1
|
Wu Y, Liu X, Zhang S. Training deaf college students to improve their theory of mind: based on a two-component model. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1361878. [PMID: 38694438 PMCID: PMC11061503 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1361878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper explored the training methods to improve the level of deaf college students' ToM. Eighty deaf college students were selected as participants and randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The ToM training group received ToM training; The non-ToM training group received physical-conversation training. Cognitive ToM task and affective ToM task were used to investigate the training effect. After training, the level of ToM of deaf college students who received ToM training was significantly improved. The results show that ToM training can effectively promote the level of deaf college students' ToM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wu
- School of Marxism, Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiping Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shengnan Zhang
- Faculty of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
van der Cruijsen R, Begeer S, Crone EA. The role of autism and alexithymia traits in behavioral and neural indicators of self-concept and self-esteem in adolescence. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241232860. [PMID: 38411147 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241232860] [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: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Developing a positive view of the self is important for maintaining a good mental health, as feeling negative about the self increases the risk of developing internalizing symptoms such as feelings of depression and anxiety. Even though autistic individuals regularly struggle with these internalizing feelings, and both self-concept and internalizing feelings are known to develop during adolescence, there is a lack of studies investigating the development of positive self-concept and self-esteem in autistic adolescents. Here, we studied academic, physical, and prosocial self-concept as well as self-esteem in adolescent males with and without autism on both the behavioral and neural level. We additionally focused on similarities in one's own and peers' perspectives on the self, and we assessed a potential role of alexithymia (i.e. having trouble identifying and describing one's feelings) in developing a more negative view of the self. Results showed that there were no group differences in self-esteem, self-concept, or underlying neural activation. This shows that autistic adolescent males use the same neural processes when they evaluate their traits. However, regardless of clinical diagnosis, a higher number of autism traits was related to a less positive physical and prosocial self-concept, whereas more difficulty identifying one's feelings was related to lowered self-esteem and less activation in medial prefrontal cortex during self-evaluations. Therefore, in treatment of autistic adolescents with low self-esteem, it is important to take into account and possibly aim to improve alexithymic traits as well.
Collapse
|
3
|
Ross LA, Molholm S, Butler JS, Del Bene VA, Brima T, Foxe JJ. Neural correlates of audiovisual narrative speech perception in children and adults on the autism spectrum: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Autism Res 2024; 17:280-310. [PMID: 38334251 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3104] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Autistic individuals show substantially reduced benefit from observing visual articulations during audiovisual speech perception, a multisensory integration deficit that is particularly relevant to social communication. This has mostly been studied using simple syllabic or word-level stimuli and it remains unclear how altered lower-level multisensory integration translates to the processing of more complex natural multisensory stimulus environments in autism. Here, functional neuroimaging was used to examine neural correlates of audiovisual gain (AV-gain) in 41 autistic individuals to those of 41 age-matched non-autistic controls when presented with a complex audiovisual narrative. Participants were presented with continuous narration of a story in auditory-alone, visual-alone, and both synchronous and asynchronous audiovisual speech conditions. We hypothesized that previously identified differences in audiovisual speech processing in autism would be characterized by activation differences in brain regions well known to be associated with audiovisual enhancement in neurotypicals. However, our results did not provide evidence for altered processing of auditory alone, visual alone, audiovisual conditions or AV- gain in regions associated with the respective task when comparing activation patterns between groups. Instead, we found that autistic individuals responded with higher activations in mostly frontal regions where the activation to the experimental conditions was below baseline (de-activations) in the control group. These frontal effects were observed in both unisensory and audiovisual conditions, suggesting that these altered activations were not specific to multisensory processing but reflective of more general mechanisms such as an altered disengagement of Default Mode Network processes during the observation of the language stimulus across conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lars A Ross
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - John S Butler
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Technological University Dublin, City Campus, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Victor A Del Bene
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Heersink School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Tufikameni Brima
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - John J Foxe
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fakheir Y, Khalil R. The effects of abnormal visual experience on neurodevelopmental disorders. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22408. [PMID: 37607893 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22408] [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: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Normal visual development is supported by intrinsic neurobiological mechanisms and by appropriate stimulation from the environment, both of which facilitate the maturation of visual functions. However, an offset of this balance can give rise to visual disorders. Therefore, understanding the factors that support normal vision during development and in the mature brain is important, as vision guides movement, enables social interaction, and allows children to recognize and understand their environment. In this paper, we review fundamental mechanisms that support the maturation of visual functions and discuss and draw links between the perceptual and neurobiological impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. We aim to explore how this is evident in the case of ASD, and how perceptual and neurobiological deficits further degrade social ability. Furthermore, we describe the altered perceptual experience of those with schizophrenia and evaluate theories of the underlying neural deficits that alter perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yara Fakheir
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Reem Khalil
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Leipold S, Abrams DA, Karraker S, Phillips JM, Menon V. Aberrant Emotional Prosody Circuitry Predicts Social Communication Impairments in Children With Autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:531-541. [PMID: 36635147 PMCID: PMC10973204 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional prosody provides acoustical cues that reflect a communication partner's emotional state and is crucial for successful social interactions. Many children with autism have deficits in recognizing emotions from voices; however, the neural basis for these impairments is unknown. We examined brain circuit features underlying emotional prosody processing deficits and their relationship to clinical symptoms of autism. METHODS We used an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging task to measure neural activity and connectivity during processing of sad and happy emotional prosody and neutral speech in 22 children with autism and 21 matched control children (7-12 years old). We employed functional connectivity analyses to test competing theoretical accounts that attribute emotional prosody impairments to either sensory processing deficits in auditory cortex or theory of mind deficits instantiated in the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). RESULTS Children with autism showed specific behavioral impairments for recognizing emotions from voices. They also showed aberrant functional connectivity between voice-sensitive auditory cortex and the bilateral TPJ during emotional prosody processing. Neural activity in the bilateral TPJ during processing of both sad and happy emotional prosody stimuli was associated with social communication impairments in children with autism. In contrast, activity and decoding of emotional prosody in auditory cortex was comparable between autism and control groups and did not predict social communication impairments. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support a social-cognitive deficit model of autism by identifying a role for TPJ dysfunction during emotional prosody processing. Our study underscores the importance of tuning in to vocal-emotional cues for building social connections in children with autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Leipold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
| | - Daniel A Abrams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Shelby Karraker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Jennifer M Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Schütz M, Boxhoorn S, Mühlherr AM, Mössinger H, Freitag CM, Luckhardt C. Intention Attribution in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An EEG Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 53:1431-1443. [PMID: 34859338 PMCID: PMC10066121 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05358-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The ability to infer intentions from observed behavior and predict actions based on this inference, known as intention attribution (IA), has been hypothesized to be impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The underlying neural processes, however, have not been conclusively determined. The aim of this study was to examine the neural signature of IA in children and adolescents with ASD, and to elucidate potential links to contextual updating processes using electroencephalography. Results did not indicate that IA or early contextual updating was impaired in ASD. However, there was evidence of aberrant processing of expectation violations in ASD, particularly if the expectation was based on IA. Results are discussed within the context of impaired predictive coding in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Schütz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of the Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Sara Boxhoorn
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of the Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas M Mühlherr
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of the Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Hannah Mössinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of the Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of the Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christina Luckhardt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of the Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Konovalov A, Hill C, Daunizeau J, Ruff CC. Dissecting functional contributions of the social brain to strategic behavior. Neuron 2021; 109:3323-3337.e5. [PMID: 34407389 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions routinely lead to neural activity in a "social brain network" comprising, among other regions, the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). But what is the function of these areas? Are they specialized for behavior in social contexts or do they implement computations required for dealing with any reactive process, even non-living entities? Here, we use fMRI and a game paradigm separating the need for these two aspects of cognition. We find that most social-brain areas respond to both social and non-social reactivity rather than just to human opponents. However, the TPJ shows a dissociation from the dmPFC: its activity and connectivity primarily reflect context-dependent outcome processing and reactivity detection, while dmPFC engagement is linked to implementation of a behavioral strategy. Our results characterize an overarching computational property of the social brain but also suggest specialized roles for subregions of this network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arkady Konovalov
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland.
| | - Christopher Hill
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland
| | - Jean Daunizeau
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France; Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Paris, France; INSERM UMR S975, Paris, France
| | - Christian C Ruff
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics (ZNE), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich 8006, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Quiñones-Camacho LE, Fishburn FA, Belardi K, Williams DL, Huppert TJ, Perlman SB. Dysfunction in interpersonal neural synchronization as a mechanism for social impairment in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:1585-1596. [PMID: 33847461 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2513] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been linked to atypical activation of the mentalizing network. This work, however, has been limited by a focus on the brain activity of a single person during computerized social tasks rather than exploring brain activity during in vivo interactions. The current study assessed neural synchronization during a conversation as a mechanism for social impairment in adults with ASD (n = 24) and matched controls (n = 26). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data were collected from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and tempoparietal junction (TPJ). Participants self-reported on their social communication and videos of the interaction were coded for utterances and conversational turns. As expected, controls showed more neural synchrony than participants with ASD in the TPJ. Also as expected, controls showed less social communication impairment than participants with ASD. However, participants with ASD did not have fewer utterances compared with control subjects. Overall, less neural synchrony in the TPJ was associated with higher social impairment and marginally fewer utterances. Our findings advance our understanding of social difficulties in ASD by linking them to decreased neural synchronization of the TPJ. LAY SUMMARY: The coordination of brain responses is important for efficient social interactions. The current study explored the coordination of brain responses in neurotypical adults and adults with ASD to investigate if difficulties in social interactions are related to difficulties coordinating brain responses in ASD. We found that participants with ASD had more difficulties coordinating brain responses during a conversation with an interacting partner. Additionally, we found that the level of coordination in brain responses was linked to problems with social communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Frank A Fishburn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Katherine Belardi
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Diane L Williams
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Theodore J Huppert
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Susan B Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Cao W, Zhu H, Li Y, Wang Y, Bai W, Lao U, Zhang Y, Ji Y, He S, Zou X. The Development of Brain Network in Males with Autism Spectrum Disorders from Childhood to Adolescence: Evidence from fNIRS Study. Brain Sci 2021; 11:120. [PMID: 33477412 PMCID: PMC7830916 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to collect resting-state signals from 77 males with autism spectrum disorders (ASD, age: 6~16.25) and 40 typically developing (TD) males (age: 6~16.58) in the theory-of-mind (ToM) network. The graph theory analysis was used to obtain the brain network properties in ToM network, and the multiple regression analysis demonstrated that males with ASD showed a comparable global network topology, and a similar age-related decrease in the medial prefrontal cortex area (mPFC) compared to TD individuals. Nevertheless, participants with ASD showed U-shaped trajectories of nodal metrics of right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), and an age-related decrease in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), while trajectories of TD participants were opposite. The nodal metrics of the right TPJ was negatively associated with the social deficits of ASD, while the nodal metrics of the left MFG was negatively associated with the communication deficits of ASD. Current findings suggested a distinct developmental trajectory of the ToM network in males with ASD from childhood to adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cao
- Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China;
| | - Huilin Zhu
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yan Li
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yu Wang
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Wuxia Bai
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Uchong Lao
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yingying Zhang
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Yan Ji
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| | - Sailing He
- Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University (SCNU), Guangzhou 510006, China;
| | - Xiaobing Zou
- Child Development & Behavior Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of SUN YAT-SEN University, No.2693, Kaichuang revenue, Lingnan Campuses, Guangzhou 510080, China; (H.Z.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.); (W.B.); (U.L.); (Y.Z.); (Y.J.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dickinson A, Daniel M, Marin A, Gaonkar B, Dapretto M, McDonald NM, Jeste S. Multivariate Neural Connectivity Patterns in Early Infancy Predict Later Autism Symptoms. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 6:59-69. [PMID: 32798139 PMCID: PMC7736067 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional brain connectivity is altered in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Functional disruption during infancy could provide earlier markers of ASD, thus providing a crucial opportunity to improve developmental outcomes. Using a whole-brain multivariate approach, we asked whether electroencephalography measures of neural connectivity at 3 months of age predict autism symptoms at 18 months. METHODS Spontaneous electroencephalography data were collected from 65 infants with and without familial risk for ASD at 3 months of age. Neural connectivity patterns were quantified using phase coherence in the alpha range (6-12 Hz). Support vector regression analysis was used to predict ASD symptoms at age 18 months, with ASD symptoms quantified by the Toddler Module of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition. RESULTS Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores predicted by support vector regression algorithms trained on 3-month electroencephalography data correlated highly with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores measured at 18 months (r = .76, p = .02, root-mean-square error = 2.38). Specifically, lower frontal connectivity and higher right temporoparietal connectivity at 3 months predicted higher ASD symptoms at 18 months. The support vector regression model did not predict cognitive abilities at 18 months (r = .15, p = .36), suggesting specificity of these brain patterns to ASD. CONCLUSIONS Using a data-driven, unbiased analytic approach, neural connectivity across frontal and temporoparietal regions at 3 months predicted ASD symptoms at 18 months. Identifying early neural differences that precede an ASD diagnosis could promote closer monitoring of infants who show signs of neural risk and provide a crucial opportunity to mediate outcomes through early intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Dickinson
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Manjari Daniel
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Andrew Marin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Bilwaj Gaonkar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Nicole M McDonald
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Through the looking glass: Distinguishing neural correlates of relational and non-relational self-reference and person representation. Cortex 2020; 130:257-274. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
12
|
Yuk V, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Altered Connectivity During a False-Belief Task in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 5:901-912. [PMID: 32600899 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in social communication are one of the main features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adults with ASD show atypical brain activity during false-belief understanding, an aspect of social communication involving the ability to infer that an individual can have an incorrect belief about a situation. Our study is the first to investigate whether adults with ASD exhibit differences in frequency-specific functional connectivity patterns during false-belief reasoning. METHODS We used magnetoencephalography to contrast functional connectivity underlying false-belief understanding between 40 adults with ASD and 39 control adults. We examined whole-brain phase synchrony measures during a false-belief task in 3 frequency bands: theta (4-7 Hz), alpha (8-14 Hz), and beta (15-30 Hz). RESULTS Adults with ASD demonstrated reduced theta-band connectivity compared with control adults between several right-lateralized and midline regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex, right temporoparietal junction, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right superior temporal gyrus. During false-belief trials, they also recruited a network in the beta band that included primary visual regions such as the bilateral inferior occipital gyri and the left anterior temporoparietal junction. CONCLUSIONS Reduced theta-band synchrony between areas associated with mentalizing, inhibition, and visual processing implies some difficulty in communication among these functions in ASD. This impairment in top-down control in the theta band may be counterbalanced by their engagement of a beta-band network because both the left anterior temporoparietal junction and beta-band oscillations are associated with attentional processes. Thus, adults with ASD demonstrate alternative neural mechanisms for successful false-belief reasoning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Yuk
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Department of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Aoki S, Kagitani-Shimono K, Matsuzaki J, Hanaie R, Nakanishi M, Tominaga K, Nagai Y, Mohri I, Taniike M. Lesser suppression of response to bright visual stimuli and visual abnormality in children with autism spectrum disorder: a magnetoencephalographic study. J Neurodev Disord 2019; 11:9. [PMID: 31200639 PMCID: PMC6570891 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-019-9266-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visual abnormality is a common sensory impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which may cause behavioral problems. However, only a few studies exist on the neural features corresponding to the visual symptoms in ASD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cortical responses to visual stimuli and visual abnormality to examine the neurophysiological mechanisms of the visual abnormality in ASD. METHODS Twenty-two high-functioning children with ASD (10.95 ± 2.01 years old) and 23 age-matched typically developing (TD) children (10.13 ± 2.80 years old) participated in this study. We measured the cortical responses (i.e., activated intensity and attenuation ratio) elicited by the Original visual image and other two types of bright images (the Dot noise or Blind image, which includes overlapped particles onto the Original image or the enhanced-brightness version of the Original image, respectively) using magnetoencephalography. RESULTS The severity of visual abnormalities was significantly associated with behavioral problems in children with ASD. In addition, we found the increased cortical activation in response to the Original image in the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and middle temporal gyrus in children with ASD. However, there were no inter-group differences in the primary visual and medial orbitofrontal cortices. Furthermore, when we compared cortical responses according to the type of images, children with ASD showed lesser attenuation of the activated intensities than children with TD in response to the bright images compared with the Original image in the right SMG. These attenuation ratios (Dot noise/Original and Blind/Original) were also associated with the severity of visual abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that dysfunction of stimulus-driven neural suppression plays a crucial role in the neural mechanism of visual abnormality in children with ASD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first magnetoencephalography study to demonstrate the association between the severity of visual abnormality and lower attenuation ratios in children with ASD. Our results contribute to the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying visual abnormality in children with ASD, and may therefore lead to more effective diagnosis and earlier intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sho Aoki
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kuriko Kagitani-Shimono
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. .,Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. .,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Junko Matsuzaki
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ryuzo Hanaie
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mariko Nakanishi
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koji Tominaga
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yukie Nagai
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ikuko Mohri
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masako Taniike
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Reframing schizophrenia and autism as bodily self-consciousness disorders leading to a deficit of theory of mind and empathy with social communication impairments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:401-413. [PMID: 31029711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Prior observations and studies suggest self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), two neurodevelopmental disorders sharing social communication impairments. First, the relationships between schizophrenia and autism are explored regarding social communication impairments. Then, self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and autism are described and discussed in relation with impairments of body self leading to impairments of self-other differentiation, a deficit of theory of mind and empathy, and their consequences on social communication. Also, neurological dysfunction involved possibly in self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and autism is presented. In conclusion, a new model is proposed integrating results of studies presented here and stating the existence of bodily self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and autism associated with altered/absent intermodal sensory integration (especially visual-kinesthetic-tactile integration). This would result in problems of self-other differentiation, leading in turn to a deficit of theory of mind and empathy as well as social communication impairments. This model opens new perspectives to understand better self-consciousness disorders and social communication impairments in schizophrenia and ASD and to develop therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
|
15
|
Koush Y, Pichon S, Eickhoff SB, Van De Ville D, Vuilleumier P, Scharnowski F. Brain networks for engaging oneself in positive-social emotion regulation. Neuroimage 2018; 189:106-115. [PMID: 30594682 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.12.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive emotions facilitate cognitive performance, and their absence is associated with burdening psychiatric disorders. However, the brain networks regulating positive emotions are not well understood, especially with regard to engaging oneself in positive-social situations. Here we report convergent evidence from a multimodal approach that includes functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain activations, meta-analytic functional characterization, Bayesian model-driven analysis of effective brain connectivity, and personality questionnaires to identify the brain networks mediating the cognitive up-regulation of positive-social emotions. Our comprehensive approach revealed that engaging in positive-social emotion regulation with a self-referential first-person perspective is characterized by dynamic interactions between functionally specialized prefrontal cortex (PFC) areas, the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the amygdala. Increased top-down connectivity from the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) controls affective valuation in the ventromedial and dorsomedial PFC, self-referential processes in the TPJ, and modulate emotional responses in the amygdala via the ventromedial PFC. Understanding the brain networks engaged in the regulation of positive-social emotions that involve a first-person perspective is important as they are known to constitute an effective strategy in therapeutic settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yury Koush
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA; Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Swann Pichon
- Geneva Neuroscience Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Case Postale 60, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland; NCCR Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, University of Geneva, FPSE - 40, Boulevard du Pont-d'Arve, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Geneva Neuroscience Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, Case Postale 60, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland; NCCR Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Frank Scharnowski
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA; Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Chemin des Mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032, Zürich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland; Zürich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lopatina OL, Komleva YK, Gorina YV, Olovyannikova RY, Trufanova LV, Hashimoto T, Takahashi T, Kikuchi M, Minabe Y, Higashida H, Salmina AB. Oxytocin and excitation/inhibition balance in social recognition. Neuropeptides 2018; 72:1-11. [PMID: 30287150 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Social recognition is the sensitive domains of complex behavior critical for identification, interpretation and storage of socially meaningful information. Social recognition develops throughout childhood and adolescent, and is affected in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. Recently, new data appeared on the molecular mechanisms of these processes, particularly, the excitatory-inhibitory (E/I) ratio which is modified during development, and then E/I balance is established in the adult brain. While E/I imbalance has been proposed as a mechanism for schizophrenia, it also seems to be the common mechanism in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In addition, there is a strong suggestion that the oxytocinergic system is related to GABA-mediated E/I control in the context of brain socialization. In this review, we attempt to summarize the underpinning molecular mechanisms of E/I balance and its imbalance, and related biomarkers in the brain in healthiness and pathology. In addition, because there are increasing interest on oxytocin in the social neuroscience field, we will pay intensive attention to the role of oxytocin in maintaining E/I balance from the viewpoint of its effects on improving social impairment in psychiatric diseases, especially in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga L Lopatina
- Depatment of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical & Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia; Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yulia K Komleva
- Depatment of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical & Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Yana V Gorina
- Depatment of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical & Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Raisa Ya Olovyannikova
- Depatment of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical & Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Lyudmila V Trufanova
- Depatment of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical & Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia
| | - Takanori Hashimoto
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Takahashi
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yoshio Minabe
- Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- Depatment of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical & Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia; Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Depatment of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical & Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk 660022, Russia; Department of Basic Research on Social Recognition and Memory, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Herringshaw AJ, Kumar SL, Rody KN, Kana RK. Neural Correlates of Social Perception in Children with Autism: Local versus Global Preferences. Neuroscience 2018; 395:49-59. [PMID: 30419259 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The Weak Central Coherence account of autism spectrum disorders posits that individuals with ASD utilize a detail-oriented information processing bias. While this local bias is helpful in visual search tasks, ASD individuals falter in social cognition tasks where coherence is advantageous. The present study examined the neural correlates of Weak Central Coherence in ASD during visual and social processing. Fifteen ASD and sixteen typically developing children/adolescents completed a social/visual information processing task in an fMRI scanner. The stimuli consisted of human characters, composed of geometrical shapes, displaying different emotions. In the locally oriented Shape condition, participants indicated whether a given shape was present in a figure. In the Emotion condition, participants identified the emotion conveyed by the character in the figure at the global level. Whole-brain within- and between-group activation and seed-to-voxel functional connectivity analyses were conducted in SPM12 and the CONN toolbox. The ASD group was significantly faster in shape identification, but less accurate in emotion identification. The TD group showed significantly increased areas of activity over the ASD group in the Shape task in regions associated with executive control, such as the medial prefrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus, suggesting increased interference from the global/social information. During the Emotion condition, the ASD group showed decreased connectivity between frontal and posterior regions and between body perception and motor networks, suggesting a possible difference in mirroring. The findings suggest that social cognitive factors, not visual processing biases, underlie the observed behavioral differences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abbey J Herringshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sandhya L Kumar
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Noel Rody
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Yuk V, Urbain C, Pang EW, Anagnostou E, Buchsbaum D, Taylor MJ. Do you know what I'm thinking? Temporal and spatial brain activity during a theory-of-mind task in children with autism. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 34:139-147. [PMID: 30415185 PMCID: PMC6969351 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
First MEG study of neural underpinnings of theory of mind differences in autism. Children with autism show decreased LTPJ activity from 300 to 375 and 425 to 500 ms. Children with autism also show increased RIFG activity from 325 to 375 ms. Co-incident lower LTPJ and higher RIFG activity implies compensatory use of RIFG. Executive functions may augment impaired theory of mind in autism.
The social impairments observed in children with autism spectrum disorder are thought to arise in part from deficits in theory of mind, the ability to understand other people’s thoughts and feelings. To determine the temporal-spatial dynamics of brain activity underlying these atypical theory-of-mind processes, we used magnetoencephalography to characterize the sequence of functional brain patterns (i.e. when and where) related to theory-of-mind reasoning in 19 high-functioning children with autism compared to 22 age- and sex-matched typically-developing children aged 8–12 during a false-belief (theory-of-mind) task. While task performance did not differ between the two groups, children with autism showed reduced activation in the left temporoparietal junction between 300–375 and 425–500 ms, as well as increased activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus from 325 to 375 ms compared to controls. The overlap in decreased temporoparietal junction activity and increased right inferior frontal gyrus activation from 325 to 375 ms suggests that in children with autism, the right inferior frontal gyrus may compensate for deficits in the temporoparietal junction, a neural theory-of-mind network hub. As the right inferior frontal gyrus is involved in inhibitory control, this finding suggests that children with autism rely on executive functions to bolster their false-belief understanding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Yuk
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Charline Urbain
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Department of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daphna Buchsbaum
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Differential recruitment of theory of mind brain network across three tasks: An independent component analysis. Behav Brain Res 2018; 347:385-393. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|
20
|
Cole EJ, Slocombe KE, Barraclough NE. Abilities to Explicitly and Implicitly Infer Intentions from Actions in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 48:1712-1726. [PMID: 29214604 PMCID: PMC5889782 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3425-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) might be associated with impairments on implicit but not explicit mentalizing tasks. However, such comparisons are made difficult by the heterogeneity of stimuli and the techniques used to measure mentalizing capabilities. We tested the abilities of 34 individuals (17 with ASD) to derive intentions from others' actions during both explicit and implicit tasks and tracked their eye-movements. Adults with ASD displayed explicit but not implicit mentalizing deficits. Adults with ASD displayed typical fixation patterns during both implicit and explicit tasks. These results illustrate an explicit mentalizing deficit in adults with ASD, which cannot be attributed to differences in fixation patterns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor J Cole
- The Department of Psychology, The University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Katie E Slocombe
- The Department of Psychology, The University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Nick E Barraclough
- The Department of Psychology, The University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Thye MD, Murdaugh DL, Kana RK. Brain Mechanisms Underlying Reading the Mind from Eyes, Voice, and Actions. Neuroscience 2018; 374:172-186. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.01.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
|
22
|
Nijhof AD, Bardi L, Brass M, Wiersema JR. Brain activity for spontaneous and explicit mentalizing in adults with autism spectrum disorder: An fMRI study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:475-484. [PMID: 29876255 PMCID: PMC5987841 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The socio-communicative difficulties of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are hypothesized to be caused by a specific deficit in the ability to represent one's own and others' mental states, referred to as Theory of Mind or mentalizing. However, many individuals with ASD show successful performance on explicit measures of mentalizing, and for this reason, the deficit is thought to be better captured by measures of spontaneous mentalizing. While there is initial behavioral support for this hypothesis, spontaneous mentalizing in ASD has not yet been studied at the neural level. Recent findings indicate involvement of the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) in both explicit and spontaneous mentalizing (Bardi et al., 2016). In the current study, we investigated brain activation during explicit and spontaneous mentalizing in adults with ASD by means of fMRI. Based on our hypothesis of a core mentalizing deficit in ASD, decreased rTPJ activity was expected for both forms of mentalizing. A group of 24 adults with ASD and 21 neurotypical controls carried out a spontaneous and an explicit version of the same mentalizing task. They watched videos in which both they themselves and another agent formed a belief about the location of an object (belief formation phase). Only in the explicit task version participants were instructed to report the agent's belief on some trials. At the behavioral level, no group differences were revealed in either of the task versions. A planned region-of-interest analysis of the rTPJ showed that this region was more active for false- than for true-belief formation, independent of task version, especially when the agent's belief had a positive content (when the agent was expecting the object). This effect of belief was absent in adults with ASD. A whole-brain analysis revealed reduced activation in the anterior middle temporal pole in ASD for false - versus true-belief trials, independent of task version. Our findings suggest neural differences between adults with ASD and neurotypical controls both during spontaneous and explicit mentalizing, and indicate the rTPJ to be crucially involved in ASD. Moreover, the possible role of the anterior middle temporal pole in disturbed mentalizing in ASD deserves further attention. The finding that these neural differences do not necessarily lead to differential performance warrants further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annabel D Nijhof
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Lara Bardi
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marcel Brass
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan R Wiersema
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Padmanabhan A, Lynch CJ, Schaer M, Menon V. The Default Mode Network in Autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:476-486. [PMID: 29034353 PMCID: PMC5635856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction. Since its discovery as a major functional brain system, the default mode network (DMN) has been implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders, including ASD. Here we review converging multimodal evidence for DMN dysfunction in the context of specific components of social cognitive dysfunction in ASD: 'self-referential processing' - the ability to process social information relative to oneself and 'theory of mind' or 'mentalizing' - the ability to infer the mental states such as beliefs, intentions, and emotions of others. We show that altered functional and structural organization of the DMN, and its atypical developmental trajectory, are prominent neurobiological features of ASD. We integrate findings on atypical cytoarchitectonic organization and imbalance in excitatory-inhibitory circuits, which alter local and global brain signaling, to scrutinize putative mechanisms underlying DMN dysfunction in ASD. Our synthesis of the extant literature suggests that aberrancies in key nodes of the DMN and their dynamic functional interactions contribute to atypical integration of information about the self in relation to 'other', as well as impairments in the ability to flexibly attend to socially relevant stimuli. We conclude by highlighting open questions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aarthi Padmanabhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | | | - Marie Schaer
- University of Geneva, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Woodward ND, Giraldo-Chica M, Rogers B, Cascio CJ. Thalamocortical dysconnectivity in autism spectrum disorder: An analysis of the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:76-84. [PMID: 28584881 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit differences in basic sensorimotor processing as well as general cortical excitability. These observations converge to implicate thalamocortical connectivity as a potential unifying neural mechanism. The goal of this study was to clarify mixed findings on thalamocortical functional connectivity in a large sample of individuals with ASD. METHODS Using the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE), we examined thalamocortical functional connectivity in 228 individuals with ASD and a matched comparison group of 228 typically developing individuals. In order to fully characterize thalamocortical functional networks, we employed complementary seed-based approaches that examined connectivity of major cortical divisions (e.g. prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe) with the thalamus and whole-brain connectivity of specific thalamic sub-regions. RESULTS Prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, and sensorimotor cortex exhibited hyper-connectivity with the thalamus in ASD. In the whole-brain analysis, hyper-connectivity of several thalamic seeds included multiple cortical areas, but tended to converge in temporal cortical areas, including the temporoparietal junction. Follow-up analyses of age effects revealed that the connectivity abnormalities in ASD were more pronounced in adolescents compared to children and adults. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm previous findings of temporal and motor thalamocortical hyper-connectivity in ASD, and extend them to include somatosensory and prefrontal cortex. While not directly addressable with the data available in ABIDE, this widespread hyper-connectivity could theoretically account for sensorimotor symptoms and general cortical excitability in ASD. Future studies should target comprehensive clinical and behavioral characterization in combination with functional connectivity in order to explore this possibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil D Woodward
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
| | - Monica Giraldo-Chica
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
| | - Baxter Rogers
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
| | - Carissa J Cascio
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Eddy CM. The junction between self and other? Temporo-parietal dysfunction in neuropsychiatry. Neuropsychologia 2016; 89:465-477. [PMID: 27457686 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clare M Eddy
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, BSMHFT The Barberry, National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, UK; School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Chen L, Zhang W, Liu H, Feng S, Chen CLP, Wang H. A Space Affine Matching Approach to fMRI Time Series Analysis. IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2016; 15:468-480. [DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2016.2572401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
27
|
van Pelt S, Heil L, Kwisthout J, Ondobaka S, van Rooij I, Bekkering H. Beta- and gamma-band activity reflect predictive coding in the processing of causal events. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:973-80. [PMID: 26873806 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In daily life, complex events are perceived in a causal manner, suggesting that the brain relies on predictive processes to model them. Within predictive coding theory, oscillatory beta-band activity has been linked to top-down predictive signals and gamma-band activity to bottom-up prediction errors. However, neurocognitive evidence for predictive coding outside lower-level sensory areas is scarce. We used magnetoencephalography to investigate neural activity during probability-dependent action perception in three areas pivotal for causal inference, superior temporal sulcus, temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex, using bowling action animations. Within this network, Granger-causal connectivity in the beta-band was found to be strongest for backward top-down connections and gamma for feed-forward bottom-up connections. Moreover, beta-band power in TPJ increased parametrically with the predictability of the action kinematics-outcome sequences. Conversely, gamma-band power in TPJ and MPFC increased with prediction error. These findings suggest that the brain utilizes predictive-coding-like computations for higher-order cognition such as perception of causal events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stan van Pelt
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and
| | - Lieke Heil
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and
| | - Johan Kwisthout
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and
| | - Sasha Ondobaka
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging and Sobell Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Iris van Rooij
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and
| | - Harold Bekkering
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands and
| |
Collapse
|