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de Medeiros Marcos GVT, Feitosa DDM, Paiva KM, Oliveira RF, da Rocha GS, de Medeiros Guerra LM, de Araújo DP, Goes HM, Costa S, de Oliveira LC, Guzen FP, de Souza Júnior JE, de Moura Freire MA, de Aquino ACQ, de Gois Morais PLA, de Paiva Cavalcanti JRL. Volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia in autism Spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024; 84:163-176. [PMID: 38488315 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent research indicates that some brain structures show alterations in conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Among them, are the basal ganglia that are involved in motor, cognitive and behavioral neural circuits. OBJECTIVE Review the literature that describes possible volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia of individuals with ASD and the impacts that these changes have on the severity of the condition. METHODOLOGY This systematic review was registered in the design and reported according to the PRISMA Items and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023394787). The study analyzed data from published clinical, case-contemplate, and cohort trials. The following databases were consulted: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, using the Medical Subject Titles (MeSH) "Autism Spectrum Disorder" and "Basal Ganglia". The last search was carried out on February 28, 2023. RESULTS Thirty-five eligible articles were collected, analyzed, and grouped according to the levels of alterations. CONCLUSION The present study showed important volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia in ASD. However, the examined studies have methodological weaknesses that do not allow generalization and correlation with ASD manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Karina Maia Paiva
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Freire Oliveira
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Sousa da Rocha
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Luís Marcos de Medeiros Guerra
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Dayane Pessoa de Araújo
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | | | - Silva Costa
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Lucidio Clebeson de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Fausto Pierdoná Guzen
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - José Edvan de Souza Júnior
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Marco Aurélio de Moura Freire
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Antonio Carlos Queiroz de Aquino
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Department of Health Sciences, State University of Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, RN, Brazil
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Evans MM, Kim J, Abel T, Nickl-Jockschat T, Stevens HE. Developmental Disruptions of the Dorsal Striatum in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:102-111. [PMID: 37652130 PMCID: PMC10841118 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an increasingly prevalent neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication deficits as well as patterns of restricted, repetitive behavior. Abnormal brain development has long been postulated to underlie ASD, but longitudinal studies aimed at understanding the developmental course of the disorder have been limited. More recently, abnormal development of the striatum in ASD has become an area of interest in research, partially due to overlap of striatal functions and deficit areas in ASD, as well as the critical role of the striatum in early development, when ASD is first detected. Focusing on the dorsal striatum and the associated symptom domain of restricted, repetitive behavior, we review the current literature on dorsal striatal abnormalities in ASD, including studies on functional connectivity, morphometry, and cellular and molecular substrates. We highlight that observed striatal abnormalities in ASD are often dynamic across development, displaying disrupted developmental trajectories. Important findings include an abnormal trajectory of increasing corticostriatal functional connectivity with age and increased striatal growth during childhood in ASD. We end by discussing striatal findings from animal models of ASD. In sum, the studies reviewed here demonstrate a key role for developmental disruptions of the dorsal striatum in the pathogenesis of ASD. Directing attention toward these findings will improve our understanding of ASD and of how associated deficits may be better addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya M Evans
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jaekyoon Kim
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Thomas Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Hanna E Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
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Shih YC, Nelson L, Janeček M, Peixoto RT. Late onset and regional heterogeneity of synaptic deficits in cortical PV interneurons of Shank3B -/- mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.23.568500. [PMID: 38045377 PMCID: PMC10690261 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.23.568500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy and epileptiform patterns of cortical activity are highly prevalent in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but the neural substrates and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the onset of cortical dysfunction in ASD remains elusive. Reduced cortical expression of Parvalbumin (PV) has been widely observed in ASD mouse models and human postmortem studies, suggesting a crucial role of PV interneurons (PVINs) in ASD pathogenesis. Shank3B -/- mice carrying a Δ13-16 deletion in SHANK3 exhibit cortical hyperactivity during postnatal development and reduced sensory responses in cortical GABAergic interneurons in adulthood. However, whether these phenotypes are associated with PVIN dysfunction is unknown. Using whole-cell electrophysiology and a viral-based strategy to label PVINs during postnatal development, we performed a developmental characterization of AMPAR miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) in PVINs and pyramidal (PYR) neurons of layer (L) 2/3 mPFC in Shank3B -/- mice. Surprisingly, reduced mEPSC frequency was observed in both PYR and PVIN populations, but only in adulthood. At P15, when cortical hyperactivity is already observed, both neuron types exhibited normal mEPSC amplitude and frequency, suggesting that glutamatergic connectivity deficits in these neurons emerge as compensatory mechanisms. Additionally, we found normal mEPSCs in adult PVINs of L2/3 somatosensory cortex, revealing region-specific phenotypic differences of cortical PVINs in Shank3B -/- mice. Together, these results demonstrate that loss of Shank3 alters PVIN function but suggest that PVIN glutamatergic synapses are a suboptimal therapeutic target for normalizing early cortical imbalances in SHANK3-associated disorders. More broadly, these findings underscore the complexity of interneuron dysfunction in ASDs, prompting further exploration of region and developmental stage specific phenotypes for understanding and developing effective interventions.
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MacDonald DN, Bedford SA, Olafson E, Park MTM, Devenyi GA, Tullo S, Patel R, Anagnostou E, Baron-Cohen S, Bullmore ET, Chura LR, Craig MC, Ecker C, Floris DL, Holt RJ, Lenroot R, Lerch JP, Lombardo MV, Murphy DGM, Raznahan A, Ruigrok ANV, Smith E, Shinohara RT, Spencer MD, Suckling J, Taylor MJ, Thurm A, Lai MC, Chakravarty MM. Characterizing Subcortical Structural Heterogeneity in Autism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.28.554882. [PMID: 37693556 PMCID: PMC10491091 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.28.554882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Autism presents with significant phenotypic and neuroanatomical heterogeneity, and neuroimaging studies of the thalamus, globus pallidus and striatum in autism have produced inconsistent and contradictory results. These structures are critical mediators of functions known to be atypical in autism, including sensory gating and motor function. We examined both volumetric and fine-grained localized shape differences in autism using a large (n=3145, 1045-1318 after strict quality control), cross-sectional dataset of T1-weighted structural MRI scans from 32 sites, including both males and females (assigned-at-birth). We investigated three potentially important sources of neuroanatomical heterogeneity: sex, age, and intelligence quotient (IQ), using a meta-analytic technique after strict quality control to minimize non-biological sources of variation. We observed no volumetric differences in the thalamus, globus pallidus, or striatum in autism. Rather, we identified a variety of localized shape differences in all three structures. Including age, but not sex or IQ, in the statistical model improved the fit for both the pallidum and striatum, but not for the thalamus. Age-centered shape analysis indicated a variety of age-dependent regional differences. Overall, our findings help confirm that the neurodevelopment of the striatum, globus pallidus and thalamus are atypical in autism, in a subtle location-dependent manner that is not reflected in overall structure volumes, and that is highly non-uniform across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N. MacDonald
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
| | - Saashi A. Bedford
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Emily Olafson
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
| | - Min Tae M. Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
| | - Gabriel A. Devenyi
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
| | - Stephanie Tullo
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
| | - Raihaan Patel
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University
| | | | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | | | - Lindsay R. Chura
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Michael C. Craig
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
- National Autism Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, London, UK
| | - Christine Ecker
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, GoetheUniversity
| | - Dorothea L. Floris
- Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich,Switzerland
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Rosemary J. Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Rhoshel Lenroot
- Dept.of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico
| | - Jason P. Lerch
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
| | | | - Armin Raznahan
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of MentalHealth
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
| | - Elizabeth Smith
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
| | - Russell T. Shinohara
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Michael D. Spencer
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Margot J. Taylor
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children
- Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Section on Behavioral Pediatrics, National Institute of Mental Health
| | | | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children
- The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine
| | - M. Mallar Chakravarty
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University
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The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study. Mol Autism 2023; 14:6. [PMID: 36765403 PMCID: PMC9921646 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00538-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is emerging evidence that the neuroanatomy of autism forms a spectrum which extends into the general population. However, whilst several studies have identified cortical morphology correlates of autistic traits, it is not established whether morphological differences are present in the subcortical structures of the brain. Additionally, it is not clear to what extent previously reported structural associations may be confounded by co-occurring psychopathology. To address these questions, we utilised neuroimaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to assess whether a measure of autistic traits was associated with differences in child subcortical morphology, and if any observed differences persisted after adjustment for child internalising and externalising symptoms. METHODS Our analyses included data from 7005 children aged 9-10 years (female: 47.19%) participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Autistic traits were assessed using scores from the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Volumes of subcortical regions of interest were derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging data. RESULTS Overall, we did not find strong evidence for an association of autistic traits with differences in subcortical morphology in this sample of school-aged children. Whilst lower absolute volumes of the nucleus accumbens and putamen were associated with higher scores of autistic traits, these differences did not persist once a global measure of brain size was accounted for. LIMITATIONS It is important to note that autistic traits were assessed using the SRS, of which higher scores are associated with general behavioural problems, and therefore may not be wholly indicative of autism-specific symptoms. In addition, individuals with a moderate or severe autism diagnosis were excluded from the ABCD study, and thus, the average level of autistic traits will be lower than in the general population which may bias findings towards the null. CONCLUSIONS These findings from our well-powered study suggest that other metrics of brain morphology, such as cortical morphology or shape-based phenotypes, may be stronger candidates to prioritise when attempting to identify robust neuromarkers of autistic traits.
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Mai AS, Yau CE, Tseng FS, Foo QXJ, Wang DQ, Tan EK. Linking autism spectrum disorders and parkinsonism: clinical and genetic association. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2023; 10:484-496. [PMID: 36738194 PMCID: PMC10109258 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise many complex and clinically distinct neurodevelopmental conditions, with increasing evidence linking them to parkinsonism. METHODS We searched Medline and Embase from inception to 21 March 2022 and reviewed the bibliographies of relevant articles. Studies were screened and reviewed comprehensively by two independent authors. RESULTS Of 863 references from our search, we included eight clinical studies, nine genetic studies, and five case reports. Regardless of age group, Parkinson's disease (PD) and parkinsonian syndromes were more frequently observed in patients with ASD, though the evidence for increased rates of parkinsonism is less clear for children and adolescents. Parkinsonian features and hypokinetic behavior were common in Rett syndrome, with prevalence estimates ranging from 40% to 80%. Frequently observed parkinsonian features include bradykinesia, rigidity, hypomimia, and gait freezing. PD gene PARK2 copy number variations appear more frequently in ASD cases than controls. Evidence suggests that RIT2 and CD157/BST1 are implicated in ASD and PD, while the evidence for other PD-related genes (DRD2, GPCR37, the SLC gene family, and SMPD1) is less clear. Rare mutations, such as ATP13A2, CLN3, and WDR45, could result in autistic behavior and concomitant parkinsonism. CONCLUSION The prevalence of parkinsonism in ASD is substantially greater than in the general population or matched controls. Various PD-associated gene loci, especially PARK2, could confer susceptibility to ASD as well. Important future directions include conducting prospective cohort studies to understand how parkinsonian symptoms may progress, genetic studies to reveal relevant gene loci, and pathophysiologic studies to identify potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Shengting Mai
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chun En Yau
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fan Shuen Tseng
- Department of Neurology, Singapore General Hospital Campus, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qi Xuan Joel Foo
- Department of Neurology, Singapore General Hospital Campus, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dennis Qing Wang
- Department of Neurology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Eng-King Tan
- Department of Neurology, Singapore General Hospital Campus, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, Singapore.,Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
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Kisaretova P, Tsybko A, Bondar N, Reshetnikov V. Molecular Abnormalities in BTBR Mice and Their Relevance to Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Overview of Transcriptomic and Proteomic Studies. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020289. [PMID: 36830826 PMCID: PMC9953015 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models of psychopathologies are of exceptional interest for neurobiologists because these models allow us to clarify molecular mechanisms underlying the pathologies. One such model is the inbred BTBR strain of mice, which is characterized by behavioral, neuroanatomical, and physiological hallmarks of schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Despite the active use of BTBR mice as a model object, the understanding of the molecular features of this strain that cause the observed behavioral phenotype remains insufficient. Here, we analyzed recently published data from independent transcriptomic and proteomic studies on hippocampal and corticostriatal samples from BTBR mice to search for the most consistent aberrations in gene or protein expression. Next, we compared reproducible molecular signatures of BTBR mice with data on postmortem samples from ASD and SCZ patients. Taken together, these data helped us to elucidate brain-region-specific molecular abnormalities in BTBR mice as well as their relevance to the anomalies seen in ASDs or SCZ in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Kisaretova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova Street 2, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Anton Tsybko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Natalia Bondar
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Vasiliy Reshetnikov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Department of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Avenue, Sochi 354340, Russia
- Correspondence:
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Sultan S. Translating neuroimaging changes to neuro-endophenotypes of autistic spectrum disorder: a narrative review. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-022-00578-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Autism-spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with heterogeneity in etiopathogenesis and clinical presentation. Neuroanatomical and neurophysiological abnormalities may represent neural endophenotypes for autism spectrum disorders which may help identify subgroups of patients seemingly similar in clinical presentation yet different in their pathophysiological underpinnings. Furthermore, a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of disease can pave the way to effective treatments, prevention, and prognostic predictions. The aim of this review is to identify the predominant neural endophenotypes in autism-spectrum disorder. The evidence was researched at the following electronic databases: Pubmed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE.
Results
Enlarged brain, especially frontotemporal cortices have been consistently reported by structural neuroimaging, whereas functional neuroimaging has revealed frontotemporal dysconnectivity.
Conclusions
Regrettably, many of these findings have not been consistent. Therefore, translating these findings into neural endophenotype is by far an attempt in its budding stage. The structural and functional neuroimaging changes may represent neural endophenotypes unique to autism-spectrum disorder. Despite inconsistent results, a clinically meaningful finding may require combined efforts of autism-spectrum-disorder researchers focused on different aspects of basic, genetic, neuroimaging, and clinical research.
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Maisterrena A, Matas E, Mirfendereski H, Balbous A, Marchand S, Jaber M. The State of the Dopaminergic and Glutamatergic Systems in the Valproic Acid Mouse Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1691. [PMID: 36421705 PMCID: PMC9688008 DOI: 10.3390/biom12111691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder mainly characterized by deficits in social communication and stereotyped behaviors and interests. Here, we aimed to investigate the state of several key players in the dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission systems in the valproic acid (VPA) animal model that was administered to E12.5 pregnant females as a single dose (450 mg/kg). We report no alterations in the number of mesencephalic dopamine neurons or in protein levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in either the striatum or the nucleus accumbens. In females prenatally exposed to VPA, levels of dopamine were slightly decreased while the ratio of DOPAC/dopamine was increased in the dorsal striatum, suggesting increased turn-over of dopamine tone. In turn, levels of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor mRNAs were increased in the nucleus accumbens of VPA mice suggesting upregulation of the corresponding receptors. We also report decreased protein levels of striatal parvalbumin and increased levels of p-mTOR in the cerebellum and the motor cortex of VPA mice. mRNA levels of mGluR1, mGluR4, and mGluR5 and the glutamate receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, and NR2B were not altered by VPA, nor were protein levels of NR1, NR2A, and NR2B and those of BDNF and TrkB. These findings are of interest as clinical trials aiming at the dopamine and glutamate systems are being considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Maisterrena
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Emmanuel Matas
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Helene Mirfendereski
- Pharmacologie des Agents Anti-Infectieux et Antibiorésistance, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Anais Balbous
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Sandrine Marchand
- Pharmacologie des Agents Anti-Infectieux et Antibiorésistance, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
| | - Mohamed Jaber
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Inserm, Université de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
- CHU de Poitiers, 86000 Poitiers, France
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Bolat H, Ünsel-Bolat G, Derin H, Şen A, Ceylaner S. Distinct Autism Spectrum Disorder Phenotype and Hand-Flapping Stereotypes: Two Siblings with Novel Homozygous Mutation in TRAPPC9 Gene and Literature Review. Mol Syndromol 2022; 13:263-269. [PMID: 36158060 PMCID: PMC9421696 DOI: 10.1159/000522041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Pathogenic mutations of the TRAPPC9 gene are the rare genetic causes of autosomal recessive intellectual disability (ID). There are several features that are not fully penetrant such as microcephaly, dysmorphic facial features, obesity, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and brain abnormalities in TRAPPC9 mutations. Methods We performed whole-exome sequencing to evaluate 2 Turkish siblings with ASD and ID born to healthy and consanguineous parents. Parental samples were also analyzed, specifically targeting variants detected in these patients. Results We present a novel homozygous mutation in the TRAPPC9 gene, c.484G>T (p.Glu162Ter). Additionally, we aim to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the clinical features of a novel homozygous TRAPPC9 mutation. In addition to ID, the siblings in this report suffered from ASD and specific stereotypes as hand-flapping behavior. Conclusion Although there are inconsistencies in the presentation of ASD in TRAPPC9 mutations, repetitive behaviors (hand-flapping) were typical in our cases and several previous reports. The current mutation was described to cause a homozygous premature termination codon that resulted in the absence of the TRAPPC9 protein. We suggest that TRAPPC9 mutations are not only related to ID but also to ASD and hand-flapping behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilmi Bolat
- Department of Medical Genetics, Balıkesir University Faculty of Medicine, Balıkesir, Turkey
| | - Gül Ünsel-Bolat
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Balıkesir University Faculty of Medicine, Balıkesir, Turkey,*Hilmi Bolat,
| | - Hatice Derin
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Elazığ City Hospital, Balıkesir, Turkey
| | - Aşkın Şen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Firat University School of Medicine, Elazig, Turkey
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DiCarlo GE, Wallace MT. Modeling dopamine dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder: From invertebrates to vertebrates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 133:104494. [PMID: 34906613 PMCID: PMC8792250 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and by patterns of restricted interests and/or repetitive behaviors. The Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative's Human Gene and CNV Modules now list over 1000 genes implicated in ASD and over 2000 copy number variant loci reported in individuals with ASD. Given this ever-growing list of genetic changes associated with ASD, it has become evident that there is likely not a single genetic cause of this disorder nor a single neurobiological basis of this disorder. Instead, it is likely that many different neurobiological perturbations (which may represent subtypes of ASD) can result in the set of behavioral symptoms that we called ASD. One such of possible subtype of ASD may be associated with dopamine dysfunction. Precise regulation of synaptic dopamine (DA) is required for reward processing and behavioral learning, behaviors which are disrupted in ASD. Here we review evidence for DA dysfunction in ASD and in animal models of ASD. Further, we propose that these studies provide a scaffold for scientists and clinicians to consider subcategorizing the ASD diagnosis based on the genetic changes, neurobiological difference, and behavioral features identified in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella E DiCarlo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Vanderbilt University Brain Institute, Nashville, TN, United States; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.
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12
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Basal ganglia correlates of wellbeing in early adolescence. Brain Res 2022; 1774:147710. [PMID: 34762929 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that biological markers that define mental health are different to those that define mental illness. The basal ganglia changes dramatically over adolescence and has been linked to wellbeing and mental health disorders in young people. However, there remains a paucity of research on wellbeing and brain structure in early adolescence. This cross-sectional study examined relationships between grey matter volume (GMV) of basal ganglia regions (caudate, putamen, pallidum and nucleus accumbens) and self-reported wellbeing (COMPAS-W), in a sample of Australian adolescents aged 12 years (N = 49, M = 12.6, 46.9% female). Significant negative associations were found between left hemisphere caudate GMV and scores on 'total wellbeing', 'composure' and 'positivity'. The results of this study indicate that smaller caudate GMV at age 12 is linked to increased subjective wellbeing. While seemingly counter-intuitive, our finding is consistent with previous research of decreased GMV in the pons and increased COMPAS-W scores in adults. Our results suggest that protective neurobiological factors may be identifiable early in adolescence and be linked to specific types of wellbeing (such as positive affect and optimism). This has implications for interventions targeted at building resilience against mental health disorders in young people.
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13
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Baizer JS. Functional and Neuropathological Evidence for a Role of the Brainstem in Autism. Front Integr Neurosci 2021; 15:748977. [PMID: 34744648 PMCID: PMC8565487 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2021.748977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The brainstem includes many nuclei and fiber tracts that mediate a wide range of functions. Data from two parallel approaches to the study of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) implicate many brainstem structures. The first approach is to identify the functions affected in ASD and then trace the neural systems mediating those functions. While not included as core symptoms, three areas of function are frequently impaired in ASD: (1) Motor control both of the limbs and body and the control of eye movements; (2) Sensory information processing in vestibular and auditory systems; (3) Control of affect. There are critical brainstem nuclei mediating each of those functions. There are many nuclei critical for eye movement control including the superior colliculus. Vestibular information is first processed in the four nuclei of the vestibular nuclear complex. Auditory information is relayed to the dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei and subsequently processed in multiple other brainstem nuclei. Critical structures in affect regulation are the brainstem sources of serotonin and norepinephrine, the raphe nuclei and the locus ceruleus. The second approach is the analysis of abnormalities from direct study of ASD brains. The structure most commonly identified as abnormal in neuropathological studies is the cerebellum. It is classically a major component of the motor system, critical for coordination. It has also been implicated in cognitive and language functions, among the core symptoms of ASD. This structure works very closely with the cerebral cortex; the cortex and the cerebellum show parallel enlargement over evolution. The cerebellum receives input from cortex via relays in the pontine nuclei. In addition, climbing fiber input to cerebellum comes from the inferior olive of the medulla. Mossy fiber input comes from the arcuate nucleus of the medulla as well as the pontine nuclei. The cerebellum projects to several brainstem nuclei including the vestibular nuclear complex and the red nucleus. There are thus multiple brainstem nuclei distributed at all levels of the brainstem, medulla, pons, and midbrain, that participate in functions affected in ASD. There is direct evidence that the cerebellum may be abnormal in ASD. The evidence strongly indicates that analysis of these structures could add to our understanding of the neural basis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan S. Baizer
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
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14
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Liu S, Hou B, You H, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Ma C, Zuo Z, Feng F. The Association Between Perivascular Spaces and Cerebral Blood Flow, Brain Volume, and Cardiovascular Risk. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:599724. [PMID: 34531732 PMCID: PMC8438293 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.599724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Basal ganglia perivascular spaces are associated with cognitive decline and cardiovascular risk factors. There is a lack of studies on the cardiovascular risk burden of basal ganglia perivascular spaces (BG-PVS) and their relationship with gray matter volume (GMV) and GM cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the aging brain. Here, we investigated these two issues in a large sample of cognitively intact older adults. Methods: A total of 734 volunteers were recruited. MRI was performed with 3.0 T using a pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) sequence and a sagittal isotropic T1-weighted sequence for CBF and GMV analysis. The images obtained from 406 participants were analyzed to investigate the relationship between the severity of BG-PVS and GMV/CBF. False discovery rate-corrected P-values (PFDR) of <0.05 were considered significant. The images obtained from 254 participants were used to study the relationship between the severity of BG-PVS and cardiovascular risk burden. BG-PVS were rated using a 5-grade score. The severity of BG-PVS was classified as mild (grade <3) and severe (grade ≥3). Cardiovascular risk burden was assessed with the Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Score (FGCRS). Results: Severe basal ganglia perivascular spaces were associated with significantly smaller GMV and CBF in multiple cortical regions (PFDR <0.05), and were associated with significantly larger volume in the bilateral caudate nucleus, pallidum, and putamen (PFDR <0.05). The participants with severe BG-PVS were more likely to have a higher cardiovascular risk burden than the participants with mild BG-PVS (60.71% vs. 42.93%; P =0.02). Conclusion: In cognitively intact older adults, severe BG-PVS are associated with smaller cortical GMV and CBF, larger subcortical GMV, and higher cardiovascular risk burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirui Liu
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Hou
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hui You
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yiwei Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yicheng Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhentao Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Feng
- Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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15
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Guo X, Wang J, Wang X, Liu W, Yu H, Xu L, Li H, Wu J, Dong M, Tan W, Chen W, Yang Y, Chen Y. Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in children using conventional MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient based deep learning algorithms. Eur Radiol 2021; 32:761-770. [PMID: 34482428 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-021-08239-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop and validate deep learning (DL) methods for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on conventional MRI (cMRI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images. METHODS A total of 151 ASD children and 151 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls were included in this study. The data from these subjects were assigned to training and validation datasets. An additional 20 ASD children and 25 TD controls were acquired, whose data were utilized in an independent test set. All subjects underwent cMRI and diffusion-weighted imaging examination of the brain. We developed a series of DL models to separate ASD from TD based on the cMRI and ADC data. The seven models used include five single-sequence models (SSMs), one dominant-sequence model (DSM), and one all-sequence model (ASM). To enhance the feature detection of the models, we embed an attention mechanism module. RESULTS The highest AUC (0.824 ~ 0.850) was achieved when applying the SSM based on either FLAIR or ADC to the validation and independent test sets. A DSM using the combination of FLAIR and ADC showed an improved AUC in the validation (0.873) and independent test sets (0.876). The ASM also showed better diagnostic value in the validation (AUC = 0.838) and independent test sets (AUC = 0.836) compared to the SSMs. Among the models with attention mechanism, the DSM achieved the highest diagnostic performance with an AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.898, 84.4%, 85.0%, and 84.0% respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study established the potential of DL models to distinguish ASD cases from TD controls based on cMRI and ADC images. KEY POINTS • Deep learning models based on conventional MRI and ADC can be used to diagnose ASD. • The model (DSM) based on the FLAIR and ADC sequence achieved the best diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.836 in the independent test sets. • The attention mechanism further improved the diagnostic performance of the models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Guo
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Jiehuan Wang
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Wang
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Children Rehabilitation Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Li Xu
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Hengyan Li
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | | | | | | | - Weijian Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yunjun Yang
- Department of Medical Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yueqin Chen
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
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16
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Mo K, Sadoway T, Bonato S, Ameis SH, Anagnostou E, Lerch JP, Taylor MJ, Lai MC. Sex/gender differences in the human autistic brains: A systematic review of 20 years of neuroimaging research. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 32:102811. [PMID: 34509922 PMCID: PMC8436080 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Our current understanding of autism is largely based on clinical experiences and research involving male individuals given the male-predominance in prevalence and the under-inclusion of female individuals due to small samples, co-occurring conditions, or simply being missed for diagnosis. There is a significantly biased 'male lens' in this field with autistic females insufficiently understood. We therefore conducted a systematic review to examine how sex and gender modulate brain structure and function in autistic individuals. Findings from the past 20 years are yet to converge on specific brain regions/networks with consistent sex/gender-modulating effects. Despite at least three well-powered studies identifying specific patterns of significant sex/gender-modulation of autism-control differences, many other studies are likely underpowered, suggesting a critical need for future investigation into sex/gender-based heterogeneity with better-powered designs. Future research should also formally investigate the effects of gender, beyond biological sex, which is mostly absent in the current literature. Understanding the roles of sex and gender in the development of autism is an imperative step to extend beyond the 'male lens' in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Mo
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tara Sadoway
- Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sarah Bonato
- Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephanie H Ameis
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
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17
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Pretzsch CM, Floris DL, Voinescu B, Elsahib M, Mendez MA, Wichers R, Ajram L, Ivin G, Heasman M, Pretzsch E, Williams S, Murphy DGM, Daly E, McAlonan GM. Modulation of striatal functional connectivity differences in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder in a single-dose randomized trial of cannabidivarin. Mol Autism 2021; 12:49. [PMID: 34210360 PMCID: PMC8252312 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00454-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a high cost to affected individuals and society, but treatments for core symptoms are lacking. To expand intervention options, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of potential treatment targets, and their engagement, in the brain. For instance, the striatum (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens) plays a central role during development and its (atypical) functional connectivity (FC) may contribute to multiple ASD symptoms. We have previously shown, in the adult autistic and neurotypical brain, the non-intoxicating cannabinoid cannabidivarin (CBDV) alters the balance of striatal ‘excitatory–inhibitory’ metabolites, which help regulate FC, but the effects of CBDV on (atypical) striatal FC are unknown. Methods To examine this in a small pilot study, we acquired resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 28 men (15 neurotypicals, 13 ASD) on two occasions in a repeated-measures, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. We then used a seed-based approach to (1) compare striatal FC between groups and (2) examine the effect of pharmacological probing (600 mg CBDV/matched placebo) on atypical striatal FC in ASD. Visits were separated by at least 13 days to allow for drug washout. Results Compared to the neurotypicals, ASD individuals had lower FC between the ventral striatum and frontal and pericentral regions (which have been associated with emotion, motor, and vision processing). Further, they had higher intra-striatal FC and higher putamenal FC with temporal regions involved in speech and language. In ASD, CBDV reduced hyperconnectivity to the neurotypical level. Limitations Our findings should be considered in light of several methodological aspects, in particular our participant group (restricted to male adults), which limits the generalizability of our findings to the wider and heterogeneous ASD population. Conclusion In conclusion, here we show atypical striatal FC with regions commonly associated with ASD symptoms. We further provide preliminary proof of concept that, in the adult autistic brain, acute CBDV administration can modulate atypical striatal circuitry towards neurotypical function. Future studies are required to determine whether modulation of striatal FC is associated with a change in ASD symptoms. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03537950. Registered May 25th, 2018—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03537950?term=NCT03537950&draw=2&rank=1. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00454-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M Pretzsch
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Dorothea L Floris
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bogdan Voinescu
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Department of Liaison Psychiatry, Bristol Royal Infirmary, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Malka Elsahib
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Maria A Mendez
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert Wichers
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Department of Psychiatry GGZ Geest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Ajram
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Medicines Discovery Catapult, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, SK10 4TG, Cheshire, UK
| | - Glynis Ivin
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Pharmacy, London, UK
| | - Martin Heasman
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Pharmacy, London, UK
| | - Elise Pretzsch
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Steven Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Eileen Daly
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Gráinne M McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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18
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Buyuktaskin D, Iseri E, Guney E, Gunendi Z, Cengiz B. Somatosensory Temporal Discrimination in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:656-667. [PMID: 33522138 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sensory differences are common in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While there is no well-accepted method to measure sensory differences objectively, there is accumulating evidence from recent years concerning sensory perception, including data concerning temporal discrimination thresholds of individuals with ASD as measured by different measures. The somatosensory temporal discrimination (STD) test measures the threshold at which an individual can temporally discriminate multiple tactile stimuli delivered in succession. We aimed to investigate tactile perception in ASD and hypothesized that children with ASD have impaired STD related to their subjective sensory symptoms and daily difficulties. Thirty adolescents with ASD and 30 typically developed subjects were recruited. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile were implemented before STD evaluation. Average somatosensory detection (1.48 ± 0.42) and discrimination thresholds (112.70 ± 43.45) of the children with ASD were significantly higher (P = 0.010, P = 0.001, respectively) than those of the controls (1.18 ± 0.42, 79.95 ± 31.60, respectively). Sensory seeking scores of the ASD group (40.8 ± 7.60) were significantly lower (P = 0.024) than those of the control group (45.83 ± 9.17). However, the psychophsycal thresholds did not have any statistically significant relationships with subjective sensory symptoms or daily difficulties. This study demonstrates impaired sensory processing in ASD evaluated by STD and its lack of relationship with subjective sensory symptoms and daily difficulties. This psychophysical evidence of increased STD thresholds and decreased sensory seeking profile supports the disturbances in the regulation of sensory processing in ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Sensory differences are common in autism; however, there is no well-accepted method to measure them objectively. This study aims to investigate somatosensory differences and their relation with sensory and emotional/behavioral difficulties of children with autism. We show that autistic children have higher tactile discrimination thresholds and fewer sensory seeking behaviors. This supports the presence of impairments in sensory processing in autism. Measuring the sensory differences may help understanding clinical symptoms and neurobiological underpinings of autism. Autism Res 2021, 14: 656-667. © 2021 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dicle Buyuktaskin
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cizre Dr. Selahattin Cizrelioglu State Hospital, Sirnak, Turkey.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Elvan Iseri
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Esra Guney
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Zafer Gunendi
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Bulent Cengiz
- Department of Neurology, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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19
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Sanjeevan T, Hammill C, Brian J, Crosbie J, Schachar R, Kelley E, Liu X, Nicolson R, Iaboni A, Day Fragiadakis S, Ristic L, Lerch JP, Anagnostou E. Exploring the Neural Structures Underlying the Procedural Memory Network as Predictors of Language Ability in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:587019. [PMID: 33362492 PMCID: PMC7759764 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.587019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: There is significant overlap in the type of structural language impairments exhibited by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This similarity suggests that the cognitive impairment(s) contributing to the structural language deficits in ASD and ADHD may be shared. Previous studies have speculated that procedural memory deficits may be the shared cognitive impairment. The procedural deficit hypothesis (PDH) argues that language deficits can be explained by differences in the neural structures underlying the procedural memory network. This hypothesis is based on the premise that the neural structures comprising the procedural network support language learning. In this study, we aimed to test the PDH in children with ASD, ADHD, and typical development (TD). Methods: One hundred and sixty-three participants (ages 10–21): 91 with ASD, 26 with ADHD, and 46 with TD, completed standardized measures of cognitive and language ability as well as structural magnetic resonance imaging. We compared the structural language abilities, the neural structures underlying the procedural memory network, and the relationship between structural language and neural structure across diagnostic groups. Results: Our analyses revealed that while the structural language abilities differed across ASD, ADHD, and TD groups, the thickness, area, and volume of the structures supporting the procedural memory network were not significantly different between diagnostic groups. Also, several neural structures were associated with structural language abilities across diagnostic groups. Only two of these structures, the inferior frontal gyrus, and the left superior parietal gyrus, are known to be linked to the procedural memory network. Conclusions: The inferior frontal gyrus and the left superior parietal gyrus, have well-established roles in language learning independent of their role as part of the procedural memory system. Other structures such as the caudate and cerebellum, with critical roles in the procedural memory network, were not associated with structural language abilities across diagnostic groups. It is unclear whether the procedural memory network plays a fundamental role in language learning in ASD, ADHD, and TD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teenu Sanjeevan
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jessica Brian
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer Crosbie
- Psychiatry Research, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Russell Schachar
- Psychiatry Research, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Kelley
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Xudong Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Nicolson
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Alana Iaboni
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Leanne Ristic
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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20
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Filice F, Janickova L, Henzi T, Bilella A, Schwaller B. The Parvalbumin Hypothesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:577525. [PMID: 33390904 PMCID: PMC7775315 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.577525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-a type of neurodevelopmental disorder-is increasing and is around 2% in North America, Asia, and Europe. Besides the known genetic link, environmental, epigenetic, and metabolic factors have been implicated in ASD etiology. Although highly heterogeneous at the behavioral level, ASD comprises a set of core symptoms including impaired communication and social interaction skills as well as stereotyped and repetitive behaviors. This has led to the suggestion that a large part of the ASD phenotype is caused by changes in a few and common set of signaling pathways, the identification of which is a fundamental aim of autism research. Using advanced bioinformatics tools and the abundantly available genetic data, it is possible to classify the large number of ASD-associated genes according to cellular function and pathways. Cellular processes known to be impaired in ASD include gene regulation, synaptic transmission affecting the excitation/inhibition balance, neuronal Ca2+ signaling, development of short-/long-range connectivity (circuits and networks), and mitochondrial function. Such alterations often occur during early postnatal neurodevelopment. Among the neurons most affected in ASD as well as in schizophrenia are those expressing the Ca2+-binding protein parvalbumin (PV). These mainly inhibitory interneurons present in many different brain regions in humans and rodents are characterized by rapid, non-adaptive firing and have a high energy requirement. PV expression is often reduced at both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in human ASD brain samples and mouse ASD (and schizophrenia) models. Although the human PVALB gene is not a high-ranking susceptibility/risk gene for either disorder and is currently only listed in the SFARI Gene Archive, we propose and present supporting evidence for the Parvalbumin Hypothesis, which posits that decreased PV level is causally related to the etiology of ASD (and possibly schizophrenia).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Beat Schwaller
- Section of Medicine, Anatomy, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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21
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Conti E, Retico A, Palumbo L, Spera G, Bosco P, Biagi L, Fiori S, Tosetti M, Cipriani P, Cioni G, Muratori F, Chilosi A, Calderoni S. Autism Spectrum Disorder and Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Early Language-Related Hallmarks across Structural MRI Study. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E275. [PMID: 33322765 PMCID: PMC7768516 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10040275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) are developmental disorders with distinct diagnostic criteria and different epidemiology. However, a common genetic background as well as overlapping clinical features between ASD and CAS have been recently reported. To date, brain structural language-related abnormalities have been detected in both the conditions, but no study directly compared young children with ASD, CAS and typical development (TD). In the current work, we aim: (i) to test the hypothesis that ASD and CAS display neurostructural differences in comparison with TD through morphometric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-based measures (ASD vs. TD and CAS vs. TD); (ii) to investigate early possible disease-specific brain structural patterns in the two clinical groups (ASD vs. CAS); (iii) to evaluate predictive power of machine-learning (ML) techniques in differentiating the three samples (ASD, CAS, TD). We retrospectively analyzed the T1-weighted brain MRI scans of 68 children (age range: 34-74 months) grouped into three cohorts: (1) 26 children with ASD (mean age ± standard deviation: 56 ± 11 months); (2) 24 children with CAS (57 ± 10 months); (3) 18 children with TD (55 ± 13 months). Furthermore, a ML analysis based on a linear-kernel Support Vector Machine (SVM) was performed. All but one brain structures displayed significant higher volumes in both ASD and CAS children than TD peers. Specifically, ASD alterations involved fronto-temporal regions together with basal ganglia and cerebellum, while CAS alterations are more focused and shifted to frontal regions, suggesting a possible speech-related anomalies distribution. Caudate, superior temporal and hippocampus volumes directly distinguished the two conditions in terms of greater values in ASD compared to CAS. The ML analysis identified significant differences in brain features between ASD and TD children, whereas only some trends in the ML classification capability were detected in CAS as compared to TD peers. Similarly, the MRI structural underpinnings of two clinical groups were not significantly different when evaluated with linear-kernel SVM. Our results may represent the first step towards understanding shared and specific neural substrate in ASD and CAS conditions, which subsequently may contribute to early differential diagnosis and tailoring specific early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Conti
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Alessandra Retico
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa Division, 56127 Pisa, Italy; (A.R.); (L.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Letizia Palumbo
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa Division, 56127 Pisa, Italy; (A.R.); (L.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Giovanna Spera
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pisa Division, 56127 Pisa, Italy; (A.R.); (L.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Paolo Bosco
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Laura Biagi
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Simona Fiori
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Michela Tosetti
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Paola Cipriani
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Anna Chilosi
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
| | - Sara Calderoni
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (E.C.); (P.B.); (L.B.); (S.F.); (M.T.); (P.C.); (G.C.); (F.M.); (A.C.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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22
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Brandenburg C, Soghomonian JJ, Zhang K, Sulkaj I, Randolph B, Kachadoorian M, Blatt GJ. Increased Dopamine Type 2 Gene Expression in the Dorsal Striatum in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder Suggests Alterations in Indirect Pathway Signaling and Circuitry. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:577858. [PMID: 33240045 PMCID: PMC7681004 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.577858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is behaviorally defined and diagnosed by delayed and/or impeded language, stereotyped repetitive behaviors, and difficulties with social interactions. Additionally, there are disruptions in motor processing, which includes the intent to execute movements, interrupted/inhibited action chain sequences, impaired execution of speech, and repetitive motor behaviors. Cortical loops through basal ganglia (BG) structures are known to play critical roles in the typical functioning of these actions. Specifically, corticostriate projections to the dorsal striatum (caudate and putamen) convey abundant input from motor, cognitive and limbic cortices and subsequently project to other BG structures. Excitatory dopamine (DA) type 1 receptors are predominantly expressed on GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the dorsal striatum as part of the "direct pathway" to GPi and SNpr whereas inhibitory DA type 2 receptors are predominantly expressed on MSNs that primarily project to GPe. This study aimed to better understand how this circuitry may be altered in ASD, especially concerning the neurochemical modulation of GABAergic MSNs within the two major BG pathways. We utilized two classical methods to analyze the postmortem BG in ASD in comparison to neurotypical cases: ligand binding autoradiography to quantify densities of GABA-A, GABA-B, 5-HT2, and DA type 1 and 2 receptors and in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) to quantify mRNA for D1, D2 receptors and three key GABAergic subunits (α1, β2, and γ2), as well as the GABA synthesizing enzymes (GAD65/67). Results demonstrated significant increases in D2 mRNA within MSNs in both the caudate and putamen, which was further verified by proenkephalin mRNA that is co-expressed with the D2 receptor in the indirect pathway MSNs. In contrast, all other GABAergic, serotonergic and dopaminergic markers in the dorsal striatum had comparable labeling densities. These results indicate alterations in the indirect pathway of the BG, with possible implications for the execution of competing motor programs and E/I imbalance in the direct/indirect motor feedback pathways through thalamic and motor cortical areas. Results also provide insights regarding the efficacy of FDA-approved drugs used to treat individuals with ASD acting on specific DA and 5-HT receptor subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Brandenburg
- Autism Neurocircuitry Laboratory, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jean-Jacques Soghomonian
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kunzhong Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ina Sulkaj
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brianna Randolph
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Marissa Kachadoorian
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gene J Blatt
- Autism Neurocircuitry Laboratory, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, United States
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23
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Ke Y, Weng M, Chhetri G, Usman M, Li Y, Yu Q, Ding Y, Wang Z, Wang X, Sultana P, DiFiglia M, Li X. Trappc9 deficiency in mice impairs learning and memory by causing imbalance of dopamine D1 and D2 neurons. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/47/eabb7781. [PMID: 33208359 PMCID: PMC7673810 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb7781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Genetic mutations in the gene encoding transport protein particle complex 9 (trappc9), a subunit of TRAPP that acts as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for rab proteins, cause intellectual disability with brain structural malformations by elusive mechanisms. Here, we report that trappc9-deficient mice exhibit a broad range of behavioral deficits and postnatal delay in growth of the brain. Contrary to volume decline of various brain structures, the striatum of trappc9 null mice was enlarged. An imbalance existed between dopamine D1 and D2 receptor containing neurons in the brain of trappc9-deficient mice; pharmacological manipulation of dopamine receptors improved performances of trappc9 null mice to levels of wild-type mice on cognitive tasks. Loss of trappc9 compromised the activation of rab11 in the brain and resulted in retardation of endocytic receptor recycling in neurons. Our study elicits a pathogenic mechanism and a potential treatment for trappc9-linked disorders including intellectual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Ke
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Meiqian Weng
- Mucosal Immunology Laboratory, Combined Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Gaurav Chhetri
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Muhammad Usman
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yan Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qing Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai General Hospital, 650 Songjiang Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yingzhuo Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zejian Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaolong Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Pinky Sultana
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Xueyi Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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24
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Peixoto RT, Chantranupong L, Hakim R, Levasseur J, Wang W, Merchant T, Gorman K, Budnik B, Sabatini BL. Abnormal Striatal Development Underlies the Early Onset of Behavioral Deficits in Shank3B -/- Mice. Cell Rep 2020; 29:2016-2027.e4. [PMID: 31722214 PMCID: PMC6889826 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural substrates and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the onset of cognitive and motor deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) remain unclear. Mutations in ASD-associated SHANK3 in mice (Shank3B−/−) result in the accelerated maturation of corticostriatal circuits during the second and third postnatal weeks. Here, we show that during this period, there is extensive remodeling of the striatal synaptic proteome and a developmental switch in glutamatergic synaptic plasticity induced by cortical hyperactivity in striatal spiny projection neurons (SPNs). Behavioral abnormalities in Shank3B−/− mice emerge during this stage and are ameliorated by normalizing excitatory synapse connectivity in medial striatal regions by the downregulation of PKA activity. These results suggest that the abnormal postnatal development of striatal circuits is implicated in the onset of behavioral deficits in Shank3B−/− mice and that modulation of postsynaptic PKA activity can be used to regulate corticostriatal drive in developing SPNs of mouse models of ASDs and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Peixoto et al. show that the onset of behavioral deficits in Shank3B−/− mice occurs during early postnatal development and that these can be ameliorated by reducing the glutamatergic synaptic drive in medial regions of the striatum by the downregulation of PKA activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Tiago Peixoto
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Lynne Chantranupong
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Richard Hakim
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James Levasseur
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wengang Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tasha Merchant
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kelly Gorman
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bogdan Budnik
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomic Laboratory, FAS Division of Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Bernardo Luis Sabatini
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
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25
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Abstract
Many studies have reported abnormalities in the volume of subcortical structures in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and many of these change with age. However, most studies that have investigated subcortical structures were cross-sectional and did not accurately segment the subcortical structures. In this study, we used volBrain, an automatic and reliable quantitative analysis tool, and a longitudinal design to examine developmental changes in the volume of subcortical structures in ASD, and quantified the relation between subcortical volume development and clinical correlates. Nineteen individuals with ASD (16 males; age: 12.53 ± 2.34 years at baseline; interval: 2.33 years) and 14 typically developing controls (TDC; 12 males; age: 13.50 ± 1.77 years at baseline; interval: 2.31 years) underwent T1-weighted MRI at two time points. Bilaterally, hippocampus volume increased from baseline to follow-up in both ASD and TDC, with no difference between groups. Left caudate and right thalamus volume decreased in ASD, but did not change in TDC. The decreases in left caudate and right thalamus volume were related to ASD social score. Right amygdala volume was larger in ASD than in TDC at baseline but not at follow-up. These results confirm previous cross-sectional findings regarding the development of subcortical structures in ASD. The association between developmental changes in left caudate and right thalamus volume and ASD social score offers an explanation for the social deficits in ASD. Results also captured the different abnormality of amygdala volume between childhood and late adolescence.
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26
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Lieberman OJ, Cartocci V, Pigulevskiy I, Molinari M, Carbonell J, Broseta MB, Post MR, Sulzer D, Borgkvist A, Santini E. mTOR Suppresses Macroautophagy During Striatal Postnatal Development and Is Hyperactive in Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:70. [PMID: 32296308 PMCID: PMC7136750 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) plays a critical role in neuronal function related to development and degeneration. Here, we investigated whether autophagy is developmentally regulated in the striatum, a brain region implicated in neurodevelopmental disease. We demonstrate that autophagic flux is suppressed during striatal postnatal development, reaching adult levels around postnatal day 28 (P28). We also find that mTOR signaling, a key regulator of autophagy, increases during the same developmental period. We further show that mTOR signaling is responsible for suppressing autophagy, via regulation of Beclin-1 and VPS34 activity. Finally, we discover that autophagy is downregulated during late striatal postnatal development (P28) in mice with in utero exposure to valproic acid (VPA), an established mouse model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). VPA-exposed mice also display deficits in striatal neurotransmission and social behavior. Correction of hyperactive mTOR signaling in VPA-exposed mice restores social behavior. These results demonstrate that neurons coopt metabolic signaling cascades to developmentally regulate autophagy and provide additional evidence that mTOR-dependent signaling pathways represent pathogenic signaling cascades in ASD mouse models that are active during specific postnatal windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori J. Lieberman
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Irena Pigulevskiy
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maya Molinari
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Josep Carbonell
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Michael R. Post
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | - David Sulzer
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anders Borgkvist
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emanuela Santini
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Decreased density of cholinergic interneurons in striatal territories in Williams syndrome. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1019-1032. [PMID: 32189114 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02055-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the hemideletion of approximately 25-28 genes at 7q11.23. Its unusual social and cognitive phenotype is most strikingly characterized by the disinhibition of social behavior, in addition to reduced global IQ, with a relative sparing of language ability. Hypersociality and increased social approach behavior in WS may represent a unique inability to inhibit responses to specific social stimuli, which is likely associated with abnormalities of frontostriatal circuitry. The striatum is characterized by a diversity of interneuron subtypes, including inhibitory parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV+) and excitatory cholinergic interneurons (Ch+). Animal model research has identified an important role for these specialized cells in regulating social approach behavior. Previous research in humans identified a depletion of interneuron subtypes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we examined the density of PV+ and Ch+ interneurons in the striatum of 13 WS and neurotypical (NT) subjects. We found a significant reduction in the density of Ch+ interneurons in the medial caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens, important regions receiving cortical afferents from the orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and circuitry involved in language and reward systems. No significant difference in the distribution of PV+ interneurons was found. The pattern of decreased Ch+ interneuron densities in WS differs from patterns of interneuron depletion found in other disorders.
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28
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Lieberman OJ, Cartocci V, Pigulevskiy I, Molinari M, Carbonell J, Broseta MB, Post MR, Sulzer D, Borgkvist A, Santini E. mTOR Suppresses Macroautophagy During Striatal Postnatal Development and Is Hyperactive in Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:70. [PMID: 32296308 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00070/bibtex] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) plays a critical role in neuronal function related to development and degeneration. Here, we investigated whether autophagy is developmentally regulated in the striatum, a brain region implicated in neurodevelopmental disease. We demonstrate that autophagic flux is suppressed during striatal postnatal development, reaching adult levels around postnatal day 28 (P28). We also find that mTOR signaling, a key regulator of autophagy, increases during the same developmental period. We further show that mTOR signaling is responsible for suppressing autophagy, via regulation of Beclin-1 and VPS34 activity. Finally, we discover that autophagy is downregulated during late striatal postnatal development (P28) in mice with in utero exposure to valproic acid (VPA), an established mouse model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). VPA-exposed mice also display deficits in striatal neurotransmission and social behavior. Correction of hyperactive mTOR signaling in VPA-exposed mice restores social behavior. These results demonstrate that neurons coopt metabolic signaling cascades to developmentally regulate autophagy and provide additional evidence that mTOR-dependent signaling pathways represent pathogenic signaling cascades in ASD mouse models that are active during specific postnatal windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori J Lieberman
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Irena Pigulevskiy
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maya Molinari
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Josep Carbonell
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Michael R Post
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | - David Sulzer
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
| | - Anders Borgkvist
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emanuela Santini
- Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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29
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Sex differences in brain structure: a twin study on restricted and repetitive behaviors in twin pairs with and without autism. Mol Autism 2019; 11:1. [PMID: 31893022 PMCID: PMC6937723 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0309-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Females with autism spectrum disorder have been reported to exhibit fewer and less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests compared to males. This difference might indicate sex-specific alterations of brain networks involved in autism symptom domains, especially within cortico-striatal and sensory integration networks. This study used a well-controlled twin design to examine sex differences in brain anatomy in relation to repetitive behaviors. Methods In 75 twin pairs (n = 150, 62 females, 88 males) enriched for autism spectrum disorder (n = 32), and other neurodevelopmental disorders (n = 32), we explored the association of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests—operationalized by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (C domain) and the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior subscale)—with cortical volume, surface area and thickness of neocortical, sub-cortical, and cerebellar networks. Results Co-twin control analyses revealed within-pair associations between RRBI symptoms and increased thickness of the right intraparietal sulcus and reduced volume of the right orbital gyrus in females only, even though the mean number of RRBIs did not differ between the sexes. In a sub-sample of ASD-discordant pairs, increased thickness in association with RRBIs was found exclusively in females in the orbitofrontal regions, superior frontal gyrus, and intraparietal sulcus, while in males RRBIs tended to be associated with increased volume of the bilateral pallidum. Limitations However, due to a small sample size and the small difference in RRBI symptoms within pairs, the results of this exploratory study need to be interpreted with caution. Conclusions Our findings suggest that structural alterations of fronto-parietal networks in association with RRBIs are found mostly in females, while striatal networks are more affected in males. These results endorse the importance of investigating sex differences in the neurobiology of autism symptoms, and indicate different etiological pathways underlying restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in females and males.
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Kawakubo H, Matsui Y, Kushima I, Ozaki N, Shimamura T. A network of networks approach for modeling interconnected brain tissue-specific networks. Bioinformatics 2019; 35:3092-3101. [PMID: 30649245 PMCID: PMC6735868 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btz032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivation Recent sequence-based analyses have identified a lot of gene variants that may contribute to neurogenetic disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Several state-of-the-art network-based analyses have been proposed for mechanical understanding of genetic variants in neurogenetic disorders. However, these methods were mainly designed for modeling and analyzing single networks that do not interact with or depend on other networks, and thus cannot capture the properties between interdependent systems in brain-specific tissues, circuits and regions which are connected each other and affect behavior and cognitive processes. Results We introduce a novel and efficient framework, called a ‘Network of Networks’ approach, to infer the interconnectivity structure between multiple networks where the response and the predictor variables are topological information matrices of given networks. We also propose Graph-Oriented SParsE Learning, a new sparse structural learning algorithm for network data to identify a subset of the topological information matrices of the predictors related to the response. We demonstrate on simulated data that propose Graph-Oriented SParsE Learning outperforms existing kernel-based algorithms in terms of F-measure. On real data from human brain region-specific functional networks associated with the autism risk genes, we show that the ‘Network of Networks’ model provides insights on the autism-associated interconnectivity structure between functional interaction networks and a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of autism across diverse regions of the brain. Availability and implementation Our software is available from https://github.com/infinite-point/GOSPEL. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideko Kawakubo
- Division of Systems of Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yusuke Matsui
- Laboratory of Intelligence Healthcare, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Itaru Kushima
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Psychotherapy for parents and children, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Teppei Shimamura
- Division of Systems of Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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Unruh KE, Martin LE, Magnon G, Vaillancourt DE, Sweeney JA, Mosconi MW. Cortical and subcortical alterations associated with precision visuomotor behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:1330-1341. [PMID: 31314644 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00286.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to core deficits in social-communication abilities and repetitive behaviors and interests, many patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience developmental comorbidities, including sensorimotor issues. Sensorimotor issues are common in ASD and associated with more severe clinical symptoms. Importantly, sensorimotor behaviors are precisely quantifiable and highly translational, offering promising targets for neurophysiological studies of ASD. We used functional MRI to identify brain regions associated with sensorimotor behavior using a visually guided precision gripping task in individuals with ASD (n = 20) and age-, IQ-, and handedness-matched controls (n = 18). During visuomotor behavior, individuals with ASD showed greater force variability than controls. The blood oxygen level-dependent signal for multiple cortical and subcortical regions was associated with force variability, including motor and premotor cortex, posterior parietal cortex, extrastriate cortex, putamen, and cerebellum. Activation in the right premotor cortex scaled with sensorimotor variability in controls but not in ASD. Individuals with ASD showed greater activation than controls in left putamen and left cerebellar lobule VIIb, and activation in these regions was associated with more severe clinically rated symptoms of ASD. Together, these results suggest that greater sensorimotor variability in ASD is associated with altered cortical-striatal processes supporting action selection and cortical-cerebellar circuits involved in feedback-guided reactive adjustments of motor output. Our findings also indicate that atypical organization of visuomotor cortical circuits may result in heightened reliance on subcortical circuits typically dedicated to motor skill acquisition. Overall, these results provide new evidence that sensorimotor alterations in ASD involve aberrant cortical and subcortical organization that may contribute to key clinical issues in patients.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first known study to examine functional brain activation during precision visuomotor behavior in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We replicate previous findings of elevated force variability in ASD and find these deficits are associated with atypical function of ventral premotor cortex, putamen, and posterolateral cerebellum, indicating cortical-striatal processes supporting action selection and cortical-cerebellar circuits involved in feedback-guided reactive adjustments of motor output may be key targets for understanding the neurobiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Unruh
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.,Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training, University of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Laura E Martin
- Hoglund Brain Imaging Center and Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Grant Magnon
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David E Vaillancourt
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Matthew W Mosconi
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.,Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training, University of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City, Kansas
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Pote I, Wang S, Sethna V, Blasi A, Daly E, Kuklisova‐Murgasova M, Lloyd‐Fox S, Mercure E, Busuulwa P, Stoencheva V, Charman T, Williams SCR, Johnson MH, Murphy DGM, McAlonan GM. Familial risk of autism alters subcortical and cerebellar brain anatomy in infants and predicts the emergence of repetitive behaviors in early childhood. Autism Res 2019; 12:614-627. [PMID: 30801993 PMCID: PMC6519039 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition, and infant siblings of children with ASD are at a higher risk of developing autistic traits or an ASD diagnosis, when compared to those with typically developing siblings. Reports of differences in brain anatomy and function in high-risk infants which predict later autistic behaviors are emerging, but although cerebellar and subcortical brain regions have been frequently implicated in ASD, no high-risk study has examined these regions. Therefore, in this study, we compared regional MRI volumes across the whole brain in 4-6-month-old infants with (high-risk, n = 24) and without (low-risk, n = 26) a sibling with ASD. Within the high-risk group, we also examined whether any regional differences observed were associated with autistic behaviors at 36 months. We found that high-risk infants had significantly larger cerebellar and subcortical volumes at 4-6-months of age, relative to low-risk infants; and that larger volumes in high-risk infants were linked to more repetitive behaviors at 36 months. Our preliminary observations require replication in longitudinal studies of larger samples. If correct, they suggest that the early subcortex and cerebellum volumes may be predictive biomarkers for childhood repetitive behaviors. Autism Res 2019, 12: 614-627. © 2019 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published byWiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Individuals with a family history of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of ASD and related developmental difficulties. This study revealed that 4-6-month-old infants at high-risk of ASD have larger cerebellum and subcortical volumes than low-risk infants, and that larger volumes in high-risk infants are associated with more repetitive behaviors in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Pote
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical EngineeringKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Siying Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Vaheshta Sethna
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Anna Blasi
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, BirkbeckUniversity of LondonLondonUK
| | - Eileen Daly
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Maria Kuklisova‐Murgasova
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical EngineeringKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Sarah Lloyd‐Fox
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, BirkbeckUniversity of LondonLondonUK
| | - Evelyne Mercure
- Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Paula Busuulwa
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- GKT School of Medical EducationKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Vladimira Stoencheva
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Steven C. R. Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Mark H. Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, BirkbeckUniversity of LondonLondonUK
| | - Declan G. M. Murphy
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Grainne M. McAlonan
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College LondonLondonUK
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Watanabe T, Rees G, Masuda N. Atypical intrinsic neural timescale in autism. eLife 2019; 8:42256. [PMID: 30717827 PMCID: PMC6363380 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
How long neural information is stored in a local brain area reflects functions of that region and is often estimated by the magnitude of the autocorrelation of intrinsic neural signals in the area. Here, we investigated such intrinsic neural timescales in high-functioning adults with autism and examined whether local brain dynamics reflected their atypical behaviours. By analysing resting-state fMRI data, we identified shorter neural timescales in the sensory/visual cortices and a longer timescale in the right caudate in autism. The shorter intrinsic timescales in the sensory/visual areas were correlated with the severity of autism, whereas the longer timescale in the caudate was associated with cognitive rigidity. These observations were confirmed from neurodevelopmental perspectives and replicated in two independent cross-sectional datasets. Moreover, the intrinsic timescale was correlated with local grey matter volume. This study shows that functional and structural atypicality in local brain areas is linked to higher-order cognitive symptoms in autism. Autism is a brain disorder that affects how people interact with others. It occupies a spectrum, with severe autism at one end and high-functioning autism at the other. People with severe autism usually have intellectual impairments and little spoken language. Those with high-functioning autism have average or above average IQ, but struggle with more subtle aspects of communication, such as body language. As well as social difficulties, many individuals with autism show repetitive behaviors and have narrow interests. The brains of people with autism process information differently to those of people without autism. The brain as a whole shows less coordinated activity in autism, for example. But whether individual brain regions themselves also work differently in autism is unclear. Watanabe et al. set out to answer this question by using a brain scanner to compare the resting brain activity of high-functioning people with autism to that of people without autism. In both groups, networks of brain regions increased and decreased their activity in predictable patterns. But in individuals with autism, sensory areas of the brain showed more random activity than in individuals without autism. The most random activity occurred in those with the most severe autism. This suggests that the brains of people with autism cannot hold onto and process sensory input for as long as those of neurotypical people. By contrast, a brain region called the caudate showed the opposite pattern, being more predictable in individuals with autism. The most predictable caudate activity occurred in those individuals with the most inflexible, repetitive behaviors. These differences in this neural randomness appear to result from changes in the structure of the individual brain regions. The findings of Watanabe et al. suggest that changes in the structure and activity of small brain regions give rise to complex symptoms in autism. If these differences also exist in young children, they could help doctors diagnose autism earlier. Future studies should investigate whether the differences in brain activity cause the symptoms of autism. If so, it may be possible to treat the symptoms by changing brain activity, for example, by applying magnetic stimulation to the scalp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamitsu Watanabe
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,RIKEN Centre for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
| | - Geraint Rees
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Naoki Masuda
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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34
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Kong Y, Gao J, Xu Y, Pan Y, Wang J, Liu J. Classification of autism spectrum disorder by combining brain connectivity and deep neural network classifier. Neurocomputing 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2018.04.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND There is currently a renaissance of interest in the many functions of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Altered flow of CSF, for example, has been shown to impair the clearance of pathogenic inflammatory proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyloid-β. In addition, the role of CSF in the newly discovered lymphatic system of the brain has become a prominently researched area in clinical neuroscience, as CSF serves as a conduit between the central nervous system and immune system. MAIN BODY This article will review the importance of CSF in regulating normal brain development and function, from the prenatal period throughout the lifespan, and highlight recent research that CSF abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are present in infancy, are detectable by conventional structural MRI, and could serve as an early indicator of altered neurodevelopment. CONCLUSION The identification of early CSF abnormalities in children with ASD, along with emerging knowledge of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, has the potential to serve as early stratification biomarkers that separate children with ASD into biological subtypes that share a common pathophysiology. Such subtypes could help parse the phenotypic heterogeneity of ASD and map on to targeted, biologically based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Shen
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Department of Psychiatry, and the UNC Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Campus Box 3367, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3367, USA.
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Lauber E, Filice F, Schwaller B. Dysregulation of Parvalbumin Expression in the Cntnap2-/- Mouse Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:262. [PMID: 30116174 PMCID: PMC6082962 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the complex and heterogeneous etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), identification of convergent pathways and/or common molecular endpoints in the pathophysiological processes of ASD development are highly needed in order to facilitate treatment approaches targeted at the core symptoms. We recently reported on decreased expression of the Ca2+-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) in three well-characterized ASD mouse models, Shank1-/-, Shank3B-/- and in utero VPA-exposed mice. Moreover, PV-deficient mice (PV+/- and PV-/-) were found to show behavioral impairments and neuroanatomical changes closely resembling those frequently found in human ASD individuals. Here, we combined a stereology-based approach with molecular biology methods to assess changes in the subpopulation of PV-expressing (Pvalb) interneurons in the recently characterized contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2-/-) knockout mouse model of ASD. The CNTNAP2 gene codes for a synaptic cell adhesion molecule involved in neurodevelopmental processes; mutations affecting the human CNTNAP2 locus are associated with human ASD core symptoms, in particular speech and language problems. We demonstrate that in Cntnap2-/- mice, no loss of Pvalb neurons is evident in ASD-associated brain regions including the striatum, somatosensory cortex (SSC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), shown by the unaltered number of Pvalb neurons ensheathed by VVA-positive perineuronal nets. However, the number of PV-immunoreactive (PV+) neurons and also PV protein levels were decreased in the striatum of Cntnap2-/- mice indicating that PV expression levels in some striatal Pvalb neurons dropped below the detection limit, yet without a loss of Pvalb neurons. No changes in PV+ neuron numbers were detected in the cortical regions investigated and also cortical PV expression levels were unaltered. Considering that Cntnap2 shows high expression levels in the striatum during human and mouse embryonic development and that the cortico-striato-thalamic circuitry is important for speech and language development, alterations in striatal PV expression and associated (homeostatic) adaptations are likely to play an important role in Cntnap2-/- mice and, assumingly, in human ASD patients with known Cntnap2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Lauber
- Anatomy Unit, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Federica Filice
- Anatomy Unit, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Beat Schwaller
- Anatomy Unit, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Pereira AM, Campos BM, Coan AC, Pegoraro LF, de Rezende TJR, Obeso I, Dalgalarrondo P, da Costa JC, Dreher JC, Cendes F. Differences in Cortical Structure and Functional MRI Connectivity in High Functioning Autism. Front Neurol 2018; 9:539. [PMID: 30042724 PMCID: PMC6048242 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a complex group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by deficits in communication and social behaviors. We examined the functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN) and its relation to multimodal morphometry to investigate superregional, system-level alterations in a group of 22 adolescents and young adults with high-functioning autism compared to age-, and intelligence quotient-matched 29 healthy controls. The main findings were that ASD patients had gray matter (GM) reduction, decreased cortical thickness and larger cortical surface areas in several brain regions, including the cingulate, temporal lobes, and amygdala, as well as increased gyrification in regions associated with encoding visual memories and areas of the sensorimotor component of the DMN, more pronounced in the left hemisphere. Moreover, patients with ASD had decreased connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex, and areas of the executive control component of the DMN and increased FC between the anteromedial prefrontal cortex and areas of the sensorimotor component of the DMN. Reduced cortical thickness in the right inferior frontal lobe correlated with higher social impairment according to the scores of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Reduced cortical thickness in left frontal regions, as well as an increased cortical thickness in the right temporal pole and posterior cingulate, were associated with worse scores on the communication domain of the ADI-R. We found no association between scores on the restrictive and repetitive behaviors domain of ADI-R with structural measures or FC. The combination of these structural and connectivity abnormalities may help to explain some of the core behaviors in high-functioning ASD and need to be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra M. Pereira
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, The Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Pediatrics, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Brunno M. Campos
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, The Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Ana C. Coan
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, The Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Luiz F. Pegoraro
- Department of Psychiatry, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Thiago J. R. de Rezende
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, The Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Ignacio Obeso
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Reward and Decision Making Group, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5229, Lyon, France
- Centro Integral en Neurociencias A.C., Hospital HM Puerta del Sur en Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jaderson C. da Costa
- Department of Pediatrics, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Brain Institute (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jean-Claude Dreher
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Reward and Decision Making Group, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Fernando Cendes
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, The Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
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Wang X, Kery R, Xiong Q. Synaptopathology in autism spectrum disorders: Complex effects of synaptic genes on neural circuits. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:398-415. [PMID: 28986278 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinxing Wang
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Rachel Kery
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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The neural circuitry of restricted repetitive behavior: Magnetic resonance imaging in neurodevelopmental disorders and animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:152-171. [PMID: 29802854 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are patterns of behavior that exhibit little variation in form and have no obvious function. RRBs although transdiagonstic are a particularly prominent feature of certain neurodevelopmental disorders, yet relatively little is known about the neural circuitry of RRBs. Past work in this area has focused on isolated brain regions and neurotransmitter systems, but implementing a neural circuit approach has the potential to greatly improve understanding of RRBs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is well-suited to studying the structural and functional connectivity of the nervous system, and is a highly translational research tool. In this review, we synthesize MRI research from both neurodevelopmental disorders and relevant animal models that informs the neural circuitry of RRB. Together, these studies implicate distributed neural circuits between the cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. Despite progress in neuroimaging of RRB, there are many opportunities for conceptual and methodological improvement. We conclude by suggesting future directions for MRI research in RRB, and how such studies can benefit from complementary approaches in neuroscience.
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Evaluating accuracy of striatal, pallidal, and thalamic segmentation methods: Comparing automated approaches to manual delineation. Neuroimage 2018; 170:182-198. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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Grissom NM, McKee SE, Schoch H, Bowman N, Havekes R, O'Brien WT, Mahrt E, Siegel S, Commons K, Portfors C, Nickl-Jockschat T, Reyes TM, Abel T. Male-specific deficits in natural reward learning in a mouse model of neurodevelopmental disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:544-555. [PMID: 29038598 PMCID: PMC5822461 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, are highly male biased, but the underpinnings of this are unknown. Striatal dysfunction has been strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, raising the question of whether there are sex differences in how the striatum is impacted by genetic risk factors linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we report male-specific deficits in striatal function important to reward learning in a mouse model of 16p11.2 hemideletion, a genetic mutation that is strongly associated with the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. We find that male, but not female, 16p11.2 deletion animals show impairments in reward-directed learning and maintaining motivation to work for rewards. Male, but not female, deletion animals overexpress mRNA for dopamine receptor 2 and adenosine receptor 2a in the striatum, markers of medium spiny neurons signaling via the indirect pathway, associated with behavioral inhibition. Both sexes show a 50% reduction of mRNA levels of the genes located within the 16p11.2 region in the striatum, including the kinase extracellular-signal related kinase 1 (ERK1). However, hemideletion males show increased activation in the striatum for ERK1, both at baseline and in response to sucrose, a signaling change associated with decreased striatal plasticity. This increase in ERK1 phosphorylation is coupled with a decrease in the abundance of the ERK phosphatase striatum-enriched protein-tyrosine phosphatase in hemideletion males. In contrast, females do not show activation of ERK1 in response to sucrose, but notably hemideletion females show elevated protein levels for ERK1 as well as the related kinase ERK2 over what would be predicted by mRNA levels. These data indicate profound sex differences in the impact of a genetic lesion linked with neurodevelopmental disorders, including mechanisms of male-specific vulnerability and female-specific resilience impacting intracellular signaling in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- N M Grissom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S E McKee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - H Schoch
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - N Bowman
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - R Havekes
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - W T O'Brien
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E Mahrt
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - S Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - K Commons
- Department of Anesthesia, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C Portfors
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - T Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany,Jülich Aachen Research Alliance—Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - T M Reyes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - T Abel
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, 2312 Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, 162 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. E-mail:
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42
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Hanson KL, Lew CH, Hrvoj-Mihic B, Groeniger KM, Halgren E, Bellugi U, Semendeferi K. Increased glia density in the caudate nucleus in williams syndrome: Implications for frontostriatal dysfunction in autism. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 78:531-545. [PMID: 29090517 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22554] [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: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder with a well-described, known genetic etiology. In contrast to Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), WS has a unique phenotype characterized by global reductions in IQ and visuospatial ability, with relatively preserved language function, enhanced reactivity to social stimuli and music, and an unusual eagerness to interact socially with strangers. A duplication of the deleted region in WS has been implicated in a subset of ASD cases, defining a spectrum of genetic and behavioral variation at this locus defined by these opposite extremes in social behavior. The hypersociability characteristic of WS may be linked to abnormalities of frontostriatal circuitry that manifest as deficits in inhibitory control of behavior. Here, we examined the density of neurons and glia in associative and limbic territories of the striatum including the caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens regions in Nissl stained sections in five pairs of age, sex, and hemisphere-matched WS and typically-developing control (TD) subjects. In contrast to what is reported in ASD, no significant increase in overall neuron density was observed in this study. However, we found a significant increase in the density of glia in the dorsal caudate nucleus, and in the ratio of glia to neurons in the dorsal and medial caudate nucleus in WS, accompanied by a significant increase in density of oligodendrocytes in the medial caudate nucleus. These cellular abnormalities may underlie reduced frontostriatal activity observed in WS, with implications for understanding altered connectivity and function in ASD. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 531-545, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari L Hanson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Caroline H Lew
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Branka Hrvoj-Mihic
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kimberly M Groeniger
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Eric Halgren
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ursula Bellugi
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Salk Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Katerina Semendeferi
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Kavli Institute for Brain & Mind, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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43
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Retico A, Arezzini S, Bosco P, Calderoni S, Ciampa A, Coscetti S, Cuomo S, De Santis L, Fabiani D, Fantacci ME, Giuliano A, Mazzoni E, Mercatali P, Miscali G, Pardini M, Prosperi M, Romano F, Tamburini E, Tosetti M, Muratori F. ARIANNA: A research environment for neuroimaging studies in autism spectrum disorders. Comput Biol Med 2017; 87:1-7. [PMID: 28544911 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2017.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The complexity and heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) require the implementation of dedicated analysis techniques to obtain the maximum from the interrelationship among many variables that describe affected individuals, spanning from clinical phenotypic characterization and genetic profile to structural and functional brain images. The ARIANNA project has developed a collaborative interdisciplinary research environment that is easily accessible to the community of researchers working on ASD (https://arianna.pi.infn.it). The main goals of the project are: to analyze neuroimaging data acquired in multiple sites with multivariate approaches based on machine learning; to detect structural and functional brain characteristics that allow the distinguishing of individuals with ASD from control subjects; to identify neuroimaging-based criteria to stratify the population with ASD to support the future development of personalized treatments. Secure data handling and storage are guaranteed within the project, as well as the access to fast grid/cloud-based computational resources. This paper outlines the web-based architecture, the computing infrastructure and the collaborative analysis workflows at the basis of the ARIANNA interdisciplinary working environment. It also demonstrates the full functionality of the research platform. The availability of this innovative working environment for analyzing clinical and neuroimaging information of individuals with ASD is expected to support researchers in disentangling complex data thus facilitating their interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Retico
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Silvia Arezzini
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Bosco
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Calderoni
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56128 Pisa, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alberto Ciampa
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Simone Coscetti
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Cuomo
- Institute of Legal Information Theory and Techniques (ITTIG) of the National Research Council, Via de' Barucci 20, 50127 Florence, Italy
| | | | - Dario Fabiani
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Evelina Fantacci
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy; University of Pisa, Physics Department, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessia Giuliano
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Enrico Mazzoni
- National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Mercatali
- Institute of Legal Information Theory and Techniques (ITTIG) of the National Research Council, Via de' Barucci 20, 50127 Florence, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Francesco Romano
- Institute of Legal Information Theory and Techniques (ITTIG) of the National Research Council, Via de' Barucci 20, 50127 Florence, Italy
| | | | - Michela Tosetti
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56128 Pisa, Italy; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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44
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Mitra A, Snyder AZ, Constantino JN, Raichle ME. The Lag Structure of Intrinsic Activity is Focally Altered in High Functioning Adults with Autism. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:1083-1093. [PMID: 26656726 PMCID: PMC6375249 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The behaviors that define autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been hypothesized to result from disordered communication within brain networks. Several groups have investigated this question using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI). However, the published findings to date have been inconsistent across laboratories. Prior RS-fMRI studies of ASD have employed conventional analysis techniques based on the assumption that intrinsic brain activity is exactly synchronous over widely separated parts of the brain. By relaxing the assumption of synchronicity and focusing, instead, on lags between time series, we have recently demonstrated highly reproducible patterns of temporally lagged activity in normal human adults. We refer to this analysis technique as resting-state lag analysis (RS-LA). Here, we report RS-LA as well as conventional analyses of RS-fMRI in adults with ASD and demographically matched controls. RS-LA analyses demonstrated significant group differences in rs-fMRI lag structure in frontopolar cortex, occipital cortex, and putamen. Moreover, the degree of abnormality in individuals was highly correlated with behavioral measures relevant to the diagnosis of ASD. In this sample, no significant group differences were observed using conventional RS-fMRI analysis techniques. Our results suggest that altered propagation of intrinsic activity may contribute to abnormal brain function in ASD.
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45
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Lauber E, Filice F, Schwaller B. Prenatal Valproate Exposure Differentially Affects Parvalbumin-Expressing Neurons and Related Circuits in the Cortex and Striatum of Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:150. [PMID: 28066177 PMCID: PMC5174119 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise a number of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental diseases characterized by core behavioral symptoms in the domains of social interaction, language/communication and repetitive or stereotyped patterns of behavior. In utero exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has evolved as a highly recognized rodent ASD model due to the robust behavioral phenotype observed in the offspring and the proven construct-, face- and predictive validity of the model. The number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PV+) GABAergic interneurons has been consistently reported to be decreased in human ASD subjects and in ASD animal models. The presumed loss of this neuron subpopulation hereafter termed Pvalb neurons and/or PV deficits were proposed to result in an excitation/inhibition imbalance often observed in ASD. Importantly, loss of Pvalb neurons and decreased/absent PV protein levels have two fundamentally different consequences. Thus, Pvalb neurons were investigated in in utero VPA-exposed male ("VPA") mice in the striatum, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and somatosensory cortex (SSC), three ASD-associated brain regions. Unbiased stereology of PV+ neurons and Vicia Villosa Agglutinin-positive (VVA+) perineuronal nets, which specifically enwrap Pvalb neurons, was carried out. Analyses of PV protein expression and mRNA levels for Pvalb, Gad67, Kcnc1, Kcnc2, Kcns3, Hcn1, Hcn2, and Hcn4 were performed. We found a ∼15% reduction in the number of PV+ cells and decreased Pvalb mRNA and PV protein levels in the striatum of VPA mice compared to controls, while the number of VVA+ cells was unchanged, indicating that Pvalb neurons were affected at the level of the transcriptome. In selected cortical regions (mPFC, SSC) of VPA mice, no quantitative loss/decrease of PV+ cells was observed. However, expression of Kcnc1, coding for the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv3.1 specifically expressed in Pvalb neurons, was decreased by ∼40% in forebrain lysates of VPA mice. Moreover, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (HCN) 1 expression was increased by ∼40% in the same samples from VPA mice. We conclude that VPA leads to alterations that are brain region- and gene-specific including Pvalb, Kcnc1, and Hcn1 possibly linked to homeostatic mechanisms. Striatal PV down-regulation appears as a common feature in a subset of genetic (Shank3B-/-) and environmental ASD models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beat Schwaller
- Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of FribourgFribourg, Switzerland
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46
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Kawamichi H, Sugawara SK, Hamano YH, Makita K, Matsunaga M, Tanabe HC, Ogino Y, Saito S, Sadato N. Being in a Romantic Relationship Is Associated with Reduced Gray Matter Density in Striatum and Increased Subjective Happiness. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1763. [PMID: 27895606 PMCID: PMC5107565 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Romantic relationship, a widespread feature of human society, is one of the most influential factors in daily life. Although stimuli related to romantic love or being in a romantic relationship commonly result in enhancement of activation or functional connectivity of the reward system, including the striatum, the structure underlying romantic relationship-related regions remain unclear. Because individual experiences can alter gray matter within the adult human brain, we hypothesized that romantic relationship is associated with structural differences in the striatum related to the positive subjective experience of being in a romantic relationship. Because intimate romantic relationships contribute to perceived subjective happiness, this subjective enhancement of happiness might be accompanied by the experience of positive events related to being in a romantic relationship. To test this hypothesis and elucidate the structure involved, we compared subjective happiness, an indirect measure of the existence of positive experiences caused by being in a romantic relationship, of participants with or without romantic partners (N = 68). Furthermore, we also conducted a voxel-based morphometry study of the effects of being in a romantic relationship (N = 113). Being in a romantic relationship was associated with greater subjective happiness and reduced gray matter density within the right dorsal striatum. These results suggest that being in a romantic relationship enhances perceived subjective happiness via positive experiences. Furthermore, the observed reduction in gray matter density in the right dorsal striatum may reflect an increase in saliency of social reward within a romantic relationship. Thus, being in a romantic relationship is associated with positive experiences and a reduction of gray matter density in the right dorsal striatum, representing a modulation of social reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Kawamichi
- Division of Cerebral Integration, Department of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological SciencesOkazaki, Japan; School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Gunma UniversityMaebashi, Japan; Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan UniversityTokyo, Japan
| | - Sho K Sugawara
- Division of Cerebral Integration, Department of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan
| | - Yuki H Hamano
- Division of Cerebral Integration, Department of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological SciencesOkazaki, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)Hayama, Japan
| | - Kai Makita
- Division of Cerebral Integration, Department of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan
| | - Masahiro Matsunaga
- Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine, School of Medicine, Aichi Medical University Nagakute, Japan
| | - Hiroki C Tanabe
- Department of Social and Human Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ogino
- Department of Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University Maebashi, Japan
| | - Shigeru Saito
- Department of Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University Maebashi, Japan
| | - Norihiro Sadato
- Division of Cerebral Integration, Department of Cerebral Research, National Institute for Physiological SciencesOkazaki, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies)Hayama, Japan
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47
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O’Dwyer L, Tanner C, van Dongen EV, Greven CU, Bralten J, Zwiers MP, Franke B, Heslenfeld D, Oosterlaan J, Hoekstra PJ, Hartman CA, Groen W, Rommelse N, Buitelaar JK. Decreased Left Caudate Volume Is Associated with Increased Severity of Autistic-Like Symptoms in a Cohort of ADHD Patients and Their Unaffected Siblings. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165620. [PMID: 27806078 PMCID: PMC5091763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms frequently occur in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While there is evidence that both ADHD and ASD have differential structural brain correlates, knowledge of the structural brain profile of individuals with ADHD with raised ASD symptoms is limited. The presence of ASD-like symptoms was measured by the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ) in a sample of typically developing controls (n = 154), participants with ADHD (n = 239), and their unaffected siblings (n = 144) between the ages of 8 and 29. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlates of ASD ratings were analysed by studying the relationship between ASD ratings and grey matter volumes using mixed effects models which controlled for ADHD symptom count and total brain volume. ASD ratings were significantly elevated in participants with ADHD relative to controls and unaffected siblings. For the entire group (participants with ADHD, unaffected siblings and TD controls), mixed effect models revealed that the left caudate nucleus volume was negatively correlated with ASD ratings (t = 2.83; P = 0.005). The current findings are consistent with the role of the caudate nucleus in executive function, including the selection of goals based on the evaluation of action outcomes and the use of social reward to update reward representations. There is a specific volumetric profile associated with subclinical ASD-like symptoms in participants with ADHD, unaffected siblings and controls with the caudate nucleus and globus pallidus being of critical importance in predicting the level of ASD-like symptoms in all three groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence O’Dwyer
- Radboud UMC, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Colby Tanner
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eelco V. van Dongen
- Radboud UMC, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Corina U. Greven
- Radboud UMC, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Janita Bralten
- Radboud UMC, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel P. Zwiers
- Radboud UMC, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk Heslenfeld
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, V.U. University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Oosterlaan
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter J. Hoekstra
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Catharina A. Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Groen
- Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nanda Rommelse
- Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Psychiatry, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan K. Buitelaar
- Radboud UMC, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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48
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Yeh E, Weiss LA. If genetic variation could talk: What genomic data may teach us about the importance of gene expression regulation in the genetics of autism. Mol Cell Probes 2016; 30:346-356. [PMID: 27751841 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been long known to have substantial genetic etiology. Much research has attempted to identify specific genes contributing to ASD risk with the goal of tying gene function to a molecular pathological explanation for ASD. A unifying molecular pathology would potentially increase understanding of what is going wrong during development, and could lead to diagnostic biomarkers or targeted preventative or therapeutic directions. We review past and current genetic mapping approaches and discuss major results, leading to the hypothesis that global dysregulation of gene or protein expression may be implicated in ASD rather than disturbance of brain-specific functions. If substantiated, this hypothesis might indicate the need for novel experimental and analytical approaches in order to understand this neurodevelopmental disorder, develop biomarkers, or consider treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Yeh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lauren A Weiss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
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49
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Abstract
Volumetric and morphometric neuroimaging studies of the basal ganglia and thalamus in pediatric populations have utilized existing automated segmentation tools including FIRST (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain's Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool) and FreeSurfer. These segmentation packages, however, are mostly based on adult training data. Given that there are marked differences between the pediatric and adult brain, it is likely an age-specific segmentation technique will produce more accurate segmentation results. In this study, we describe a new automated segmentation technique for analysis of 7-year-old basal ganglia and thalamus, called Pediatric Subcortical Segmentation Technique (PSST). PSST consists of a probabilistic 7-year-old subcortical gray matter atlas (accumbens, caudate, pallidum, putamen and thalamus) combined with a customized segmentation pipeline using existing tools: ANTs (Advanced Normalization Tools) and SPM (Statistical Parametric Mapping). The segmentation accuracy of PSST in 7-year-old data was compared against FIRST and FreeSurfer, relative to manual segmentation as the ground truth, utilizing spatial overlap (Dice's coefficient), volume correlation (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC) and limits of agreement (Bland-Altman plots). PSST achieved spatial overlap scores ≥90% and ICC scores ≥0.77 when compared with manual segmentation, for all structures except the accumbens. Compared with FIRST and FreeSurfer, PSST showed higher spatial overlap (p FDR < 0.05) and ICC scores, with less volumetric bias according to Bland-Altman plots. PSST is a customized segmentation pipeline with an age-specific atlas that accurately segments typical and atypical basal ganglia and thalami at age 7 years, and has the potential to be applied to other pediatric datasets.
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50
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Westmark CJ, Sokol DK, Maloney B, Lahiri DK. Novel roles of amyloid-beta precursor protein metabolites in fragile X syndrome and autism. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1333-41. [PMID: 27573877 PMCID: PMC5580495 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability and is associated with up to 5% of autism cases. Several promising drugs are in preclinical testing for FXS; however, bench-to-bedside plans for the clinic are severely limited due to lack of validated biomarkers and outcome measures. Published work from our laboratories has demonstrated altered levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ) precursor protein (APP) and its metabolites in FXS and idiopathic autism. Westmark and colleagues have focused on β-secretase (amyloidogenic) processing and the accumulation of Aβ peptides in adult FXS models, whereas Lahiri and Sokol have studied α-secretase (non-amyloidogenic or anabolic) processing and altered levels of sAPPα and Aβ in pediatric autism and FXS. Thus, our groups have hypothesized a pivotal role for these Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related proteins in the neurodevelopmental disorders of FXS and autism. In this review, we discuss the contribution of APP metabolites to FXS and autism pathogenesis as well as the potential use of these metabolites as blood-based biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Our future focus is to identify key underlying mechanisms through which APP metabolites contribute to FXS and autism condition-to-disease pathology. Positive outcomes will support utilizing APP metabolites as blood-based biomarkers in clinical trials as well as testing drugs that modulate APP processing as potential disease therapeutics. Our studies to understand the role of APP metabolites in developmental conditions such as FXS and autism are a quantum leap for the neuroscience field, which has traditionally restricted any role of APP to AD and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara J. Westmark
- University of Wisconsin, Department of Neurology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Deborah K. Sokol
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indianapolis, IN USA
| | - Bryan Maloney
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indianapolis, IN USA
| | - Debomoy K. Lahiri
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indianapolis, IN USA
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