dementia or hepatitis C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Gullett
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Damon G. Lamb
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Eric Porges
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Adam J. Woods
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Jake Rieke
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL
| | - Paul Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, USC Keck School of Medicine, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, USC Keck School of Medicine, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Talia M. Nir
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, USC Keck School of Medicine, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Karen Tashima
- The Miriam Hospital, Alpert College of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Ronald A. Cohen
- Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
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Bartha-Doering L, Novak A, Kollndorfer K, Kasprian G, Schuler AL, Berl MM, Fischmeister FPS, Gaillard WD, Alexopoulos J, Prayer D, Seidl R. When two are better than one: Bilateral mesial temporal lobe contributions associated with better vocabulary skills in children and adolescents. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2018; 184:1-10. [PMID: 29913315 PMCID: PMC6192511 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
This study considered the involvement of the mesial temporal lobe (MTL) in language and verbal memory functions in healthy children and adolescents. We investigated 30 healthy, right-handed children and adolescents, aged 7-16, with a fMRI language paradigm and a comprehensive cognitive test battery. We found significant MTL activations during language fMRI in all participants; 63% of them had left lateralized MTL activations, 20% exhibited right MTL lateralization, and 17% showed bilateral MTL involvement during the fMRI language paradigm. Group analyses demonstrated a strong negative correlation between the lateralization of MTL activations and language functions. Specifically, children with less lateralized MTL activation showed significantly better vocabulary skills. These findings suggest that the mesial temporal lobes of both hemispheres play an important role in language functioning, even in right-handers. Our results furthermore show that bilateral mesial temporal lobe involvement is advantageous for vocabulary skills in healthy, right-handed children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Astrid Novak
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kathrin Kollndorfer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Gregor Kasprian
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Anna-Lisa Schuler
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Madison M Berl
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Health, Children's National Health System (CNHS), George Washington University School of Medicine, 111 Michigan Avenue, NW, WA, DC 20010, United States.
| | | | - William D Gaillard
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Health, Children's National Health System (CNHS), George Washington University School of Medicine, 111 Michigan Avenue, NW, WA, DC 20010, United States.
| | - Johanna Alexopoulos
- Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Daniela Prayer
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Rainer Seidl
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Differences in Neural Correlates of Speech Perception in 3 Month Olds at High and Low Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 47:3125-3138. [PMID: 28688078 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3222-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated neural precursors of language acquisition as potential endophenotypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 3-month-old infants at high and low familial ASD risk. Infants were imaged using functional near-infrared spectroscopy while they listened to auditory stimuli containing syllable repetitions; their neural responses were analyzed over left and right temporal regions. While female low risk infants showed initial neural activation that decreased over exposure to repetition-based stimuli, potentially indicating a habituation response to repetition in speech, female high risk infants showed no changes in neural activity over exposure. This finding may indicate a potential neural endophenotype of language development or ASD specific to females at risk for the disorder.
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40
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Bosl WJ, Tager-Flusberg H, Nelson CA. EEG Analytics for Early Detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A data-driven approach. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6828. [PMID: 29717196 PMCID: PMC5931530 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24318-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder, diagnosed on the basis of behavioral symptoms during the second year of life or later. Finding scalable biomarkers for early detection is challenging because of the variability in presentation of the disorder and the need for simple measurements that could be implemented routinely during well-baby checkups. EEG is a relatively easy-to-use, low cost brain measurement tool that is being increasingly explored as a potential clinical tool for monitoring atypical brain development. EEG measurements were collected from 99 infants with an older sibling diagnosed with ASD, and 89 low risk controls, beginning at 3 months of age and continuing until 36 months of age. Nonlinear features were computed from EEG signals and used as input to statistical learning methods. Prediction of the clinical diagnostic outcome of ASD or not ASD was highly accurate when using EEG measurements from as early as 3 months of age. Specificity, sensitivity and PPV were high, exceeding 95% at some ages. Prediction of ADOS calibrated severity scores for all infants in the study using only EEG data taken as early as 3 months of age was strongly correlated with the actual measured scores. This suggests that useful digital biomarkers might be extracted from EEG measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Bosl
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
- University of San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
| | | | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, USA
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41
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Chenausky KV, Schlaug G. From intuition to intervention: developing an intonation-based treatment for autism. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1423:10.1111/nyas.13609. [PMID: 29508403 PMCID: PMC6127010 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Autism affects ∼1.5% of children under age 8; its core symptoms include impairment in social-communicative functioning and repetitive behaviors/restricted interests. Music-based interventions have been considered one modality through which to treat autism. This report discusses considerations to take into account when developing a music-based intervention for a core symptom of autism. Treatment modality must be matched to symptom both clinically and theoretically, the behavior to be treated must be carefully defined and assessed, and outcome measures must be capable of showing improvement in that behavior over the course of the study. Fidelity assessment and rater blinding reduce experimenter bias. High inter-rater reliability for perceptually determined outcome measures helps obtain accurate estimates of treatment response. Later stages of testing compare the experimental intervention to matched control treatments or other validated therapies, isolating the intervention's "active ingredients." Such systematic investigation of a new music-based intervention can provide information of different types, ranging from an assessment of whether the intervention has any effect at all to an assessment of its outcomes and risks in uncontrolled community settings. Findings ultimately compose the evidence base that clinicians and families can use to decide the most effective way of addressing symptoms of autism for particular children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen V Chenausky
- Music, Neuroimaging, and Stroke Recovery Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gottfried Schlaug
- Music, Neuroimaging, and Stroke Recovery Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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42
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Atypical structural and functional motor networks in autism. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2018; 238:207-248. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Wei L, Zhong S, Nie S, Gong G. Aberrant development of the asymmetry between hemispheric brain white matter networks in autism spectrum disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 28:48-62. [PMID: 29224969 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Atypical brain asymmetry/lateralization has long been hypothesized for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and this model has been repeatedly supported by various neuroimaging studies. Recently, hemispheric network topologies have been found to be asymmetric, thereby providing a new avenue for investigating brain asymmetries under various conditions. To date, however, how network topological asymmetries are altered in ASD remains largely unexplored. To clarify this, the present study included ASD individuals from the newly released Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange II database (58 right-handed male ASD individuals aged 5 to 26 years and 70 age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) individuals). Diffusion and structural magnetic resonance imaging were used to construct hemispheric white matter networks, and graph-theory approaches were applied to quantify topological efficiencies for hemispheric networks. Statistical analyses revealed a decreased rightward asymmetry of network efficiencies with increasing age in the TD group, but not in the ASD group. More specifically, the TD group did not exhibit an age-related increase in network efficiency in the right hemisphere, but the ASD group did. For the left hemisphere, no difference between the groups was observed for the developmental trajectory of network efficiencies. Intriguingly, within the ASD group, more severe restricted and repetitive behavior in ASD was found to be correlated with less rightward asymmetry of network local efficiency. These findings provide suggestive evidence of atypical network topological asymmetries and offer important insights into the abnormal development of ASD brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Wei
- Institute of Medical Imaging Engineering, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China; Laiwu Vocational and Technical College, Laiwu, Shandong, China
| | - Suyu Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning &IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengdong Nie
- Institute of Medical Imaging Engineering, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning &IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Finch KH, Tager-Flusberg H, Nelson CA. Neural responses to linguistic stimuli in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 47:709-719. [PMID: 28922545 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Atypical neural responses to language have been found in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in their unaffected siblings. However, given that language difficulties are often seen in these children, it is difficult to interpret whether these neural differences are a result of the diagnosis of ASD or impairments in their language abilities. In this study, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) from four groups of 36-month-olds: low-risk control (LRC), high risk for ASD defined as having an older sibling with ASD (HRA) but who do not have ASD or milder autism-like symptoms (HRA-Typ), HRA children who do not have ASD but exhibit milder autism-like symptoms (HRA-Atyp) and HRA children diagnosed with ASD (ASD). Children listened to words expected to be acquired early (e.g. ball) and words expected to be acquired late (e.g. calf). ERPs were analysed over time windows sensitive to word processing as well as frontal and temporo-parietal sites over the left and right hemispheres. When controlling for language abilities, there were group differences within the temporo-parietal sites. Specifically, the HRA-Atyp group showed a different timed response to late words compared to the ASD and LRC groups. In addition, we found a relation between neural responses in the left frontal sites and ASD severity. Our results suggest that both language abilities and ASD diagnoses are important to consider when interpreting neural differences in lexical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla H Finch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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45
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Elevated Levels of Atypical Handedness in Autism: Meta-Analyses. Neuropsychol Rev 2017; 27:258-283. [DOI: 10.1007/s11065-017-9354-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Schmitz J, Lor S, Klose R, Güntürkün O, Ocklenburg S. The Functional Genetics of Handedness and Language Lateralization: Insights from Gene Ontology, Pathway and Disease Association Analyses. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1144. [PMID: 28729848 PMCID: PMC5498560 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Handedness and language lateralization are partially determined by genetic influences. It has been estimated that at least 40 (and potentially more) possibly interacting genes may influence the ontogenesis of hemispheric asymmetries. Recently, it has been suggested that analyzing the genetics of hemispheric asymmetries on the level of gene ontology sets, rather than at the level of individual genes, might be more informative for understanding the underlying functional cascades. Here, we performed gene ontology, pathway and disease association analyses on genes that have previously been associated with handedness and language lateralization. Significant gene ontology sets for handedness were anatomical structure development, pattern specification (especially asymmetry formation) and biological regulation. Pathway analysis highlighted the importance of the TGF-beta signaling pathway for handedness ontogenesis. Significant gene ontology sets for language lateralization were responses to different stimuli, nervous system development, transport, signaling, and biological regulation. Despite the fact that some authors assume that handedness and language lateralization share a common ontogenetic basis, gene ontology sets barely overlap between phenotypes. Compared to genes involved in handedness, which mostly contribute to structural development, genes involved in language lateralization rather contribute to activity-dependent cognitive processes. Disease association analysis revealed associations of genes involved in handedness with diseases affecting the whole body, while genes involved in language lateralization were specifically engaged in mental and neurological diseases. These findings further support the idea that handedness and language lateralization are ontogenetically independent, complex phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Schmitz
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Stephanie Lor
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Rena Klose
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-University BochumBochum, Germany
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Naigles LR, Johnson R, Mastergeorge A, Ozonoff S, Rogers SJ, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. Neural correlates of language variability in preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2017; 10:1107-1119. [PMID: 28301102 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 12/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism vary widely in their language abilities, yet the neural correlates of this language variability remain unclear, especially early in development. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine diffusivity measures along the length of 18 major fiber tracts in 104 preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The boys were assigned to subgroups according to their level of language development (Low: no/low language, Middle: small vocabulary, High: large vocabulary and grammar), based on their raw scores on the expressive language (EL) and receptive language (RL) sections of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). Results indicate that the subgroups differed in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and radial diffusivity (RD) along the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) in both hemispheres. Moreover, FA correlated significantly with Mullen EL and RL raw scores, but not ADOS severity score, along the left and right ILF. Subgroups also differed in MD (but not FA) along the left superior longitudinal fasiculus and left corticospinal tract, but these differences were not correlated with language scores. These findings suggest that white matter microstructure in the left and right ILF varies in relation to lexical development in young males with ASD. The findings also support the use of raw scores on language-relevant standardized tests for assessing early language-brain relationships. Autism Res 2017. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1107-1119. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letitia R Naigles
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Storrs, CT, 06296-1020
| | - Ryan Johnson
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - Ann Mastergeorge
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817.,Texas Tech University: Human Development and Family Studies, P.O. Box 41230, Lubbock, TX, 79409-1230
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - Sally J Rogers
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - David G Amaral
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- Davis Health System, University of California-Davis MIND Institute: University of California, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817
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Finch KH, Seery AM, Talbott MR, Nelson CA, Tager-Flusberg H. Lateralization of ERPs to speech and handedness in the early development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2017; 9:4. [PMID: 28174606 PMCID: PMC5292148 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-017-9185-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Language is a highly lateralized function, with typically developing individuals showing left hemispheric specialization. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show reduced or reversed hemispheric lateralization in response to language. However, it is unclear when this difference emerges and whether or not it can serve as an early ASD biomarker. Additionally, atypical language lateralization is not specific to ASD as it is also seen more frequently in individuals with mixed- and left-handedness. Here, we examined early asymmetry patterns measured through neural responses to speech sounds at 12 months and behavioral observations of handedness at 36 months in children with and without ASD. METHODS Three different groups of children participated in the study: low-risk controls (LRC), high risk for ASD (HRA; infants with older sibling with ASD) without ASD, and HRA infants who later receive a diagnosis of ASD (ASD). Event-related potentials (ERPs) to speech sounds were recorded at 12 months. Utilizing a novel observational approach, handedness was measured by hand preference on a variety of behaviors at 36 months. RESULTS At 12 months, lateralization patterns of ERPs to speech stimuli differed across the groups with the ASD group showing reversed lateralization compared to the LRC group. At 36 months, factor analysis of behavioral observations of hand preferences indicated a one-factor model with medium to high factor loadings. A composite handedness score was derived; no group differences were observed. There was no association between lateralization to speech at 12 months and handedness at 36 months in the LRC and HRA groups. However, children with ASD did show an association such that infants with lateralization patterns more similar to the LRC group at 12 months were stronger right-handers at 36 months. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight early developmental patterns that might be specific to ASD, including a potential early biomarker of reversed lateralization to speech stimuli at 12 months, and a relation between behavioral and neural asymmetries. Future investigations of early asymmetry patterns, especially atypical hemispheric specialization, may be informative in the early identification of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla H Finch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Anne M Seery
- New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center, 462 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Meagan R Talbott
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817 USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA 02215 USA.,Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02215 USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215 USA
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Reduced Hemispheric Asymmetry of White Matter Microstructure in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2016; 55:1073-1080. [PMID: 27871642 PMCID: PMC5125511 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.09.491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 09/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many past studies have suggested atypical functional and anatomical hemispheric asymmetries in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, almost all of these have examined only language-related asymmetries. Here, we conduct a comprehensive investigation of microstructural asymmetries across a large number of fiber tracts in ASD. METHOD We used diffusion tensor imaging for a comprehensive investigation of anatomical white matter asymmetries across the entire white matter skeleton, using tract-based spatial statistics in 41 children and adolescents with ASD and a matched group of 44 typically developing (TD) participants. RESULTS We found significant asymmetries in the TD group, being rightward for fractional anisotropy and leftward for mean diffusivity (with concordant asymmetries for radial and axial diffusivity). These asymmetries were significantly reduced in the group with ASD: in whole brain analysis for fractional anisotropy, and in a region where several major association and projection tracts travel in close proximity within occipital white matter for mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. No correlations between global white matter asymmetry and age or socio-communicative abilities were detected. CONCLUSION Our findings in TD children and adolescents can be interpreted as reflecting different processing modes (more integrative in the right and more specialized in the left hemisphere). These asymmetries and the "division of labor" between hemispheres implied by them appear to be diminished in autism spectrum disorder.
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Lee H, Kang H, Chung MK, Lim S, Kim BN, Lee DS. Integrated multimodal network approach to PET and MRI based on multidimensional persistent homology. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:1387-1402. [PMID: 27859919 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding underlying relationships among multiple imaging modalities in a coherent fashion is one of the challenging problems in multimodal analysis. In this study, we propose a novel approach based on multidimensional persistence. In the extension of the previous threshold-free method of persistent homology, we visualize and discriminate the topological change of integrated brain networks by varying not only threshold but also mixing ratio between two different imaging modalities. The multidimensional persistence is implemented by a new bimodal integration method called 1D projection. When the mixing ratio is predefined, it constructs an integrated edge weight matrix by projecting two different connectivity information onto the one dimensional shared space. We applied the proposed methods to PET and MRI data from 23 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children, 21 autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and 10 pediatric control subjects. From the results, we found that the brain networks of ASD, ADHD children and controls differ, with ASD and ADHD showing asymmetrical changes of connected structures between metabolic and morphological connectivities. The difference of connected structure between ASD and the controls was mainly observed in the metabolic connectivity. However, ADHD showed the maximum difference when two connectivity information were integrated with the ratio 0.6. These results provide a multidimensional homological understanding of disease-related PET and MRI networks that disclose the network association with ASD and ADHD. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1387-1402, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyekyoung Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Radiation Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyejin Kang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Data Science and Knowledge Creation Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Moo K Chung
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.,Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Seonhee Lim
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bung-Nyun Kim
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong Soo Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.,Institute of Radiation Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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