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Horata E, Ay H, Aslan D. Autistic-like behaviour and changes in thalamic cell numbers a rat model of valproic acid-induced autism; A behavioural and stereological study. Brain Res 2024; 1840:149047. [PMID: 38823508 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149047] [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: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
The contribution of the thalamus to the development and behavioural changes in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), a neurodevelopmental syndrome, remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in thalamic volume and cell number in the valproic acid (VPA)-induced ASD model using stereological methods and to clarify the relationship between thalamus and ASD-like behaviour. Ten pregnant rats were administered a single dose (600 mg/kg) of VPA intraperitoneally on G12.5 (VPA group), while five pregnant rats were injected with 5 ml saline (control group). Behavioural tests were performed to determine appropriate subjects and ASD-like behaviours. At P55, the brains of the subjects were removed. The sagittal sections were stained with cresyl violet and toluidine blue. The thalamic and hemispheric volumes with their ratios, the total number of thalamic cells, neurons and non-neuronal cells were calculated using stereological methods. Data were compared using a t-test and a Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between behaviour and stereological outcomes. VPA-treated rats had lower sociability and sociability indexes. There was no difference in social novelty preference and anxiety. The VPA group had larger hemispheric volume, lower thalamic volume, and fewer neurons. The highest percentage decrease was in non-neuronal cells. There was a moderate positive correlation between the number of non-neuronal cells and sociability, thalamic volume and the number of neurons as well as the time spent in the light box. The correlation between behaviour and stereological data suggests that the thalamus is associated with ASD-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdal Horata
- Orthopedic Prosthesis Orthotics, Atatürk Health Services Vocational School, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
| | - Hakan Ay
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Duygu Aslan
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey
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2
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Li M, Izumoto M, Wang Y, Kato Y, Iwatani Y, Hirata I, Mizuno Y, Tachibana M, Mohri I, Kagitani-Shimono K. Altered white matter connectivity of ventral language networks in autism spectrum disorder: An automated fiber quantification analysis with multi-site datasets. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120731. [PMID: 39002786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120731] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Comprehension and pragmatic deficits are prevalent in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are potentially linked to altered connectivity in the ventral language networks. However, previous magnetic resonance imaging studies have not sufficiently explored the microstructural abnormalities in the ventral fiber tracts underlying comprehension dysfunction in ASD. Additionally, the precise locations of white matter (WM) changes in the long tracts of patients with ASD remain poorly understood. In the current study, we applied the automated fiber-tract quantification (AFQ) method to investigate the fine-grained WM properties of the ventral language pathway and their relationships with comprehension and symptom manifestation in ASD. The analysis included diffusion/T1 weighted imaging data of 83 individuals with ASD and 83 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls. Case-control comparisons were performed on the diffusion metrics of the ventral tracts at both the global and point-wise levels. We also explored correlations between diffusion metrics, comprehension performance, and ASD traits, and conducted subgroup analyses based on age range to examine developmental moderating effects. Individuals with ASD exhibited remarkable hypoconnectivity in the ventral tracts, particularly in the temporal portions of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). These WM abnormalities were associated with poor comprehension and more severe ASD symptoms. Furthermore, WM alterations in the ventral tract and their correlation with comprehension dysfunction were more prominent in younger children with ASD than in adolescents. These findings indicate that WM disruptions in the temporal portions of the left ILF/IFOF are most notable in ASD, potentially constituting the core neurological underpinnings of comprehension and communication deficits in autism. Moreover, impaired WM connectivity and comprehension ability in patients with ASD appear to improve with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Maya Izumoto
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yide Wang
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoko Kato
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Iwatani
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ikuko Hirata
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Mizuno
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Masaya Tachibana
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ikuko Mohri
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kuriko Kagitani-Shimono
- Osaka University, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
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3
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Mohammad S, Gentreau M, Dubol M, Rukh G, Mwinyi J, Schiöth HB. Association of polygenic scores for autism with volumetric MRI phenotypes in cerebellum and brainstem in adults. Mol Autism 2024; 15:34. [PMID: 39113134 PMCID: PMC11304666 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00611-7] [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: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have showed important volumetric alterations in the cerebellum and brainstem. Most of these studies are however limited to case-control studies with small clinical samples and including mainly children or adolescents. Herein, we aimed to explore the association between the cumulative genetic load (polygenic risk score, PRS) for ASD and volumetric alterations in the cerebellum and brainstem, as well as global brain tissue volumes of the brain among adults at the population level. We utilized the latest genome-wide association study of ASD by the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium (18,381 cases, 27,969 controls) and constructed the ASD PRS in an independent cohort, the UK Biobank. Regression analyses controlled for multiple comparisons with the false-discovery rate (FDR) at 5% were performed to investigate the association between ASD PRS and forty-four brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phenotypes among ~ 31,000 participants. Primary analyses included sixteen MRI phenotypes: total volumes of the brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), grey matter (GM), white matter (WM), GM of whole cerebellum, brainstem, and ten regions of the cerebellum (I_IV, V, VI, VIIb, VIIIa, VIIIb, IX, X, CrusI and CrusII). Secondary analyses included twenty-eight MRI phenotypes: the sub-regional volumes of cerebellum including the GM of the vermis and both left and right lobules of each cerebellar region. ASD PRS were significantly associated with the volumes of seven brain areas, whereby higher PRS were associated to reduced volumes of the whole brain, WM, brainstem, and cerebellar regions I-IV, IX, and X, and an increased volume of the CSF. Three sub-regional volumes including the left cerebellar lobule I-IV, cerebellar vermes VIIIb, and X were significantly and negatively associated with ASD PRS. The study highlights a substantial connection between susceptibility to ASD, its underlying genetic etiology, and neuroanatomical alterations of the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salahuddin Mohammad
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mélissa Gentreau
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Manon Dubol
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gull Rukh
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Mwinyi
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helgi B Schiöth
- Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Ruan L, Chen G, Yao M, Li C, Chen X, Luo H, Ruan J, Zheng Z, Zhang D, Liang S, Lü M. Brain functional gradient and structure features in adolescent and adult autism spectrum disorders. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26792. [PMID: 39037170 PMCID: PMC11261594 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how function and structure are organized and their coupling with clinical traits in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a primary goal in network neuroscience research for ASD. Atypical brain functional networks and structures in individuals with ASD have been reported, but whether these associations show heterogeneous hierarchy modeling in adolescents and adults with ASD remains to be clarified. In this study, 176 adolescent and 74 adult participants with ASD without medication or comorbidities and sex, age matched healthy controls (HCs) from 19 research groups from the openly shared Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange II database were included. To investigate the relationship between the functional gradient, structural changes, and clinical symptoms of brain networks in adolescents and adults with ASD, functional gradient and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses based on 1000 parcels defined by Schaefer mapped to Yeo's seven-network atlas were performed. Pearson's correlation was calculated between the gradient scores, gray volume and density, and clinical traits. The subsystem-level analysis showed that the second gradient scores of the default mode networks and frontoparietal network in patients with ASD were relatively compressed compared to adolescent HCs. Adult patients with ASD showed an overall compression gradient of 1 in the ventral attention networks. In addition, the gray density and volumes of the subnetworks showed no significant differences between the ASD and HC groups at the adolescent stage. However, adults with ASD showed decreased gray density in the limbic network. Moreover, numerous functional gradient parameters, but not VBM parameters, in adolescents with ASD were considerably correlated with clinical traits in contrast to those in adults with ASD. Our findings proved that the atypical changes in adolescent ASD mainly involve the brain functional network, while in adult ASD, the changes are more related to brain structure, including gray density and volume. These changes in functional gradients or structures are markedly correlated with clinical traits in patients with ASD. Our study provides a novel understanding of the pathophysiology of the structure-function hierarchy in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Ruan
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain FunctionLuzhouChina
| | - Guangxiang Chen
- Department of RadiologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Menglin Yao
- College of Integrated MedicineSouthwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Cheng Li
- Department of PediatricsThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth DefectsLuzhouChina
| | - Xiu Chen
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain FunctionLuzhouChina
| | - Hua Luo
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain FunctionLuzhouChina
| | - Jianghai Ruan
- Department of NeurologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain FunctionLuzhouChina
| | - Zhong Zheng
- Center for Neurological Function Test and Neuromodulation, West China Xiamen HospitalSichuan UniversityXiamenChina
| | - Dechou Zhang
- Department of NeurologySouthwest Medical University Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese MedicineLuzhouChina
| | - Sicheng Liang
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
| | - Muhan Lü
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical UniversityLuzhouChina
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Le Belle JE, Condro M, Cepeda C, Oikonomou KD, Tessema K, Dudley L, Schoenfield J, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind D, Silva AJ, Zhang Z, Shokat K, Harris NG, Kornblum HI. Acute rapamycin treatment reveals novel mechanisms of behavioral, physiological, and functional dysfunction in a maternal inflammation mouse model of autism and sensory over-responsivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602602. [PMID: 39026891 PMCID: PMC11257517 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Maternal inflammatory response (MIR) during early gestation in mice induces a cascade of physiological and behavioral changes that have been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In a prior study and the current one, we find that mild MIR results in chronic systemic and neuro-inflammation, mTOR pathway activation, mild brain overgrowth followed by regionally specific volumetric changes, sensory processing dysregulation, and social and repetitive behavior abnormalities. Prior studies of rapamycin treatment in autism models have focused on chronic treatments that might be expected to alter or prevent physical brain changes. Here, we have focused on the acute effects of rapamycin to uncover novel mechanisms of dysfunction and related to mTOR pathway signaling. We find that within 2 hours, rapamycin treatment could rapidly rescue neuronal hyper-excitability, seizure susceptibility, functional network connectivity and brain community structure, and repetitive behaviors and sensory over-responsivity in adult offspring with persistent brain overgrowth. These CNS-mediated effects are also associated with alteration of the expression of several ASD-,ion channel-, and epilepsy-associated genes, in the same time frame. Our findings suggest that mTOR dysregulation in MIR offspring is a key contributor to various levels of brain dysfunction, including neuronal excitability, altered gene expression in multiple cell types, sensory functional network connectivity, and modulation of information flow. However, we demonstrate that the adult MIR brain is also amenable to rapid normalization of these functional changes which results in the rescue of both core and comorbid ASD behaviors in adult animals without requiring long-term physical alterations to the brain. Thus, restoring excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and sensory functional network modularity may be important targets for therapeutically addressing both primary sensory and social behavior phenotypes, and compensatory repetitive behavior phenotypes.
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6
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Yeung MK, Bai J, Mak KL. Longitudinal changes in executive function in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analyses. Autism Res 2024. [PMID: 38975618 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis show impairment in executive function (EF). However, findings are mixed regarding differences in the age effect on EF between autistic individuals and persons with typical development (TD). Questions remain regarding whether the age-related trajectories of EF in ASD are the same as or different from those in TD. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of longitudinal studies that compared age-related changes in EF between ASD and TD groups (preregistration: osf.io/j5764). A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science on January 29, 2024. After screening by two independent reviewers, 14 longitudinal studies were included. Random-effects meta-analyses of studies involving a maximum total of 518 autistic and 3558 TD children and adolescents (mean baseline ages: 5.7-12.0 years) showed that ASD had significantly poorer EF than TD at both baseline and follow-up. However, there was no significant group difference in the age-related change in EF across domains, including working memory, inhibition, shifting, and planning. Robust Bayesian meta-analyses also provided substantial evidence in favor of the null hypothesis that ASD and TD groups showed similar changes over time for most EF processes. Limitations of the literature included the limited number of longitudinal studies and a narrow range of developmental stages and EF constructs analyzed across studies. Altogether, these findings suggest that autistic children and adolescents generally can improve in EF over time similarly to their neurotypical peers. This has important implications for parents and educators, encouraging appropriate EF training and intervention for autistic children and adolescents at an early stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael K Yeung
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- University Research Facility of Human Behavioral Neuroscience, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jieru Bai
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kwai-Lai Mak
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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7
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Zhou D, Hua T, Tang H, Yang R, Huang L, Gong Y, Zhang L, Tang G. Gender and age related brain structural and functional alterations in children with autism spectrum disorder. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae283. [PMID: 38997211 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
To explore the effects of age and gender on the brain in children with autism spectrum disorder using magnetic resonance imaging. 185 patients with autism spectrum disorder and 110 typically developing children were enrolled. In terms of gender, boys with autism spectrum disorder had increased gray matter volumes in the insula and superior frontal gyrus and decreased gray matter volumes in the inferior frontal gyrus and thalamus. The brain regions with functional alterations are mainly distributed in the cerebellum, anterior cingulate gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and putamen. Girls with autism spectrum disorder only had increased gray matter volumes in the right cuneus and showed higher amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the paracentral lobule, higher regional homogeneity and degree centrality in the calcarine fissure, and greater right frontoparietal network-default mode network connectivity. In terms of age, preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder exhibited hypo-connectivity between and within auditory network, somatomotor network, and visual network. School-aged children with autism spectrum disorder showed increased gray matter volumes in the rectus gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insula, and suboccipital gyrus, as well as increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and regional homogeneity in the calcarine fissure and precentral gyrus and decreased in the cerebellum and anterior cingulate gyrus. The hyper-connectivity between somatomotor network and left frontoparietal network and within visual network was found. It is essential to consider the impact of age and gender on the neurophysiological alterations in autism spectrum disorder children when analyzing changes in brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Ting Hua
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Huan Tang
- Department of Radiology, Huadong Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Rong Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Linsheng Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Yujiao Gong
- Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Guangyu Tang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology, Fudan University, Shanghai 201103, China
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Koerner S, Staginnus M, Cornwell H, Smaragdi A, González-Madruga K, Pauli R, Rogers JC, Gao Y, Chester S, Townend S, Bernhard A, Martinelli A, Kohls G, Raschle NM, Konrad K, Stadler C, Freitag CM, De Brito SA, Fairchild G. Does the Relationship between Age and Brain Structure Differ in Youth with Conduct Disorder? Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:1135-1146. [PMID: 38557727 PMCID: PMC11217071 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01178-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: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Conduct disorder (CD) is characterised by persistent antisocial and aggressive behaviour and typically emerges in childhood or adolescence. Although several authors have proposed that CD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, very little evidence is available about brain development in this condition. Structural brain alterations have been observed in CD, and some indirect evidence for delayed brain maturation has been reported. However, no detailed analysis of age-related changes in brain structure in youth with CD has been conducted. Using cross-sectional MRI data, this study aimed to explore differences in brain maturation in youth with CD versus healthy controls to provide further understanding of the neurodevelopmental processes underlying CD. 291 CD cases (153 males) and 379 healthy controls (160 males) aged 9-18 years (Mage = 14.4) were selected from the European multisite FemNAT-CD study. Structural MRI scans were analysed using surface-based morphometry followed by application of the ENIGMA quality control protocols. An atlas-based approach was used to investigate group differences and test for group-by-age and group-by-age-by-sex interactions in cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volumes. Relative to healthy controls, the CD group showed lower surface area across frontal, temporal and parietal regions as well as lower total surface area. No significant group-by-age or group-by-age-by-sex interactions were observed on any brain structure measure. These findings suggest that CD is associated with lower surface area across multiple cortical regions, but do not support the idea that CD is associated with delayed brain maturation, at least within the age bracket considered here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Koerner
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Ruth Pauli
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jack C Rogers
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Yidian Gao
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sally Chester
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Anka Bernhard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Anne Martinelli
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
- School of Psychology, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gregor Kohls
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nora Maria Raschle
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development at the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Centre Zurich (ZNZ), University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin Konrad
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- JARA- Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, RWTH Aachen and Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Christina Stadler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Stephane A De Brito
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Dalton GD, Siecinski SK, Nikolova VD, Cofer GP, Hornburg KJ, Qi Y, Johnson GA, Jiang YH, Moy SS, Gregory SG. Transcriptome analysis identifies an ASD-Like phenotype in oligodendrocytes and microglia from C58/J amygdala that is dependent on sex and sociability. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2024; 20:14. [PMID: 38898502 PMCID: PMC11188533 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-024-00240-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with higher incidence in males and is characterized by atypical verbal/nonverbal communication, restricted interests that can be accompanied by repetitive behavior, and disturbances in social behavior. This study investigated brain mechanisms that contribute to sociability deficits and sex differences in an ASD animal model. METHODS Sociability was measured in C58/J and C57BL/6J mice using the 3-chamber social choice test. Bulk RNA-Seq and snRNA-Seq identified transcriptional changes in C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala within which DMRseq was used to measure differentially methylated regions in amygdala. RESULTS C58/J mice displayed divergent social strata in the 3-chamber test. Transcriptional and pathway signatures revealed immune-related biological processes differ between C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala. Hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes were identified in C58/J versus C57BL/6J amygdala. snRNA-Seq data in C58/J amygdala identified differential transcriptional signatures within oligodendrocytes and microglia characterized by increased ASD risk gene expression and predicted impaired myelination that was dependent on sex and sociability. RNA velocity, gene regulatory network, and cell communication analysis showed diminished oligodendrocyte/microglia differentiation. Findings were verified using Bulk RNA-Seq and demonstrated oxytocin's beneficial effects on myelin gene expression. LIMITATIONS Our findings are significant. However, limitations can be noted. The cellular mechanisms linking reduced oligodendrocyte differentiation and reduced myelination to an ASD phenotype in C58/J mice need further investigation. Additional snRNA-Seq and spatial studies would determine if effects in oligodendrocytes/microglia are unique to amygdala or if this occurs in other brain regions. Oxytocin's effects need further examination to understand its' potential as an ASD therapeutic. CONCLUSIONS Our work demonstrates the C58/J mouse model's utility in evaluating the influence of sex and sociability on the transcriptome in concomitant brain regions involved in ASD. Our single-nucleus transcriptome analysis elucidates potential pathological roles of oligodendrocytes and microglia in ASD. This investigation provides details regarding regulatory features disrupted in these cell types, including transcriptional gene dysregulation, aberrant cell differentiation, altered gene regulatory networks, and changes to key pathways that promote microglia/oligodendrocyte differentiation. Our studies provide insight into interactions between genetic risk and epigenetic processes associated with divergent affiliative behavior and lack of positive sociability.
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Affiliation(s)
- George D Dalton
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Stephen K Siecinski
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Viktoriya D Nikolova
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Gary P Cofer
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | | | - Yi Qi
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - G Allan Johnson
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- Department of Genetics, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Sheryl S Moy
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Simon G Gregory
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, 300 N. Duke Street, DUMC 104775, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
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10
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Leone R, Zuglian C, Brambilla R, Morella I. Understanding copy number variations through their genes: a molecular view on 16p11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1407865. [PMID: 38948459 PMCID: PMC11211608 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1407865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include a broad spectrum of pathological conditions that affect >4% of children worldwide, share common features and present a variegated genetic origin. They include clinically defined diseases, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), motor disorders such as Tics and Tourette's syndromes, but also much more heterogeneous conditions like intellectual disability (ID) and epilepsy. Schizophrenia (SCZ) has also recently been proposed to belong to NDDs. Relatively common causes of NDDs are copy number variations (CNVs), characterised by the gain or the loss of a portion of a chromosome. In this review, we focus on deletions and duplications at the 16p11.2 chromosomal region, associated with NDDs, ID, ASD but also epilepsy and SCZ. Some of the core phenotypes presented by human carriers could be recapitulated in animal and cellular models, which also highlighted prominent neurophysiological and signalling alterations underpinning 16p11.2 CNVs-associated phenotypes. In this review, we also provide an overview of the genes within the 16p11.2 locus, including those with partially known or unknown function as well as non-coding RNAs. A particularly interesting interplay was observed between MVP and MAPK3 in modulating some of the pathological phenotypes associated with the 16p11.2 deletion. Elucidating their role in intracellular signalling and their functional links will be a key step to devise novel therapeutic strategies for 16p11.2 CNVs-related syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Leone
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cecilia Zuglian
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
| | - Riccardo Brambilla
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ilaria Morella
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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11
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Duan K, Eyler L, Pierce K, Lombardo MV, Datko M, Hagler DJ, Taluja V, Zahiri J, Campbell K, Barnes CC, Arias S, Nalabolu S, Troxel J, Ji P, Courchesne E. Differences in regional brain structure in toddlers with autism are related to future language outcomes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5075. [PMID: 38871689 PMCID: PMC11176156 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48952-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Language and social symptoms improve with age in some autistic toddlers, but not in others, and such outcome differences are not clearly predictable from clinical scores alone. Here we aim to identify early-age brain alterations in autism that are prognostic of future language ability. Leveraging 372 longitudinal structural MRI scans from 166 autistic toddlers and 109 typical toddlers and controlling for brain size, we find that, compared to typical toddlers, autistic toddlers show differentially larger or thicker temporal and fusiform regions; smaller or thinner inferior frontal lobe and midline structures; larger callosal subregion volume; and smaller cerebellum. Most differences are replicated in an independent cohort of 75 toddlers. These brain alterations improve accuracy for predicting language outcome at 6-month follow-up beyond intake clinical and demographic variables. Temporal, fusiform, and inferior frontal alterations are related to autism symptom severity and cognitive impairments at early intake ages. Among autistic toddlers, brain alterations in social, language and face processing areas enhance the prediction of the child's future language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuaikuai Duan
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Lisa Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, 38068, Italy
| | - Michael Datko
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Vani Taluja
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Javad Zahiri
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathleen Campbell
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Steven Arias
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Srinivasa Nalabolu
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jaden Troxel
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Peng Ji
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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12
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Kirkovski M, Singh M, Dhollander T, Fuelscher I, Hyde C, Albein-Urios N, Donaldson PH, Enticott PG. An Investigation of Age-related Neuropathophysiology in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Fixel-based Analysis of Corpus Callosum White Matter Micro- and Macrostructure. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:2198-2210. [PMID: 37079181 PMCID: PMC11143064 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05980-1] [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: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Fixel-based analysis was used to probe age-related changes in white matter micro- and macrostructure of the corpus callosum between participants with (N = 54) and without (N = 50) autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange-II (ABIDE-II). Compared to age-matched controls, young adolescents with ASD (11.19 ± 7.54 years) showed reduced macroscopic fiber cross-section (logFC) and combined fiber-density and cross-section (FDC). Reduced fiber-density (FD) and FDC was noted in a marginally older (13.87 ± 3.15 years) ASD cohort. Among the oldest ASD cohort (17.07 ± 3.56 years), a non-significant trend indicative of reduced FD was noted. White matter aberration appears greatest and most widespread among younger ASD cohorts. This supports the suggestion that some early neuropathophysiological indicators in ASD may dissipate with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Kirkovski
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Mervyn Singh
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Thijs Dhollander
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ian Fuelscher
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Natalia Albein-Urios
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter H Donaldson
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
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13
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Du L, Ye F, Gao W, Yang A, Luan J, Xu M, Lv K, Hu P, Liu B, Yu H, Wang Y, Huang W, Shu N, Ouyang G, Yin Q, Shmuel A, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Xu P, Ma G. Decreased brain iron deposition based on quantitative susceptibility mapping correlates with reduced neurodevelopmental status in children with autism spectrum disorder. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:63-71. [PMID: 38696609 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
To investigate potential correlations between the susceptibility values of certain brain regions and the severity of disease or neurodevelopmental status in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 18 ASD children and 15 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The neurodevelopmental status was assessed by the Gesell Developmental Schedules (GDS) and the severity of the disease was evaluated by the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Eleven brain regions were selected as regions of interest and the susceptibility values were measured by quantitative susceptibility mapping. To evaluate the diagnostic capacity of susceptibility values in distinguishing ASD and HC, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was computed. Pearson and Spearman partial correlation analysis were used to depict the correlations between the susceptibility values, the ABC scores, and the GDS scores in the ASD group. ROC curves showed that the susceptibility values of the left and right frontal white matter had a larger area under the curve in the ASD group. The susceptibility value of the right globus pallidus was positively correlated with the GDS-fine motor scale score. These findings indicated that the susceptibility value of the right globus pallidus might be a viable imaging biomarker for evaluating the neurodevelopmental status of ASD children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Du
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
- Department of Radiology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Fang Ye
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Wenwen Gao
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
- Department of Radiology, the Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, No. 6 Fucheng Road, Haidian, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Aocai Yang
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jixin Luan
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Manxi Xu
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Kuan Lv
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Pianpian Hu
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hongwei Yu
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yuli Wang
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Weijie Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Road, Haidian, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ni Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Road, Haidian, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Gaoxiang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Road, Haidian, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qian Yin
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xinjiekouwai Road, Haidian, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Amir Shmuel
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 45 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Physiology, and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, 45 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yunfeng Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Guolin Ma
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2 East Yinghua Road, Chaoyang, Beijing 100029, China
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14
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Sakaguchi K, Tawata S. Giftedness and atypical sexual differentiation: enhanced perceptual functioning through estrogen deficiency instead of androgen excess. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1343759. [PMID: 38752176 PMCID: PMC11094242 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1343759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Syndromic autism spectrum conditions (ASC), such as Klinefelter syndrome, also manifest hypogonadism. Compared to the popular Extreme Male Brain theory, the Enhanced Perceptual Functioning model explains the connection between ASC, savant traits, and giftedness more seamlessly, and their co-emergence with atypical sexual differentiation. Overexcitability of primary sensory inputs generates a relative enhancement of local to global processing of stimuli, hindering the abstraction of communication signals, in contrast to the extraordinary local information processing skills in some individuals. Weaker inhibitory function through gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors and the atypicality of synapse formation lead to this difference, and the formation of unique neural circuits that process external information. Additionally, deficiency in monitoring inner sensory information leads to alexithymia (inability to distinguish one's own emotions), which can be caused by hypoactivity of estrogen and oxytocin in the interoceptive neural circuits, comprising the anterior insular and cingulate gyri. These areas are also part of the Salience Network, which switches between the Central Executive Network for external tasks and the Default Mode Network for self-referential mind wandering. Exploring the possibility that estrogen deficiency since early development interrupts GABA shift, causing sensory processing atypicality, it helps to evaluate the co-occurrence of ASC with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and schizophrenia based on phenotypic and physiological bases. It also provides clues for understanding the common underpinnings of these neurodevelopmental disorders and gifted populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kikue Sakaguchi
- Research Department, National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE), Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shintaro Tawata
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Sophia University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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15
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Friedel EBN, Tebartz van Elst L, Schäfer M, Maier S, Runge K, Küchlin S, Reich M, Lagrèze WA, Kornmeier J, Ebert D, Endres D, Domschke K, Nickel K. Retinal Thinning in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1143-1156. [PMID: 36550331 PMCID: PMC10907434 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05882-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Since the retina shares its embryological origin with the central nervous system, optical coherence tomography (OCT), an imaging technique frequently employed in ophthalmology to analyze the macula and intraretinal layer thicknesses and volumes, has recently become increasingly important in psychiatric research. We examined 34 autistic and 31 neurotypical adults (NT) using OCT. Autistic adults had reduced overall macular and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness and volume compared to NT. Both macular and ONL thickness showed significant inverse associations with the severity of autistic symptoms measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2). Longitudinal studies across different age groups are required to clarify whether retinal changes may represent a possible trait marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn B N Friedel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Eye Center, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ludger Tebartz van Elst
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mirjam Schäfer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Simon Maier
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kimon Runge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Küchlin
- Eye Center, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Reich
- Eye Center, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wolf A Lagrèze
- Eye Center, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Kornmeier
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Ebert
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dominique Endres
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Basics in Neuromodulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kathrin Nickel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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16
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Aydin E, Tsompanidis A, Chaplin D, Hawkes R, Allison C, Hackett G, Austin T, Padaigaitė E, Gabis LV, Sucking J, Holt R, Baron-Cohen S. Fetal brain growth and infant autistic traits. Mol Autism 2024; 15:11. [PMID: 38419120 PMCID: PMC10900793 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00586-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural differences exist in the brains of autistic individuals. To date only a few studies have explored the relationship between fetal brain growth and later infant autistic traits, and some have used fetal head circumference (HC) as a proxy for brain development. These findings have been inconsistent. Here we investigate whether fetal subregional brain measurements correlate with autistic traits in toddlers. METHODS A total of 219 singleton pregnancies (104 males and 115 females) were recruited at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, UK. 2D ultrasound was performed at 12-, 20- and between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy, measuring head circumference (HC), ventricular atrium (VA) and transcerebellar diameter (TCD). A total of 179 infants were followed up at 18-20 months of age and completed the quantitative checklist for autism in toddlers (Q-CHAT) to measure autistic traits. RESULTS Q-CHAT scores at 18-20 months of age were positively associated with TCD size at 20 weeks and with HC at 28 weeks, in univariate analyses, and in multiple regression models which controlled for sex, maternal age and birth weight. LIMITATIONS Due to the nature and location of the study, ascertainment bias could also have contributed to the recruitment of volunteer mothers with a higher than typical range of autistic traits and/or with a significant interest in the neurodevelopment of their children. CONCLUSION Prenatal brain growth is associated with toddler autistic traits and this can be ascertained via ultrasound starting at 20 weeks gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezra Aydin
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Alex Tsompanidis
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daren Chaplin
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rebecca Hawkes
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gerald Hackett
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Topun Austin
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eglė Padaigaitė
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lidia V Gabis
- Tel Aviv University, Wolfson Hospital and Maccabi healthcare, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - John Sucking
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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17
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Zhu F, Shi Q, Jiang YH, Zhang YQ, Zhao H. Impaired synaptic function and hyperexcitability of the pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex of autism-associated Shank3 mutant dogs. Mol Autism 2024; 15:9. [PMID: 38297387 PMCID: PMC10829216 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00587-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SHANK3 gene is a highly replicated causative gene for autism spectrum disorder and has been well characterized in multiple Shank3 mutant rodent models. When compared to rodents, domestic dogs are excellent animal models in which to study social cognition as they closely interact with humans and exhibit similar social behaviors. Using CRISPR/Cas9 editing, we recently generated a dog model carrying Shank3 mutations, which displayed a spectrum of autism-like behaviors, such as social impairment and heightened anxiety. However, the neural mechanism underlying these abnormal behaviors remains to be identified. METHODS We used Shank3 mutant dog models to examine possible relationships between Shank3 mutations and neuronal dysfunction. We studied electrophysiological properties and the synaptic transmission of pyramidal neurons from acute brain slices of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We also examined dendrite elaboration and dendritic spine morphology in the PFC using biocytin staining and Golgi staining. We analyzed the postsynaptic density using electron microscopy. RESULTS We established a protocol for the electrophysiological recording of canine brain slices and revealed that excitatory synaptic transmission onto PFC layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in Shank3 heterozygote dogs was impaired, and this was accompanied by reduced dendrite complexity and spine density when compared to wild-type dogs. Postsynaptic density structures were also impaired in Shank3 mutants; however, pyramidal neurons exhibited hyperexcitability. LIMITATIONS Causal links between impaired PFC pyramidal neuron function and behavioral alterations remain unclear. Further experiments such as manipulating PFC neuronal activity or restoring synaptic transmission in Shank3 mutant dogs are required to assess PFC roles in altered social behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated the feasibility of using canine brain slices as a model system to study neuronal circuitry and disease. Shank3 haploinsufficiency causes morphological and functional abnormalities in PFC pyramidal neurons, supporting the notion that Shank3 mutant dogs are new and valid animal models for autism research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feipeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qi Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- Department of Genetics and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Yong Q Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430415, China.
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
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18
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Haaf R, Brandi ML, Albantakis L, Lahnakoski JM, Henco L, Schilbach L. Peripheral oxytocin levels are linked to hypothalamic gray matter volume in autistic adults: a cross-sectional secondary data analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1380. [PMID: 38228703 PMCID: PMC10791615 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50770-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) is known to modulate social behavior and cognition and has been discussed as pathophysiological and therapeutic factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An accumulating body of evidence indicates the hypothalamus to be of particular importance with regard to the underlying neurobiology. Here we used a region of interest voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to investigate hypothalamic gray matter volume (GMV) in autistic (n = 29, age 36.03 ± 11.0) and non-autistic adults (n = 27, age 30.96 ± 11.2). Peripheral plasma OXT levels and the autism spectrum quotient (AQ) were used for correlation analyses. Results showed no differences in hypothalamic GMV in autistic compared to non-autistic adults but suggested a differential association between hypothalamic GMV and OXT levels, such that a positive association was found for the ASD group. In addition, hypothalamic GMV showed a positive association with autistic traits in the ASD group. Bearing in mind the limitations such as a relatively small sample size, a wide age range and a high rate of psychopharmacological treatment in the ASD sample, these results provide new preliminary evidence for a potentially important role of the HTH in ASD and its relationship to the OXT system, but also point towards the importance of interindividual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Haaf
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- Graduate School, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Marie-Luise Brandi
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Albantakis
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Outpatient and Day Clinic for Disorders of Social Interaction, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Juha M Lahnakoski
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Brain and Behaviour (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lara Henco
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Munich, Germany
| | - Leonhard Schilbach
- Independent Max Planck Research Group for Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Outpatient and Day Clinic for Disorders of Social Interaction, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Munich, Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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19
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Dalton GD, Siecinski SK, Nikolova VD, Cofer GP, Hornburg K, Qi Y, Johnson GA, Jiang YH, Moy SS, Gregory SG. Transcriptome Analysis Identifies An ASD-Like Phenotype In Oligodendrocytes And Microglia From C58/J Amygdala That Is Dependent On Sex and Sociability. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575733. [PMID: 38293238 PMCID: PMC10827122 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with higher incidence in males and is characterized by atypical verbal/nonverbal communication, restricted interests that can be accompanied by repetitive behavior, and disturbances in social behavior. This study investigated brain mechanisms that contribute to sociability deficits and sex differences in an ASD animal model. Methods Sociability was measured in C58/J and C57BL/6J mice using the 3-chamber social choice test. Bulk RNA-Seq and snRNA-Seq identified transcriptional changes in C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala within which DMRseq was used to measure differentially methylated regions in amygdala. Results C58/J mice displayed divergent social strata in the 3-chamber test. Transcriptional and pathway signatures revealed immune-related biological processes differ between C58/J and C57BL/6J amygdala. Hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes were identified in C58/J versus C57BL/6J amygdala. snRNA-Seq data in C58/J amygdala identified differential transcriptional signatures within oligodendrocytes and microglia characterized by increased ASD risk gene expression and predicted impaired myelination that was dependent on sex and sociability. RNA velocity, gene regulatory network, and cell communication analysis showed diminished oligodendrocyte/microglia differentiation. Findings were verified using bulk RNA-Seq and demonstrated oxytocin's beneficial effects on myelin gene expression. Limitations Our findings are significant. However, limitations can be noted. The cellular mechanisms linking reduced oligodendrocyte differentiation and reduced myelination to an ASD phenotype in C58/J mice need further investigation. Additional snRNA-Seq and spatial studies would determine if effects in oligodendrocytes/microglia are unique to amygdala or if this occurs in other brain regions. Oxytocin's effects need further examination to understand its potential as an ASD therapeutic. Conclusions Our work demonstrates the C58/J mouse model's utility in evaluating the influence of sex and sociability on the transcriptome in concomitant brain regions involved in ASD. Our single-nucleus transcriptome analysis elucidates potential pathological roles of oligodendrocytes and microglia in ASD. This investigation provides details regarding regulatory features disrupted in these cell types, including transcriptional gene dysregulation, aberrant cell differentiation, altered gene regulatory networks, and changes to key pathways that promote microglia/oligodendrocyte differentiation. Our studies provide insight into interactions between genetic risk and epigenetic processes associated with divergent affiliative behavior and lack of positive sociability.
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20
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Napolitano A, Guerrera S, Lucignani M, Parrillo C, Baldassari G, Bottino F, Moltoni G, Espagnet MCR, Talamanca LF, Valeri G, Vicari S. Assessing cortical features in early stage ASD children. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1098265. [PMID: 38268563 PMCID: PMC10806120 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1098265] [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: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder largely investigated in the neurologic field. Recently, neuroimaging studies have been conducted in order to investigate cerebral morphologic alterations in ASD patients, demonstrating an atypical brain development before the clinical manifestations of the disorder. Cortical Thickness (CT) and Local Gyrification Index (LGI) distribution for ASD children were investigated in this study, with the aim to evaluate possible relationship between brain measures and individual characteristics (i.e., IQ and verbal ability). 3D T1-w sequences from 129 ASD and 58 age-matched Healthy Controls (HC) were acquired and processed in order to assess CT and LGI for each subject. Intergroup differences between ASD and HC were investigated, including analyses of 2 ASD subgroups, split according to patient verbal ability and IQ. When compared to HC, ASD showed increased CT and LGI within several brain areas, both as an overall group and as verbal ability an IQ subgroups. Moreover, when comparing language characteristics of the ASD subjects, those patients with verbal ability exhibit significant CT and LGI increase was found within the occipital lobe of right hemisphere. No significant results occurred when comparing ASD patients according to their IQ value. These results support the hypothesis of abnormal brain maturation in ASD since early childhood with differences among clinical subgroups suggesting different anatomical substrates underlying an aberrant connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Napolitano
- Medical Physics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Guerrera
- Neuroscience Department, Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Lucignani
- Medical Physics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Parrillo
- Medical Physics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Baldassari
- Medical Physics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bottino
- Medical Physics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Moltoni
- Imaging Department, Neuroradiology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroradiology, NEMOS S. Andrea Hospital, University Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Figà Talamanca
- Imaging Department, Neuroradiology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Valeri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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21
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Duarte-Campos JF, Vázquez-Moreno CN, Martínez-Marcial M, Chavarría A, Ramírez-Carreto RJ, Velasco Velázquez MA, De La Fuente-Granada M, González-Arenas A. Changes in neuroinflammatory markers and microglial density in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the C58/J mouse model of autism. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:154-173. [PMID: 38057955 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diverse group of neurodevelopmental conditions with complex origins. Individuals with ASD present various neurobiological abnormalities, including an altered immune response in the central nervous system and other tissues. Animal models like the C58/J inbred mouse strain are used to study biological characteristics of ASD. This strain is considered an idiopathic autism model because of its demonstrated reduced social preference and repetitive behaviours. Notably, C58/J mice exhibit alterations in dendritic arbour complexity, density and dendritic spines maturation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), but inflammatory-related changes have not been explored in these mice. In this study, we investigated proinflammatory markers in the hippocampus and PFC of adult male C58/J mice. We discovered elevated levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in the hippocampus, suggesting increased inflammation, alongside a reduction in the anti-inflammatory enzyme arginase 1 (ARG1). Conversely, the PFC displayed reduced levels of TNF-α and MCP-1. Microglial analysis revealed higher levels of transmembrane protein 119 (TMEM119) and increased microglial density in a region-specific manner of the autistic-like mice, particularly in the PFC and hippocampus. Additionally, an augmented expression of the fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 was observed in the hippocampus and PFC of C58/J mice. Microglial morphological analysis shows no evident changes in the hippocampus of mice with autistic-like behaviours versus wild-type strain. These region-specific changes can contribute to modulate processes like inflammation or synaptic pruning in the C58/J mouse model of idiopathic autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Duarte-Campos
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - C Noé Vázquez-Moreno
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mónica Martínez-Marcial
- Unidad de Modelos Biológicos, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Anahí Chavarría
- Unidad de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ricardo Jair Ramírez-Carreto
- Unidad de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marco A Velasco Velázquez
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marisol De La Fuente-Granada
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aliesha González-Arenas
- Departamento de Medicina Genómica y Toxicología Ambiental, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
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22
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Shen L, Zhang J, Fan S, Ping L, Yu H, Xu F, Cheng Y, Xu X, Yang C, Zhou C. Cortical thickness abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:65-77. [PMID: 36542200 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-02133-0] [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: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The pathological mechanism of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unclear. Nowadays, surface-based morphometry (SBM) based on structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) techniques have reported cortical thickness (CT) variations in ASD. However, the findings were inconsistent and heterogeneous. This current meta-analysis conducted a whole-brain vertex-wise coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) on CT studies to explore the most noticeable and robust CT changes in ASD individuals by applying the seed-based d mapping (SDM) program. A total of 26 investigations comprised 27 datasets were included, containing 1,635 subjects with ASD and 1470 HC, along with 94 coordinates. Individuals with ASD exhibited significantly altered CT in several regions compared to HC, including four clusters with thicker CT in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG.R), the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG.L), the left anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri, the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG.R, medial orbital parts), as well as three clusters with cortical thinning including the left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG.L), the right precentral gyrus (PCG.R) and the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG.L). Adults with ASD only demonstrated CT thinning in the right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG.R), revealed by subgroup meta-analyses. Meta-regression analyses found that CT in STG.R was positively correlated with age. Meanwhile, CT in MFG.L and PHG.L had negative correlations with the age of ASD individuals. These results suggested a complicated and atypical cortical development trajectory in ASD, and would provide a deeper understanding of the neural mechanism underlying the cortical morphology in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liancheng Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Junqing Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Shiran Fan
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Liangliang Ping
- Department of Psychiatry, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xiamen, China
| | - Hao Yu
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Fangfang Xu
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Yuqi Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiufeng Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Chunyan Yang
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
| | - Cong Zhou
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
- Department of Psychology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
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23
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Akhter S, Shefa J, Quader MA, Talukder K, Hussain AE, Kundu GK, Fatema K, Alam ST, Islam KA, Rahman MS, Rahman MM, Hasan Z, Mannan M. Autism spectrum disorder among 16- to 30-month-old children in Bangladesh: Observational cross-sectional study. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:138-148. [PMID: 36373750 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221135297] [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] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT A nationwide survey was done in Bangladesh to assess autism spectrum disorder prevalence in 16- to 30-month-old children at urban-rural distribution and to determine the association with socioeconomic and demographic conditions. A three-stage cluster sampling method was used where districts from all divisions were selected in the first stage, census enumeration areas as blocks of households were selected in the second stage and households (within the blocks) were selected in the third stage. Thereby, it included 38,440 children from 37,982 households (71% rural, 29% urban) aged 16-30 months from 30 districts of eight divisions of Bangladesh. Screening was done with a 'Red Flag' tool and Modified Checklist for Toddlers and a final diagnosis using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition for autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorder prevalence was 17 per 10,000 young children - in other words, one in 589 young children. Boys were found at higher risk of autism (one in 423 boys; one in 1026 girls). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder was higher in urban environments than in rural ones - 25/10,000 and 14/10,000, respectively. More autism spectrum disorder children were found in advanced age groups of parents, especially mothers, and in households with a higher wealth quintile. This survey is significant as it covers both urban and rural areas and specifically targets very young children. The involvement of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, as well as support from the entire healthcare system infrastructure, makes this survey more representative on a national level. Its results will form a database to support the development of an effective early intervention programme in Bangladesh. We hope it will prove useful for researchers, clinicians and frontline healthcare workers, and inform the decisions of policymakers and funders in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaheen Akhter
- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh
| | - Jannatara Shefa
- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Abdul Quader
- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh
- University of Birmingham, UK
- University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Kanij Fatema
- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | | | - Ziaul Hasan
- A House of Survey Research (SURCH), Bangladesh
| | - Muzharul Mannan
- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh
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24
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Khougar A, Baba Ahmadi P, Ranjbar H, Ahadi M, Ahadi P. Exploring the varied manifestations of structural violence in the lives of children on the autism spectrum and their families: a qualitative longitudinal study in Kurdistan, Iran. Int J Equity Health 2023; 22:263. [PMID: 38110989 PMCID: PMC10729435 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-02078-z] [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: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are many dimensions regarding autism that are closely connected to social structures, policies, and power dynamics, silently impacting the well-being of individuals within the autism spectrum. This research aims to explore these overlooked aspects using a theoretical framework called "structural violence." METHODS The study was conducted in Kurdistan, Iran, and a qualitative longitudinal approach was chosen. A purposive sampling method was employed to select the participants, with 11 parents taking part. The study data comprised 29 interviews using a topic guide conducted over a span of 2 years. Thematic analysis and a matrix-based approach were utilized for data analysis. To enhance the scientific rigor of this research, four criteria, including Guba and Lincoln's principles, were implemented to ensure methodological accuracy. RESULTS The research findings highlight four primary forms through which structural violence impacts children on the autism spectrum and their families: access to healthcare, geographic disparities, awareness and stigma, and poverty and financial burden. Additionally, the study identified 11 subthemes related to structural violence in the context of autism and families. CONCLUSIONS We illustrated how structural forces create barriers to accessing adequate healthcare services, exacerbate discrimination based on ethnicity and geography, perpetuate stigma, and contribute to poverty and the inability to meet basic needs. These factors not only worsen health issues but also deepen existing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes for children on the autism spectrum and families. We emphasize the urgent need for systemic changes to address these issues. It is essential to promote public awareness, provide better access to health and support services, and address economic and political factors that contribute to these inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansar Khougar
- Primary Health Care Center, Iran University of Medical Science, Shahryar, Iran
| | - Paria Baba Ahmadi
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shirza University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Hadi Ranjbar
- Mental Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Ahadi
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shirza University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Parisa Ahadi
- Department of Pharmacy, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran.
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25
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Molani-Gol R, Alizadeh M, Kheirouri S, Hamedi-Kalajahi F. The early life growth of head circumference, weight, and height in infants with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:619. [PMID: 38066466 PMCID: PMC10704616 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04445-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS The Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has increased significantly over the past two decades. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the association between the early life growth of head circumference (HC), weight, and height with ASD in infants. METHODS PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to November 2021 using relevant keywords. All original articles are written in English evaluating the early life growth of HC, weight, and height in infants with ASD were eligible for the present review. RESULTS Totally, 23 articles involving 4959 infants were included in this review. Of 13 studies that evaluated HC of infants at birth, 10 studies (83.33%) showed that the HC at the birth of autistic children was similar to that of the average found in the control group. Among 21 studies that evaluated the HC and weight status in infants, 19 studies (90.47%) showed that autistic children had larger HC and weight than the control group or abnormal acceleration of head growth during infancy. Height growth of infants was investigated in 13 studies, of which 10 cases (76.92%) reported that infants with ASD were significantly longer than control groups. Most of he included studies had a good quality. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that in infants with ASD, without the contribution of birth growth factors and sex of the child, the growth of HC, weight, and height probably was faster than in infants with normal development, in early life. Therefore, these measurements might be useful as initial predictive biomarkers for the risk of developing ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roghayeh Molani-Gol
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran
| | - Mohammad Alizadeh
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran
| | - Sorayya Kheirouri
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Hamedi-Kalajahi
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attar Nishabouri St, 14711, Tabriz, 5166614711, Iran
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26
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Mosconi MW, Stevens CJ, Unruh KE, Shafer R, Elison JT. Endophenotype trait domains for advancing gene discovery in autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2023; 15:41. [PMID: 37993779 PMCID: PMC10664534 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-023-09511-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with a diverse range of etiological processes, including both genetic and non-genetic causes. For a plurality of individuals with ASD, it is likely that the primary causes involve multiple common inherited variants that individually account for only small levels of variation in phenotypic outcomes. This genetic landscape creates a major challenge for detecting small but important pathogenic effects associated with ASD. To address similar challenges, separate fields of medicine have identified endophenotypes, or discrete, quantitative traits that reflect genetic likelihood for a particular clinical condition and leveraged the study of these traits to map polygenic mechanisms and advance more personalized therapeutic strategies for complex diseases. Endophenotypes represent a distinct class of biomarkers useful for understanding genetic contributions to psychiatric and developmental disorders because they are embedded within the causal chain between genotype and clinical phenotype, and they are more proximal to the action of the gene(s) than behavioral traits. Despite their demonstrated power for guiding new understanding of complex genetic structures of clinical conditions, few endophenotypes associated with ASD have been identified and integrated into family genetic studies. In this review, we argue that advancing knowledge of the complex pathogenic processes that contribute to ASD can be accelerated by refocusing attention toward identifying endophenotypic traits reflective of inherited mechanisms. This pivot requires renewed emphasis on study designs with measurement of familial co-variation including infant sibling studies, family trio and quad designs, and analysis of monozygotic and dizygotic twin concordance for select trait dimensions. We also emphasize that clarification of endophenotypic traits necessarily will involve integration of transdiagnostic approaches as candidate traits likely reflect liability for multiple clinical conditions and often are agnostic to diagnostic boundaries. Multiple candidate endophenotypes associated with ASD likelihood are described, and we propose a new focus on the analysis of "endophenotype trait domains" (ETDs), or traits measured across multiple levels (e.g., molecular, cellular, neural system, neuropsychological) along the causal pathway from genes to behavior. To inform our central argument for research efforts toward ETD discovery, we first provide a brief review of the concept of endophenotypes and their application to psychiatry. Next, we highlight key criteria for determining the value of candidate endophenotypes, including unique considerations for the study of ASD. Descriptions of different study designs for assessing endophenotypes in ASD research then are offered, including analysis of how select patterns of results may help prioritize candidate traits in future research. We also present multiple candidate ETDs that collectively cover a breadth of clinical phenomena associated with ASD, including social, language/communication, cognitive control, and sensorimotor processes. These ETDs are described because they represent promising targets for gene discovery related to clinical autistic traits, and they serve as models for analysis of separate candidate domains that may inform understanding of inherited etiological processes associated with ASD as well as overlapping neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Mosconi
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
- Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
| | - Cassandra J Stevens
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Kathryn E Unruh
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Robin Shafer
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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27
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Napier M, Reynolds K, Scott AL. Glial-mediated dysregulation of neurodevelopment in Fragile X Syndrome. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 173:187-215. [PMID: 37993178 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are highly involved in a multitude of developmental processes that are known to be dysregulated in Fragile X Syndrome. Here, we examine these processes individually and review the roles astrocytes play in contributing to the pathology of this syndrome. As a growing area of interest in the field, new and exciting insight is continually emerging. Understanding these glial-mediated roles is imperative for elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms at play, not only in Fragile X Syndrome, but also other ASD-related disorders. Understanding these roles will be central to the future development of effective, clinically-relevant treatments of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Napier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - K Reynolds
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, United States
| | - A L Scott
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada; Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
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28
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Soylu F, May K, Kana R. White and gray matter correlates of theory of mind in autism: a voxel-based morphometry study. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1671-1689. [PMID: 37452864 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02680-5] [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: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in theory of mind (ToM) and social communication. Studying structural and functional correlates of ToM in the brain and how autistic and nonautistic groups differ in terms of these correlates can help with diagnosis and understanding the biological mechanisms of ASD. In this study, we investigated white matter volume (WMV) and gray matter volume (GMV) differences between matching autistic and nonautistic samples, and how these structural features relate to age and ToM skills, indexed by the Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RMIE) measure. The results showed widespread GMV and WMV differences between the two groups in regions crucial for social processes. The autistic group did not express the typically observed negative GMV and positive WMV correlations with age at the same level as the nonautistic group, pointing to abnormalities in developmental structural changes. In addition, we found differences between the two groups in how GMV relates to ToM, particularly in the left frontal regions, and how WMV relates to ToM, mostly in the cingulate and corpus callosum. Finally, GMV in the left insula, a region that is part of the salience network, was found to be crucial in distinguishing ToM performance between the two groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firat Soylu
- Educational Psychology Program, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
| | - Kaitlyn May
- Educational Psychology Program, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA
| | - Rajesh Kana
- Department of Psychology, & the Center for Innovative Research in Autism, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA
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Hu L, Wan Q, Huang L, Tang J, Huang S, Chen X, Bai X, Kong L, Deng J, Liang H, Liu G, Liu H, Lu L. MRI-based brain age prediction model for children under 3 years old using deep residual network. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1771-1784. [PMID: 37603065 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02686-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Early identification and intervention of abnormal brain development individual subjects are of great significance, especially during the earliest and most active stage of brain development in children aged under 3. Neuroimage-based brain's biological age has been associated with health, ability, and remaining life. However, the existing brain age prediction models based on neuroimage are predominantly adult-oriented. Here, we collected 658 T1-weighted MRI scans from 0 to 3 years old healthy controls and developed an accurate brain age prediction model for young children using deep learning techniques with high accuracy in capturing age-related changes. The performance of the deep learning-based model is comparable to that of the SVR-based model, showcasing remarkable precision and yielding a noteworthy correlation of 91% between the predicted brain age and the chronological age. Our results demonstrate the accuracy of convolutional neural network (CNN) brain-predicted age using raw T1-weighted MRI data with minimum preprocessing necessary. We also applied our model to children with low birth weight, premature delivery history, autism, and ADHD, and discovered that the brain age was delayed in children with extremely low birth weight (less than 1000 g) while ADHD may cause accelerated aging of the brain. Our child-specific brain age prediction model can be a valuable quantitative tool to detect abnormal brain development and can be helpful in the early identification and intervention of age-related brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianting Hu
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
- Medical Big Data Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Qirong Wan
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 4330060, Hubei, China
| | - Li Huang
- School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Jiajie Tang
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China
- School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Shuai Huang
- Medical Big Data Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuanhui Chen
- Medical Big Data Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaohe Bai
- School of Physical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Lingcong Kong
- Medical Big Data Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingyi Deng
- School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China
| | - Huiying Liang
- Medical Big Data Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Guangjian Liu
- Medical Big Data Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongsheng Liu
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.
| | - Long Lu
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, 510623, Guangdong, China.
- School of Information Management, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China.
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30
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Ko C, Kang S, Hong SB, Park YR. Protocol for the development of joint attention-based subclassification of autism spectrum disorder and validation using multi-modal data. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:589. [PMID: 37582781 PMCID: PMC10426216 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04978-4] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heterogeneity in clinical manifestation and underlying neuro-biological mechanisms are major obstacles to providing personalized interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite various efforts to unify disparate data modalities and machine learning techniques for subclassification, replicable ASD clusters remain elusive. Our study aims to introduce a novel method, utilizing the objective behavioral biomarker of gaze patterns during joint attention, to subclassify ASD. We will assess whether behavior-based subgrouping yields clinically, genetically, and neurologically distinct ASD groups. METHODS We propose a study involving 60 individuals with ASD recruited from a specialized psychiatric clinic to perform joint attention tasks. Through the examination of gaze patterns in social contexts, we will conduct a semi-supervised clustering analysis, yielding two primary clusters: good gaze response group and poor gaze response group. Subsequent comparison will occur across these clusters, scrutinizing neuroanatomical structure and connectivity using structural as well as functional brain imaging studies, genetic predisposition through single nucleotide polymorphism data, and assorted socio-demographic and clinical information. CONCLUSIONS The aim of the study is to investigate the discriminative properties and the validity of the joint attention-based subclassification of ASD using multi-modality data. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical trial, KCT0008530, Registered 16 June 2023, https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/index/index.do .
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanyoung Ko
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Soyeon Kang
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Soon-Beom Hong
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
- Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Yu Rang Park
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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31
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Stancioiu F, Bogdan R, Dumitrescu R. Neuron-Specific Enolase (NSE) as a Biomarker for Autistic Spectrum Disease (ASD). Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1736. [PMID: 37629593 PMCID: PMC10455327 DOI: 10.3390/life13081736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Autistic spectrum disease (ASD) is an increasingly common diagnosis nowadays with a prevalence of 1-2% in most countries. Its complex causality-a combination of genetic, immune, metabolic, and environmental factors-is translated into pleiomorphic developmental disorders of various severity, which have two main aspects in common: repetitive, restrictive behaviors and difficulties in social interaction varying from awkward habits and verbalization to a complete lack of interest for the outside world. The wide variety of ASD causes also makes it very difficult to find a common denominator-a disease biomarker and medication-and currently, there is no commonly used diagnostic and therapeutic strategy besides clinical evaluation and psychotherapy. In the CORDUS clinical study, we have administered autologous cord blood to ASD kids who had little or no improvement after other treatments and searched for a biomarker which could help predict the degree of improvement in each patient. We have found that the neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was elevated above the normal clinical range (less than 16.3 ng/mL) in the vast majority of ASD kids tested in our study (40 of 41, or 97.5%). This finding opens up a new direction for diagnostic confirmation, dynamic evaluation, and therapeutic intervention for ASD kids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raluca Bogdan
- Medicover Hospital Bucharest, 013982 Bucharest, Romania
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Yamada T, Watanabe T, Sasaki Y. Are sleep disturbances a cause or consequence of autism spectrum disorder? Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 77:377-385. [PMID: 36949621 PMCID: PMC10871071 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core symptoms such as atypical social communication, stereotyped behaviors, and restricted interests. One of the comorbid symptoms of individuals with ASD is sleep disturbance. There are two major hypotheses regarding the neural mechanism underlying ASD, i.e., the excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance and the altered neuroplasticity hypotheses. However, the pathology of ASD remains unclear due to inconsistent research results. This paper argues that sleep is a confounding factor, thus, must be considered when examining the pathology of ASD because sleep plays an important role in modulating the E/I balance and neuroplasticity in the human brain. Investigation of the E/I balance and neuroplasticity during sleep might enhance our understanding of the neural mechanisms of ASD. It may also lead to the development of neurobiologically informed interventions to supplement existing psychosocial therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Yamada
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
| | - Yuka Sasaki
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
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Arutiunian V, Davydova E, Pereverzeva D, Sorokin A, Tyushkevich S, Mamokhina U, Danilina K, Dragoy O. Reduced grey matter volume of amygdala and hippocampus is associated with the severity of autistic symptoms and language abilities in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: an exploratory study. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1573-1579. [PMID: 37302090 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02660-9] [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: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are impairments in social interaction/communication and the presence of stereotyped and repetitive behaviour. The amygdala and hippocampus are involved in core functions in the "social brain" and, thus, may be of particular interest in ASD. Previous studies demonstrated inconsistent results, revealing both increased and reduced volume of these brain structures in individuals with ASD. In this study, we investigated the grey and white matter volumes of amygdala and hippocampus in primary-school-aged children with and without ASD. Also, we assessed the relationships between the volume of brain structures and behavioural measures in children with ASD. A total of 36 children participated in the study: 18 children with ASD (13 boys, age range 8.01-14.01 years, mean age (Mage) = 10.02, standard deviation (SD) = 1.76) and 18 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls (13 boys, age range 7.06-12.03 years, Mage = 10.00, SD = 1.38). The whole-brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was applied to acquire T1 images for each child. The results showed a bilateral reduction in grey matter volume of amygdala and hippocampus in children with ASD, but no difference was found in white matter volume. Importantly, pathological reduction in grey matter volume of amygdala was associated with lower language skills and more severe autistic traits; also, a reduced grey matter volume of the left hippocampus was related to lower language skills in the ASD group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vardan Arutiunian
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
| | - Elizaveta Davydova
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
- Chair of Differential Psychology and Psychophysiology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Darya Pereverzeva
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Sorokin
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Svetlana Tyushkevich
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Uliana Mamokhina
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kamilla Danilina
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
- Scientific Research and Practical Center of Pediatric Psychoneurology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Dragoy
- Center for Language and Brain, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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34
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Pretzsch CM, Ecker C. Structural neuroimaging phenotypes and associated molecular and genomic underpinnings in autism: a review. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1172779. [PMID: 37457001 PMCID: PMC10347684 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1172779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism has been associated with differences in the developmental trajectories of multiple neuroanatomical features, including cortical thickness, surface area, cortical volume, measures of gyrification, and the gray-white matter tissue contrast. These neuroimaging features have been proposed as intermediate phenotypes on the gradient from genomic variation to behavioral symptoms. Hence, examining what these proxy markers represent, i.e., disentangling their associated molecular and genomic underpinnings, could provide crucial insights into the etiology and pathophysiology of autism. In line with this, an increasing number of studies are exploring the association between neuroanatomical, cellular/molecular, and (epi)genetic variation in autism, both indirectly and directly in vivo and across age. In this review, we aim to summarize the existing literature in autism (and neurotypicals) to chart a putative pathway from (i) imaging-derived neuroanatomical cortical phenotypes to (ii) underlying (neuropathological) biological processes, and (iii) associated genomic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M. Pretzsch
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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35
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Molloy CJ, Cooke J, Gatford NJF, Rivera-Olvera A, Avazzadeh S, Homberg JR, Grandjean J, Fernandes C, Shen S, Loth E, Srivastava DP, Gallagher L. Bridging the translational gap: what can synaptopathies tell us about autism? Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1191323. [PMID: 37441676 PMCID: PMC10333541 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1191323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple molecular pathways and cellular processes have been implicated in the neurobiology of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. There is a current focus on synaptic gene conditions, or synaptopathies, which refer to clinical conditions associated with rare genetic variants disrupting genes involved in synaptic biology. Synaptopathies are commonly associated with autism and developmental delay and may be associated with a range of other neuropsychiatric outcomes. Altered synaptic biology is suggested by both preclinical and clinical studies in autism based on evidence of differences in early brain structural development and altered glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission potentially perturbing excitatory and inhibitory balance. This review focusses on the NRXN-NLGN-SHANK pathway, which is implicated in the synaptic assembly, trans-synaptic signalling, and synaptic functioning. We provide an overview of the insights from preclinical molecular studies of the pathway. Concentrating on NRXN1 deletion and SHANK3 mutations, we discuss emerging understanding of cellular processes and electrophysiology from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) models derived from individuals with synaptopathies, neuroimaging and behavioural findings in animal models of Nrxn1 and Shank3 synaptic gene conditions, and key findings regarding autism features, brain and behavioural phenotypes from human clinical studies of synaptopathies. The identification of molecular-based biomarkers from preclinical models aims to advance the development of targeted therapeutic treatments. However, it remains challenging to translate preclinical animal models and iPSC studies to interpret human brain development and autism features. We discuss the existing challenges in preclinical and clinical synaptopathy research, and potential solutions to align methodologies across preclinical and clinical research. Bridging the translational gap between preclinical and clinical studies will be necessary to understand biological mechanisms, to identify targeted therapies, and ultimately to progress towards personalised approaches for complex neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara J. Molloy
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jennifer Cooke
- Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. F. Gatford
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandro Rivera-Olvera
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Sahar Avazzadeh
- Physiology and Cellular Physiology Research Laboratory, CÚRAM SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices, School of Medicine, Human Biology Building, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Joanes Grandjean
- Physiology and Cellular Physiology Research Laboratory, CÚRAM SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices, School of Medicine, Human Biology Building, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Cathy Fernandes
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sanbing Shen
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- FutureNeuro, The SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eva Loth
- Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Deepak P. Srivastava
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- The Hospital for SickKids, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Scaffei E, Mazziotti R, Conti E, Costanzo V, Calderoni S, Stoccoro A, Carmassi C, Tancredi R, Baroncelli L, Battini R. A Potential Biomarker of Brain Activity in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot fNIRS Study in Female Preschoolers. Brain Sci 2023; 13:951. [PMID: 37371429 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a neurodevelopmental condition whose detection still remains challenging in young females due to the heterogeneity of the behavioral phenotype and the capacity of camouflage. The availability of quantitative biomarkers to assess brain function may support in the assessment of ASD. Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive and flexible tool that quantifies cortical hemodynamic responses (HDR) that can be easily employed to describe brain activity. Since the study of the visual phenotype is a paradigmatic model to evaluate cerebral processing in many neurodevelopmental conditions, we hypothesized that visually-evoked HDR (vHDR) might represent a potential biomarker in ASD females. We performed a case-control study comparing vHDR in a cohort of high-functioning preschooler females with ASD (fASD) and sex/age matched peers. We demonstrated the feasibility of visual fNIRS measurements in fASD, and the possibility to discriminate between fASD and typical subjects using different signal features, such as the amplitude and lateralization of vHDR. Moreover, the level of response lateralization was correlated to the severity of autistic traits. These results corroborate the cruciality of sensory symptoms in ASD, paving the way for the validation of the fNIRS analytical tool for diagnosis and treatment outcome monitoring in the ASD population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Scaffei
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Raffaele Mazziotti
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Eugenia Conti
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Valeria Costanzo
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Calderoni
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Stoccoro
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Laura Baroncelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Roberta Battini
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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37
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Xin J, Huang K, Yi A, Feng Z, Liu H, Liu X, Liang L, Huang Q, Xiao Y. Absence of associations with prefrontal cortex and cerebellum may link to early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1144993. [PMID: 37215652 PMCID: PMC10192852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1144993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder, characterized by language and social deficits that begin to appear in the first years of life. Research in preschool children with ASD has consistently reported increased global brain volume and abnormal cortical patterns, and the brain structure abnormalities have also been found to be clinically and behaviorally relevant. However, little is known regarding the associations between brain structure abnormalities and early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Methods In this study, we collected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from a cohort of Chinese preschool children with and without ASD (24 ASD/20 non-ASD) aged 12-52 months, explored group differences in brain gray matter (GM) volume, and examined associations between regional GM volume and early language and social abilities in these two groups, separately. Results We observed significantly greater global GM volume in children with ASD as compared to those without ASD, but there were no regional GM volume differences between these two groups. For children without ASD, GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum was significantly correlated with language scores; GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with social scores. No significant correlations were found in children with ASD. Discussion Our data demonstrate correlations of regional GM volume with early language and social abilities in preschool children without ASD, and the absence of these associations appear to underlie language and social deficits in children with ASD. These findings provide novel evidence for the neuroanatomical basis associated with language and social abilities in preschool children with and without ASD, which promotes a better understanding of early deficits in language and social functions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xin
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Kaiyu Huang
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aiwen Yi
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Ziyu Feng
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Lili Liang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Qingshan Huang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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38
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Wang S, Li X. A revisit of the amygdala theory of autism: Twenty years after. Neuropsychologia 2023; 183:108519. [PMID: 36803966 PMCID: PMC10824605 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
The human amygdala has long been implicated to play a key role in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet it remains unclear to what extent the amygdala accounts for the social dysfunctions in ASD. Here, we review studies that investigate the relationship between amygdala function and ASD. We focus on studies that employ the same task and stimuli to directly compare people with ASD and patients with focal amygdala lesions, and we also discuss functional data associated with these studies. We show that the amygdala can only account for a limited number of deficits in ASD (primarily face perception tasks but not social attention tasks), a network view is, therefore, more appropriate. We next discuss atypical brain connectivity in ASD, factors that can explain such atypical brain connectivity, and novel tools to analyze brain connectivity. Lastly, we discuss new opportunities from multimodal neuroimaging with data fusion and human single-neuron recordings that can enable us to better understand the neural underpinnings of social dysfunctions in ASD. Together, the influential amygdala theory of autism should be extended with emerging data-driven scientific discoveries such as machine learning-based surrogate models to a broader framework that considers brain connectivity at the global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
| | - Xin Li
- Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
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Jiang M, Lu T, Yang K, Li X, Zhao L, Zhang D, Li J, Wang L. Autism spectrum disorder research: knowledge mapping of progress and focus between 2011 and 2022. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1096769. [PMID: 37181872 PMCID: PMC10168184 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1096769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In recent years, a large number of studies have focused on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study used bibliometric analysis to describe the state of ASD research over the past decade and identify its trends and research fronts. Methods Studies on ASD published from 2011 to 2022 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometrix, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer were used for bibliometric analysis. Results A total of 57,108 studies were included in the systematic search, and articles were published in more than 6,000 journals. The number of publications increased by 181.7% (2,623 in 2011 and 7,390 in 2021). The articles in the field of genetics are widely cited in immunology, clinical research, and psychological research. Keywords co-occurrence analysis revealed that "causative mechanisms," "clinical features," and "intervention features" were the three main clusters of ASD research. Over the past decade, genetic variants associated with ASD have gained increasing attention, and immune dysbiosis and gut microbiota are the new development frontiers after 2015. Conclusion This study uses a bibliometric approach to visualize and quantitatively describe autism research over the last decade. Neuroscience, genetics, brain imaging studies, and gut microbiome studies improve our understanding of autism. In addition, the microbe-gut-brain axis may be an exciting research direction for ASD in the future. Therefore, through visual analysis of autism literature, this paper shows the development process, research hotspots, and cutting-edge trends in this field to provide theoretical reference for the development of autism in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Jiang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Tianlan Lu
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Kang Yang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Xianjing Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Liyang Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
- Translational Medicine Center of Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Lifang Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
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Leisman G, Melillo R, Melillo T. Prefrontal Functional Connectivities in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Connectopathic Disorder Affecting Movement, Interoception, and Cognition. Brain Res Bull 2023; 198:65-76. [PMID: 37087061 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex is included in a neuronal system that includes the basal ganglia, the thalamus, and the cerebellum. Most of the higher and more complex motor, cognitive, and emotional behavioral functions are thought to be found primarily in the frontal lobes. Insufficient connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and other regions of the brain that are distant from each other involved in top-down information processing rely on the global integration of data from multiple input sources and enhance low level perception processes (bottom-up information processing). The reduced deactivation in mPFC and in the rest of the Default Network during global task processing is consistent with the integrative modulatory role served by the mPFC. We stress the importance of understanding the degree to which sensory and movement anomalies in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can contribute to social impairment. Further investigation on the neurobiological basis of sensory symptoms and its relationship to other clinical features found in ASD is required Treatment perhaps should not be first behaviorally based but rather based on facilitating sensory motor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerry Leisman
- Movement and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; University of the Medical Sciences of Havana, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Robert Melillo
- Movement and Cognition Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ty Melillo
- Northeast College of the Health Sciencs, Seneca Falls, NY USA
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Kumar M, Hiremath C, Khokhar SK, Bansal E, Sagar KJV, Padmanabha H, Girimaji AS, Narayan S, Kishore MT, Yamini BK, Jac Fredo AR, Saini J, Bharath RD. Altered cerebellar lobular volumes correlate with clinical deficits in siblings and children with ASD: evidence from toddlers. J Transl Med 2023; 21:246. [PMID: 37029372 PMCID: PMC10080978 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04090-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social and communication skills, narrow interests, and repetitive behavior. It is known that the cerebellum plays a vital role in controlling movement and gait posture. However, recently, researchers have reported that the cerebellum may also be responsible for other functions, such as social cognition, reward, anxiety, language, and executive functions. METHODS In this study, we ascertained volumetric differences from cerebellar lobular analysis from children with ASD, ASD siblings, and typically developing healthy controls. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 30 children were recruited, including children with ASD (N = 15; mean age = 27.67 ± 5.1 months), ASD siblings (N = 6; mean age = 17.5 ± 3.79 months), and typically developing children (N = 9; mean age = 17.67 ± 3.21 months). All the MRI data was acquired under natural sleep without using any sedative medication. We performed a correlation analysis with volumetric data and developmental and behavioral measures obtained from these children. Two-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation was performed for statistical data analysis. RESULTS We observed intriguing findings from this study, including significantly increased gray matter lobular volumes in multiple cerebellar regions including; vermis, left and right lobule I-V, right CrusII, and right VIIb and VIIIb, respectively, in children with ASD, compared to typically developing healthy controls and ASD siblings. Multiple cerebellar lobular volumes were also significantly correlated with social quotient, cognition, language, and motor scores with children with ASD, ASD siblings, and healthy controls, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This research finding helps us understand the neurobiology of ASD and ASD-siblings, and critically advances current knowledge about the cerebellar role in ASD. However, results need to be replicated for a larger cohort from longitudinal research study in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India.
| | - Chandrakanta Hiremath
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India
| | - Sunil Kumar Khokhar
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India
| | - Eshita Bansal
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India
| | - Kommu John Vijay Sagar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India
| | - Hansashree Padmanabha
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India
| | - Akhila S Girimaji
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India
| | - Shweta Narayan
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India
| | - M Thomas Kishore
- Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India
| | - B K Yamini
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India
| | - A R Jac Fredo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Jitender Saini
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India
| | - Rose Dawn Bharath
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Road, Bengaluru, 560029, India
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Weinschutz Mendes H, Neelakantan U, Liu Y, Fitzpatrick SE, Chen T, Wu W, Pruitt A, Jin DS, Jamadagni P, Carlson M, Lacadie CM, Enriquez KD, Li N, Zhao D, Ijaz S, Sakai C, Szi C, Rooney B, Ghosh M, Nwabudike I, Gorodezky A, Chowdhury S, Zaheer M, McLaughlin S, Fernandez JM, Wu J, Eilbott JA, Vander Wyk B, Rihel J, Papademetris X, Wang Z, Hoffman EJ. High-throughput functional analysis of autism genes in zebrafish identifies convergence in dopaminergic and neuroimmune pathways. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112243. [PMID: 36933215 PMCID: PMC10277173 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancing from gene discovery in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) to the identification of biologically relevant mechanisms remains a central challenge. Here, we perform parallel in vivo functional analysis of 10 ASD genes at the behavioral, structural, and circuit levels in zebrafish mutants, revealing both unique and overlapping effects of gene loss of function. Whole-brain mapping identifies the forebrain and cerebellum as the most significant contributors to brain size differences, while regions involved in sensory-motor control, particularly dopaminergic regions, are associated with altered baseline brain activity. Finally, we show a global increase in microglia resulting from ASD gene loss of function in select mutants, implicating neuroimmune dysfunction as a key pathway relevant to ASD biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Uma Neelakantan
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yunqing Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sarah E Fitzpatrick
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; MD-PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Tianying Chen
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Weimiao Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - April Pruitt
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - David S Jin
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Marina Carlson
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Cheryl M Lacadie
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Ningshan Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; SJTU-Yale Joint Center for Biostatistics and Data Science, Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Dejian Zhao
- Department of Genetics, Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sundas Ijaz
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Catalina Sakai
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Christina Szi
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Brendan Rooney
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Marcus Ghosh
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ijeoma Nwabudike
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; MD-PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Andrea Gorodezky
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sumedha Chowdhury
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Meeraal Zaheer
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sarah McLaughlin
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Jia Wu
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Eilbott
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Brent Vander Wyk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Jason Rihel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Xenophon Papademetris
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Zuoheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ellen J Hoffman
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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Kyriakopoulou V, Davidson A, Chew A, Gupta N, Arichi T, Nosarti C, Rutherford MA. Characterisation of ASD traits among a cohort of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1550. [PMID: 36941265 PMCID: PMC10027681 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37242-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal ventriculomegaly is the most common antenatally-diagnosed brain abnormality. Imaging studies in antenatal isolated ventriculomegaly demonstrate enlarged ventricles and cortical overgrowth which are also present in children with autism-spectrum disorder/condition (ASD). We investigate the presence of ASD traits in a cohort of children (n = 24 [20 males/4 females]) with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, compared with 10 controls (n = 10 [6 males/4 females]). Neurodevelopmental outcome at school age included IQ, ASD traits (ADOS-2), sustained attention, neurological functioning, behaviour, executive function, sensory processing, co-ordination, and adaptive behaviours. Pre-school language development was assessed at 2 years. 37.5% of children, all male, in the ventriculomegaly cohort scored above threshold for autism/ASD classification. Pre-school language delay predicted an ADOS-2 autism/ASD classification with 73.3% specificity/66.7% sensitivity. Greater pre-school language delay was associated with more ASD symptoms. In this study, the neurodevelopment of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, associated with altered cortical development, includes ASD traits, difficulties in sustained attention, working memory and sensation-seeking behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Alice Davidson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mary A Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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Lockhart AK, Sharpley CF, Bitsika V. Mu Desynchronisation in Autistic Individuals: What We Know and What We Need to Know. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-023-00354-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that includes social-communication deficits and repetitive and stereotypical behaviours (APA 2022). Neurobiological methods of studying ASD are a promising methodology for identifying ASD biomarkers. Mu rhythms (Mu) have the potential to shed light on the socialisation deficits that characterise ASD; however, Mu/ASD studies thus far have yielded inconsistent results. This review examines the existing Mu/ASD studies to determine where this variability lies to elucidate potential factors that can be addressed in future studies.
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45
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Neurobiological correlates and attenuated positive social intention attribution during laughter perception associated with degree of autistic traits. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:585-596. [PMID: 36808307 PMCID: PMC10049931 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02599-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Laughter plays an important role in group formation, signaling social belongingness by indicating a positive or negative social intention towards the receiver. In adults without autism, the intention of laughter can be correctly differentiated without further contextual information. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, differences in the perception and interpretation of social cues represent a key characteristic of the disorder. Studies suggest that these differences are associated with hypoactivation and altered connectivity among key nodes of the social perception network. How laughter, as a multimodal nonverbal social cue, is perceived and processed neurobiologically in association with autistic traits has not been assessed previously. We investigated differences in social intention attribution, neurobiological activation, and connectivity during audiovisual laughter perception in association with the degree of autistic traits in adults [N = 31, Mage (SD) = 30.7 (10.0) years, nfemale = 14]. An attenuated tendency to attribute positive social intention to laughter was found with increasing autistic traits. Neurobiologically, autistic trait scores were associated with decreased activation in the right inferior frontal cortex during laughter perception and with attenuated connectivity between the bilateral fusiform face area with bilateral inferior and lateral frontal, superior temporal, mid-cingulate and inferior parietal cortices. Results support hypoactivity and hypoconnectivity during social cue processing with increasing ASD symptoms between socioemotional face processing nodes and higher-order multimodal processing regions related to emotion identification and attribution of social intention. Furthermore, results reflect the importance of specifically including signals of positive social intention in future studies in ASD.
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Liu P, Zhao Y, Xiong W, Pan Y, Zhu M, Zhu X. Degradation of Perineuronal Nets in the Cerebellar Interpositus Nucleus Ameliorated Social Deficits in Shank3-deficient Mice. Neuroscience 2023; 511:29-38. [PMID: 36587867 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are structures that contain extracellular matrix chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan and surround the soma and dendrites of various neuronal cell types. They are involved in synaptic plasticity and undertake important physiological functions. Altered expression of PNNs has been demonstrated in the brains of autism-related animal models. However, the underlying mechanism is still unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that the PNNs in the cerebellum are involved in modulating social and repetitive/inflexible behaviors in Shank3B-/- mice, an established animal model of autism spectrum disorder. First, we performed wisteria floribunda agglutinin staining of the whole brain of Shank3B-/- mice, and found wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive PNNs are significantly increased in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus (IntP) in Shank3B-/- mice compared to control littermates. After degradation of PNNs in the IntP by chondroitinase ABC, the repetitive behaviors of Shank3B-/- mice were decreased, while their social behaviors were ameliorated. These results suggested that PNNs homeostasis is involved in the regulation of social behavior, revealing a potential therapeutic strategy targeting PNNs in the IntP for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yulu Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Wenchao Xiong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Yida Pan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Minzhen Zhu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xinhong Zhu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Research Center for Brain Health, Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou 510330, China.
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Abstract
Relative to males, women with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have neurobiological and clinical presentation differences. Recent research suggests that the male/female ASD prevalence gap is smaller than previously reported. Sex differences in symptom presentation as well as the male bias of ASD account for delayed/missed diagnosis among women. Investigating ASD and providing psychological evaluation referrals for women who are struggling socially and present with complex mental health conditions (e.g., ADHD, depression), even when they do not show typical autistic characteristics, is important. Accurate diagnosis facilitates understanding of challenges, increases access to treatments, and alleviates the burden of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Ochoa-Lubinoff
- Rush University Medical Center, 1725 West Harrison Street, Suite 710, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Bridget A Makol
- Rush University Medical Center, 1653 West Congress Parkway, 12 Kellogg, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Emily F Dillon
- Rush University Medical Center, 1645 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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Yule AM, DiSalvo M, Biederman J, Wilens TE, Dallenbach NT, Taubin D, Joshi G. Decreased risk for substance use disorders in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:257-265. [PMID: 34363537 PMCID: PMC8936975 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01852-0] [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: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk for developing a substance use disorder (SUD, alcohol or drug abuse or dependence) in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Subjects with high-functioning ASD were derived from consecutive referrals to a specialized ambulatory program for ASD at a major academic center from 2007 to 2016. Age-matched controls and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comparison subjects were derived from three independent studies of children and adults with and without ADHD using identical assessment methodology. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the prevalence of SUD (alcohol or drug use disorder). Age of onset of SUD was analyzed with linear regression models. Our sample included 230 controls, 219 subjects with ADHD, and 230 subjects with ASD. The mean age for the ASD subjects was 20.0 ± 10.3 years. Among ASD subjects, 69% had a lifetime prevalence of ADHD, and the ASD subjects had significantly higher rates of other psychiatric psychopathology compared to ADHD and control subjects (p < 0.001) ASD subjects were at significantly decreased risk for developing a SUD compared to ADHD (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.22, p < 0.001) and control subjects (HR = 0.62, p = 0.04). The age of onset of a SUD was significantly older in ASD subjects, mean age 21.7 years, when compared to ADHD and control subjects (both p < 0.005). Individuals with ASD are at decreased risk to develop a SUD, and when they do, the onset is significantly later than ADHD and controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Yule
- Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Warren Building 705, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
| | - Maura DiSalvo
- Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Warren Building 705, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Joseph Biederman
- Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Warren Building 705, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Timothy E Wilens
- Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Warren Building 705, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nina T Dallenbach
- Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Warren Building 705, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Daria Taubin
- Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Warren Building 705, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Gagan Joshi
- Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Warren Building 705, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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49
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Duan K, Eyler L, Pierce K, Lombardo M, Datko M, Hagler D, Taluja V, Zahiri J, Campbell K, Barnes C, Arias S, Nalabolu S, Troxel J, Courchesne E. Language, Social, and Face Regions Are Affected in Toddlers with Autism and Predictive of Language Outcome. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2451837. [PMID: 36778379 PMCID: PMC9915795 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2451837/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Identifying prognostic early brain alterations is crucial for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Leveraging structural MRI data from 166 ASD and 109 typical developing (TD) toddlers and controlling for brain size, we found that, compared to TD, ASD toddlers showed larger or thicker lateral temporal regions; smaller or thinner frontal lobe and midline structures; larger callosal subregion volume; and smaller cerebellum. Most of these differences were replicated in an independent cohort of 38 ASD and 37 TD toddlers. Moreover, the identified brain alterations were related to ASD symptom severity and cognitive impairments at intake, and, remarkably, they improved the accuracy for predicting later language outcome beyond intake clinical and demographic variables. In summary, brain regions involved in language, social, and face processing were altered in ASD toddlers. These early-age brain alterations may be the result of dysregulation in multiple neural processes and stages and are promising prognostic biomarkers for future language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuaikuai Duan
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University
| | | | | | | | | | - Donald Hagler
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA
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50
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Arutiunian V, Gomozova M, Minnigulova A, Davydova E, Pereverzeva D, Sorokin A, Tyushkevich S, Mamokhina U, Danilina K, Dragoy O. Structural brain abnormalities and their association with language impairment in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1172. [PMID: 36670149 PMCID: PMC9860052 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28463-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Language impairment is comorbid in most children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but its neural basis is poorly understood. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the present study provides the whole-brain comparison of both volume- and surface-based characteristics between groups of children with and without ASD and investigates the relationships between these characteristics in language-related areas and the language abilities of children with ASD measured with standardized tools. A total of 36 school-aged children participated in the study: 18 children with ASD and 18 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls. The results revealed that multiple regions differed between groups of children in gray matter volume, gray matter thickness, gyrification, and cortical complexity (fractal dimension). White matter volume and sulcus depth did not differ between groups of children in any region. Importantly, gray matter thickness and gyrification of language-related areas were related to language functioning in children with ASD. Thus, the results of the present study shed some light on the structural brain abnormalities associated with language impairment in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vardan Arutiunian
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
| | | | | | - Elizaveta Davydova
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia.,Chair of Differential Psychology and Psychophysiology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Darya Pereverzeva
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Sorokin
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Svetlana Tyushkevich
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Uliana Mamokhina
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kamilla Danilina
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Dragoy
- Center for Language and Brain, HSE University, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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