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Wang H, Liu Y, Ding Y. Identifying Diagnostic Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder From Higher-order Interactions Using the PED Algorithm. Neuroinformatics 2024; 22:285-296. [PMID: 38771433 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-024-09662-w] [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] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
In the field of neuroimaging, more studies of abnormalities in brain regions of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) usually focused on two brain regions connected, and less on abnormalities of higher-order interactions of brain regions. To explore the complex relationships of brain regions, we used the partial entropy decomposition (PED) algorithm to capture higher-order interactions by computing the higher-order dependencies of all three brain regions (triads). We proposed a method for examining the effect of individual brain regions on triads based on the PED and surrogate tests. The key triads were discovered by analyzing the effects. Further, the hypergraph modularity maximization algorithm revealed the higher-order brain structures, of which the link between right thalamus and left thalamus in ASD was more loose compared with the typical control (TC). Redundant key triad (left cerebellum crus 1 and left precuneus and right inferior occipital gyrus) exhibited a discernible attenuation in interaction in ASD, while the synergistic key triad (right cerebellum crus 1 and left postcentral gyrus and left lingual gyrus) indicated a notable decline. The results of classification model further confirmed the potential of the key triads as diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanting Liu
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanrui Ding
- School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
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Xie X, Zhou R, Fang Z, Zhang Y, Wang Q, Liu X. Seeing beyond words: Visualizing autism spectrum disorder biomarker insights. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30420. [PMID: 38694128 PMCID: PMC11061761 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective This study employs bibliometric and visual analysis to elucidate global research trends in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) biomarkers, identify critical research focal points, and discuss the potential integration of diverse biomarker modalities for precise ASD assessment. Methods A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from the Web of Science Core Collection database until December 31, 2022. Visualization tools, including R, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and gCLUTO, were utilized to examine collaborative networks, co-citation patterns, and keyword associations among countries, institutions, authors, journals, documents, and keywords. Results ASD biomarker research emerged in 2004, accumulating a corpus of 4348 documents by December 31, 2022. The United States, with 1574 publications and an H-index of 213, emerged as the most prolific and influential country. The University of California, Davis, contributed significantly with 346 publications and an H-index of 69, making it the leading institution. Concerning journals, the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Autism Research, and PLOS ONE were the top three publishers of ASD biomarker-related articles among a total of 1140 academic journals. Co-citation and keyword analyses revealed research hotspots in genetics, imaging, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, gut microbiota, and eye tracking. Emerging topics included "DNA methylation," "eye tracking," "metabolomics," and "resting-state fMRI." Conclusion The field of ASD biomarker research is dynamically evolving. Future endeavors should prioritize individual stratification, methodological standardization, the harmonious integration of biomarker modalities, and longitudinal studies to advance the precision of ASD diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Xie
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Pediatrics Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, School of Pediatrics, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China
| | - Rongyi Zhou
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Pediatrics Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, School of Pediatrics, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China
| | - Zihan Fang
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, School of Pediatrics, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China
| | - Yongting Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Pediatrics Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, School of Pediatrics, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China
| | - Qirong Wang
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, School of Pediatrics, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China
| | - Xiaomian Liu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China
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Gu T, Jin C, Lin L, Wang X, Li X, Jing J, Cao M. The relationship between executive function and the association of motor coordination difficulties and social communication deficits in autistic children. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1363406. [PMID: 38596639 PMCID: PMC11002984 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1363406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Motor coordination difficulties could contribute to social communication deficits in autistic children. However, the exploration of the mechanism implicated in these claims has been limited by the lack of potential confounders such as executive function (EF). Methods We investigated the role that EF plays in the relationship between motor coordination and social communication in a school-aged autistic population via a structural model in a statistically robust manner. The results of questionnaires, including the Developmental Coordination Disorder questionnaire, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and the Social Responsiveness Scale, were collected to measure motor coordination, social communication deficits, and EF. Results A total of 182 autistic children (7.61±1.31 years, 87.9% boys) were included in the final analysis. In the model with EF as a mediator, the total effect (β=-0.599, P<0.001) and the direct effect (β=-0.331, P =0.003) of motor coordination function on social communication were both significant among autistic children without intellectual disability (ID), as were indirect effects through EF (β=-0.268, P<0.001). Conclusion EF partially mediates the motor coordination and social communication correlation among autistic children. We suggest that motor coordination should be included in the routine evaluation of autistic surveillance and rehabilitation procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingfeng Gu
- Maternal and Child Health Department, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengkai Jin
- Maternal and Child Health Department, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lizi Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Maternal and Child Health Department, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiuhong Li
- Maternal and Child Health Department, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Maternal and Child Health Department, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Muqing Cao
- School of Sport and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China
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Mizzi S, Pedersen M, Rossell SL, Rendell P, Terrett G, Heinrichs M, Labuschagne I. Resting-state amygdala subregion and precuneus connectivity provide evidence for a dimensional approach to studying social anxiety disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:147. [PMID: 38485930 PMCID: PMC10940725 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02844-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent and disabling mental health condition, characterized by excessive fear and anxiety in social situations. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms have been increasingly used to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of SAD in the absence of threat-related stimuli. Previous studies have primarily focused on the role of the amygdala in SAD. However, the amygdala consists of functionally and structurally distinct subregions, and recent studies have highlighted the importance of investigating the role of these subregions independently. Using multiband fMRI, we analyzed resting-state data from 135 participants (42 SAD, 93 healthy controls). By employing voxel-wise permutation testing, we examined group differences of fMRI connectivity and associations between fMRI connectivity and social anxiety symptoms to further investigate the classification of SAD as a categorical or dimensional construct. Seed-to-whole brain functional connectivity analysis using multiple 'seeds' including the amygdala and its subregions and the precuneus, revealed no statistically significant group differences. However, social anxiety severity was significantly negatively correlated with functional connectivity of the precuneus - perigenual anterior cingulate cortex and positively correlated with functional connectivity of the amygdala (specifically the superficial subregion) - parietal/cerebellar areas. Our findings demonstrate clear links between symptomatology and brain connectivity in the absence of diagnostic differences, with evidence of amygdala subregion-specific alterations. The observed brain-symptom associations did not include disturbances in the brain's fear circuitry (i.e., disturbances in connectivity between amygdala - prefrontal regions) likely due to the absence of threat-related stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Mizzi
- School of Health and Biomedical Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Mangor Pedersen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
- Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy, Australia
| | - Peter Rendell
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gill Terrett
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Izelle Labuschagne
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia.
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Burns EJ, Gaunt E, Kidane B, Hunter L, Pulford J. A new approach to diagnosing and researching developmental prosopagnosia: Excluded cases are impaired too. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:4291-4314. [PMID: 36459376 PMCID: PMC9718472 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-02017-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Developmental prosopagnosia is characterized by severe, lifelong difficulties when recognizing facial identity. Unfortunately, the most common diagnostic assessment (Cambridge Face Memory Test) misses 50-65% of individuals who believe that they have this condition. This results in such excluded cases' absence from scientific knowledge, effect sizes of impairment potentially overestimated, treatment efficacy underrated, and may elicit in them a negative experience of research. To estimate their symptomology and group-level impairments in face processing, we recruited a large cohort who believes that they have prosopagnosia. Matching prior reports, 56% did not meet criteria on the Cambridge Face Memory Test. However, the severity of their prosopagnosia symptoms and holistic perception deficits were comparable to those who did meet criteria. Excluded cases also exhibited face perception and memory impairments that were roughly one standard deviation below neurotypical norms, indicating the presence of objective problems. As the prosopagnosia index correctly classified virtually every case, we propose it should be the primary method for providing a diagnosis, prior to subtype categorization. We present researchers with a plan on how they can analyze these excluded prosopagnosia cases in their future work without negatively impacting their traditional findings. We anticipate such inclusion will enhance scientific knowledge, more accurately estimate effect sizes of impairments and treatments, and identify commonalities and distinctions between these different forms of prosopagnosia. Owing to their atypicalities in visual perception, we recommend that the prosopagnosia index should be used to screen out potential prosopagnosia cases from broader vision research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin J Burns
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.
| | - Elizabeth Gaunt
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
| | - Betiel Kidane
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
| | - Lucy Hunter
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
| | - Jaylea Pulford
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
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Hirata R, Yoshimura S, Kobayashi K, Aki M, Shibata M, Ueno T, Miyagi T, Oishi N, Murai T, Fujiwara H. Differences between subclinical attention-deficit/hyperactivity and autistic traits in default mode, salience, and frontoparietal network connectivities in young adult Japanese. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19724. [PMID: 37957246 PMCID: PMC10643712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47034-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are associated with attentional impairments, with both commonalities and differences in the nature of their attention deficits. This study aimed to investigate the neural correlates of ADHD and ASD traits in healthy individuals, focusing on the functional connectivity (FC) of attention-related large-scale brain networks (LSBNs). The participants were 61 healthy individuals (30 men; age, 21.9 ± 1.9 years). The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) were administered as indicators of ADHD and ASD traits, respectively. Performance in the continuous performance test (CPT) was used as a behavioural measure of sustained attentional function. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed during the resting state (Rest) and auditory oddball task (Odd). Considering the critical role in attention processing, we focused our analyses on the default mode (DMN), frontoparietal (FPN), and salience (SN) networks. Region of interest (ROI)-to-ROI analyses (false discovery rate < 0.05) were performed to determine relationships between psychological measures with within-network FC (DMN, FPN, and SN) as well as with between-network FC (DMN-FPN, DMN-SN, and FPN-SN). ASRS scores, but not AQ scores, were correlated with less frequent commission errors and shorter reaction times in the CPT. During Odd, significant positive correlations with ASRS were demonstrated in multiple FCs within DMN, while significant positive correlations with AQ were demonstrated in multiple FCs within FPN. AQs were negatively correlated with FPN-SN FCs. During Rest, AQs were negatively and positively correlated with one FC within the SN and multiple FCs between the DMN and SN, respectively. These findings of the ROI-to-ROI analysis were only partially replicated in a split-half replication analysis, a replication analysis with open-access data sets, and a replication analysis with a structure-based atlas. The better CPT performance by individuals with subclinical ADHD traits suggests positive effects of these traits on sustained attention. Differential associations between LSBN FCs and ASD/ADHD traits corroborate the notion of differences in sustained and selective attention between clinical ADHD and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risa Hirata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoinkawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 6068397, Japan
| | - Sayaka Yoshimura
- Faculty of Human Health Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Organization for Promotion of Neurodevelopmental Disorder Research, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Key Kobayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Morio Aki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mami Shibata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Ueno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Integrated Clinical Education Center, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Miyagi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Naoya Oishi
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshiya Murai
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoinkawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 6068397, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hironobu Fujiwara
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyoto University Hospital, 54 Shogoinkawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 6068397, Japan.
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan.
- Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Society Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, Tokyo, Japan.
- The General Research Division, Osaka University Research Center on Ethical, Legal and Social Issues, Kyoto, Japan.
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Wittkopf S, Langmann A, Roessner V, Roepke S, Poustka L, Nenadić I, Stroth S, Kamp-Becker I. Conceptualization of the latent structure of autism: further evidence and discussion of dimensional and hybrid models. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:2247-2258. [PMID: 36006478 PMCID: PMC10576682 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02062-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be conceptualized as an essentially dimensional, categorical, or hybrid model. Yet, current empirical studies are inconclusive and the latent structure of ASD has explicitly been examined only in a few studies. The aim of our study was to identify and discuss the latent model structure of behavioral symptoms related to ASD and to address the question of whether categories and/or dimensions best represent ASD symptoms. We included data of 2920 participants (1-72 years of age), evaluated with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Modules 1-4). We applied latent class analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and factor mixture modeling and evaluated the model fit by a combination of criteria. Based on the model selection criteria, the model fits, the interpretability as well as the clinical utility we conclude that the hybrid model serves best for conceptualization and assessment of ASD symptoms. It is both grounded in empirical evidence and in clinical usefulness, is in line with the current classification system (DSM-5) and has the potential of being more specific than the dimensional approach (decreasing false positive diagnoses).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Wittkopf
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Clinic, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Anika Langmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Clinic, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Roepke
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Clinic, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sanna Stroth
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Clinic, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Inge Kamp-Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Clinic, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
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Fittipaldi S, Armony JL, García AM, Migeot J, Cadaveira M, Ibáñez A, Baez S. Emotional descriptions increase accidental harm punishment and its cortico-limbic signatures during moral judgment in autism. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1745. [PMID: 36720905 PMCID: PMC9889714 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27709-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present difficulties in integrating mental state information in complex moral tasks. Yet, ASD research has not examined whether this process is influenced by emotions, let alone while capturing its neural bases. We investigated how language-induced emotions modulate intent-based moral judgment in ASD. In a fMRI task, 30 adults with ASD and 27 neurotypical controls read vignettes whose protagonists commit harm either accidentally or intentionally, and then decided how much punishment the protagonist deserved. Emotional content was manipulated across scenarios through the use of graphic language (designed to trigger arousing negative responses) vs. plain (just-the-facts, emotionless) language. Off-line functional connectivity correlates of task performance were also analyzed. In ASD, emotional (graphic) descriptions amplified punishment ratings of accidental harms, associated with increased activity in fronto-temporo-limbic, precentral, and postcentral/supramarginal regions (critical for emotional and empathic processes), and reduced connectivity among the orbitofrontal cortex and the angular gyrus (involved in mentalizing). Language manipulation did not influence intentional harm processing in ASD. In conclusion, in arousing and ambiguous social situations that lack intentionality clues (i.e. graphic accidental harm scenarios), individuals with ASD would misuse their emotional responses as the main source of information to guide their moral decisions. Conversely, in face of explicit harmful intentions, they would be able to compensate their socioemotional alterations and assign punishment through non-emotional pathways. Despite limitations, such as the small sample size and low ecological validity of the task, results of the present study proved reliable and have relevant theoretical and translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Fittipaldi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge L Armony
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Dept. of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Adolfo M García
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joaquín Migeot
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Li L, Su X, Zheng Q, Xiao J, Huang XY, Chen W, Yang K, Nie L, Yang X, Chen H, Shi S, Duan X. Cofluctuation analysis reveals aberrant default mode network patterns in adolescents and youths with autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4722-4732. [PMID: 35781734 PMCID: PMC9491294 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) approaches provide informative estimates of the functional architecture of the brain, and recently-proposed cofluctuation analysis temporally unwraps FC at every moment in time, providing refined information for quantifying brain dynamics. As a brain network disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was characterized by substantial alteration in FC, but the contribution of moment-to-moment-activity cofluctuations to the overall dysfunctional connectivity pattern in ASD remains poorly understood. Here, we used the cofluctuation approach to explore the underlying dynamic properties of FC in ASD, using a large multisite resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) dataset (ASD = 354, typically developing controls [TD] = 446). Our results verified that the networks estimated using high-amplitude frames were highly correlated with the traditional rsFC. Moreover, these frames showed higher average amplitudes in participants with ASD than those in the TD group. Principal component analysis was performed on the activity patterns in these frames and aggregated over all subjects. The first principal component (PC1) corresponds to the default mode network (DMN), and the PC1 coefficients were greater in participants with ASD than those in the TD group. Additionally, increased ASD symptom severity was associated with the increased coefficients, which may result in excessive internally oriented cognition and social cognition deficits in individuals with ASD. Our finding highlights the utility of cofluctuation approaches in prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders and verifies that the aberrant contribution of DMN to rsFC may underline the symptomatology in adolescents and youths with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Department of RadiologyFirst Affiliated Hospital to Army Medical UniversityChongqingChina
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Xiaoran Su
- Medical Imaging Department, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's HospitalChildren's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Department of MRThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical UniversityWeihuiChina
| | - Qingyu Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Jinming Xiao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Xin Yue Huang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Wan Chen
- Medical Imaging Department, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's HospitalChildren's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Kaihua Yang
- Medical Imaging Department, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's HospitalChildren's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Lei Nie
- Medical Imaging Department, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's HospitalChildren's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Xin Yang
- Medical Imaging Department, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's HospitalChildren's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Huafu Chen
- Department of RadiologyFirst Affiliated Hospital to Army Medical UniversityChongqingChina
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Shengli Shi
- Medical Imaging Department, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's HospitalChildren's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Xujun Duan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for NeuroinformationUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in MedicineUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
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10
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Xie Y, Xu Z, Xia M, Liu J, Shou X, Cui Z, Liao X, He Y. Alterations in Connectome Dynamics in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Harmonized Mega- and Meta-analysis Study Using the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange Dataset. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:945-955. [PMID: 35144804 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies have reported functional connectome aberrancies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the time-varying patterns of connectome topology in individuals with ASD and the connection between these patterns and gene expression profiles remain unknown. METHODS To investigate case-control differences in dynamic connectome topology, we conducted mega- and meta-analyses of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 939 participants (440 patients with ASD and 499 healthy control subjects, all males) from 18 independent sites, selected from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) dataset. Functional data were preprocessed and analyzed using harmonized protocols, and brain module dynamics was assessed using a multilayer network model. We further leveraged postmortem brain-wide gene expression data to identify transcriptomic signatures associated with ASD-related alterations in brain dynamics. RESULTS Compared with healthy control participants, individuals with ASD exhibited a higher global mean and lower standard deviation of whole-brain module dynamics, indicating an unstable and less regionally differentiated pattern. More specifically, individuals with ASD showed higher module switching, primarily in the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate gyrus, and angular gyrus, and lower switching in the visual regions. These alterations in brain dynamics were predictive of social impairments in individuals with ASD and were linked with expression profiles of genes primarily involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter transport and secretion as well as with previously identified autism-related genes. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to identify consistent alterations in brain network dynamics in ASD and the transcriptomic signatures related to those alterations, furthering insights into the biological basis behind this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yapei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhilei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingrui Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojing Shou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Xuhong Liao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
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11
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Sparse data augmentation based on encoderforest for brain network classification. APPL INTELL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10489-021-02579-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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12
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Mouga S, Duarte IC, Café C, Sousa D, Duque F, Oliveira G, Castelo-Branco M. Parahippocampal deactivation and hyperactivation of central executive, saliency and social cognition networks in autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:9. [PMID: 35078414 PMCID: PMC8903486 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09417-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The concomitant role of the Central Executive, the Saliency and the Social Cognition networks in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in demanding ecological tasks remains unanswered. We addressed this question using a novel task-based fMRI virtual-reality task mimicking a challenging daily-life chore that may present some difficulties to individuals with ASD: the EcoSupermarketX. METHODS Participants included 29 adolescents: 15 with ASD and 15 with typical neurodevelopment (TD). They performed the EcoSupermarketX (a shopping simulation with three goal-oriented sub-tasks including "no cue", "non-social" or "social" cues), during neuroimaging and eye-tracking. RESULTS ASD differed from TD only in total time and distance to complete the "social cue" sub-task with matched eye-tracking measures. Neuroimaging revealed simultaneous hyperactivation across social, executive, and saliency circuits in ASD. In contrast, ASD showed reduced activation in the parahippocampal gyrus, involved in scene recognition. CONCLUSIONS When performing a virtual shopping task matching the performance of controls, ASD adolescents hyperactivate three core networks: executive, saliency and social cognition. Parahippocampal hypoactivation is consistent with effortless eidetic scene processing, in line with the notion of peaks and valleys of neural recruitment in individuals with ASD. These hyperactivation/hypoactivation patterns in daily life tasks provide a circuit-level signature of neural diversity in ASD, a possible intervention target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Mouga
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isabel Catarina Duarte
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cátia Café
- Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela Sousa
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Frederico Duque
- Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal. .,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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13
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Chen H, Lu F, Guo X, Pang Y, He C, Han S, Duan X, Chen H. Dimensional Analysis of Atypical Functional Connectivity of Major Depression Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1307-1317. [PMID: 34416760 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Literatures have reported considerable heterogeneity with atypical functional connectivity (FC) pattern of psychiatric disorders. However, traditional statistical methods are hard to explore this heterogeneity pattern. We proposed a "brain dimension" method to describe the atypical FC patterns of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder (BD). The approach was firstly applied to a simulation dataset. It was then utilized to a real resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging dataset of 47 individuals with major depressive disorder, 32 individuals with BD, and 52 well matched health controls. Our method showed a better ability to extract the FC dimensions than traditional methods. The results of the real dataset revealed atypical FC dimensions for major depressive disorder and BD. Especially, an atypical FC dimension which exhibited decreased FC strength of thalamus and basal ganglia was found with higher severity level of individuals with BD than the ones with major depressive disorder. This study provided a novel "brain dimension" method to view the atypical FC patterns of major depressive disorder and BD and revealed shared and specific atypical FC patterns between major depressive disorder and BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China.,School of Life Science and Technology, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China.,School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guizhou 550025, China
| | - Fengmei Lu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Xiaonan Guo
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066000, China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066000, China
| | - Yajing Pang
- Research Center for Intelligent Science and Engineering Technology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China
| | - Changchun He
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China.,School of Life Science and Technology, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Shaoqiang Han
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, PR China
| | - Xujun Duan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China.,School of Life Science and Technology, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China.,School of Life Science and Technology, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, PR China
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14
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Zhang J, Kucyi A, Raya J, Nielsen AN, Nomi JS, Damoiseaux JS, Greene DJ, Horovitz SG, Uddin LQ, Whitfield-Gabrieli S. What have we really learned from functional connectivity in clinical populations? Neuroimage 2021; 242:118466. [PMID: 34389443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity (FC), or the statistical interdependence of blood-oxygen dependent level (BOLD) signals between brain regions using fMRI, has emerged as a widely used tool for probing functional abnormalities in clinical populations due to the promise of the approach across conceptual, technical, and practical levels. With an already vast and steadily accumulating neuroimaging literature on neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurological diseases and disorders in which FC is a primary measure, we aim here to provide a high-level synthesis of major concepts that have arisen from FC findings in a manner that cuts across different clinical conditions and sheds light on overarching principles. We highlight that FC has allowed us to discover the ubiquity of intrinsic functional networks across virtually all brains and clarify typical patterns of neurodevelopment over the lifespan. This understanding of typical FC maturation with age has provided important benchmarks against which to evaluate divergent maturation in early life and degeneration in late life. This in turn has led to the important insight that many clinical conditions are associated with complex, distributed, network-level changes in the brain, as opposed to solely focal abnormalities. We further emphasize the important role that FC studies have played in supporting a dimensional approach to studying transdiagnostic clinical symptoms and in enhancing the multimodal characterization and prediction of the trajectory of symptom progression across conditions. We highlight the unprecedented opportunity offered by FC to probe functional abnormalities in clinical conditions where brain function could not be easily studied otherwise, such as in disorders of consciousness. Lastly, we suggest high priority areas for future research and acknowledge critical barriers associated with the use of FC methods, particularly those related to artifact removal, data denoising and feasibility in clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahe Zhang
- Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Aaron Kucyi
- Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jovicarole Raya
- Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ashley N Nielsen
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jason S Nomi
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33124, USA
| | - Jessica S Damoiseaux
- Institute of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Deanna J Greene
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33124, USA
| | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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15
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A white paper on a neurodevelopmental framework for drug discovery in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 48:49-88. [PMID: 33781629 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade there has been a revolution in terms of genetic findings in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with many discoveries critical for understanding their aetiology and pathophysiology. Clinical trials in single-gene disorders such as fragile X syndrome highlight the challenges of investigating new drug targets in NDDs. Incorporating a developmental perspective into the process of drug development for NDDs could help to overcome some of the current difficulties in identifying and testing new treatments. This paper provides a summary of the proceedings of the 'New Frontiers Meeting' on neurodevelopmental disorders organised by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in conjunction with the Innovative Medicines Initiative-sponsored AIMS-2-TRIALS consortium. It brought together experts in developmental genetics, autism, NDDs, and clinical trials from academia and industry, regulators, patient and family associations, and other stakeholders. The meeting sought to provide a platform for focused communication on scientific insights, challenges, and methodologies that might be applicable to the development of CNS treatments from a neurodevelopmental perspective. Multidisciplinary translational consortia to develop basic and clinical research in parallel could be pivotal to advance knowledge in the field. Although implementation of clinical trials for NDDs in paediatric populations is widely acknowledged as essential, safety concerns should guide each aspect of their design. Industry and academia should join forces to improve knowledge of the biology of brain development, identify the optimal timing of interventions, and translate these findings into new drugs, allowing for the needs of users and families, with support from regulatory agencies.
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16
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Walsh MJM, Wallace GL, Gallegos SM, Braden BB. Brain-based sex differences in autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan: A systematic review of structural MRI, fMRI, and DTI findings. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 31:102719. [PMID: 34153690 PMCID: PMC8233229 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Females with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been long overlooked in neuroscience research, but emerging evidence suggests they show distinct phenotypic trajectories and age-related brain differences. Sex-related biological factors (e.g., hormones, genes) may play a role in ASD etiology and have been shown to influence neurodevelopmental trajectories. Thus, a lifespan approach is warranted to understand brain-based sex differences in ASD. This systematic review on MRI-based sex differences in ASD was conducted to elucidate variations across the lifespan and inform biomarker discovery of ASD in females We identified articles through two database searches. Fifty studies met criteria and underwent integrative review. We found that regions expressing replicable sex-by-diagnosis differences across studies overlapped with regions showing sex differences in neurotypical cohorts. Furthermore, studies investigating age-related brain differences across a broad age-span suggest distinct neurodevelopmental patterns in females with ASD. Qualitative comparison across youth and adult studies also supported this hypothesis. However, many studies collapsed across age, which may mask differences. Furthermore, accumulating evidence supports the female protective effect in ASD, although only one study examined brain circuits implicated in "protection." When synthesized with the broader literature, brain-based sex differences in ASD may come from various sources, including genetic and endocrine processes involved in brain "masculinization" and "feminization" across early development, puberty, and other lifespan windows of hormonal transition. Furthermore, sex-related biology may interact with peripheral processes, in particular the stress axis and brain arousal system, to produce distinct neurodevelopmental patterns in males and females with ASD. Future research on neuroimaging-based sex differences in ASD would benefit from a lifespan approach in well-controlled and multivariate studies. Possible relationships between behavior, sex hormones, and brain development in ASD remain largely unexamined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J M Walsh
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 975 S. Myrtle Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, 2115 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
| | - Stephen M Gallegos
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 975 S. Myrtle Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - B Blair Braden
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 975 S. Myrtle Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.
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17
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Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Fuster E, Padgaonkar NT, Patterson G, Jung J, Okada NJ, Lowe JK, Hoekstra JN, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, McPartland JC, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Geschwind DH, Dapretto M. Impact of autism genetic risk on brain connectivity: a mechanism for the female protective effect. Brain 2021; 145:378-387. [PMID: 34050743 PMCID: PMC8967090 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological mechanisms underlying the greater prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in males than females remain poorly understood. One hypothesis posits that this female protective effect arises from genetic load for autism spectrum disorder differentially impacting male and female brains. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the impact of cumulative genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder on functional brain connectivity in a balanced sample of boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing boys and girls (127 youth, ages 8-17). Brain connectivity analyses focused on the salience network, a core intrinsic functional connectivity network which has previously been implicated in autism spectrum disorder. The effects of polygenic risk on salience network functional connectivity were significantly modulated by participant sex, with genetic load for autism spectrum disorder influencing functional connectivity in boys with and without autism spectrum disorder but not girls. These findings support the hypothesis that autism spectrum disorder risk genes interact with sex differential processes, thereby contributing to the male bias in autism prevalence and proposing an underlying neurobiological mechanism for the female protective effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Correspondence to: Mirella Dapretto Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center 660 Charles E. Young Drive South Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA E-mail:
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Genevieve Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jiwon Jung
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nana J Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer K Lowe
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jackson N Hoekstra
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology and School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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18
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Effects of Mini-Basketball Training Program on Social Communication Impairment and Executive Control Network in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105132. [PMID: 34066139 PMCID: PMC8150962 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of a 12-week mini-basketball training program (MBTP) on social communication (SC) and the executive control network (ECN) in preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We finally assigned 30 preschool children with ASD to an experiment group (n = 15, 12 males, 3 females) or a control group (n = 15, 13 males, 2 females). The experiment group participated in a 12-week MBTP (40-min sessions per day, 5 days a week), while the control group only received the institutional routine behavioral rehabilitation intervention. The SC of preschool children with ASD was measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2), whereas functional connectivity (FC) of the ECN was assessed using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) at pre-and post-test. Our results showed that SC exhibited significant improvement in the intervention group, especially in SRS-2 total score, social cognition, and social communication. We found significantly enhanced functional connectivity between the right cerebellum and left inferior frontal gyrus in the experimental group, while functional connectivity between the left middle temporal gyrus and right cerebellum were decreased in the control group. Furthermore, there were no significant correlations between the change in SC scores and FC of the ECN. Altogether, this study provides valuable insights that a 12-week MBTP improves SC and functional connectivity of the ECN in preschool children with ASD. We further inferred that neural mechanisms might be associated with changing the ECN of preschool ASD children caused by the 12-week MBTP.
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19
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Harikumar A, Evans DW, Dougherty CC, Carpenter KL, Michael AM. A Review of the Default Mode Network in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Brain Connect 2021; 11:253-263. [PMID: 33403915 PMCID: PMC8112713 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2020.0865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been widely used to examine the relationships between brain function and phenotypic features in neurodevelopmental disorders. Techniques such as resting-state functional connectivity (FC) have enabled the identification of the primary networks of the brain. One fMRI network, in particular, the default mode network (DMN), has been implicated in social-cognitive deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attentional deficits in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Given the significant clinical and genetic overlap between ASD and ADHD, surprisingly, no reviews have compared the clinical, developmental, and genetic correlates of DMN in ASD and ADHD and here we address this knowledge gap. We find that, compared with matched controls, ASD studies show a mixed pattern of both stronger and weaker FC in the DMN and ADHD studies mostly show stronger FC. Factors such as age, intelligence quotient, medication status, and heredity affect DMN FC in both ASD and ADHD. We also note that most DMN studies make ASD versus ADHD group comparisons and fail to consider ASD+ADHD comorbidity. We conclude, by identifying areas for improvement and by discussing the importance of using transdiagnostic approaches such as the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) to fully account for the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity and overlap of ASD and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amritha Harikumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Address correspondence to: Amritha Harikumar, Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University, 6566 Main St, BRC 780B, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David W. Evans
- Department of Psychology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chase C. Dougherty
- Department of Psychiatry, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kimberly L.H. Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew M. Michael
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Institute for Brain Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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20
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Brief Report: Investigating the Motivations and Autistic Traits of Video Gamers. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1403-1407. [PMID: 33886033 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04994-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Video games are commonly of interest in autism, with autistic adolescents playing twice as much as their Typically Developing peers. The aims of this study are to investigate whether motivations to play video games measured using the Gaming Attitudes, Motivations and Experiences Scales and autistic traits using the Autism Spectrum Quotient can predict time spent playing video games. 57 participants were recruited from internet forums and completed an online questionnaire. The preliminary results revealed that only escapism and social motivation predicted time spent playing games. Further investigation revealed interactions between autistic traits and several motivational scales, including escapism, completionism, and customisation. This has consequences for future research into how autistic people use video games to ease their anxieties.
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21
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Li X, Zhang K, He X, Zhou J, Jin C, Shen L, Gao Y, Tian M, Zhang H. Structural, Functional, and Molecular Imaging of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurosci Bull 2021; 37:1051-1071. [PMID: 33779890 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00673-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder associated with both genetic and environmental risks. Neuroimaging approaches have been widely employed to parse the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying ASD, and provide critical insights into the anatomical, functional, and neurochemical changes. We reviewed recent advances in neuroimaging studies that focused on ASD by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), or single-positron emission tomography (SPECT). Longitudinal structural MRI has delineated an abnormal developmental trajectory of ASD that is associated with cascading neurobiological processes, and functional MRI has pointed to disrupted functional neural networks. Meanwhile, PET and SPECT imaging have revealed that metabolic and neurotransmitter abnormalities may contribute to shaping the aberrant neural circuits of ASD. Future large-scale, multi-center, multimodal investigations are essential to elucidate the neurophysiological underpinnings of ASD, and facilitate the development of novel diagnostic biomarkers and better-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Xiao He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Jinyun Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Chentao Jin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Lesang Shen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Yuanxue Gao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, China
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Mei Tian
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical PET Center, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
- The College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
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22
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Kupis L, Goodman ZT, Kircher L, Romero C, Dirks B, Chang C, Nomi JS, Uddin LQ. Altered patterns of brain dynamics linked with body mass index in youth with autism. Autism Res 2021; 14:873-886. [PMID: 33616282 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher rates of overweight and obesity (OWOB) compared with typically developing (TD) children. Brain functional connectivity differences have been shown in both ASD and OWOB. However, only one study to date has examined ASD and OWOB concurrently, so little is known regarding the neural mechanisms associated with the higher prevalence of OWOB and its behavioral impacts in ASD. We investigated co-activation patterns (CAPs) of brain regions identified by independent component analysis in 129 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age (n = 68 ASD). We examined the interaction between body mass index (BMI) and diagnosis in predicting dynamic brain metrics (dwell time, DT; frequency of occurrence, and transitions between states) as well as dimensional brain-behavior relationships. The relationship between BMI and brain dynamics was moderated by diagnosis (ASD, TD), particularly among the frequency of CAP 4, characterized by co-activation of lateral frontoparietal, temporal, and frontal networks. This pattern was negatively associated with parent-reported inhibition skills. Children with ASD had shorter CAP 1, characterized by co-activation of the subcortical, temporal, sensorimotor, and frontal networks, and CAP 4 DTs compared with TD children. CAP 1 DT was negatively associated with cognitive flexibility, inhibition, social functioning, and BMI. Cognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between BMI and brain dynamics in the visual network. Our findings provide novel evidence of neural mechanisms associated with OWOB in children with ASD. Further, poorer cognitive flexibility may result in increased vulnerability for children with ASD and co-occurring OWOB. LAY SUMMARY: Obesity is a societal epidemic and is common in autism, however, little is known about the neural mechanisms associated with the higher rates of obesity in autism. Here, we find unique patterns of brain dynamics associated with obesity in autism that were not observed in typically developing children. Further, the relationship between body mass index and brain dynamics depended on cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest that individuals with autism may be more vulnerable to the effects of obesity on brain function. Autism Res 2021, 14: 873-886. © 2021 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kupis
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Zachary T Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Leigha Kircher
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Celia Romero
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Bryce Dirks
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Catie Chang
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jason S Nomi
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA.,Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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23
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Paul S, Arora A, Midha R, Vu D, Roy PK, Belmonte MK. Autistic traits and individual brain differences: functional network efficiency reflects attentional and social impairments, structural nodal efficiencies index systemising and theory-of-mind skills. Mol Autism 2021; 12:3. [PMID: 33478557 PMCID: PMC7818759 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00377-8] [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: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is characterised not only by impaired social cognitive 'empathising' but also by superior rule-based 'systemising'. These cognitive domains intertwine within the categorical diagnosis of autism, yet behavioural genetics suggest largely independent heritability, and separable brain mechanisms. We sought to determine whether quantitative behavioural measures of autistic traits are dimensionally associated with structural and functional brain network integrity, and whether brain bases of autistic traits vary independently across individuals. METHODS Thirty right-handed neurotypical adults (12 females) were administered psychometric (Social Responsiveness Scale, Autism Spectrum Quotient and Systemising Quotient) and behavioural (Attention Network Test and theory-of-mind reaction time) measures of autistic traits, and structurally (diffusion tensor imaging) and functionally (500 s of 2 Hz eyes-closed resting fMRI) derived graph-theoretic measures of efficiency of information integration were computed throughout the brain and within subregions. RESULTS Social impairment was positively associated with functional efficiency (r = .47, p = .006), globally and within temporo-parietal and prefrontal cortices. Delayed orienting of attention likewise was associated with greater functional efficiency (r = - .46, p = .0133). Systemising was positively associated with global structural efficiency (r = .38, p = 0.018), driven specifically by temporal pole; theory-of-mind reaction time was related to structural efficiency (r = - .40, p = 0.0153) within right supramarginal gyrus. LIMITATIONS Interpretation of these relationships is complicated by the many senses of the term 'connectivity', including functional, structural and computational; by the approximation inherent in group functional anatomical parcellations when confronted with individual variation in functional anatomy; and by the validity, sensitivity and specificity of the several survey and experimental behavioural measures applied as correlates of brain structure and function. CONCLUSIONS Functional connectivities highlight distributed networks associated with domain-general properties such as attentional orienting and social cognition broadly, associating more impaired behaviour with more efficient brain networks that may reflect heightened feedforward information flow subserving autistic strengths and deficits alike. Structural connectivity results highlight specific anatomical nodes of convergence, reflecting cognitive and neuroanatomical independence of systemising and theory-of-mind. In addition, this work shows that individual differences in theory-of-mind related to brain structure can be measured behaviourally, and offers neuroanatomical evidence to pin down the slippery construct of 'systemising' as the capacity to construct invariant contextual associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadip Paul
- MIND Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA.,National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India
| | - Aditi Arora
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Universität Salzburg, Kapitelgasse 4-6, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Rashi Midha
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India.,National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, India
| | - Dinh Vu
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Harald Schjelderups hus, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Psychology, Chaucer Bldg., Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UK
| | - Prasun K Roy
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Matthew K Belmonte
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India. .,Department of Psychology, Chaucer Bldg., Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UK. .,The Com DEALL Trust, 224, 6th 'A' Main Road, near Specialist Hospital, 2nd Block, HRBR Layout, Bangalore, 560043, India.
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24
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Pua EPK, Thomson P, Yang JYM, Craig JM, Ball G, Seal M. Individual Differences in Intrinsic Brain Networks Predict Symptom Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:681-693. [PMID: 32959054 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is still unknown. We hypothesized that differences in subject-level properties of intrinsic brain networks were important features that could predict individual variation in ASD symptom severity. We matched cases and controls from a large multicohort ASD dataset (ABIDE-II) on age, sex, IQ, and image acquisition site. Subjects were matched at the individual level (rather than at group level) to improve homogeneity within matched case-control pairs (ASD: n = 100, mean age = 11.43 years, IQ = 110.58; controls: n = 100, mean age = 11.43 years, IQ = 110.70). Using task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging, we extracted intrinsic functional brain networks using projective non-negative matrix factorization. Intrapair differences in strength in subnetworks related to the salience network (SN) and the occipital-temporal face perception network were robustly associated with individual differences in social impairment severity (T = 2.206, P = 0.0301). Findings were further replicated and validated in an independent validation cohort of monozygotic twins (n = 12; 3 pairs concordant and 3 pairs discordant for ASD). Individual differences in the SN and face-perception network are centrally implicated in the neural mechanisms of social deficits related to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Peng Kiat Pua
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia.,Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Phoebe Thomson
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Joseph Yuan-Mou Yang
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia.,Neuroscience Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Advanced Clinical Imaging Suite (NACIS), The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jeffrey M Craig
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia.,Molecular Epidemiology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia.,Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong VIC 3220, Australia
| | - Gareth Ball
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Marc Seal
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia
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25
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Chen Y, Liu S, Salzwedel A, Stephens R, Cornea E, Goldman BD, Gilmore JH, Gao W. The Subgrouping Structure of Newborns with Heterogenous Brain-Behavior Relationships. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:301-311. [PMID: 32946557 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of heterogeneity/subgroups in infants and older populations against single-domain brain or behavioral measures has been previously characterized. However, few attempts have been made to explore heterogeneity at the brain-behavior relationship level. Such a hypothesis posits that different subgroups of infants may possess qualitatively different brain-behavior relationships that could ultimately contribute to divergent developmental outcomes even with relatively similar brain phenotypes. In this study, we aimed to explore such relationship-level heterogeneity and delineate the subgrouping structure of newborns with differential brain-behavior associations based on a typically developing sample of 81 infants with 3-week resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans and 4-year intelligence quotient (IQ) measures. Our results not only confirmed the existence of relationship-level heterogeneity in newborns but also revealed divergent developmental outcomes associated with two subgroups showing similar brain functional connectivity but contrasting brain-behavior relationships. Importantly, further analyses unveiled an intriguing pattern that the subgroup with higher 4-year IQ outcomes possessed brain-behavior relationships that were congruent to their functional connectivity pattern in neonates while the subgroup with lower 4-year IQ not, providing potential explanations for the observed IQ differences. The characterization of heterogeneity at the brain-behavior relationship level may not only improve our understanding of the patterned intersubject variability during infancy but could also pave the way for future development of heterogeneity-inspired, personalized, subgroup-specific models for better prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Shuxin Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.,School of Educational Sciences, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou, Fujian 36300, China
| | - Andrew Salzwedel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Rebecca Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Emil Cornea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Barbara D Goldman
- Department of Psychology, FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (BIRI), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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26
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Cummings KK, Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Wood ET, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M, Green SA. Sex Differences in Salience Network Connectivity and its Relationship to Sensory Over-Responsivity in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:1489-1500. [PMID: 32860348 PMCID: PMC8351910 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are significantly more likely to experience sensory over-responsivity (SOR) compared to neurotypical controls. SOR in autism has been shown to be related to atypical functional connectivity in the salience network (SN), a brain network thought to help direct attention to the most relevant stimuli in one's environment. However, all studies to date which have examined the neurobiological basis of sensory processing in ASD have used primarily male samples so little is known about sex differences in the neural processing of sensory information. This study examined the relationship between SOR and resting-state functional connectivity in the SN for 37 males and 16 females with autism, ages 8-17 years. While there were no sex differences in parent-rated SOR symptoms, there were significant sex differences in how SOR related to SN connectivity. Relative to females with ASD, males with ASD showed a stronger association between SOR and increased connectivity between the salience and primary sensory networks, suggesting increased allocation to sensory information. Conversely, for females with ASD, SOR was more strongly related to increased connectivity between the SN and prefrontal cortex. Results suggest that the underlying mechanisms of SOR in ASD are sex specific, providing insight into the differences seen in the diagnosis rate and symptom profiles of males and females with ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) is common in autism. Most research on the neural basis of SOR has focused on males, so little is known about SOR or its neurobiology in females with autism spectrum disorder. Here despite no sex differences in SOR symptoms, we found sex differences in how SOR related to intrinsic connectivity in a salience detection network. Results show sex differences in the neural mechanisms underlying SOR and inform sex differences seen in diagnosis rates and symptom profiles in autism. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1489-1500. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin K Cummings
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Katherine E Lawrence
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Emily T Wood
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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27
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Bianco V, Finisguerra A, Betti S, D’Argenio G, Urgesi C. Autistic Traits Differently Account for Context-Based Predictions of Physical and Social Events. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E418. [PMID: 32630346 PMCID: PMC7407668 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10070418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is associated with difficulties in making predictions based on contextual cues. Here, we investigated whether the distribution of autistic traits in the general population, as measured through the Autistic Quotient (AQ), is associated with alterations of context-based predictions of social and non-social stimuli. Seventy-eight healthy participants performed a social task, requiring the prediction of the unfolding of an action as interpersonal (e.g., to give) or individual (e.g., to eat), and a non-social task, requiring the prediction of the appearance of a moving shape as a short (e.g., square) or a long (e.g., rectangle) figure. Both tasks consisted of (i) a familiarization phase, in which the association between each stimulus type and a contextual cue was manipulated with different probabilities of co-occurrence, and (ii) a testing phase, in which visual information was impoverished by early occlusion of video display, thus forcing participants to rely on previously learned context-based associations. Findings showed that the prediction of both social and non-social stimuli was facilitated when embedded in high-probability contexts. However, only the contextual modulation of non-social predictions was reduced in individuals with lower 'Attention switching' abilities. The results provide evidence for an association between weaker context-based expectations of non-social events and higher autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bianco
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
| | | | - Sonia Betti
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia D’Argenio
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
- PhD Program in Neural and Cognitive Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34128 Trieste, Italy
| | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Pasian di Prato, 33037 Udine, Italy;
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28
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Tang S, Sun N, Floris DL, Zhang X, Di Martino A, Yeo BTT. Reconciling Dimensional and Categorical Models of Autism Heterogeneity: A Brain Connectomics and Behavioral Study. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:1071-1082. [PMID: 31955916 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heterogeneity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has hindered the development of biomarkers, thus motivating subtyping efforts. Most subtyping studies divide individuals with ASD into nonoverlapping (categorical) subgroups. However, continuous interindividual variation in ASD suggests that there is a need for a dimensional approach. METHODS A Bayesian model was employed to decompose resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of individuals with ASD into multiple abnormal RSFC patterns, i.e., categorical subtypes, henceforth referred to as "factors." Importantly, the model allowed each individual to express one or more factors to varying degrees (dimensional subtyping). The model was applied to 306 individuals with ASD (5.2-57 years of age) from two multisite repositories. Post hoc analyses associated factors with symptoms and demographics. RESULTS Analyses yielded three factors with dissociable whole-brain hypo- and hyper-RSFC patterns. Most participants expressed multiple (categorical) factors, suggestive of a mosaic of subtypes within individuals. All factors shared abnormal RSFC involving the default mode network, but the directionality (hypo- or hyper-RSFC) differed across factors. Factor 1 was associated with core ASD symptoms. Factors 1 and 2 were associated with distinct comorbid symptoms. Older male participants preferentially expressed factor 3. Factors were robust across control analyses and were not associated with IQ or head motion. CONCLUSIONS There exist at least three ASD factors with dissociable whole-brain RSFC patterns, behaviors, and demographics. Heterogeneous default mode network hypo- and hyper-RSFC across the factors might explain previously reported inconsistencies. The factors differentiated between core ASD and comorbid symptoms-a less appreciated domain of heterogeneity in ASD. These factors are coexpressed in individuals with ASD with different degrees, thus reconciling categorical and dimensional perspectives of ASD heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Tang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Clinical Imaging Research Centre, N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore; Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Nanbo Sun
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Clinical Imaging Research Centre, N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Dorothea L Floris
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Xiuming Zhang
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Autism and Social Cognition Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, New York
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Centre for Sleep and Cognition, Clinical Imaging Research Centre, N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Republic of Singapore; National University of Singapore Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Singapore, Republic of Singapore; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts.
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29
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Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Bowman HC, Padgaonkar NT, Fuster E, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity of the Salience, Default Mode, and Central Executive Networks in Youth with ASD. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5107-5120. [PMID: 32350530 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with the altered functional connectivity of 3 neurocognitive networks that are hypothesized to be central to the symptomatology of ASD: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and central executive network (CEN). Due to the considerably higher prevalence of ASD in males, however, previous studies examining these networks in ASD have used primarily male samples. It is thus unknown how these networks may be differentially impacted among females with ASD compared to males with ASD, and how such differences may compare to those observed in neurotypical individuals. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the SN, DMN, and CEN in a large, well-matched sample of girls and boys with and without ASD (169 youth, ages 8-17). Girls with ASD displayed greater functional connectivity between the DMN and CEN than boys with ASD, whereas typically developing girls and boys differed in SN functional connectivity only. Together, these results demonstrate that youth with ASD exhibit altered sex differences in these networks relative to what is observed in typical development, and highlight the importance of considering sex-related biological factors and participant sex when characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hilary C Bowman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.,Dept. of Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Nair A, Jolliffe M, Lograsso YSS, Bearden CE. A Review of Default Mode Network Connectivity and Its Association With Social Cognition in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Early-Onset Psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:614. [PMID: 32670121 PMCID: PMC7330632 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated substantial phenotypic overlap, notably social impairment, between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of social impairments across these distinct neuropsychiatric disorders has not yet been fully examined. Most neuroimaging studies to date have focused on adults with these disorders, with little known about the neural underpinnings of social impairments in younger populations. Here, we present a narrative review of the literature available through April 2020 on imaging studies of adolescents with either ASD or early-onset psychosis (EOP), to better understand the shared and unique neural mechanisms of social difficulties across diagnosis from a developmental framework. We specifically focus on functional connectivity studies of the default mode network (DMN), as the most extensively studied brain network relevant to social cognition across both groups. Our review included 29 studies of DMN connectivity in adolescents with ASD (Mean age range = 11.2-21.6 years), and 14 studies in adolescents with EOP (Mean age range = 14.2-24.3 years). Of these, 15 of 29 studies in ASD adolescents found predominant underconnectivity when examining DMN connectivity. In contrast, findings were mixed in adolescents with EOP, with five of 14 studies reporting DMN underconnectivity, and an additional six of 14 studies reporting both under- and over-connectivity of the DMN. Specifically, intra-DMN networks were more frequently underconnected in ASD, but overconnected in EOP. On the other hand, inter-DMN connectivity patterns were mixed (both under- and over-connected) for each group, especially DMN connectivity with frontal, sensorimotor, and temporoparietal regions in ASD, and with frontal, temporal, subcortical, and cerebellar regions in EOP. Finally, disrupted DMN connectivity appeared to be associated with social impairments in both groups, less so with other features distinct to each condition, such as repetitive behaviors/restricted interests in ASD and hallucinations/delusions in EOP. Further studies on demographically well-matched groups of adolescents with each of these conditions are needed to systematically explore additional contributing factors in DMN connectivity patterns such as clinical heterogeneity, pubertal development, and medication effects that would better inform treatment targets and facilitate prediction of outcomes in the context of these developmental neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Nair
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, California
| | - Morgan Jolliffe
- Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Yong Seuk S Lograsso
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, California.,Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, California.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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31
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Building functional connectivity neuromarkers of behavioral self-regulation across children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 41:100747. [PMID: 31826838 PMCID: PMC6994646 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral self-regulation develops rapidly during childhood and struggles in this area can have lifelong negative outcomes. Challenges with self-regulation are common to several neurodevelopmental conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Little is known about the neural expression of behavioral regulation in children with and without neurodevelopmental conditions. We examined whole-brain brain functional correlations (FC) and behavioral regulation through connectome predictive modelling (CPM). CPM is a data-driven protocol for developing predictive models of brain–behavior relationships and assessing their potential as ‘neuromarkers’ using cross-validation. The data stems from the ABIDE II and comprises 276 children with and without ASD (8–13 years). We identified networks whose FC predicted individual differences in behavioral regulation. These network models predicted novel individuals’ inhibition and shifting from FC data in both a leave-one-out, and split halves, cross-validation. We observed commonalities and differences, with inhibition relying on more posterior networks, shifting relying on more anterior networks, and both involving regions of the DMN. Our findings substantially add to our knowledge on the neural expressions of inhibition and shifting across children with and without a neurodevelopmental condition. Given the numerous behavioral issues that can be quantified dimensionally, refinement of whole-brain neuromarker techniques may prove useful in the future.
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Kearney CA, Gonzálvez C, Graczyk PA, Fornander MJ. Reconciling Contemporary Approaches to School Attendance and School Absenteeism: Toward Promotion and Nimble Response, Global Policy Review and Implementation, and Future Adaptability (Part 2). Front Psychol 2019; 10:2605. [PMID: 31849743 PMCID: PMC6895679 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
As noted in Part 1 of this two-part review, school attendance is an important foundational competency for children and adolescents, and school absenteeism has been linked to myriad short- and long-term negative consequences, even into adulthood. Categorical and dimensional approaches for this population have been developed. This article (Part 2 of a two-part review) discusses compatibilities of categorical and dimensional approaches for school attendance and school absenteeism and how these approaches can inform one another. The article also poses a multidimensional multi-tiered system of supports pyramid model as a mechanism for reconciling these approaches, promoting school attendance (and/or prevention of school absenteeism), establishing early warning systems for nimble response to school attendance problems, assisting with global policy review and dissemination and implementation, and adapting to future changes in education and technology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolina Gonzálvez
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Teaching, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Patricia A. Graczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mirae J. Fornander
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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Dajani DR, Burrows CA, Nebel MB, Mostofsky SH, Gates KM, Uddin LQ. Parsing Heterogeneity in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with Individual Connectome Mapping. Brain Connect 2019; 9:673-691. [PMID: 31631690 PMCID: PMC6862970 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2019.0669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional diagnostic systems for neurodevelopmental disorders define diagnostic categories that are heterogeneous in behavior and underlying neurobiological alterations. The goal of this study was to parse heterogeneity in a core executive function (EF), cognitive flexibility, in children with a range of abilities (N = 132; children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], and typically developing children) using directed functional connectivity profiles derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Brain regions activated in response to a cognitive flexibility task in adults were used to guide region-of-interest selection to estimate individual connectivity profiles in this study. We expected to find subgroups of children who differed in their network connectivity metrics and symptom measures. Unexpectedly, we did not find a stable or valid subgrouping solution, which suggests that categorical models of the neural substrates of cognitive flexibility in children may be invalid. Exploratory analyses revealed dimensional associations between network connectivity metrics and ADHD symptomatology and EF ability across the entire sample. Results shed light on the validity of conceptualizing the neural substrates of cognitive flexibility categorically in children. Ultimately, this work may provide a foundation for the development of a revised nosology focused on neurobiological substrates as an alternative to traditional symptom-based classification systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina R. Dajani
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
| | - Catherine A. Burrows
- Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Mary Beth Nebel
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Stewart H. Mostofsky
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kathleen M. Gates
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Lucina Q. Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
- Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
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Lombardo MV, Lai MC, Baron-Cohen S. Big data approaches to decomposing heterogeneity across the autism spectrum. Mol Psychiatry 2019; 24:1435-1450. [PMID: 30617272 PMCID: PMC6754748 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0321-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a diagnostic label based on behavior. While the diagnostic criteria attempt to maximize clinical consensus, it also masks a wide degree of heterogeneity between and within individuals at multiple levels of analysis. Understanding this multi-level heterogeneity is of high clinical and translational importance. Here we present organizing principles to frame research examining multi-level heterogeneity in autism. Theoretical concepts such as 'spectrum' or 'autisms' reflect non-mutually exclusive explanations regarding continuous/dimensional or categorical/qualitative variation between and within individuals. However, common practices of small sample size studies and case-control models are suboptimal for tackling heterogeneity. Big data are an important ingredient for furthering our understanding of heterogeneity in autism. In addition to being 'feature-rich', big data should be both 'broad' (i.e., large sample size) and 'deep' (i.e., multiple levels of data collected on the same individuals). These characteristics increase the likelihood that the study results are more generalizable and facilitate evaluation of the utility of different models of heterogeneity. A model's utility can be measured by its ability to explain clinically or mechanistically important phenomena, and also by explaining how variability manifests across different levels of analysis. The directionality for explaining variability across levels can be bottom-up or top-down, and should include the importance of development for characterizing changes within individuals. While progress can be made with 'supervised' models built upon a priori or theoretically predicted distinctions or dimensions of importance, it will become increasingly important to complement such work with unsupervised data-driven discoveries that leverage unknown and multivariate distinctions within big data. A better understanding of how to model heterogeneity between autistic people will facilitate progress towards precision medicine for symptoms that cause suffering, and person-centered support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V Lombardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
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Kim H, Keifer C, Rodriguez-Seijas C, Eaton N, Lerner M, Gadow K. Quantifying the Optimal Structure of the Autism Phenotype: A Comprehensive Comparison of Dimensional, Categorical, and Hybrid Models. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019; 58:876-886.e2. [PMID: 30768420 PMCID: PMC6488452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2018.09.431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The two primary-seemingly contradictory-strategies for classifying child psychiatric syndromes are categorical and dimensional; conceptual ambiguities appear to be greatest for polythetic syndromes such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recently, a compelling alternative has emerged that integrates both categorical and dimensional approaches (ie, a hybrid model), thanks to the increasing sophistication of analytic procedures. This study aimed to quantify the optimal phenotypic structure of ASD by comprehensively comparing categorical, dimensional, and hybrid models. METHOD The sample comprised 3,825 youth, who were consecutive referrals to a university developmental disabilities or child psychiatric outpatient clinic. Caregivers completed the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory-4R (CASI-4R), which includes an ASD symptom rating scale. A series of latent class analyses, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and factor mixture analyses was conducted. Replication analyses were conducted in an independent sample (N = 2,503) of children referred for outpatient evaluation. RESULTS Based on comparison of 44 different models, results indicated that the ASD symptom phenotype is best conceptualized as multidimensional versus a categorical or categorical-dimensional hybrid construct. ASD symptoms were best characterized as falling along three dimensions (ie, social interaction, communication, and repetitive behavior) on the CASI-4R. CONCLUSION Findings reveal an optimal structure with which to characterize the ASD phenotype using a single, parent-report measure, supporting the presence of multiple correlated symptom dimensions that traverse formal diagnostic boundaries and quantify the heterogeneity of ASD. These findings inform understanding of how neurodevelopmental disorders can extend beyond discrete categories of development and represent continuously distributed traits across the range of human behaviors.
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Walsh MJM, Baxter LC, Smith CJ, Braden BB. Age Group Differences in Executive Network Functional Connectivity and Relationships with Social Behavior in Men with Autism Spectrum Disorder. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2019; 63:63-77. [PMID: 32405319 PMCID: PMC7220036 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research suggests adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may use executive functions to compensate for social difficulties. Given hallmark age-related declines in executive functioning and the executive brain network in normal aging, there is concern that older adults with ASD may experience further declines in social functioning as they age. In a male-only sample, we hypothesized: 1) older adults with ASD would demonstrate greater ASD-related social behavior than young adults with ASD, 2) adults with ASD would demonstrate a greater age group reduction in connectivity of the executive brain network than neurotypical (NT) adults, and 3) that behavioral and neural mechanisms of executive functioning would predict ASD-related social difficulties in adults with ASD. METHODS Participants were a cross-sectional sample of non-intellectually disabled young (ages 18-25) and middle-aged (ages 40-70) adult men with ASD and NT development (young adult ASD: n=24; middle-age ASD: n=25; young adult NT: n=15; middle-age NT: n=21). We assessed ASD-related social behavior via the self-report Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) Total Score, with exploratory analyses of the Social Cognition Subscale. We assessed neural executive function via connectivity of the resting-state executive network (EN) as measured by independent component analysis. Correlations were investigated between SRS-2 Total Scores (with exploratory analyses of the Social Cognition Subscale), EN functional connectivity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and a behavioral measure of executive function, Tower of London (ToL) Total Moves. RESULTS We did not confirm a significant age group difference for adults with ASD on the SRS-2 Total Score; however, exploratory analysis revealed middle-age men with ASD had higher scores on the SRS-2 Social Cognition Subscale than young adult men with ASD. Exacerbated age group reductions in EN functional connectivity were confirmed (left dlPFC) in men with ASD compared to NT, such that older adults with ASD demonstrated the greatest levels of hypoconnectivity. A significant correlation was confirmed between dlPFC connectivity and the SRS-2 Total Score in middle-age men with ASD, but not young adult men with ASD. Furthermore, exploratory analysis revealed a significant correlation with the SRS-2 Social Cognition Subscale for young and middle-aged ASD groups and ToL Total Moves. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that ASD-related difficulties in social cognition and EN hypoconnectivity may get worse with age in men with ASD and is related to executive functioning. Further, exacerbated EN hypoconnectivity associated with older age in ASD may be a mechanism of increased ASD-related social cognition difficulties in older adults with ASD. Given the cross-sectional nature of this sample, longitudinal replication is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J. M. Walsh
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, 976 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | - Leslie C. Baxter
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 W Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85013
| | - Christopher J. Smith
- Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, 2225 N 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006
| | - B. Blair Braden
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, 976 S Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281
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Pierce K, Gazestani VH, Bacon E, Barnes CC, Cha D, Nalabolu S, Lopez L, Moore A, Pence-Stophaeros S, Courchesne E. Evaluation of the Diagnostic Stability of the Early Autism Spectrum Disorder Phenotype in the General Population Starting at 12 Months. JAMA Pediatr 2019; 173:578-587. [PMID: 31034004 PMCID: PMC6547081 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Universal early screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in primary care is becoming increasingly common and is believed to be a pivotal step toward early treatment. However, the diagnostic stability of ASD in large cohorts from the general population, particularly in those younger than 18 months, is unknown. Changes in the phenotypic expression of ASD across early development compared with toddlers with other delays are also unknown. OBJECTIVES To examine the diagnostic stability of ASD in a large cohort of toddlers starting at 12 months of age and to compare this stability with that of toddlers with other disorders, such as developmental delay. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In this prospective cohort study performed from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2018, a total of 2241 toddlers were referred from the general population through a universal screening program in primary care or community referral. Eligible toddlers received their first diagnostic evaluation between 12 and 36 months of age and had at least 1 subsequent evaluation. EXPOSURES Diagnosis was denoted after each evaluation visit as ASD, ASD features, language delay, developmental delay, other developmental issue, typical sibling of an ASD proband, or typical development. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Diagnostic stability coefficients were calculated within 2-month age bands, and logistic regression models were used to explore the associations of sex, age, diagnosis at first visit, and interval between first and last diagnosis with stability. Toddlers with a non-ASD diagnosis at their first visit diagnosed with ASD at their last were designated as having late-identified ASD. RESULTS Among the 1269 toddlers included in the study (918 [72.3%] male; median age at first evaluation, 17.6 months [interquartile range, 14.0-24.4 months]; median age at final evaluation, 36.2 months [interquartile range, 33.4-40.9 months]), the overall diagnostic stability for ASD was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80-0.87), which was higher than any other diagnostic group. Only 7 toddlers (1.8%) initially considered to have ASD transitioned into a final diagnosis of typical development. Diagnostic stability of ASD within the youngest age band (12-13 months) was lowest at 0.50 (95% CI, 0.32-0.69) but increased to 0.79 by 14 months and 0.83 by 16 months (age bands of 12 vs 14 and 16 months; odds ratio, 4.25; 95% CI, 1.59-11.74). A total of 105 toddlers (23.8%) were not designated as having ASD at their first visit but were identified at a later visit. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings suggest that an ASD diagnosis becomes stable starting at 14 months of age and overall is more stable than other diagnostic categories, including language or developmental delay. After a toddler is identified as having ASD, there may be a low chance that he or she will test within typical levels at 3 years of age. This finding opens the opportunity to test the impact of very early-age treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Pierce
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Vahid H. Gazestani
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Elizabeth Bacon
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | | | - Debra Cha
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Srinivasa Nalabolu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Linda Lopez
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Adrienne Moore
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | | | - Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
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Regression Models for Characterizing Categorical-Dimensional Brain-Behavior Relationships in Clinical Populations. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:419-420. [PMID: 31054645 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Friedlander E, Yirmiya N, Laiba E, Harel-Gadassi A, Yaari M, Feldstein O, Mankuta D, Israel S. Cumulative Risk of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Interacts with Prenatal Exposure to Oxytocin Receptor Antagonist to Predict Children's Social Communication Development. Autism Res 2019; 12:1087-1100. [PMID: 31025834 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Compelling evidence for the far-reaching role of oxytocin (OT) in social cognition and affiliative behaviors set the basis for examining the association between genetic variation in the OT receptor (OXTR) gene and risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study, gene-environment interaction between OXTR and prenatal exposure to either OT or OXTR antagonist (OXTRA) in predicting early social communication development was examined. One hundred and fifty-three children (age: M = 4.32, SD = 1.07) were assigned to four groups based on prenatal history: children whose mothers prenatally received OXTRA and Nifedipine to delay preterm labor (n = 27); children whose mothers received Nifedipine only to delay preterm labor (n = 35); children whose mothers received OT for labor augmentation (n = 56), and a no intervention group (n = 35). Participants completed a developmental assessment of intelligence quotient (IQ), adaptive behavior, and social communication abilities. DNA was extracted via buccal swab. A genetic risk score was calculated based on four OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs53576, rs237887, rs1042778, and rs2254298) previously reported to be associated with ASD symptomatology. OXTRrisk-allele dosage was associated with more severe autism diagnostics observation schedule (ADOS) scores only in the OXTRA group. In contrast, in the Nifedipine, OT, and no intervention groups, OXTRrisk-allele dosage was not associated with children's ADOS scores. These findings highlight the importance of both genetic and environmental pathways of OT in signaling early social development and raise the need for further research in this field. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1087-1100. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: In the current study, we examined if the association between prenatal exposure to an oxytocin receptor antagonist (OXTRA) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) related impairments are dependent on an individual's genetic background for the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). Children who carried a greater number of risk alleles for the OXTR gene and whose mothers received OXTRA to delay preterm labor showed more ASD-related impairments. The results highlight the importance of both genetic and environmental pathways of oxytocin in shaping early social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwa Friedlander
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nurit Yirmiya
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Efrat Laiba
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Maya Yaari
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ohad Feldstein
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Ein-Kerem University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - David Mankuta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Ein-Kerem University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Salomon Israel
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Scheinfeld Center of Human Genetics for the Social Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel
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Rohr CS, Dimond D, Schuetze M, Cho IY, Lichtenstein-Vidne L, Okon-Singer H, Dewey D, Bray S. Girls’ attentive traits associate with cerebellar to dorsal attention and default mode network connectivity. Neuropsychologia 2019; 127:84-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Yerys BE, Tunç B, Satterthwaite TD, Antezana L, Mosner MG, Bertollo JR, Guy L, Schultz RT, Herrington JD. Functional Connectivity of Frontoparietal and Salience/Ventral Attention Networks Have Independent Associations With Co-occurring Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Children With Autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:343-351. [PMID: 30777604 PMCID: PMC6456394 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms have worse functional outcomes and treatment response than those without ADHD symptoms. There is limited knowledge of the neurobiology of ADHD symptoms in ASD. Here, we test the hypothesis that aberrant functional connectivity of two large-scale executive brain networks implicated in ADHD-the frontoparietal and salience/ventral attention networks-also play a role in ADHD symptoms in ASD. METHODS We compared resting-state functional connectivity of the two executive brain networks in children with ASD (n = 77) and typically developing control children (n = 82). These two executive brain networks comprise five subnetworks (three frontoparietal, two salience/ventral attention). After identifying aberrant functional connections among subnetworks, we examined dimensional associations with parent-reported ADHD symptoms. RESULTS Weaker functional connectivity in ASD was present within and between the frontoparietal and salience/ventral attention subnetworks. Decreased functional connectivity within a single salience/ventral attention subnetwork, as well as between two frontoparietal subnetworks, significantly correlated with ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, follow-up linear regressions demonstrated that the salience/ventral attention and frontoparietal subnetworks explain unique variance in ADHD symptoms. These executive brain network-ADHD symptom relationships remained significant after controlling for ASD symptoms. Finally, specificity was also demonstrated through the use of a control brain network (visual) and a control co-occurring symptom domain (anxiety). CONCLUSIONS The present findings provide novel evidence that both frontoparietal and salience/ventral attention networks' weaker connectivities are linked to ADHD symptoms in ASD. Moreover, co-occurring ADHD in the context of ASD is a source of meaningful neural heterogeneity in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin E Yerys
- Center for Autism Research and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| | - Birkan Tunç
- Center for Autism Research and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Biomedical and Health Information, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ligia Antezana
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Maya G Mosner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jennifer R Bertollo
- Center for Autism Research and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Lisa Guy
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - John D Herrington
- Center for Autism Research and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Hogeveen J, Krug MK, Elliott MV, Carter CS, Solomon M. Proactive control as a double-edged sword in autism spectrum disorder. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 127:429-435. [PMID: 29745707 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Proactive control refers to the active representation of contextual information to bias cognitive processing and facilitate goal-directed behavior. Despite research suggesting that proactive control may be impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the associations between proactive control and clinical symptoms of ASD remain underspecified. Here, we combined a children's version of the AX Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) with gold standard clinical assessments in children with ASD (N = 34) or typical development (TYP; N = 45). After controlling for full-scale IQ (FSIQ), measures of proactive control were similar between ASD and TYP. However, specifically within ASD we observed paradoxical relationships between proactive control and clinical symptoms. Increased reliance on proactive control was associated with reduced attention problems and increased restricted and repetitive behaviors in ASD. Therefore, proactive control appears to represent a double-edged sword in ASD: improved attentional control at the cost of heightened behavioral inflexibility. This represents a compelling and new characterization of the specific association between cognitive control processes isolated in computerized laboratory tasks and the multidimensional cognitive symptoms characteristic of ASD. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie K Krug
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis
| | | | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Imaging Research Center, University of California, Davis
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Hogeveen J, Krug MK, Elliott MV, Solomon M. Insula-Retrosplenial Cortex Overconnectivity Increases Internalizing via Reduced Insight in Autism. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84. [PMID: 29523413 PMCID: PMC6067993 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression are common and impairing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we test the hypothesis that aberrant functional connectivity among three brain networks (salience network [SN], default mode network [DMN], and frontoparietal network [FPN]) plays a role in the pathophysiology of internalizing in ASD. METHODS We examined the association between resting-state functional connectivity and internalizing in 102 adolescents and young adults with ASD (n = 49) or typical development (n = 53). Seed-to-target functional connectivity was contrasted between adolescents and young adults with ASD and typically developing subjects using a recent parcellation of the human cerebral cortex, and connections that were aberrant in ASD were analyzed dimensionally as a function of parent-reported internalizing symptoms. RESULTS Three connections demonstrated robust overconnectivity in ASD: 1) the anterior insula to the retrosplenial cortex (i.e., SN-DMN), 2) the anterior insula to the frontal pole (i.e., SN-FPN), and 3) the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to the retrosplenial cortex (i.e., FPN-DMN). These differences remained significant after controlling for age, and no age-related effects survived correction. The SN-DMN connection was associated with greater internalizing in ASD, mediated by a bigger difference between self- and parent-reported internalizing. Control analyses found that the other two connections were not associated with internalizing, and SN-DMN connectivity was not associated with a well-matched control measure (externalizing symptoms). CONCLUSIONS The present findings provide novel evidence for a specific link between SN-DMN overconnectivity and internalizing in ASD. Further, the mediation results suggest that intact anterior insula-retrosplenial connectivity may play a role in an individual's generating insight into his or her own psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Hogeveen
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California.
| | - Marie K. Krug
- UC Davis MIND Institute,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis
| | - Matthew V. Elliott
- UC Davis MIND Institute,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- UC Davis MIND Institute,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis,Imaging Research Center, UC Davis
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Alterations in resting state connectivity along the autism trait continuum: a twin study. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1659-1665. [PMID: 28761079 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to be associated with alterations in resting state (RS) functional connectivity, including areas forming the default mode network (DMN) and salience network (SN). However, insufficient control for confounding genetic and environmental influences and other methodological issues limit the generalizability of previous findings. Moreover, it has been hypothesized that ASD might be marked by early hyper-connectivity followed by later hypo-connectivity. To date, only a few studies have explicitly tested age-related influences on RS connectivity alterations in ASD. Using a within-twin pair design (N=150 twins; 8-23 years), we examined altered RS connectivity between core regions of the DMN and SN in relation to autistic trait severity and age in a sample of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins showing typical development, ASD or other neurodevelopmental conditions. Connectivity between core regions of the SN was stronger in twins with higher autistic traits compared to their co-twins. This effect was significant both in the total sample and in MZ twins alone, highlighting the effect of non-shared environmental factors on the link between SN-connectivity and autistic traits. While this link was strongest in children, we did not identify differences between age groups for the SN. In contrast, connectivity between core hubs of the DMN was negatively correlated with autistic traits in adolescents and showed a similar trend in adults but not in children. The results support hypotheses of age-dependent altered RS connectivity in ASD, making altered SN and DMN connectivity promising candidate biomarkers for ASD.
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Torrisi S, Chen G, Glen D, Bandettini PA, Baker CI, Reynolds R, Yen-Ting Liu J, Leshin J, Balderston N, Grillon C, Ernst M. Statistical power comparisons at 3T and 7T with a GO / NOGO task. Neuroimage 2018; 175:100-110. [PMID: 29621615 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.03.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of cognitive neuroscience is weighing evidence about whether to move from standard field strength to ultra-high field (UHF). The present study contributes to the evidence by comparing a cognitive neuroscience paradigm at 3 Tesla (3T) and 7 Tesla (7T). The goal was to test and demonstrate the practical effects of field strength on a standard GO/NOGO task using accessible preprocessing and analysis tools. Two independent matched healthy samples (N = 31 each) were analyzed at 3T and 7T. Results show gains at 7T in statistical strength, the detection of smaller effects and group-level power. With an increased availability of UHF scanners, these gains may be exploited by cognitive neuroscientists and other neuroimaging researchers to develop more efficient or comprehensive experimental designs and, given the same sample size, achieve greater statistical power at 7T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Torrisi
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States.
| | - Gang Chen
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
| | - Daniel Glen
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
| | | | - Chris I Baker
- Section on Learning and Plasticity, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
| | - Richard Reynolds
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
| | | | - Joseph Leshin
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
| | - Nicholas Balderston
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
| | - Christian Grillon
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
| | - Monique Ernst
- Section on Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, NIMH, Bethesda MD, United States
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Solomon M, Di Martino A. Increasing Traction for Discovery: The Research Domain Criteria Framework and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 2:458-460. [PMID: 29348036 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Imaging Research Center, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, California; MIND Institute, Sacramento, California.
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
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Aoki Y, Yoncheva YN, Chen B, Nath T, Sharp D, Lazar M, Velasco P, Milham MP, Di Martino A. Association of White Matter Structure With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry 2017; 74:1120-1128. [PMID: 28877317 PMCID: PMC5710226 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Clinical overlap between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasingly appreciated, but the underlying brain mechanisms remain unknown to date. OBJECTIVE To examine associations between white matter organization and 2 commonly co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions, ASD and ADHD, through both categorical and dimensional approaches. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This investigation was a cross-sectional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study at an outpatient academic clinical and research center, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York University Langone Medical Center. Participants were children with ASD, children with ADHD, or typically developing children. Data collection was ongoing from December 2008 to October 2015. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary measure was voxelwise fractional anisotropy (FA) analyzed via tract-based spatial statistics. Additional voxelwise DTI metrics included radial diffusivity (RD), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and mode of anisotropy (MA). RESULTS This cross-sectional DTI study analyzed data from 174 children (age range, 6.0-12.9 years), selected from a larger sample after quality assurance to be group matched on age and sex. After quality control, the study analyzed data from 69 children with ASD (mean [SD] age, 8.9 [1.7] years; 62 male), 55 children with ADHD (mean [SD] age, 9.5 [1.5] years; 41 male), and 50 typically developing children (mean [SD] age, 9.4 [1.5] years; 38 male). Categorical analyses revealed a significant influence of ASD diagnosis on several DTI metrics (FA, MD, RD, and AD), primarily in the corpus callosum. For example, FA analyses identified a cluster of 4179 voxels (TFCE FEW corrected P < .05) in posterior portions of the corpus callosum. Dimensional analyses revealed associations between ASD severity and FA, RD, and MD in more extended portions of the corpus callosum and beyond (eg, corona radiata and inferior longitudinal fasciculus) across all individuals, regardless of diagnosis. For example, FA analyses revealed clusters overall encompassing 12121 voxels (TFCE FWE corrected P < .05) with a significant association with parent ratings in the social responsiveness scale. Similar results were evident using an independent measure of ASD traits (ie, children communication checklist, second edition). Total severity of ADHD-traits was not significantly related to DTI metrics but inattention scores were related to AD in corpus callosum in a cluster sized 716 voxels. All these findings were robust to algorithmic correction of motion artifacts with the DTIPrep software. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Dimensional analyses provided a more complete picture of associations between ASD traits and inattention and indexes of white matter organization, particularly in the corpus callosum. This transdiagnostic approach can reveal dimensional relationships linking white matter structure to neurodevelopmental symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Aoki
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York
| | - Yuliya N. Yoncheva
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York
| | - Bosi Chen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York
| | - Tanmay Nath
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York
| | - Dillon Sharp
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York
| | - Mariana Lazar
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York
| | - Pablo Velasco
- Center for Brain Imaging, New York University, New York
| | - Michael P. Milham
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York,Child Mind Institute, New York, New York
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York
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Lalani SJ, Duffield TC, Trontel HG, Bigler ED, Abildskov TJ, Froehlich A, Prigge MBD, Travers BG, Anderson JS, Zielinski BA, Alexander A, Lange N, Lainhart JE. Auditory attention in autism spectrum disorder: An exploration of volumetric magnetic resonance imaging findings. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2017; 40:502-517. [PMID: 29072106 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2017.1373746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to perform significantly below typically developing individuals on standardized measures of attention, even when controlling for IQ. The current study sought to examine within ASD whether anatomical correlates of attention performance differed between those with average to above-average IQ (AIQ group) and those with low-average to borderline ability (LIQ group) as well as in comparison to typically developing controls (TDC). Using automated volumetric analyses, we examined regional volume of classic attention areas including the superior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus in ASD AIQ (n = 38) and LIQ (n = 18) individuals along with 30 TDC. Auditory attention performance was assessed using subtests of the Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL) compared among the groups and then correlated with regional brain volumes. Analyses revealed group differences in attention. The three groups did not differ significantly on any auditory attention-related brain volumes; however, trends toward significant size-attention function interactions were observed. Negative correlations were found between the volume of the precuneus and auditory attention performance for the AIQ ASD group, indicating larger volume related to poorer performance. Implications for general attention functioning and dysfunctional neural connectivity in ASD are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanam J Lalani
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA
| | - Tyler C Duffield
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA
| | - Haley G Trontel
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA
| | - Erin D Bigler
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA.,b Neuroscience Center , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA.,c Department of Psychology , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA.,d Department of Pediatrics , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Tracy J Abildskov
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA
| | - Alyson Froehlich
- c Department of Psychology , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Molly B D Prigge
- d Department of Pediatrics , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Brittany G Travers
- e Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA.,f Department of Kinesiology , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Jeffrey S Anderson
- g Department of Radiology , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Brandon A Zielinski
- d Department of Pediatrics , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA.,h Department of Neurology, School of Medicine , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Andrew Alexander
- e Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA.,i Department of Medical Physics , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA.,j Department of Psychiatry , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Nicholas Lange
- k Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.,l Neurostatistics Laboratory , McLean Hospital , Belmont , MA , USA
| | - Janet E Lainhart
- e Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA.,j Department of Psychiatry , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
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An altered scaffold for information processing: Cognitive control development in adolescents with autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:464-475. [PMID: 28924621 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We investigated how cognitive neuroscientific studies during the last decade have advanced understanding of cognitive control from adolescence to young adulthood in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To do so, we conducted a selective review of the larger structural, resting state, and diffusion imaging studies of brain regions and networks related to cognitive control that have been conducted since 2007 in individuals with ASD and typical development (TYP) ages 10 to 30 years that examined how these regions and networks support behavioral and task-based fMRI performance on tasks assessing cognitive control during this period. Longitudinal structural studies reveal overgrowth of the anterior cingulate (ACC) and slower white matter development in the parietal cortex in adolescents with ASD versus TYP. Cross-sectional studies of the salience, executive control and default mode resting state functional connectivity networks, which mediate cognitive control, demonstrate patterns of connectivity that differ from TYP through adolescence. Finally, white matter tracts underlying these control-related brain regions continue to show reduced diffusion properties compared to TYP. It is thus not surprising that cognitive control tasks performance improves less during adolescence in ASD versus TYP. This review illustrates that a cognitive neuroscientific approach produces insights about the mechanisms of persistent cognitive control deficits in individuals with ASD from adolescence into young adulthood not apparent with neuropsychological methods alone, and draws attention to the great need for longitudinal studies of this period in those with ASD. Further investigation of ACC and fronto-parietal neural circuits may help specify pathophysiology and treatment options.
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South M, Carr AW, Stephenson KG, Maisel ME, Cox JC. Symptom overlap on the srs-2 adult self-report between adults with asd and adults with high anxiety. Autism Res 2017; 10:1215-1220. [PMID: 28266790 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Many people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also experience significant symptoms of anxiety, while many people with anxiety disorders likewise experience social difficulties. These concerns can be difficult to tease apart in general clinical settings. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) is one of the most frequently used measures of dimensional ASD symptoms. In order to investigate the overlap of autism and anxiety on the SRS, we compared three groups of adults (an ASD group, n = 40; a high anxious group, n = 56; and a typical comparison group, n = 29) using the new Adult Self Report version of the SRS-2nd Edition (SRS-2-ASR) alongside a battery of anxiety questionnaires. Based on previous research with children from the parent-report SRS (first edition), we hypothesized that the SRS-2-ASR would have difficulty discriminating between the ASD and high anxious groups. Results showed that both these clinical groups scored significantly higher on the SRS than a typical control group. Discriminant validity was poor, including sensitivity of 0.65 when including all participants and 0.48 when only the two clinical groups were included. In particular, the Social Motivation subscale of the SRS-ASR failed to distinguish between ASD and anxiety groups. As recommended in the SRS-2 manual, we highlight the need for caution when using the SRS-2-ASR to support diagnostic decision making, especially in clinical settings involving anxiety, ADHD, or other concerns that can affect reciprocal social communication and/or behavioral flexibility. Autism Res 2017. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1215-1220. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikle South
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.,Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
| | - AnnaLisa W Carr
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
| | | | - Max E Maisel
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
| | - Jonathan C Cox
- Counseling and Psychological Services Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
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