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Griffin JW, Naples A, Bernier R, Chawarska K, Dawson G, Dziura J, Faja S, Jeste S, Kleinhans N, Sugar C, Webb SJ, Shic F, McPartland JC. Spatiotemporal Eye Movement Dynamics Reveal Altered Face Prioritization in Early Visual Processing Among Autistic Children. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00252-0. [PMID: 39237004 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reduced social attention - looking at faces - is one of the most common manifestations of social difficulty in autism central to social development. Although reduced social attention is well-characterized in autism, qualitative differences in how social attention unfolds across time remains unknown. METHODS We used a computational modeling (i.e., hidden Markov modeling) approach to assess and compare the spatiotemporal dynamics of social attention in a large, well-characterized sample of autistic (n = 280) and neurotypical (n = 120) children (ages 6-11) that completed three social eye-tracking assays across three longitudinal time points (Baseline, 6 weeks, 24 weeks). RESULTS Our analysis supported the existence of two common eye movement patterns that emerged across three ET assays. A focused pattern was characterized by small face regions of interest, which had high probability of capturing fixations early in visual processing. In contrast, an exploratory pattern was characterized by larger face regions of interest, with lower initial probability of fixation, and more non-social regions of interest. In the context of social perception, autistic children showed significantly more exploratory eye movement patterns than neurotypical children across all social perception assays and all three longitudinal time points. Eye movement patterns were associated with clinical features of autism, including adaptive function, face recognition, and autism symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS Decreased likelihood of precisely looking to faces early in social visual processing may be an important feature of autism that was associated with autism-related symptomology and may reflect less visual sensitivity to face information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington School of Medicine
| | | | | | - James Dziura
- Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine
| | - Susan Faja
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
| | - Natalia Kleinhans
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine; Center On Human Development and Disability, University of Washington
| | - Catherine Sugar
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles; Department of Biostatistics, University of California Los Angeles
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington School of Medicine; Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute; Department of General Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine; Center for Brain and Mind Heath, Yale University School of Medicine.
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Rudling M, Nyström P, Bussu G, Bölte S, Falck-Ytter T. Infant responses to direct gaze and associations to autism: A live eye-tracking study. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:1677-1689. [PMID: 37882485 PMCID: PMC11191372 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231203037] [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] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT When other people look directly towards us, we often respond by looking back at them, and such direct-gaze responses are important for establishing eye contact. Atypical eye contact is common in autism, but how and when this aspect of autism develops is not well understood. Here, we studied whether how much and how quickly infants respond to others' direct gaze is associated with autism in toddlerhood. We did this by measuring direct-gaze responses in a playful social interaction using live eye tracking. The study included 169 infants, of whom 129 had an elevated likelihood of developing autism due to having a first-degree family member with the condition, and 40 with typical likelihood of autism. In the elevated likelihood group, 35 were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 3 years of age, and 94 were not. The results showed that infants in all three groups tended to increase their looking towards the adult's face after the adult looked directly at them. However, neither how much nor how quickly the infants responded to direct gaze by looking back at the adult reliably differentiated the infants with or without subsequent autism. While infants in the elevated likelihood of autism and subsequent diagnosis group tended to look away quicker from faces with direct gaze than infants in the typical likelihood group, this measure did not differentiate between the two elevated likelihood groups. We interpret the results as supporting the view that atypical direct-gaze responses are not early markers of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Rudling
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University
| | - Pär Nyström
- Uppsala Child and Babylab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University
| | - Giorgia Bussu
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women’s and Children’s Health & Stockholm Health Care Services, Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm
- Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research; Department of Women’s and Children’s Health & Stockholm Health Care Services, Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm
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3
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Flanagan JE, Demchick BB, Landa R, Delany JV, Reinoso G. Early Play Behaviors of Infants at Elevated Likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Am J Occup Ther 2024; 78:7804185050. [PMID: 38768096 PMCID: PMC11220781 DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2024.050438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Although research has examined early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), few studies have found behavioral markers during midinfancy associated with later ASD diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To examine infants' play behaviors and atypical positions at age 6 mo and later outcome classification among infants at elevated likelihood (EL) and typical likelihood (TL) for ASD. Atypical positions refer to movement patterns indicative of motor delays or deviations, including atypical extension and flexion, poor weight shift and rotation, hypertonicity or hypotonicity, and the presence of primitive reflex patterns. DESIGN Observational cohort longitudinal design using blinded video analysis. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-eight infants (41 EL infants and 17 TL infants) 6 mo of age. RESULTS Infants later diagnosed with ASD needed more support to engage in play at age 6 mo compared with infants who did not receive an ASD diagnosis (U = 130, z = -2.29, p < .05, r = .31). Atypical positions at 6 mo of age were not associated with a later diagnosis of ASD. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Play behaviors may be early indicators of developmental differences for infants later diagnosed with ASD. The results of this pilot study suggest the need to observe the quality of interaction with a caregiver and objects during early play, which may serve as potential early indicators of ASD. Plain-Language Summary: Few studies have found behavioral markers during midinfancy that are associated with a later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The results of this study showed that infants who were later diagnosed with ASD were found to have differences in play behaviors compared to infants who were not later diagnosed with ASD. Thus, early play behaviors may be an early indicator of developmental differences for infants who are later diagnosed with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne E Flanagan
- Joanne E. Flanagan, ScD, OTR/L, is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Clearwater, FL;
| | - Barbara B Demchick
- Barbara B. Demchick, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Professor Emerita, Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science, Towson University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Rebecca Landa
- Rebecca Landa, PhD, is Executive Director, Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Janet V Delany
- Janet V. Delany, DEd, is Professor Emerita, Towson University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Gustavo Reinoso
- Gustavo Reinoso, PhD, OTR/L, is Associate Professor, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, IA
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4
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Kim NY, He J, Wu Q, Dai N, Kohlhoff K, Turner J, Paul LK, Kennedy DP, Adolphs R, Navalpakkam V. Smartphone-based gaze estimation for in-home autism research. Autism Res 2024; 17:1140-1148. [PMID: 38660935 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3140] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Atypical gaze patterns are a promising biomarker of autism spectrum disorder. To measure gaze accurately, however, it typically requires highly controlled studies in the laboratory using specialized equipment that is often expensive, thereby limiting the scalability of these approaches. Here we test whether a recently developed smartphone-based gaze estimation method could overcome such limitations and take advantage of the ubiquity of smartphones. As a proof-of-principle, we measured gaze while a small sample of well-assessed autistic participants and controls watched videos on a smartphone, both in the laboratory (with lab personnel) and in remote home settings (alone). We demonstrate that gaze data can be efficiently collected, in-home and longitudinally by participants themselves, with sufficiently high accuracy (gaze estimation error below 1° visual angle on average) for quantitative, feature-based analysis. Using this approach, we show that autistic individuals have reduced gaze time on human faces and longer gaze time on non-social features in the background, thereby reproducing established findings in autism using just smartphones and no additional hardware. Our approach provides a foundation for scaling future research with larger and more representative participant groups at vastly reduced cost, also enabling better inclusion of underserved communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Yeon Kim
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Junfeng He
- Google Research, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Qianying Wu
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Na Dai
- Google Research, Mountain View, California, USA
| | | | - Jasmin Turner
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Lynn K Paul
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Daniel P Kennedy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Ralph Adolphs
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Chen Neuroscience Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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5
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Viktorsson C, Portugal AM, Taylor MJ, Ronald A, Falck-Ytter T. Sustained looking at faces at 5 months of age is associated with socio-communicative skills in the second year of life. INFANCY 2024; 29:459-478. [PMID: 38358338 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Efficiently processing information from faces in infancy is foundational for nonverbal communication. We studied individual differences in 5-month-old infants' (N = 517) sustained attention to faces and preference for emotional faces. We assessed the contribution of genetic and environmental influences to individual differences in these gaze behaviors, and the association between these traits and other concurrent and later phenotypes. We found an association between the mean duration of looking at a face (before looking away from it) at 5 months and socio-communicative abilities at 14 months (β = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.08; 0.26, p < 0.001). Sustained attention to faces predicted socio-communicative abilities over and above variance captured by mean fixation duration. We also found a statistically significant but weak tendency to prefer looking at smiling faces (relative to neutral faces), but no indication that variability in this behavior was explained by genetic effects. Moderate heritability was found for sustained attention to faces (A = 0.23, CI: 0.06; 0.38), while shared environmental influences were non-significant for both phenotypes. These findings suggest that sustained looking at individual faces before looking away is a developmentally significant 'social attention' phenotype in infancy, characterized by moderate heritability and a specific relation to later socio-communicative abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Viktorsson
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana Maria Portugal
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Ronald
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden
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6
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Fu X, Platt E, Shic F, Bradshaw J. Infant Social Attention Associated with Elevated Likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multi-Method Comparison. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06360-z. [PMID: 38678515 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06360-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study aimed to compare eye tracking (ET) and manual coding (MC) measures of attention to social and nonsocial information in infants with elevated familial likelihood (EL) of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and low likelihood of ASD (LL). ET provides a temporally and spatially sensitive tool for measuring gaze allocation. Existing evidence suggests that ET is a promising tool for detecting distinct social attention patterns that may serve as a biomarker for ASD. However, ET is prone to data loss, especially in young EL infants. METHODS To increase evidence for ET as a viable tool for capturing atypical social attention in EL infants, the current prospective, longitudinal study obtained ET and MC measures of social and nonsocial attention in 25 EL and 47 LL infants at several time points between 3 and 24 months of age. RESULTS ET data was obtained with a satisfactory success rate of 95.83%, albeit with a higher degree of data loss compared to MC. Infant age and ASD likelihood status did not impact the extent of ET or MC data loss. There was a significant positive association between the ET and MC measures of attention, and separate analyses of attention using ET and AC measures yielded comparable findings. These analyses indicated group differences (EL vs. LL) in age-related change in attention to social vs. nonsocial information. CONCLUSION Together, the findings support infant ET as a promising approach for identifying very early markers associated with ASD likelihood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Fu
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - Emma Platt
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jessica Bradshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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7
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Griffin JW, Webb SJ, Keehn B, Dawson G, McPartland JC. Autistic Individuals Do Not Alter Visual Processing Strategy During Encoding Versus Recognition of Faces: A Hidden Markov Modeling Approach. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06259-9. [PMID: 38430386 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06259-9] [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] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Visual face recognition-the ability to encode, discriminate, and recognize the faces of others-is fundamentally supported by eye movements and is a common source of difficulty for autistic individuals. We aimed to evaluate how visual processing strategies (i.e., eye movement patterns) directly support encoding and recognition of faces in autistic and neurotypical (NT) individuals. METHODS We used a hidden Markov modeling approach to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of eye movements in autistic (n = 15) and neurotypical (NT) adolescents (n = 17) during a face identity recognition task. RESULTS We discovered distinct eye movement patterns among all participants, which included a focused and exploratory strategy. When evaluating change in visual processing strategy across encoding and recognition phases, autistic individuals did not shift their eye movement patterns like their NT peers, who shifted to a more exploratory visual processing strategy during recognition. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that autistic individuals do not modulate their visual processing strategy across encoding and recognition of faces, which may be an indicator of less efficient face processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Griffin
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Center of Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Science Department, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
| | - Brandon Keehn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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8
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Eskola E, Kataja EL, Hyönä J, Hakanen H, Nolvi S, Häikiö T, Pelto J, Karlsson H, Karlsson L, Korja R. Lower maternal emotional availability is related to increased attention toward fearful faces during infancy. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 74:101900. [PMID: 37979474 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101900] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
It has been suggested that infants' age-typical attention biases for faces and facial expressions have an inherent connection with the parent-infant interaction. However, only a few previous studies have addressed this topic. To investigate the association between maternal caregiving behaviors and an infant's attention for emotional faces, 149 mother-infant dyads were assessed when the infants were 8 months. Caregiving behaviors were observed during free-play interactions and coded using the Emotional Availability Scales. The composite score of four parental dimensions, that are sensitivity, structuring, non-intrusiveness, and non-hostility, was used in the analyses. Attention disengagement from faces was measured using eye tracking and face-distractor paradigm with neutral, happy, and fearful faces and scrambled-face control pictures as stimuli. The main finding was that lower maternal emotional availability was related to an infant's higher attention to fearful faces (p = .042), when infant sex and maternal age, education, and concurrent depressive and anxiety symptoms were controlled. This finding indicates that low maternal emotional availability may sensitize infants' emotion processing system for the signals of fear at least during this specific age around 8 months. The significance of the increased attention toward fearful faces during infancy is an important topic for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eeva Eskola
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, Expert Services, Turku, Finland.
| | - Eeva-Leena Kataja
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Jukka Hyönä
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland
| | - Hetti Hakanen
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, Turku, Finland
| | - Tuomo Häikiö
- University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland
| | - Juho Pelto
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka Korja
- University of Turku, Department of Clinical Medicine, Turku Brain and Mind Center, FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku, Finland; University of Turku, Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, Turku, Finland
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9
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Kojovic N, Cekic S, Castañón SH, Franchini M, Sperdin HF, Sandini C, Jan RK, Zöller D, Ben Hadid L, Bavelier D, Schaer M. Unraveling the developmental dynamic of visual exploration of social interactions in autism. eLife 2024; 13:e85623. [PMID: 38192197 PMCID: PMC10876216 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85623] [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: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Atypical deployment of social gaze is present early on in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Yet, studies characterizing the developmental dynamic behind it are scarce. Here, we used a data-driven method to delineate the developmental change in visual exploration of social interaction over childhood years in autism. Longitudinal eye-tracking data were acquired as children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers freely explored a short cartoon movie. We found divergent moment-to-moment gaze patterns in children with ASD compared to their TD peers. This divergence was particularly evident in sequences that displayed social interactions between characters and even more so in children with lower developmental and functional levels. The basic visual properties of the animated scene did not account for the enhanced divergence. Over childhood years, these differences dramatically increased to become more idiosyncratic. These findings suggest that social attention should be targeted early in clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Kojovic
- Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Sezen Cekic
- Faculte de Psychologie et Science de l’Education, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Santiago Herce Castañón
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad UniversitariaMexico CityMexico
| | | | - Holger Franz Sperdin
- Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Corrado Sandini
- Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Reem Kais Jan
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health SciencesDubaiUnited Arab Emirates
| | | | - Lylia Ben Hadid
- Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Daphné Bavelier
- Faculte de Psychologie et Science de l’Education, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Marie Schaer
- Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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10
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Viktorsson C, Bölte S, Falck-Ytter T. How 18-month-olds with Later Autism Look at Other Children Interacting: The Timing of Gaze Allocation. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06118-z. [PMID: 37642874 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06118-z] [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] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
When observing other people during naturally paced and dynamic interactions, it is essential to look at specific locations at the right time to extract a maximum of socially informative content. In this study, we aimed to investigate the looking behavior of typically developing toddlers and toddlers later diagnosed with autism when observing other children interact. The sample consisted of 98 toddlers; 22 in a low-likelihood of autism group, 60 in an elevated likelihood of autism group who did not receive a subsequent diagnosis, and 16 in an elevated likelihood group who did receive an autism diagnosis. Participants performed an eye tracking task at 18 months of age and were assessed for diagnostic outcome at 36 months. The video stimuli consisted of two children interacting, where a boy reaches out for a toy and a girl refuses to give it to him. The low likelihood group showed an expected increase in ratio of looking at the girl's face after the boy requested the toy, as compared to before (t(21) = -3.337, p = .003). Toddlers with later autism showed a significantly lower ratio of looking at the girl's face during this time window, as compared to the other groups (F(2,91) = 3.698, p = .029). These findings provide new leads on how social gaze may be different in children with autism in everyday life (e.g., kindergarten), and highlight the need of studying the dynamics of gaze on short time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Viktorsson
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Chen J, Wei Z, Xu C, Peng Z, Yang J, Wan G, Chen B, Gong J, Zhou K. Social visual preference mediates the effect of cortical thickness on symptom severity in children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1132284. [PMID: 37398604 PMCID: PMC10311909 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1132284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Evidence suggests that there is a robust relationship between altered neuroanatomy and autistic symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social visual preference, which is regulated by specific brain regions, is also related to symptom severity. However, there were a few studies explored the potential relationships among brain structure, symptom severity, and social visual preference. Methods The current study investigated relationships among brain structure, social visual preference, and symptom severity in 43 children with ASD and 26 typically developing (TD) children (aged 2-6 years). Results Significant differences were found in social visual preference and cortical morphometry between the two groups. Decreased percentage of fixation time in digital social images (%DSI) was negatively related to not only the thickness of the left fusiform gyrus (FG) and right insula, but also the Calibrated Severity Scores for the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Social Affect (ADOS-SA-CSS). Mediation analysis showed that %DSI partially mediated the relationship between neuroanatomical alterations (specifically, thickness of the left FG and right insula) and symptom severity. Conclusion These findings offer initial evidence that atypical neuroanatomical alterations may not only result in direct effects on symptom severity but also lead to indirect effects on symptom severity through social visual preference. This finding enhances our understanding of the multiple neural mechanisms implicated in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jierong Chen
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhen Wei
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuangyong Xu
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ziwen Peng
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junjie Yang
- Department of Child Health Care, Luohu District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guobin Wan
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianhua Gong
- Department of Child Health Care, Luohu District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keying Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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12
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Krishnappa Babu PR, Aikat V, Di Martino JM, Chang Z, Perochon S, Espinosa S, Aiello R, L H Carpenter K, Compton S, Davis N, Eichner B, Flowers J, Franz L, Dawson G, Sapiro G. Blink rate and facial orientation reveal distinctive patterns of attentional engagement in autistic toddlers: a digital phenotyping approach. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7158. [PMID: 37137954 PMCID: PMC10156751 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34293-7] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Differences in social attention are well-documented in autistic individuals, representing one of the earliest signs of autism. Spontaneous blink rate has been used to index attentional engagement, with lower blink rates reflecting increased engagement. We evaluated novel methods using computer vision analysis (CVA) for automatically quantifying patterns of attentional engagement in young autistic children, based on facial orientation and blink rate, which were captured via mobile devices. Participants were 474 children (17-36 months old), 43 of whom were diagnosed with autism. Movies containing social or nonsocial content were presented via an iPad app, and simultaneously, the device's camera recorded the children's behavior while they watched the movies. CVA was used to extract the duration of time the child oriented towards the screen and their blink rate as indices of attentional engagement. Overall, autistic children spent less time facing the screen and had a higher mean blink rate compared to neurotypical children. Neurotypical children faced the screen more often and blinked at a lower rate during the social movies compared to the nonsocial movies. In contrast, autistic children faced the screen less often during social movies than during nonsocial movies and showed no differential blink rate to social versus nonsocial movies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikram Aikat
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - J Matias Di Martino
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zhuoqing Chang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sam Perochon
- Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
| | - Steven Espinosa
- Office of Information Technology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Rachel Aiello
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kimberly L H Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Scott Compton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Naomi Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian Eichner
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jacqueline Flowers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lauren Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Guillermo Sapiro
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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13
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Eskola E, Kataja EL, Hyönä J, Nolvi S, Häikiö T, Carter AS, Karlsson H, Karlsson L, Korja R. Higher attention bias for fear at 8 months of age is associated with better socioemotional competencies during toddlerhood. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 71:101838. [PMID: 36996588 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In previous studies, an attention bias for signals of fear and threat has been related to socioemotional problems, such as anxiety symptoms, and socioemotional competencies, such as altruistic behaviors in children, adolescents and adults. However, previous studies lack evidence about these relations among infants and toddlers. AIMS Our aim was to study the association between the individual variance in attention bias for faces and, specifically, fearful faces during infancy and socioemotional problems and competencies during toddlerhood. STUDY DESIGN AND SUBJECTS The study sample was comprised of 245 children (112 girls). We explored attentional face and fear biases at the age of 8 months using eye tracking and the face-distractor paradigm with neutral, happy and fearful faces and a scrambled-face control stimulus. Socioemotional problems and competencies were reported by parents with the Brief Infant and Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) when children were 24 months old. OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS A higher attentional fear bias at 8 months of age was related to higher levels of socioemotional competence at 24 months of age (β = .18, p = .008), when infants' sex and temperamental affectivity, maternal age, education and depressive symptoms were controlled. We found no significant association between attentional face or fear bias and socioemotional problems. CONCLUSIONS We found that the heightened attention bias for fearful faces was related to positive outcomes in early socioemotional development. Longitudinal study designs are needed to explore the changes in the relation between the attention bias for fear or threat and socioemotional development during early childhood.
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14
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Hardiansyah I, Nyström P, Taylor MJ, Bölte S, Ronald A, Falck-Ytter T. Global motion processing in infants' visual cortex and the emergence of autism. Commun Biol 2023; 6:339. [PMID: 36977757 PMCID: PMC10050234 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04707-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is a heritable and common neurodevelopmental condition, with behavioural symptoms typically emerging around age 2 to 3 years. Differences in basic perceptual processes have been documented in autistic children and adults. Specifically, data from many experiments suggest links between autism and alterations in global visual motion processing (i.e., when individual motion information is integrated to perceive an overall coherent pattern). Yet, no study has investigated whether a distinctive organization of global motion processing precede the emergence of autistic symptoms in early childhood. Here, using a validated infant electroencephalography (EEG) experimental paradigm, we first establish the normative activation profiles for global form, global motion, local form, and local motion in the visual cortex based on data from two samples of 5-month-old infants (total n = 473). Further, in a sample of 5-month-olds at elevated likelihood of autism (n = 52), we show that a different topographical organization of global motion processing is associated with autistic symptoms in toddlerhood. These findings advance the understanding of neural organization of infants' basic visual processing, and its role in the development of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irzam Hardiansyah
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pär Nyström
- Uppsala Child and Baby Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Angelica Ronald
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden.
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15
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Mundy P. Research on social attention in autism and the challenges of the research domain criteria (RDoC) framework. Autism Res 2023; 16:697-712. [PMID: 36932883 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The fuzzy nature of categories of psychopathology, such as autism, leads to significant research challenges. Alternatively, focusing research on the study of a common set of important and well-defined psychological constructs across psychiatric conditions may make the fundamental etiological processes of psychopathology easier to discern and treat (Cuthbert, 2022). The development of the research domain criteria (RDoC) framework is designed to guide this new research approach (Insel et al., 2010). However, progress in research may be expected to continually refine and reorganize the understanding of the specifics of these mental processes (Cuthbert & Insel, 2013). Moreover, knowledge gleaned from the study of both normative and atypical development can be mutually informative in the evolution of our understanding of these fundamental processes. A case in point is the study of social attention. This Autism 101 commentary provides an educational summary of research over the last few decades indicates that social attention is major construct in the study of human social-cognitive development, autism and other forms of psychopathology. The commentary also describes how this research can inform the Social Process dimension of the RDoC framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mundy
- School of Education, Department of Psychiatry and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA
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16
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Xiao Y, Wen TH, Kupis L, Eyler LT, Taluja V, Troxel J, Goel D, Lombardo MV, Pierce K, Courchesne E. Atypical functional connectivity of temporal cortex with precuneus and visual regions may be an early-age signature of ASD. Mol Autism 2023; 14:11. [PMID: 36899425 PMCID: PMC10007788 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00543-8] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social and language abilities are closely intertwined during early typical development. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, deficits in social and language development are early-age core symptoms. We previously reported that superior temporal cortex, a well-established social and language region, shows reduced activation to social affective speech in ASD toddlers; however, the atypical cortical connectivity that accompanies this deviance remains unknown. METHODS We collected clinical, eye tracking, and resting-state fMRI data from 86 ASD and non-ASD subjects (mean age 2.3 ± 0.7 years). Functional connectivity of left and right superior temporal regions with other cortical regions and correlations between this connectivity and each child's social and language abilities were examined. RESULTS While there was no group difference in functional connectivity, the connectivity between superior temporal cortex and frontal and parietal regions was significantly correlated with language, communication, and social abilities in non-ASD subjects, but these effects were absent in ASD subjects. Instead, ASD subjects, regardless of different social or nonsocial visual preferences, showed atypical correlations between temporal-visual region connectivity and communication ability (r(49) = 0.55, p < 0.001) and between temporal-precuneus connectivity and expressive language ability (r(49) = 0.58, p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS The distinct connectivity-behavior correlation patterns may be related to different developmental stages in ASD and non-ASD subjects. The use of a prior 2-year-old template for spatial normalization may not be optimal for a few subjects beyond this age range. CONCLUSIONS Superior temporal cortex is known to have reduced activation to social affective speech in ASD at early ages, and here we find in ASD toddlers that it also has atypical connectivity with visual and precuneus cortices that is correlated with communication and language ability, a pattern not seen in non-ASD toddlers. This atypicality may be an early-age signature of ASD that also explains why the disorder has deviant early language and social development. Given that these atypical connectivity patterns are also present in older individuals with ASD, we conclude these atypical connectivity patterns persist across age and may explain why successful interventions targeting language and social skills at all ages in ASD are so difficult to achieve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqiong Xiao
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Teresa H Wen
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Lauren Kupis
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
- VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Vani Taluja
- 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
| | - Disha Goel
- 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, Italy
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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17
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Bazelmans T, Jones EJH, Ghods S, Corrigan S, Toth K, Charman T, Webb SJ. Identifying phenotypic and physiological subgroups of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1592-1602. [PMID: 37010226 PMCID: PMC10009381 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721003172] [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] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand the emergence of symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we need to identify the mechanisms that underpin the development of core social skills. Mounting evidence indicates that young children with later ASD attend less to other people, which could compromise learning opportunities with cascading effects. Passive looking behaviour does not tell us about engagement with visual information, but measures of physiological arousal can provide information on the depth of engagement. In the current study, we use heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) to measure engagement with social dynamic stimuli in ASD. METHODS Sixty-seven preschoolers with ASD and 65 typical developing preschoolers between 2 and 4 years of age participated in a study where HR was measured during viewing of social and non-social videos. Using latent profile analyses, more homogeneous subgroups of children were created based on phenotype and physiology. RESULTS Preschool-aged children with ASD, regardless of their non-verbal, verbal and social competencies, do not differ in overall HR or HRV compared to TD children. However, the ASD group showed a larger increase in HR (more disengagement) than the TD group to later-presented social stimuli. Phenotypic and physiological profiles showed this was primarily the case for children with below average verbal and non-verbal skills, but not necessarily those with more ASD symptoms. CONCLUSION Children with ASD, especially a subgroup showing moderate cognitive delays, show an increase in HR to social stimuli over time; this may reflect difficulties re-engaging with social information when attention is waning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessel Bazelmans
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Sheila Ghods
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Corrigan
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karen Toth
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tony Charman
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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18
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Martínez-Lorca M, Gómez Fernández D. Rendimiento de los estímulos visuales en el diagnóstico del TEA por Eye Tracking: Revisión Sistemática. REVISTA DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN LOGOPEDIA 2023. [DOI: 10.5209/rlog.83937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
El eye-tracking es una herramienta diagnóstica que tiene como fin el estudio del comportamiento de la mirada a través del escaneo de ojos para observar el seguimiento ocular, cómo se distribuye la mirada y la precisión de los movimientos oculares. Este sistema se ha utilizado con niños/as del Trastorno del Espectro Autista. El objetivo de esta revisión sistemática ha sido analizar el rendimiento de los estímulos visuales en el diagnóstico del TEA por método eye tracking. Para ello, se siguió la metodología PRISMA, realizando una búsqueda en las bases de datos PubMed, Science Direct y Scopus, así como, Reseach Gate. Se seleccionaron 22 artículos que cumplían los criterios de inclusión con experimentos unifactoriales, experimentales factoriales y cuasiexperimentales. Todos los experimentos han tenido un grupo control compuesto de muestra con participantes con desarrollo normotípico y de un grupo de caso compuesto de muestra con participantes TEA. Esta revisión sintetiza en tres categorías en base a las características del estímulo usado en el diagnóstico (estímulos sociales, no sociales y por confrontación), el análisis del rendimiento de los estímulos visuales, de manera que los estímulos sociales y los estímulos por confrontación van a ser eficaces para establecer un diagnóstico preciso de TEA puesto que permiten realizar un cribado de ambos grupos y establecer un riesgo temprano del trastorno.
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19
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Hadders‐Algra M. Emerging signs of autism spectrum disorder in infancy: Putative neural substrate. Dev Med Child Neurol 2022; 64:1344-1350. [PMID: 35801808 PMCID: PMC9796067 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by altered development of the social brain with prominent atypical features in the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum. Early signs of ASD emerge between 6 and 12 months: reduced social communication, slightly less advanced motor development, and repetitive behaviour. The fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum play a prominent role in the development of social communication, whereas fronto-parietal-cerebellar networks are involved in the planning of movements, that is, movement selection. Atypical sensory responsivity, a core feature of ASD, may result in impaired development of social communication and motor skills and/or selection of atypical repetitive behaviour. In the first postnatal year, the brain areas involved are characterized by gradual dissolution of temporary structures: the fronto-temporo-parietal cortical subplate and cerebellar external granular layer. It is hypothesized that altered dissolution of the transient structures opens the window for the expression of early signs of ASD arising in the impaired developing permanent networks. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: The early social and motor signs of autism spectrum disorder emerge between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Altered dissolution of transient brain structures in the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum may underlie the emergence of these early signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijna Hadders‐Algra
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenDepartment of Paediatrics, Section of Developmental NeurologyGroningenthe Netherlands,University of Groningen, Faculty of Theology and Religious StudiesGroningenthe Netherlands
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20
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Falck-Ytter T, Kleberg JL, Portugal AM, Thorup E. Social Attention: Developmental Foundations and Relevance for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2022:S0006-3223(22)01695-X. [PMID: 36639295 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.09.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of the term "social attention" (SA) in the cognitive neuroscience and developmental psychopathology literature has increased exponentially in recent years, in part motivated by the aim to understand the early development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, theoretical discussions around the term have lagged behind its various uses. Here, we evaluate SA through a review of key candidate SA phenotypes emerging early in life, from newborn gaze cueing and preference for face-like configurations to later emerging skills such as joint attention. We argue that most of the considered SA phenotypes are unlikely to represent unique socioattentional processes and instead have to be understood in the broader context of bottom-up and emerging top-down (domain-general) attention. Some types of SA behaviors (e.g., initiation of joint attention) are linked to the early development of ASD, but this may reflect differences in social motivation rather than attention per se. Several SA candidates are not linked to ASD early in life, including the ones that may represent uniquely socioattentional processes (e.g., orienting to faces, predicting others' manual action goals). Although SA may be a useful superordinate category under which one can organize certain research questions, the widespread use of the term without proper definition is problematic. Characterizing gaze patterns and visual attention in social contexts in infants at elevated likelihood of ASD may facilitate early detection, but conceptual clarity regarding the underlying processes at play is needed to sharpen research questions and identify potential targets for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden; Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Johan Lundin Kleberg
- Rare Diseases Research Group, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ana Maria Portugal
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emilia Thorup
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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21
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Iyshwarya B, Vajagathali M, Ramakrishnan V. Investigation of Genetic Polymorphism in Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Pathogenesis of the Neurodevelopmental Disorder. ADVANCES IN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2022; 6:136-146. [DOI: 10.1007/s41252-022-00251-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
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22
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Jure R. The “Primitive Brain Dysfunction” Theory of Autism: The Superior Colliculus Role. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:797391. [PMID: 35712344 PMCID: PMC9194533 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.797391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the pathogenesis of autism will help clarify our conception of the complexity of normal brain development. The crucial deficit may lie in the postnatal changes that vision produces in the brainstem nuclei during early life. The superior colliculus is the primary brainstem visual center. Although difficult to examine in humans with present techniques, it is known to support behaviors essential for every vertebrate to survive, such as the ability to pay attention to relevant stimuli and to produce automatic motor responses based on sensory input. From birth to death, it acts as a brain sentinel that influences basic aspects of our behavior. It is the main brainstem hub that lies between the environment and the rest of the higher neural system, making continuous, implicit decisions about where to direct our attention. The conserved cortex-like organization of the superior colliculus in all vertebrates allows the early appearance of primitive emotionally-related behaviors essential for survival. It contains first-line specialized neurons enabling the detection and tracking of faces and movements from birth. During development, it also sends the appropriate impulses to help shape brain areas necessary for social-communicative abilities. These abilities require the analysis of numerous variables, such as the simultaneous evaluation of incoming information sustained by separate brain networks (visual, auditory and sensory-motor, social, emotional, etc.), and predictive capabilities which compare present events to previous experiences and possible responses. These critical aspects of decision-making allow us to evaluate the impact that our response or behavior may provoke in others. The purpose of this review is to show that several enigmas about the complexity of autism might be explained by disruptions of collicular and brainstem functions. The results of two separate lines of investigation: 1. the cognitive, etiologic, and pathogenic aspects of autism on one hand, and two. the functional anatomy of the colliculus on the other, are considered in order to bridge the gap between basic brain science and clinical studies and to promote future research in this unexplored area.
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23
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Mague SD, Talbot A, Blount C, Walder-Christensen KK, Duffney LJ, Adamson E, Bey AL, Ndubuizu N, Thomas GE, Hughes DN, Grossman Y, Hultman R, Sinha S, Fink AM, Gallagher NM, Fisher RL, Jiang YH, Carlson DE, Dzirasa K. Brain-wide electrical dynamics encode individual appetitive social behavior. Neuron 2022; 110:1728-1741.e7. [PMID: 35294900 PMCID: PMC9126093 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The architecture whereby activity across many brain regions integrates to encode individual appetitive social behavior remains unknown. Here we measure electrical activity from eight brain regions as mice engage in a social preference assay. We then use machine learning to discover a network that encodes the extent to which individual mice engage another mouse. This network is organized by theta oscillations leading from prelimbic cortex and amygdala that converge on the ventral tegmental area. Network activity is synchronized with cellular firing, and frequency-specific activation of a circuit within this network increases social behavior. Finally, the network generalizes, on a mouse-by-mouse basis, to encode individual differences in social behavior in healthy animals but fails to encode individual behavior in a 'high confidence' genetic model of autism. Thus, our findings reveal the architecture whereby the brain integrates distributed activity across timescales to encode an appetitive brain state underlying individual differences in social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D Mague
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Austin Talbot
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Cameron Blount
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kathryn K Walder-Christensen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lara J Duffney
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Elise Adamson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Alexandra L Bey
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Nkemdilim Ndubuizu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Gwenaëlle E Thomas
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Dalton N Hughes
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yael Grossman
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Rainbo Hultman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Alexandra M Fink
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Neil M Gallagher
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Rachel L Fisher
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - David E Carlson
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
| | - Kafui Dzirasa
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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24
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Curnow E, Wang Y. New Animal Models for Understanding FMRP Functions and FXS Pathology. Cells 2022; 11:1628. [PMID: 35626665 PMCID: PMC9140010 DOI: 10.3390/cells11101628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X encompasses a range of genetic conditions, all of which result as a function of changes within the FMR1 gene and abnormal production and/or expression of the FMR1 gene products. Individuals with Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common heritable form of intellectual disability, have a full-mutation sequence (>200 CGG repeats) which brings about transcriptional silencing of FMR1 and loss of FMR protein (FMRP). Despite considerable progress in our understanding of FXS, safe, effective, and reliable treatments that either prevent or reduce the severity of the FXS phenotype have not been approved. While current FXS animal models contribute their own unique understanding to the molecular, cellular, physiological, and behavioral deficits associated with FXS, no single animal model is able to fully recreate the FXS phenotype. This review will describe the status and rationale in the development, validation, and utility of three emerging animal model systems for FXS, namely the nonhuman primate (NHP), Mongolian gerbil, and chicken. These developing animal models will provide a sophisticated resource in which the deficits in complex functions of perception, action, and cognition in the human disorder are accurately reflected and aid in the successful translation of novel therapeutics and interventions to the clinic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Curnow
- REI Division, Department of ObGyn, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yuan Wang
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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25
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Willis DW, Condon MC, Moe V, Munson L, Smith L, Eddy JM. The context and development of the early relational health screen. Infant Ment Health J 2022; 43:493-506. [PMID: 35537064 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Early relational experiences are key drivers for developing social emotional capacities, educational achievement, mental health, physical health, and overall wellbeing. The child health sectors are committed to promotion, prevention, and early intervention that optimize children's health and development, often employing evidence-based screening as foundational practices. Despite a variety of validated parent-infant observational assessment tools, few are practical within busy practice settings, acceptable with all racial and ethnic groups and ready for universal adoption. In response to this need, a team of clinicians, early childhood educators, researchers and infant mental health specialists collaborated to develop and test a novel video-based, dyadic relational screening and monitoring tool, the Early Relational Health Screen (ERHS). This tool uniquely focuses on the early parent-child relationship (6-24 months), within the construct of early relational health (ERH). Initial testing demonstrated that the ERHS is a valid, reliable, feasible, and useful screening and monitoring tool for clinical applications. The ERHS was further developed within a population-based, prospective research study and adapted with brief video feedback for parents in the home visiting and child health sectors. The ERHS and its adaptations appear to advance ERH and equity within the transforming child health and public health care systems of today.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Willis
- Center for the Study of Social Policy, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Vibeke Moe
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, and the Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health for Eastern & Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Leslie Munson
- Department of Special Education, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Lars Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, and the Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health for Eastern & Southern Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - J Mark Eddy
- Family Translational Research Group, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York City, New York, USA.,Texas Center for Equity Promotion, College of Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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26
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Carnevali L, Gui A, Jones EJH, Farroni T. Face Processing in Early Development: A Systematic Review of Behavioral Studies and Considerations in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2022; 13:778247. [PMID: 35250718 PMCID: PMC8894249 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.778247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human faces are one of the most prominent stimuli in the visual environment of young infants and convey critical information for the development of social cognition. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mask wearing has become a common practice outside the home environment. With masks covering nose and mouth regions, the facial cues available to the infant are impoverished. The impact of these changes on development is unknown but is critical to debates around mask mandates in early childhood settings. As infants grow, they increasingly interact with a broader range of familiar and unfamiliar people outside the home; in these settings, mask wearing could possibly influence social development. In order to generate hypotheses about the effects of mask wearing on infant social development, in the present work, we systematically review N = 129 studies selected based on the most recent PRISMA guidelines providing a state-of-the-art framework of behavioral studies investigating face processing in early infancy. We focused on identifying sensitive periods during which being exposed to specific facial features or to the entire face configuration has been found to be important for the development of perceptive and socio-communicative skills. For perceptive skills, infants gradually learn to analyze the eyes or the gaze direction within the context of the entire face configuration. This contributes to identity recognition as well as emotional expression discrimination. For socio-communicative skills, direct gaze and emotional facial expressions are crucial for attention engagement while eye-gaze cuing is important for joint attention. Moreover, attention to the mouth is particularly relevant for speech learning. We discuss possible implications of the exposure to masked faces for developmental needs and functions. Providing groundwork for further research, we encourage the investigation of the consequences of mask wearing for infants' perceptive and socio-communicative development, suggesting new directions within the research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Carnevali
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Anna Gui
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Farroni
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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27
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Klin A. Frontiers in the research of autism pathogenesis. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 82 Suppl 1:33-36. [PMID: 35171805 PMCID: PMC10842444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on four interrelated teams and research lines that form the basis for new research on the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the Marcus Autism Center, in Atlanta (US). These themes probe typical social behavior and brain development from birth, and disruptions thereof in babies later diagnosed with ASD. These four themes are: to leverage lifetime maximal neuroplasticity; to test the hypothesis that developmental disruption of early-emerging mechanisms of socialization drives pathogenesis and results in autistic social disability; the focus on the infant-caregiver dyad, and the iterative context associated with mutually reinforcing and adapted social and communitive inter-action, or emerging cycles of social contingency, from the first days and weeks of life; and the study of time-varying neurodevelopmental transitions in social behavior from experience-expectant (reflexive, endogenous) and subcortically-guided to experience-dependent (caregiver- and reward-driven) and cortically-guided, a transition that our work suggests is uniquely disrupted in babies later diagnosed with ASD. This science is opening a world of opportunities to optimize children's outcomes despite the genetic liabilities that they are born with. It provides the scientific grounding for new community-viable solutions for increasing access to early interventions using treatments that scaffold and strengthen infant-caregiver interactions, which is the platform for early brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Klin
- Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4010, USA
- Division of Autism & Related Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4010, USA
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4252, USA. E-mail:
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28
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Mundy P, Bullen J. The Bidirectional Social-Cognitive Mechanisms of the Social-Attention Symptoms of Autism. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:752274. [PMID: 35173636 PMCID: PMC8841840 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.752274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in social attention development begin to be apparent in the 6th to 12th month of development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and theoretically reflect important elements of its neurodevelopmental endophenotype. This paper examines alternative conceptual views of these early social attention symptoms and hypotheses about the mechanisms involved in their development. One model emphasizes mechanism involved in the spontaneous allocation of attention to faces, or social orienting. Alternatively, another model emphasizes mechanisms involved in the coordination of attention with other people, or joint attention, and the socially bi-directional nature of its development. This model raises the possibility that atypical responses of children to the attention or the gaze of a social partner directed toward themselves may be as important in the development of social attention symptoms as differences in the development of social orienting. Another model holds that symptoms of social attention may be important to early development, but may not impact older individuals with ASD. The alterative model is that the social attention symptoms in infancy (social orienting and joint attention), and social cognitive symptoms in childhood and adulthood share common neurodevelopmental substrates. Therefore, differences in early social attention and later social cognition constitute a developmentally continuous axis of symptom presentation in ASD. However, symptoms in older individuals may be best measured with in vivo measures of efficiency of social attention and social cognition in social interactions rather than the accuracy of response on analog tests used in measures with younger children. Finally, a third model suggests that the social attention symptoms may not truly be a symptom of ASD. Rather, they may be best conceptualized as stemming from differences domain general attention and motivation mechanisms. The alternative argued for here that infant social attention symptoms meet all the criteria of a unique dimension of the phenotype of ASD and the bi-directional phenomena involved in social attention cannot be fully explained in terms of domain general aspects of attention development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mundy
- Department of Learning and Mind Sciences, School of Education, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and The MIND Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Jenifer Bullen
- Department of Human Development, School of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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29
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Nakagami A, Yasue M, Nakagaki K, Nakamura M, Kawai N, Ichinohe N. Reduced childhood social attention in autism model marmosets predicts impaired social skills and inflexible behavior in adulthood. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:885433. [PMID: 35958665 PMCID: PMC9357878 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.885433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication impairments and restricted and repetitive behavior. Although there is currently no established cure for ASD, early interventions for deficits of attention to other individuals are expected to reduce the progression of ASD symptoms in later life. To confirm this hypothesis and improve early therapeutic interventions, it is desirable to develop an animal model of ASD in which social attention is impaired in childhood and ASD-like social behavior is observed in adulthood. However, rodent models of ASD have difficulty in recapitulating the deficit of gaze-based social attention. In this study, we examined the direction of gaze toward other conspecifics during childhood and puberty in a three-chamber test setting using an ASD marmoset model produced by maternal exposure to valproic acid (VPA). We also conducted a reversal learning test in adult VPA-exposed marmosets as an indicator of perseveration, a core symptom of ASD that has not previously been investigated in this model. The results showed that time spent gazing at other conspecifics was reduced in VPA-exposed marmosets in childhood, and that mature animals persisted with previous strategies that required long days for acquisition to pass the test. In a longitudinal study using the same animals, deficits in social attention in childhood correlated well with ASD-like social disturbance (inequity aversion and third-party reciprocity) and inflexible behavior in adulthood. Since VPA-exposed marmosets exhibit these diverse ASD-like behaviors that are consistent from childhood to adulthood, VPA-exposed marmosets will provide a valuable means of elucidating mechanisms for early intervention and contribute to the development of early therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Nakagami
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.,Department of Psychology, Japan Women's University, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Miyuki Yasue
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Keiko Nakagaki
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Madoka Nakamura
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kawai
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Academy of Emerging Science, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Noritaka Ichinohe
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
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30
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Wang Q, Lu H, Feng S, Song C, Hu Y, Yi L. Investigating intra-individual variability of face scanning in autistic children. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 26:1752-1764. [PMID: 34955038 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211064373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Atypical face scanning is suggested to be related to social interactions and communicative deficits in autistic children. We systematically examined whether autistic and non-autistic children used consistent scanning patterns when performing different tasks and scanning different types of faces. We found that autistic children scanned faces more variably than non-autistic children: While non-autistic children used more consistent scanning patterns, autistic children's scanning patterns changed frequently when watching different faces. Autistic children's variable face scanning patterns might delay and impair face processing, resulting in a social interaction deficit. What's more, variable scanning patterns may create an unstable and unpredictable perception of the environment for autistic children. Developing in such an unstable environment might motivate autistic children to retract from the environment, avoid social interaction, and focus instead on the performance of repetitive behavior. Therefore, studying face scanning variability might represent a new avenue for understanding core symptoms in autistic people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiandong Wang
- Beijing Normal University, China.,Peking University, China
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31
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Sareen S, Doyle FL, Kemp LJ, Northam JC, Morgan BG, Kimonis ER, Richmond JL, Le Pelley ME, Eapen V, Frick PJ, Hawes DJ, Moul C, Mehta D, Dadds MR. Still connecting the dots: An investigation into infants' attentional bias to threat using an eye-tracking task. INFANCY 2021; 27:46-66. [PMID: 34846094 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12444] [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: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
An attentional bias toward threat has been theorized to be a normative aspect of infants' threat and safety learning, and an indicator of risk for internalizing psychopathology in older populations. To date, only four studies have examined this bias using the dot-probe task in infancy and the findings are mixed. We extended the literature by examining patterns of attention to threat in a culturally and linguistically diverse sample of infants aged 5-11 months old (N = 151) using all measures previously employed in the infant dot-probe literature. Given that an attentional bias toward threat is associated with higher risk of developing anxiety disorders later in life, we also examined how negative affect-an early correlate of later anxiety disorders-is related to attentional bias toward threat in infancy. This study was the first to use a consistent measure of negative affect across the whole sample. An eye-tracking dot-probe task was used to examine attentional bias toward threat (i.e., angry faces) relative to positive (i.e., happy faces) stimuli. Results showed that an attention bias to threat was not characteristic of infants at this age, and negative affect did not moderate the putative relationship between attention and emotional faces (angry, happy). These findings therefore suggest that attention biases to socio-emotional threat may not have emerged by 11 months old.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinia Sareen
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Frances L Doyle
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Lindsay J Kemp
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jaimie C Northam
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bronte G Morgan
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eva R Kimonis
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jenny L Richmond
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mike E Le Pelley
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - David J Hawes
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Caroline Moul
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Divya Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Qld, Australia
| | - Mark R Dadds
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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32
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Guy MW, Richards JE, Hogan AL, Roberts JE. Neural Correlates of Infant Face Processing and Later Emerging Autism Symptoms in Fragile X Syndrome. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:716642. [PMID: 34899412 PMCID: PMC8651978 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.716642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading known genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with 60-74% of males with FXS meeting diagnostic criteria for ASD. Infants with FXS have demonstrated atypical neural responses during face processing that are unique from both typically developing, low-risk infants and infants at high familial risk for ASD (i.e., infants siblings of children with ASD). In the current study, event-related potential (ERP) responses during face processing measured at 12 months of age were examined in relation to ASD symptoms measured at ~48 months of age in participants with FXS, as well as siblings of children with ASD and low-risk control participants. Results revealed that greater amplitude N290 responses in infancy were associated with more severe ASD symptoms in childhood in FXS and in siblings of children with ASD. This pattern of results was not observed for low-risk control participants. Reduced Nc amplitude was associated with more severe ASD symptoms in participants with FXS but was not observed in the other groups. This is the first study to examine ASD symptoms in childhood in relation to infant ERP responses in FXS. Results indicate that infant ERP responses may be predictive of later symptoms of ASD in FXS and the presence of both common and unique pathways to ASD in etiologically-distinct high-risk groups is supported (i.e., syndromic risk vs. familial risk).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie W. Guy
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John E. Richards
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Abigail L. Hogan
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Jane E. Roberts
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
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33
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Manzini A, Jones EJ, Charman T, Elsabbagh M, Johnson MH, Singh I. Ethical dimensions of translational developmental neuroscience research in autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:1363-1373. [PMID: 34405894 PMCID: PMC7611913 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the 1990s, increasing research has been devoted to the identification of biomarkers for autism to help attain more objective diagnosis; enable early prediction of prognosis; and guide individualized intervention options. Early studies focused on the identification of genetic variants associated with autism, but more recently, research has expanded to investigate neurodevelopmental markers. While ethicists have extensively discussed issues around advances in autism genomics, much less ethical scrutiny has focused on research on early neurodevelopment and on the interventions being developed as a result. OBJECTIVES We summarize the current state of the science on the identification of early markers for autism and its potential clinical applications, before providing an overview of the ethical issues arising from increasing understanding of children's neurodevelopment in very early life. RESULTS Advances in the understanding of brain and behavioral trajectories preceding later autism diagnosis raise ethical concerns around three themes: (a) New models for understanding autism; (b) Risks and benefits of early identification and intervention; and (c) Communication of early concerns to families. These ethical issues should be further investigated in research conducted in partnership with autistic people and their families. CONCLUSIONS This paper highlights the need for ethical scrutiny of early neurodevelopmental research in autism. Scrutiny requires expertise and methods from the basic sciences and bioethics, as well as constructive collaborations among autistic people, their parents, and autism researchers to anticipate early interventions that serve the community's interests and accommodate the varied experiences and preferences of people on the spectrum and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Manzini
- Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Emily J.H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Azrieli Centre for Autism Research, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mark H. Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Ilina Singh
- Department of Psychiatry and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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34
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Hudac CM, Naples A, DesChamps TD, Coffman MC, Kresse A, Ward T, Mukerji C, Aaronson B, Faja S, McPartland JC, Bernier R. Modeling temporal dynamics of face processing in youth and adults. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:345-361. [PMID: 33882266 PMCID: PMC8324546 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1920050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
A hierarchical model of temporal dynamics was examined in adults (n = 34) and youth (n = 46) across the stages of face processing during the perception of static and dynamic faces. Three ERP components (P100, N170, N250) and spectral power in the mu range were extracted, corresponding to cognitive stages of face processing: low-level vision processing, structural encoding, higher-order processing, and action understanding. Youth and adults exhibited similar yet distinct patterns of hierarchical temporal dynamics such that earlier cognitive stages predicted later stages, directly and indirectly. However, latent factors indicated unique profiles related to behavioral performance for adults and youth and age as a continuous factor. The application of path analysis to electrophysiological data can yield novel insights into the cortical dynamics of social information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Hudac
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention and Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Trent D DesChamps
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marika C Coffman
- Center for Autism and Brain Development and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anna Kresse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tracey Ward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,The Seattle Clinic, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cora Mukerji
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Aaronson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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35
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Bovery M, Dawson G, Hashemi J, Sapiro G. A Scalable Off-the-Shelf Framework for Measuring Patterns of Attention in Young Children and its Application in Autism Spectrum Disorder. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON AFFECTIVE COMPUTING 2021; 12:722-731. [PMID: 35450132 PMCID: PMC9017594 DOI: 10.1109/taffc.2018.2890610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficits in the processing of social information and difficulties in social interaction, and individuals with ASD exhibit atypical attention and gaze. Traditionally, gaze studies have relied upon precise and constrained means of monitoring attention using expensive equipment in laboratories. In this work we develop a low-cost off-the-shelf alternative for measuring attention that can be used in natural settings. The head and iris positions of 104 16-31 months children, an age range appropriate for ASD screening and diagnosis, 22 of them diagnosed with ASD, were recorded using the front facing camera in an iPad while they watched on the device screen a movie displaying dynamic stimuli, social stimuli on the left and nonsocial stimuli on the right. The head and iris position were then automatically analyzed via computer vision algorithms to detect the direction of attention. Children in the ASD group paid less attention to the movie, showed less attention to the social as compared to the nonsocial stimuli, and often fixated their attention to one side of the screen. The proposed method provides a low-cost means of monitoring attention to properly designed stimuli, demonstrating that the integration of stimuli design and automatic response analysis results in the opportunity to use off-the-shelf cameras to assess behavioral biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Bovery
- EEA Department, ENS Paris-Saclay, Cachan, FRANCE. He performed this work while visiting Duke University
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC
| | - Jordan Hashemi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Guillermo Sapiro
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC.; BME, CS, and Math at Duke University
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36
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A white paper on a neurodevelopmental framework for drug discovery in autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 48:49-88. [PMID: 33781629 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade there has been a revolution in terms of genetic findings in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with many discoveries critical for understanding their aetiology and pathophysiology. Clinical trials in single-gene disorders such as fragile X syndrome highlight the challenges of investigating new drug targets in NDDs. Incorporating a developmental perspective into the process of drug development for NDDs could help to overcome some of the current difficulties in identifying and testing new treatments. This paper provides a summary of the proceedings of the 'New Frontiers Meeting' on neurodevelopmental disorders organised by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in conjunction with the Innovative Medicines Initiative-sponsored AIMS-2-TRIALS consortium. It brought together experts in developmental genetics, autism, NDDs, and clinical trials from academia and industry, regulators, patient and family associations, and other stakeholders. The meeting sought to provide a platform for focused communication on scientific insights, challenges, and methodologies that might be applicable to the development of CNS treatments from a neurodevelopmental perspective. Multidisciplinary translational consortia to develop basic and clinical research in parallel could be pivotal to advance knowledge in the field. Although implementation of clinical trials for NDDs in paediatric populations is widely acknowledged as essential, safety concerns should guide each aspect of their design. Industry and academia should join forces to improve knowledge of the biology of brain development, identify the optimal timing of interventions, and translate these findings into new drugs, allowing for the needs of users and families, with support from regulatory agencies.
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37
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McCracken JT, Anagnostou E, Arango C, Dawson G, Farchione T, Mantua V, McPartland J, Murphy D, Pandina G, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Drug development for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Progress, challenges, and future directions. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 48:3-31. [PMID: 34158222 PMCID: PMC10062405 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In 2017, facing lack of progress and failures encountered in targeted drug development for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders, the ISCTM with the ECNP created the ASD Working Group charged to identify barriers to progress and recommending research strategies for the field to gain traction. Working Group international academic, regulatory and industry representatives held multiple in-person meetings, teleconferences, and subgroup communications to gather a wide range of perspectives on lessons learned from extant studies, current challenges, and paths for fundamental advances in ASD therapeutics. This overview delineates the barriers identified, and outlines major goals for next generation biomedical intervention development in ASD. Current challenges for ASD research are many: heterogeneity, lack of validated biomarkers, need for improved endpoints, prioritizing molecular targets, comorbidities, and more. The Working Group emphasized cautious but unwavering optimism for therapeutic progress for ASD core features given advances in the basic neuroscience of ASD and related disorders. Leveraging genetic data, intermediate phenotypes, digital phenotyping, big database discovery, refined endpoints, and earlier intervention, the prospects for breakthrough treatments are substantial. Recommendations include new priorities for expanded research funding to overcome challenges in translational clinical ASD therapeutic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T McCracken
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States.
| | | | - Celso Arango
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Univesitario Gregorio Maranon, and School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Tiffany Farchione
- Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Valentina Mantua
- Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | | | - Declan Murphy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Gahan Pandina
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, Pennington, New Jersey, United States
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38
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Visual Traces of Language Acquisition in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder During the Second Year of Life. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:2519-2530. [PMID: 33009972 PMCID: PMC8018986 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04730-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Infants show shifting patterns of visual engagement to faces over the first years of life. To explore the adaptive implications of this engagement, we collected eye-tracking measures on cross-sectional samples of 10-25-month-old typically developing toddlers (TD;N = 28) and those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD;N = 54). Concurrent language assessments were conducted and relationships between visual engagement and expressive and receptive language were analyzed between groups, and within ASD subgroups. TD and ASD toddlers exhibited greater mouth- than eye-looking, with TD exhibiting higher levels of mouth-looking than ASD. Mouth-looking was positively associated with expressive language in TD toddlers, and in ASD toddlers who had acquired first words. Mouth-looking was unrelated to expressive language in ASD toddlers who had not yet acquired first words.
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Constantino JN, Charman T, Jones EJH. Clinical and Translational Implications of an Emerging Developmental Substructure for Autism. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2021; 17:365-389. [PMID: 33577349 PMCID: PMC9014692 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-110503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A vast share of the population-attributable risk for autism relates to inherited polygenic risk. A growing number of studies in the past five years have indicated that inherited susceptibility may operate through a finite number of early developmental liabilities that, in various permutations and combinations, jointly predict familial recurrence of the convergent syndrome of social communication disability that defines the condition. Here, we synthesize this body of research to derive evidence for a novel developmental substructure for autism, which has profound implications for ongoing discovery efforts to elucidate its neurobiological causes, and to inform future clinical and biomarker studies, early interventions, and personalized approaches to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N Constantino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA;
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
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40
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Johnson MH, Charman T, Pickles A, Jones EJH. Annual Research Review: Anterior Modifiers in the Emergence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (AMEND)-a systems neuroscience approach to common developmental disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:610-630. [PMID: 33432656 PMCID: PMC8609429 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We present the Anterior Modifiers in the Emergence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (AMEND) framework, designed to reframe the field of prospective studies of neurodevelopmental disorders. In AMEND we propose conceptual, statistical and methodological approaches to separating markers of early-stage perturbations from later developmental modifiers. We describe the evidence for, and features of, these interacting components before outlining analytical approaches to studying how different profiles of early perturbations and later modifiers interact to produce phenotypic outcomes. We suggest this approach could both advance our theoretical understanding and clinical approach to the emergence of developmental psychopathology in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark H. Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentDepartment of Psychological SciencesBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of PsychologyInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Department of Biostatistics and Health InformaticsInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentDepartment of Psychological SciencesBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
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41
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Nair A, Jalal R, Liu J, Tsang T, McDonald NM, Jackson L, Ponting C, Jeste SS, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Altered Thalamocortical Connectivity in 6-Week-Old Infants at High Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4191-4205. [PMID: 33866373 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging evidence from neuroimaging studies has revealed altered connectivity in cortical-subcortical networks in youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Comparatively little is known about the development of cortical-subcortical connectivity in infancy, before the emergence of overt ASD symptomatology. Here, we examined early functional and structural connectivity of thalamocortical networks in infants at high familial risk for ASD (HR) and low-risk controls (LR). Resting-state functional connectivity and diffusion tensor imaging data were acquired in 52 6-week-old infants. Functional connectivity was examined between 6 cortical seeds-prefrontal, motor, somatosensory, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions-and bilateral thalamus. We found significant thalamic-prefrontal underconnectivity, as well as thalamic-occipital and thalamic-motor overconnectivity in HR infants, relative to LR infants. Subsequent structural connectivity analyses also revealed atypical white matter integrity in thalamic-occipital tracts in HR infants, compared with LR infants. Notably, aberrant connectivity indices at 6 weeks predicted atypical social development between 9 and 36 months of age, as assessed with eye-tracking and diagnostic measures. These findings indicate that thalamocortical connectivity is disrupted at both the functional and structural level in HR infants as early as 6 weeks of age, providing a possible early marker of risk for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Nair
- Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Rhideeta Jalal
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Janelle Liu
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Tawny Tsang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nicole M McDonald
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lisa Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Carolyn Ponting
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Shafali S Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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42
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Gui A, Bussu G, Tye C, Elsabbagh M, Pasco G, Charman T, Johnson MH, Jones EJH. Attentive brain states in infants with and without later autism. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:196. [PMID: 33785730 PMCID: PMC8009890 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01315-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Early difficulties in engaging attentive brain states in social settings could affect learning and have cascading effects on social development. We investigated this possibility using multichannel electroencephalography during a face/non-face paradigm in 8-month-old infants with (FH, n = 91) and without (noFH, n = 40) a family history of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An event-related potential component reflecting attention engagement, the Nc, was compared between FH infants who received a diagnosis of ASD at 3 years of age (FH-ASD; n = 19), FH infants who did not (FH-noASD; n = 72) and noFH infants (who also did not, hereafter noFH-noASD; n = 40). 'Prototypical' microstates during social attention were extracted from the noFH-noASD group and examined in relation to later categorical and dimensional outcome. Machine-learning was used to identify the microstate features that best predicted ASD and social adaptive skills at three years. Results suggested that whilst measures of brain state timing were related to categorical ASD outcome, brain state strength was related to dimensional measures of social functioning. Specifically, the FH-ASD group showed shorter Nc latency relative to other groups, and duration of the attentive microstate responses to faces was informative for categorical outcome prediction. Reduced Nc amplitude difference between faces with direct gaze and a non-social control stimulus and strength of the attentive microstate to faces contributed to the prediction of dimensional variation in social skills. Taken together, this provides consistent evidence that atypical attention engagement precedes the emergence of difficulties in socialization and indicates that using the spatio-temporal characteristics of whole-brain activation to define brain states in infancy provides an important new approach to understanding of the neurodevelopmental mechanisms that lead to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gui
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - Giorgia Bussu
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte Tye
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Department of Psychology, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 Rue University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Greg Pasco
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Cambridge University, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
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43
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Koshiba M, Watarai-Senoo A, Karino G, Ozawa S, Kamei Y, Honda Y, Tanaka I, Kodama T, Usui S, Tokuno H. A Susceptible Period of Photic Day-Night Rhythm Loss in Common Marmoset Social Behavior Development. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:539411. [PMID: 33603653 PMCID: PMC7884770 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.539411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders such as pervasive developmental disorders is rapidly increasing worldwide. Although these developmental disorders are known to be influenced by an individual’s genetic background, the potential biological responses to early life’s environmental exposure to both physical and psychological factors must also be considered. Many studies have acknowledged the influence of shorter time for rest at night and the simultaneous occurrence of various kinds of complications involving developmental disorders. In a prior study, we examined how a common marmoset’s (Callithrix jacchus) psychosocial development was affected when it was reared under constant daylight from birth and then reared individually by humans nursing them under constant light (LL) during their juvenile development stages. The behaviors of these marmosets were compared with those of normal day-night cycle (LD) marmosets using a multivariate analysis based on principal component analysis (PCA). That study found that LL marmosets relatively elicited egg-like calls (Ecall) and side-to-side shakes of the upper body with rapid head rotation through adulthood frequently. Based on the PCA, these behaviors were interpreted as “alert” or “hyperactive” states. However, we did not clarify susceptible periods of the photic rhythm loss experience and the psychological development output. In this study we summarize the following studies in our model animal colonies involving 30 animals (11 female, 19 males) to further explore critical age states of inquiry about each social behavior profiling. We compared social behaviors of three age stages, juvenile, adolescent and young adult equivalent to one another in four LL experience conditions, LL (postnatal day (P) 0 to around 150), Middle (P60–149, 90 days), Late (P150–239, 90 days), and LD (no experience). In the most representative 1st and 2nd principal component scores, the shifting to higher frequency of alert behaviors developed at the adult stage in LL, Middle, then Late in turn. The no LL experience group, LD, generally featured higher frequency of local preference of high position compared to LL experience present groups, in adulthood. This limited model primate study might inspire different developmental age sensitive mechanisms of neuronal network to control socio-emotional functions by utilizing the multivariate visualization method, BOUQUET. This study could potentially contribute to nurturing educational designs for social developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamiko Koshiba
- Engineering Department, Yamaguchi University, Ube City, Japan.,Pediatrics, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.,Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Genta Karino
- Pediatrics, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shimpei Ozawa
- Pediatrics, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Kamei
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Honda
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Japan
| | - Ikuko Tanaka
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Japan
| | - Tohru Kodama
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Japan
| | - Setsuo Usui
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Japan
| | - Hironobu Tokuno
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Japan
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44
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Olson L, Kinnear M, Chen B, Reynolds S, Ibarra C, Wang T, Linke A, Fishman I. Socioeconomic Factors Account for Variability in Language Skills in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2021; 42:101-108. [PMID: 33027104 PMCID: PMC7864097 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000000870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although no longer required for a diagnosis, language delays are extremely common in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Factors associated with socioeconomic status (SES) have broad-reaching impact on language development in early childhood. Despite recent advances in characterizing autism in early childhood, the relationship between SES and language development in ASD has not received much attention. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS to examine whether toddlers and preschoolers with ASD from low-resource families are more likely to experience language delays above and beyond those associated with autism itself. METHODS Developmental and diagnostic assessments including the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were obtained from 62 young children with ASD and 45 typically developing children aged 15 to 64 months. Sociodemographic information including household income, maternal education, and racial/ethnic identity was obtained from caregivers. Multiple regression models were used to test for associations between socioeconomic indices and language scores. RESULTS Maternal education accounted for variability in expressive language (EL) and receptive language (RL), with lower SES indices associated with lower language skills, and more so in children with ASD. CONCLUSION These results demonstrate that variability in EL and RL skills in young children with autism can be accounted for by socioeconomic variables. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted intervention and effective implementation strategies for children with ASD from low-resource households and communities and for policies designed to improve learning opportunities and access to services for these young children and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Olson
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
- San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA
| | - Mikaela Kinnear
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Bosi Chen
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
- San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA
| | - Sarah Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Cynthia Ibarra
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Tiffany Wang
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Annika Linke
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Inna Fishman
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
- San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA
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45
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Vivanti G, Messinger DS. Theories of Autism and Autism Treatment from the DSM III Through the Present and Beyond: Impact on Research and Practice. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:4309-4320. [PMID: 33491120 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04887-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The purely descriptive definition of autism introduced by the DSM III in 1980 marked a departure from previous DSM editions, which mixed phenomenological descriptions with psychoanalytic theories of etiology. This provided a blank slate upon which a variety of novel theories emerged to conceptualize autism and its treatment in the following four decades. In this article we examine the contribution of these different theoretical orientations with a focus on their impact on research and practice, areas of overlap and conflict between current theories, and their relevance in the context of the evolving landscape of scientific knowledge and societal views of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Vivanti
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Suite 560, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Daniel S Messinger
- Departments of Psychology, Pediatrics, Music Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
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46
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Klin A, Micheletti M, Klaiman C, Shultz S, Constantino JN, Jones W. Affording autism an early brain development re-definition. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:1175-1189. [PMID: 32938507 PMCID: PMC7880583 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420000802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The national priority to advance early detection and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not reduced the late age of ASD diagnosis in the US over several consecutive Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance cohorts, with traditionally under-served populations accessing diagnosis later still. In this review, we explore a potential perceptual barrier to this enterprise which views ASD in terms that are contradicted by current science, and which may have its origins in the current definition of the condition and in its historical associations. To address this perceptual barrier, we propose a re-definition of ASD in early brain development terms, with a view to revisit the world of opportunities afforded by current science to optimize children's outcomes despite the risks that they are born with. This view is presented here to counter outdated notions that potentially devastating disability is determined the moment a child is born, and that these burdens are inevitable, with opportunities for improvement being constrained to only alleviation of symptoms or limited improvements in adaptive skills. The impetus for this piece is the concern that such views of complex neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ASD, can become self-fulfilling science and policy, in ways that are diametrically opposed to what we currently know, and are learning every day, of how genetic risk becomes, or not, instantiated as lifetime disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Klin
- Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
- Emory Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Megan Micheletti
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Cheryl Klaiman
- Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sarah Shultz
- Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - John N. Constantino
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis,MO
| | - Warren Jones
- Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
- Emory Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Atlanta, Georgia
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47
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Gattis M, Winstanley A, Sperotto R, Putnick DL, Bornstein MH. Foundations of attention sharing: Orienting and responding to attention in term and preterm 5-month-old infants. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 61:101466. [PMID: 32927260 PMCID: PMC7768091 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Attention is the gateway to perceptual, cognitive, and socioemotional development in humans. We observed 104 5-month-old term and preterm infants and their mothers in social interactions to address three questions about the role of maturation in orienting and responding to attention. We used a fine-grained coding system to allow parallel comparisons across infant and maternal orienting, and sequential analysis to evaluate infant and maternal responding to attention. Orienting and responding to attention differed for attention to people versus objects, as did the relations between maturity and attention. We conclude that maturity contributes to orienting and responding to attention and that orienting and responding to attention are specific rather than homogenous. We discuss the implications of these conclusions for future studies of how attention influences cognitive and communicative development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Diane L Putnick
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marc H Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, UK; UNICEF, New York, NY, USA
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48
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Is Earlier Better? The Relationship between Age When Starting Early Intervention and Outcomes for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Selective Review. AUTISM RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2020; 2020:7605876. [PMID: 32832154 PMCID: PMC7421097 DOI: 10.1155/2020/7605876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Although the conventional wisdom is that “earlier is better” when it comes to intervention for children with ASD, it is not clear what evidence exists to support this notion. This review examined a group of studies that addressed outcomes for young children with ASD who started early intervention at a range of ages. The review was selective by including only papers that examined the age of initiation of treatment as well as baseline cognitive, language, or adaptive level and, in addition, employed a method to control for the covariance between early ability level and age of beginning intervention. Fourteen studies were identified and then compared on methods and outcomes. The support for “earlier is better” was mixed, but it was clear that complex relationships among predictor variables need to be explored in order to understand the role of age of starting early intervention for later outcomes.
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49
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Gui A, Jones EJH, Wong CCY, Meaburn E, Xia B, Pasco G, Lloyd-Fox S, Charman T, Bolton P, Johnson MH. Leveraging epigenetics to examine differences in developmental trajectories of social attention: A proof-of-principle study of DNA methylation in infants with older siblings with autism. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 60:101409. [PMID: 32623100 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Preliminary evidence suggests that changes in DNA methylation, a widely studied epigenetic mechanism, contribute to the etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, data is primarily derived from post-mortem brain samples or peripheral tissue from adults. Deep-phenotyped longitudinal infant cohorts are essential to understand how epigenetic modifications relate to early developmental trajectories and emergence of ASD symptoms. We present a proof-of-principle study designed to evaluate the potential of prospective epigenetic studies of infant siblings of children with ASD. Illumina genome-wide 450 K DNA methylation data from buccal swabs was generated for 63 male infants at multiple time-points from 8 months to 2 years of age (total N = 107 samples). 11 of those infants received a diagnosis of ASD at 3 years. We conducted a series of analyses to characterize DNA methylation signatures associated with categorical outcome and neurocognitive measures from parent-report questionnaire, eye-tracking and electro-encephalography. Effects observed across the entire genome (epigenome-wide association analyses) suggest that collecting DNA methylation samples within infant-sibling designs allows for the detection of meaningful signals with smaller sample sizes than previously estimated. Mapping networks of co-methylated probes associated with neural correlates of social attention implicated enrichment of pathways involved in brain development. Longitudinal modelling found covariation between phenotypic traits and DNA methylation levels in the proximity of genes previously associated with cognitive development, although larger samples and more complete datasets are needed to obtain generalizable results. In conclusion, assessment of DNA methylation profiles at multiple time-points in infant-sibling designs is a promising avenue to comprehend developmental origins and mechanisms of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gui
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK.
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
| | - Chloe C Y Wong
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Emma Meaburn
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
| | - Baocong Xia
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Greg Pasco
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | | | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Patrick Bolton
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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50
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Dieu-Osika S, Bossière MC, Osika E. Early Media Overexposure Syndrome Must Be Suspected in Toddlers Who Display Speech Delay With Autism-Like Symptoms. Glob Pediatr Health 2020; 7:2333794X20925939. [PMID: 32676522 PMCID: PMC7339902 DOI: 10.1177/2333794x20925939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Osika
- Saint Camille Hospital, Bry-sur-Marne, France
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