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Barker MS, Knight JL, Dean RJ, Richards LJ, Robinson GA. Adynamic spoken language in corpus callosum dysgenesis. Cortex 2024; 180:42-54. [PMID: 39317110 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
Corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCD) is a congenital brain malformation that occurs when the development of the corpus callosum is disrupted, either partially or completely. The cognitive outcomes in individuals with CCD vary greatly, but generally the neuropsychological profile is characterised by slow processing speed, poor transfer of interhemispheric sensory-motor information, and impaired complex problem solving. Core language skills are often preserved in CCD, but there is some evidence that complex language may be impaired. Thus, the current study sought to examine whether spontaneous speech output was reduced in a cohort of individuals with CCD compared to age-matched controls. We further explored a series of factors that may be contributing to poor spontaneous speech in CCD, such as difficulties generating, selecting, and sequencing ideas for expression, as well as apathy and slowed processing speed. A cohort of 25 individuals with CCD and 39 neurotypical controls were enrolled in this study. Participants completed a picture description task to measure spontaneous speech output, alongside a series of cognitive and language baseline tests. Verbal and nonverbal fluency tasks gauged idea generation and sequencing, and sentence-level selection tasks measured idea selection. We found that, despite having largely intact core language skills, individuals with CCD produced significantly less spontaneous speech on the picture description task than controls. This language profile may be described as "adynamic". Further, we found that poor spontaneous speech output in CCD was related to problems generating ideas for expression, as individuals with CCD performed below controls on the verbal and nonverbal fluency tasks. Exploratory analyses revealed that apathy and slowed processing speed may be contributing factors. Adynamia in CCD is a novel finding that may be an intervention target for improving communication skills in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan S Barker
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jacquelyn L Knight
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ryan J Dean
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Linda J Richards
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Gail A Robinson
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.
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2
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Mirror movements and callosal dysgenesis in a family with a DCC mutation: Neuropsychological and neuroimaging outcomes. Cortex 2023; 161:38-50. [PMID: 36889039 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Corpus callosum dysgenesis is a congenital abnormality whereby the corpus callosum fails to develop normally, and has been associated with a range of neuropsychological outcomes. One specific finding in some individuals with corpus callosum dysgenesis is "congenital mirror movement disorder", which is the presence of involuntary movements on one side of the body that mimic voluntary movements of the other side. Mirror movements have also been associated with mutations in the deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC) gene. The current study aims to comprehensively document the neuropsychological outcomes and neuroanatomical mapping of a family (a mother, daughter and son) with known DCC mutations. All three family members experience mirror movements, and the son additionally has partial agenesis of the corpus callosum (pACC). All family members underwent extensive neuropsychological testing, spanning general intellectual functioning, memory, language, literacy, numeracy, psychomotor speed, visuospatial perception, praxis and motor functioning, executive functioning, attention, verbal/nonverbal fluency, and social cognition. The mother and daughter had impaired memory for faces, and reduced spontaneous speech, and the daughter demonstrated scattered impairments in attention and executive functioning, but their neuropsychological abilities were largely within normal limits. By contrast, the son showed areas of significant impairment across multiple domains including reduced psychomotor speed, fine motor dexterity and general intellectual functioning, and he was profoundly impaired across areas of executive functioning and attention. Reductions in his verbal/non-verbal fluency, with relatively intact core language, resembled dynamic frontal aphasia. His relative strengths included aspects of memory and he demonstrated largely sound theory of mind. Neuroimaging revealed an asymmetric sigmoid bundle in the son, connecting, via the callosal remnant, the left frontal cortex with contralateral parieto-occipital cortex. Overall, this study documents a range of neuropsychological and neuroanatomical outcomes within one family with DCC mutations and mirror movements, including one with more severe consequences and pACC.
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3
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Ahmed-Leitao F, Du Plessis S, Konkiewitz EC, Spies G, Seedat S. Altered white matter integrity in the corpus callosum in adults with HIV: a systematic review of diffusion tensor imaging studies. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2022; 326:111543. [PMID: 36126346 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We systematically reviewed studies comparing differences in the integrity of the corpus callosum in adults with HIV compared to healthy controls, using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), using search engines Science Direct, Web of Science and PubMed. The search terms used were "HIV", "corpus callosum", and a variation of either "DTI" or "Diffusion Tensor Imaging" with or without the term "adults". We specifically examined the corpus callosum as it is the largest white matter tract in the brain, plays a primary role in cognition, and has been shown to be morphologically altered in people living with HIV. Lower fractional anisotropy (FA) was consistently found in the corpus callosum in people with HIV compared to controls. As most studies used only FA as a measure of diffusion, it would be informative for future research if other DTI metrics, such as mean diffusivity (MD), were also investigated as these metrics may be more sensitive markers of HIV-related neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Ahmed-Leitao
- South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
| | - Stefan Du Plessis
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; SAMRC Genomics of Brain Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | | | - Georgina Spies
- South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; SAMRC Genomics of Brain Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Soraya Seedat
- South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; SAMRC Genomics of Brain Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Barnby J, Dean R, Burgess H, Kim J, Teunisse A, Mackenzie L, Robinson G, Dayan P, Richards L. Increased persuadability and credulity in people with corpus callosum dysgenesis. Cortex 2022; 155:251-263. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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5
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Ravignani A, Lumaca M, Kotz SA. Interhemispheric Brain Communication and the Evolution of Turn-Taking in Mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.916956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last 20 years, research on turn-taking and duetting has flourished in at least three, historically separate disciplines: animal behavior, language sciences, and music cognition. While different in scope and methods, all three ultimately share one goal—namely the understanding of timed interactions among conspecifics. In this perspective, we aim at connecting turn-taking and duetting across species from a neural perspective. While we are still far from a defined neuroethology of turn-taking, we argue that the human neuroscience of turn-taking and duetting can inform animal bioacoustics. For this, we focus on a particular concept, interhemispheric connectivity, and its main white-matter substrate, the corpus callosum. We provide an overview of the role of corpus callosum in human neuroscience and interactive music and speech. We hypothesize its mechanistic connection to turn-taking and duetting in our species, and a potential translational link to mammalian research. We conclude by illustrating empirical venues for neuroethological research of turn-taking and duetting in mammals.
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Mousavi N, Nitsche MA, Jahan A, Nazari MA, Hassanpour H. Efficacy of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) combined with intensive speech therapy for language production in monozygotic twins with corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCD): A sham-controlled single subject study. Neurocase 2022; 28:218-225. [PMID: 35533270 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2022.2071626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this single subject study was to investigate whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to both hemispheres combined with speech therapy can improve language learning in a pair of 5-year-old twins with corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCD). The treatment protocol included anodal tDCS with simultaneous speech therapy in one of the participants (T.D.), and sham-tDCS with the same montage, and stimulation regime concomitant with speech therapy for the other twin (A.D.). Our findings show that T.D. improved in language production when treated with speech therapy in combination with tDCS. A.D. showed evidence for a relatively minor behavioral benefit from speech therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najva Mousavi
- Department of Language and Speech Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Michael A Nitsche
- Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (Ifado), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ali Jahan
- Department of Speech Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Nazari
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Hassanpour
- Faculty of Psychology and Social Sciences, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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7
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Endocannabinoid markers in autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review of human studies. Psychiatry Res 2021; 306:114256. [PMID: 34775294 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and patterns of restrictive and repetitive behavior. Although the neurological underpinnings of ASD remain elusive, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may play a role in modulating social behavior in ASD. Preclinical studies have suggested that alterations in the ECS result in ASD-like phenotypes, but currently no reviews have examined ECS abnormalities in human studies. This scoping review investigated any evidence of ECS alterations in humans with ASD. A comprehensive literature search was conducted and five studies were eligible for review. Three studies reported a significant reduction of anandamide in ASD compared to controls. Other alterations included decreased 2-arachidonoylglycerol, oleoylethanolamide, and palmitoylethanolamide and elevated diacylglycerol lipase and monoacylglycerol lipase. Some discrepant findings were also noted, which included elevated or reduced CB2 receptor in three studies and elevated or reduced N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D and fatty acid amide hydrolase in two studies. We conclude from this preliminary investigation that the ECS may be altered in humans with ASD. Potential limitations of the reviewed studies include medication use and psychiatric comorbidities. Further research, such as positron emission tomography studies, are necessary to fully understand the relationship between ECS markers and ASD.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is associated with a range of cognitive deficits, including mild to moderate problems in higher order executive functions evident in neuropsychological assessments. Previous research has also suggested a lack of self-awareness in persons with AgCC. METHOD We investigated daily executive functioning and self-awareness in 36 individuals with AgCC by analyzing self-ratings on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A), as well as ratings on the same instrument from close relatives. Discrepancies between self- and informant-ratings were compared to the normative sample and exploratory analyses examined possible moderating effects of participant and informant characteristics. RESULTS Significant deficiencies were found in the Behavioral Regulation and Metacognitive indices for both the self and informant results, with elevated frequency of metacognition scores in the borderline to clinical range. Informants also endorsed elevated frequency of borderline to clinically significant behavioral regulation scores. The proportion of AgCC participants whose self-ratings indicated less metacognitive impairment than informant-ratings was greater than in the normative sample. Self-ratings of behavioral regulation impairment decreased with age and informant-ratings of metacognition were higher in males than females. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide evidence that individuals with AgCC experience mild to moderate executive functioning problems in everyday behavior which are observed by others. Results also suggest a lack of self-understanding or insight into the severity of these problems in the individuals with AgCC, particularly with respect to their metacognitive functioning.
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Brown WS, Burnett KA, Vaillancourt A, Paul LK. Appreciation of Social Norms in Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2021; 36:1367-1373. [PMID: 33598684 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acab003] [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] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Anecdotal reports regarding high-functioning adults with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) suggest that they often lack psychosocial insight. We attempted to determine whether adults with AgCC are able to correctly identify appropriate behaviors within social contexts using the Social Norms Questionnaire. METHOD The Social Norms Questionnaire measures knowledge of norms and judgments of what is appropriate to do in particular contexts. It was administered online to individuals with AgCC and control participants. RESULTS Individuals with AgCC scored significantly lower in understanding social norms than controls, tending to over-adhere to social norms significantly more than controls. There was no significant difference regarding breaking of social norms. CONCLUSION Results suggest that adults with AgCC have deficient judgment regarding the nuances of appropriate behaviors in social contexts. They adhere to social norms concretely, lacking the ability to integrate context in social scenarios to make appropriately nuanced judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren S Brown
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA.,International Research Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5), Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Karissa A Burnett
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
| | - Ashley Vaillancourt
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
| | - Lynn K Paul
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA.,California Institute of Technology, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.,International Research Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5), Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
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10
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Paul LK, Pazienza SR, Brown WS. Alexithymia and Somatization in Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:1071-1078. [PMID: 33973635 PMCID: PMC8483281 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficient communication between the cerebral hemispheres is one of several prevailing neurobiological explanations for alexithymia and has been strongly supported by research on patients with commissurotomy. We examined self-reported symptoms of alexithymia in adults with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), a condition characterized by more subtle reductions in interhemispheric transfer than in commissurotomy. 16 adults with AgCC and FSIQ > 80 were compared with 15 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical controls. The AgCC group endorsed greater difficulty identifying and describing feelings and more vague physical symptoms than controls, but similar levels of emotional experience and emotional coping. This finding of impaired emotional interpretation with intact emotional experience is consistent with findings in callosotomy patients, implicating the critical role of the corpus callosum in cognitive dimensions of emotion processing. Further study of alexithymia in AgCC using task-based measures may help clarify the nature of this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn K Paul
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA.,International Research Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5), Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Warren S Brown
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA.,International Research Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5), Pasadena, CA, USA
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11
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Mariana B, Carolina L, Valeria A, Bautista EA, Silvia K, Lucía AF. Functional anatomy of idiomatic expressions. Brain Topogr 2021; 34:489-503. [PMID: 33948754 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-021-00843-3] [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: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Idiomatic expressions (IE) are groups of words whose meaning is different from the sum of its components. Neural mechanisms underlying their processing are still debated, especially regarding lateralization, main structures involved, and whether this neural network is independent from the spoken language. To investigate the neural correlates of IE processing in healthy Spanish speakers.Twenty one native speakers of Spanish were asked to select one of 4 possible meanings for IE or literal sentences. fMRI scans were performed in a 3.0T scanner and processed by SPM 12 comparing IE vs. literal sentences. Laterality indices were calculated at the group level. IE activated a bilateral, slightly right-sided network comprising the pars triangularis and areas 9 and 10. In the left hemisphere (LH): the pars orbitalis, superior frontal, angular and fusiform gyrus. In the right hemisphere (RH): anterior insula, middle frontal, and superior temporal gyrus. This network reveals the importance of the RH, besides traditional LH areas, to comprehend IE. This agrees with the semantic coding model: the LH activates narrow semantic fields choosing one single meaning and ignoring others, and the RH detects distant semantic relationships, activating diffuse semantic fields. It is also in line with the configuration hypothesis: both meanings, literal and figurative, are executed simultaneously, until the literal meaning is definitively rejected and the figurative one is accepted. Processing IE requires the activation of fronto-temporal networks in both hemispheres. The results concur with previous studies in other languages, so these networks are independent from the spoken language. Understanding these mechanisms sheds light on IE processing difficulties in different clinical populations and must be considered when planning resective surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bendersky Mariana
- Living Anatomy Laboratory, 3rd Normal Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Paraguay 2155, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Lomlomdjian Carolina
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Department of Neurology, Hospital Austral, Pilar, Argentina
| | - Abusamra Valeria
- School of Philosophy and Literature, National Scientific and Technical Research Council-Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires University, Puan 480, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Elizalde Acevedo Bautista
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IIMT (Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional), CONICET-Austral University, Derqui-Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kochen Silvia
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alba-Ferrara Lucía
- ENyS (Studies in Neurosciences and Complex Systems), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), National University A. Jauretche (UNAJ), El Cruce Hospital Néstor Kirchner, Avenue Calchaquí 5402, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Faculty of Biomedical Science, Austral University, Mariano Acosta 1611, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Pawełczyk A, Łojek E, Żurner N, Gawłowska-Sawosz M, Gębski P, Pawełczyk T. The correlation between white matter integrity and pragmatic language processing in first episode schizophrenia. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:1068-1084. [PMID: 32710335 PMCID: PMC8032571 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-020-00314-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Higher-order language disturbances could be the result of white matter tract abnormalities. The study explores the relationship between white matter and pragmatic skills in first-episode schizophrenia. Methods: Thirty-four first-episode patients with schizophrenia and 32 healthy subjects participated in a pragmatic language and Diffusion Tensor Imaging study, where fractional anisotropy of the arcuate fasciculus, corpus callosum and cingulum was correlated with the Polish version of the Right Hemisphere Language Battery. Results: The patients showed reduced fractional anisotropy in the right arcuate fasciculus, left anterior cingulum bundle and left forceps minor. Among the first episode patients, reduced understanding of written metaphors correlated with reduced fractional anisotropy of left forceps minor, and greater explanation of written and picture metaphors correlated with reduced fractional anisotropy of the left anterior cingulum. Conclusions: The white matter dysfunctions may underlie the pragmatic language impairment in schizophrenia. Our results shed further light on the functional neuroanatomical basis of pragmatic language use by patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Pawełczyk
- Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland.
| | | | - Natalia Żurner
- Adolescent Ward, Central Clinical Hospital of Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | | | - Piotr Gębski
- Scanlab Diagnostyka Medyczna Księży Młyn, Medical Examination Centre, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - Tomasz Pawełczyk
- Department of Affective and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
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Social Inferences in Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum and Autism: Semantic Analysis and Topic Modeling. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:569-583. [PMID: 33768420 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04957-2] [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: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Impoverished capacity for social inference is one of several symptoms that are common to both agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This research compared the ability of 14 adults with AgCC, 13 high-functioning adults with ASD and 14 neurotypical controls to accurately attribute social meaning to the interactions of animated triangles. Descriptions of the animations were analyzed in three ways: subjective ratings, Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count, and topic modeling (Latent Dirichlet Allocation). Although subjective ratings indicated that all groups made similar inferences from the animations, the index of perplexity (atypicality of topic) generated from topic modeling revealed that inferences from individuals with AgCC or ASD displayed significantly less social imagination than those of controls.
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Melogno S, Pinto MA, Scalisi TG, Badolato F, Parisi P. Case Report: Theory of Mind and Figurative Language in a Child With Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. Front Psychol 2021; 11:596804. [PMID: 33633625 PMCID: PMC7900504 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.596804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In this case report, we studied Theory of Mind (ToM) and figurative language comprehension in a 7.2-year-old child, conventionally named RJ, with isolated and complete agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), a rare malformation due to the absence of the corpus callosum, the major tract connecting the two brain hemispheres. To study ToM, which is the capability to infer the other’s mental states, we used the classical false belief tasks, and to study figurative language, i.e., those linguistic usages involving non-literal meanings, we used tasks assessing metaphor and idiom comprehension. RJ’s intellectual level and his phonological, lexical, and grammatical abilities were all adequate. In both the ToM false belief tasks and novel sensory metaphor comprehension, RJ showed a delay of 3 years and a significant gap compared to a typically developing control group, while in idioms, his performance was at the border of average. These outcomes suggest that RJ has a specific pragmatic difficulty in all tasks where he must interpret the other’s communicative intention, as in ToM tasks and novel sensory metaphor comprehension. The outcomes also open up interesting insights into the relationships between ToM and figurative language in children with isolated and complete ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Melogno
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Faculty of Psychology, University Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Pinto
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Teresa Gloria Scalisi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fausto Badolato
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pasquale Parisi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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15
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Raile V, Herz NA, Promnitz G, Schneider J, Tietze A, Kaindl AM. Clinical Outcome of Children With Corpus Callosum Agenesis. Pediatr Neurol 2020; 112:47-52. [PMID: 32911263 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2020.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Agenesis of the corpus callosum is a rare congenital brain malformation that can be associated with other cerebral malformations and/or underlying genetic causes. Prenatal counseling is hampered due to the lack of reliable long-term data on neurodevelopmental outcome. METHODS Since 2010, a total of 23 children with agenesis of the corpus callosum (mean age 3.8 years, range 0.7 to 9.7 years) were registered in our ACC outpatient clinic and diagnosed in a standardized manner; the data were analyzed retrospectively. Prenatal and postnatal imaging, associated malformations, genetic and clinical findings, and psychological testing (Bayley Scales, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II, Snijders-Oomen Non-verbal Test, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale I-III) were included. The clinical outcome was classified as "normal" (intelligence quotient 85 to 115, unremarkable motor skills), "moderate developmental delay" (intelligence quotient 70 to 85, mild motor abnormalities), and "severe developmental delay" (intelligence quotient less than 70, severe movement disorder). RESULTS Isolated corpus callosum malformation was diagnosed in 15 of 23 (65%), associated cerebral malformations in four of 23 (17%), and associated cerebral malformations plus intracranial cyst in four of 23 (17%) children. Prenatal diagnosis changed in nine of 23 (39%) cases. Overall, a normal outcome or moderate or severe developmental delay was present in 15 of 23 (65%) or five of 23 (22%) or three of 23 (13%) children, respectively. Also six of eight children with associated cerebral malformations showed normal outcome. CONCLUSION Our findings support the notion that developmental outcome is favorable in about two-thirds of children with prenatally diagnosed agenesis of corpus callosum. However, the individual outcome in children with agenesis of corpus callosum is difficult to predict. Even children with correctly characterized phenotypes show a variety of outcomes, making prenatal counseling challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Raile
- Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nina A Herz
- Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabriel Promnitz
- Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joanna Schneider
- Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Tietze
- Pediatric Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angela M Kaindl
- Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Melogno S, Pinto MA, Pollice C, Badolato F, Trasimeni G, Parisi P. Understanding Novel Metaphors: A Milestone in the Developmental Trajectory of Children with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum? Brain Sci 2020; 10:E753. [PMID: 33086472 PMCID: PMC7603083 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10100753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explores novel metaphor comprehension in a 7.2-year-old child (conventionally called RJ) with complete and isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). RJ's cognitive level was adequate for his age as well as most of his linguistic competencies. The child's performance was compared to typically developing (TD) controls on a test assessing novel metaphor comprehension for preschoolers. RJ's performance showed a delay of about three years in relation to the expected level for his age, and also a significant gap compared to the TDs. The results highlighted the possibility to detect weaknesses in understanding novel metaphors in children with ACC, in spite of their apparently adequate linguistic capabilities. An early detection of a weakness in this area can pave the way to neurolinguistic treatment in order to enhance the understanding of nonliteral meaning, which, in the developmental trajectory, will be increasingly involved in everyday life communication. Future research should explore more in-depth a capability that intrinsically requires high interconnectivity, such as novel metaphor comprehension, in a brain in development where the major tract connecting the two hemispheres is missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Melogno
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
- Faculty of Psychology, “Niccolò Cusano” University of Rome, 00166 Rome, Italy;
| | - Maria Antonietta Pinto
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Chiara Pollice
- Faculty of Psychology, “Niccolò Cusano” University of Rome, 00166 Rome, Italy;
| | - Fausto Badolato
- NESMOS Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (G.T.); (P.P.)
| | - Guido Trasimeni
- NESMOS Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (G.T.); (P.P.)
| | - Pasquale Parisi
- NESMOS Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (F.B.); (G.T.); (P.P.)
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Paradiso S, Brown WS, Porcerelli JH, Tranel D, Adolphs R, Paul LK. Integration Between Cerebral Hemispheres Contributes to Defense Mechanisms. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1534. [PMID: 32733338 PMCID: PMC7359856 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Defense mechanisms are mental functions which facilitate coping when real or imagined events challenge personal wishes, needs, and feelings. Whether defense mechanisms have a specific neural basis is unknown. The present research tested the hypothesis that interhemispheric integration plays a critical role in defense mechanism development, by studying a unique sample of patients born without the corpus callosum (agenesis of the corpus callosum; AgCC). Adults with AgCC (N = 27) and matched healthy volunteers (N = 30) were compared on defense mechanism use across increasing levels of developmental maturity (denial, least; projection, intermediate; identification, most). Narratives generated in response to Thematic Apperception Test images were scored according to the Defense Mechanism Manual. Greater use of denial and less identification was found in persons with AgCC, compared to healthy comparisons. This difference emerged after age 18 when full maturation of defenses among healthy individuals was expected. The findings provide clinically important characterization of social and emotional processing in persons with AgCC. More broadly, the results support the hypothesis that functional integration across the hemispheres is important for the development of defense mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Paradiso
- Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Warren S Brown
- Travis Research Institute, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Pasadena, CA, United States.,International Research Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5), Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - John H Porcerelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Daniel Tranel
- Department of Neurology and Psychology and Neuroscience Program, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Ralph Adolphs
- Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States.,Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Lynn K Paul
- Travis Research Institute, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Pasadena, CA, United States.,Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States.,International Research Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5), Pasadena, CA, United States
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Brown WS, Panos A, Paul LK. Attention, impulsivity, and vigilance in agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychology 2020; 34:2020-52229-001. [PMID: 32700934 PMCID: PMC7989585 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Questions regarding the role of the corpus callosum in attention are raised by the reports of attention problems in some persons with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), as well as by abnormalities in callosal size in persons with attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder. The current study assessed inattention, impulsivity, and vigilance in individuals with AgCC. METHOD These domains of attention were assessed using the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II in 18 older adolescents and adults (ages 16-52) with complete AgCC and normal intelligence (full scale intelligence quotient > 80). Scores were converted to T scores using age-specific norms and assessed for departure from the normative sample. RESULTS Scores were significantly elevated in older adolescents with AgCC for errors of commission (p = .050, d = 0.55) and detectability (p = .03, d = 0.58). Older adolescents were worse than adults for commissions (p = .06, ηp² = .201) and detectability (p = .03, ηp² = .273). Also, male individuals had significantly higher (worse) scores than did female in vigilance (p = .01, ηp² = .337). CONCLUSION These results suggest moderate levels of difficulties in sustained attention in AgCC, particularly in maintaining response inhibition and in vigilance, that are modulated by age and sex. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Ehrlé N, Espi P, Labire J, Loizeau A, Menard C, Bakchine S. Impairments of humour comprehension in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2020; 39:101443. [PMID: 31911275 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2019.101443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sociocognition is an important field of neuropsychology involving human interactions. In relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, it was recently demonstrated that sociocognition is severely and precociously impaired. Among sociocognitive abilities, humour has not yet been considered in this disease despite its important social functions, including during doctor-patient communication. Its main functions are to reduce stress when interactions become strained and to convey difficult messages in a gentle form. Thus, the inability to perceive this second degree of language is likely to generate a major social handicap. As humour is a higher cognitive process, its assessment requires the control of lower levels according to a serial model. METHODS The present humour comprehension protocol, based on a serial cognitive model, consisted of a first incongruity detection step (normality identification task) and a second incongruity resolution step (funniness identification task). This protocol was administered using both verbal and visual material (stories and cartoons). For each type of material, the participant had to decide which of three proposed endings was normal (normality identification) and which was funny (funniness identification). A group of 21 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients was compared to a control group of 38 healthy participants. In view of the severe impairment demonstrated for MS patients in other sociocognitive abilities, we predicted a deficit of humour comprehension in these patients in comparison with healthy participants. In reference to the serial model of humour, and considering the variability of MS lesions, our main goal was to test the hypothesis of a primary deficit in incongruity resolution (selective to funniness identification) in some MS patients whereas others may suffer a non-specific comprehension impairment (affecting both normality and funniness identification). RESULTS Group analyses (non-parametric tests, Mann-Whitney) revealed lower scores for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients compared to controls for the visual tasks (normality and funniness). No significant difference was found in the verbal tasks. At the individual level, 62% of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients showed impairment compared to controls for the funniness tasks. Moreover, 38% presented a selective deficit in the funniness tasks. CONCLUSION These preliminary results suggest that a high proportion of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients may be impaired in humour comprehension, some as a primary deficit and others as a secondary deficit to more general comprehension difficulties. On a theoretical level, the dissociations obtained between verbal and visual material do not support an amodal humour comprehension model.
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Mancuso L, Uddin LQ, Nani A, Costa T, Cauda F. Brain functional connectivity in individuals with callosotomy and agenesis of the corpus callosum: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:231-248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Canal P, Bischetti L, Di Paola S, Bertini C, Ricci I, Bambini V. ‘Honey, shall I change the baby? – Well done, choose another one’: ERP and time-frequency correlates of humor processing. Brain Cogn 2019; 132:41-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) involves congenital absence of all or part of the corpus callosum. Because the disorder can only be firmly diagnosed via neuroradiology, it has a short research history, and only recently has the cognitive syndrome become clear. PURPOSE Our purpose is to review the primary deficits in AgCC that constitute the core syndrome. CONCLUSIONS The cores syndrome includes: (1) reduced interhemispheric transfer of sensory-motor information; (2) reduced cognitive processing speed; and (3) deficits in complex reasoning and novel problem-solving. These domains do not appear to reflect different neuroanatomical abnormalities, but rather different domains of expression of reduced interhemispheric communication from callosal absence. IMPLICATIONS These core deficits are expressed across various domains of cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning. The impact of these deficits varies across development and may be moderated by individual factors such as co-occurrence of other neurodevelopmental conditions, general intellectual capacity, and environmental support. (JINS, 2019, 25, 324-330).
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He J, Li Z, Yu Y, Lu Z, Li Z, Gong J. Cognitive function assessment and comparison on lateral ventricular tumors resection by the frontal transcortical approach and anterior transcallosal approach respectively in children. Neurosurg Rev 2019; 43:619-632. [PMID: 30815764 DOI: 10.1007/s10143-019-01088-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there are few studies on cognitive impairment caused by neurosurgery, and there have been no studies on cognitive impairment after resection of lateral ventricular tumors in children. Previously, our research team has reported that the frontal transcortical approach can impair cognitive function. In this study, we explored which functions would be damaged by the transcallosal approach and compared the cognitive function changes caused by the two surgical approaches, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the selection of pre-operative surgical approaches. The authors prospectively collected pediatric patients with lateral ventricular tumors who had undergone surgical resection through the frontal transcortical approach and anterior transcallosal approach in Beijing Tiantan Hospital from November 2012 to May 2017. The inclusion criteria according to the Children Wechsler Scale requirements and clinical performance were formulated. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®-fourth edition: Chinese version (WISC-IV) was adopted for general intelligence and cognitive function assessment in the study. In addition, the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (resting-state fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were carried out to measure the level of co-activation and to explore the functional connectivity between the brain regions at the pre-operative period and 6-month follow-up in post-operation. A total of 30 patients were enrolled. Gross total resection was achieved in all patients, and no severe post-operative complications were observed. The frontal transcortical approach was applied in 19 patients, and the transcallosal approach was conducted for 11 patients. Compared with the pre-operative indices of WISC-IV, patients generally had a lower level of indices of the WISC-IV in post-operation. In patients accepting lateral ventricular tumors resection through the anterior transcallosal approach, the total IQ was declined to M = 84.82, SD = 8.072 from M = 93.27, SD = 6.635 within the 6-month convalescence. The data of working memory (t = - 2.990, p = 0.002) and total IQ (t = - 2.205, p = 0.028) pre- and post-operative showed statistical significance. But in the comparison of two surgical approaches, it was found that IQ had no statistical difference in WISC-IV tasks data. Previous studies suggest that the frontal transcortical approach impair perceptual reasoning, processing speed, and IQ, while this study indicates that the anterior transcallosal approach impairs patients' working memory and IQ. Both approaches make equal damage to IQ. Through comparing the two surgical approaches, it can be known that the anterior transcallosal approach cannot replace the frontal transcortical approach. The protection of cognitive function should be considered as one of the bases for neurosurgeons to select the operative approach before the operation. However, in an actual situation, the specific approach should be carefully selected by comprehensive consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jintao He
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100160, China
| | - Zhicen Li
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100160, China
| | - Yaxiong Yu
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100160, China
| | - Zheng Lu
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100160, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100160, China
| | - Jian Gong
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100160, China. .,Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100160, China.
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Young CM, Folsom RC, Paul LK, Su J, Mangum RW, Brown WS. Awareness of consequences in agenesis of the corpus callosum: Semantic analysis of responses. Neuropsychology 2019; 33:275-284. [PMID: 30667251 PMCID: PMC7977492 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) in individuals with general intelligence within the normal range results in a syndrome of mild to moderate deficiencies in cognitive, emotional, and social functioning that are still being explored. Anecdotal accounts from families suggest that these cognitive and psychosocial deficiencies affect the ability of these individuals to anticipate the consequences of their decisions and behaviors. This research was designed to clarify the nature of social and emotional cognition in AgCC with respect to imagination of the consequences of decisions by assessing responses from the Awareness of Consequences Scale (AOCS). METHOD Verbal AOCS responses from persons with AgCC and age and IQ-matched neurotypical controls were scored in the normal manner, and also subjected to semantic analyses using both latent semantic analysis and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. RESULTS It was found that, relative to neurotypical controls, individuals with AgCC scored significantly lower on the typical scoring of the AOCS, had nontypical semantic content in their responses, and used fewer emotion and cognitive content (insight) words. These results were apparent in responses to the three most complex of the AOCS scenarios. CONCLUSIONS Results were consistent with the hypothesis that persons with AgCC are deficient in the capacity to imagine the emotional and cognitive consequences of potential actions on others. particularly in the face of greater situational and social complexity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lynn K Paul
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology
| | - Judy Su
- Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary
| | - Ryan W Mangum
- Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary
| | - Warren S Brown
- Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary
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A Neuropsychological Profile for Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum? Cognitive, Academic, Executive, Social, and Behavioral Functioning in School-Age Children. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2018; 24:445-455. [PMID: 29510770 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617717001357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), characterized by developmental absence of the corpus callosum, is one of the most common congenital brain malformations. To date, there are limited data on the neuropsychological consequences of AgCC and factors that modulate different outcomes, especially in children. This study aimed to describe general intellectual, academic, executive, social and behavioral functioning in a cohort of school-aged children presenting for clinical services to a hospital and diagnosed with AgCC. The influences of age, social risk and neurological factors were examined. METHODS Twenty-eight school-aged children (8 to 17 years) diagnosed with AgCC completed tests of general intelligence (IQ) and academic functioning. Executive, social and behavioral functioning in daily life, and social risk, were estimated from parent and teacher rated questionnaires. MRI findings reviewed by a pediatric neurologist confirmed diagnosis and identified brain characteristics. Clinical details including the presence of epilepsy and diagnosed genetic condition were obtained from medical records. RESULTS In our cohort, ~50% of children experienced general intellectual, academic, executive, social and/or behavioral difficulties and ~20% were functioning at a level comparable to typically developing children. Social risk was important for understanding variability in neuropsychological outcomes. Brain anomalies and complete AgCC were associated with lower mathematics performance and poorer executive functioning. CONCLUSIONS This is the first comprehensive report of general intellectual, academic, executive social and behavioral consequences of AgCC in school-aged children. The findings have important clinical implications, suggesting that support to families and targeted intervention could promote positive neuropsychological functioning in children with AgCC who come to clinical attention. (JINS, 2018, 24, 445-455).
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Varghese M, Keshav N, Jacot-Descombes S, Warda T, Wicinski B, Dickstein DL, Harony-Nicolas H, De Rubeis S, Drapeau E, Buxbaum JD, Hof PR. Autism spectrum disorder: neuropathology and animal models. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 134:537-566. [PMID: 28584888 PMCID: PMC5693718 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1736-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 301] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a major impact on the development and social integration of affected individuals and is the most heritable of psychiatric disorders. An increase in the incidence of ASD cases has prompted a surge in research efforts on the underlying neuropathologic processes. We present an overview of current findings in neuropathology studies of ASD using two investigational approaches, postmortem human brains and ASD animal models, and discuss the overlap, limitations, and significance of each. Postmortem examination of ASD brains has revealed global changes including disorganized gray and white matter, increased number of neurons, decreased volume of neuronal soma, and increased neuropil, the last reflecting changes in densities of dendritic spines, cerebral vasculature and glia. Both cortical and non-cortical areas show region-specific abnormalities in neuronal morphology and cytoarchitectural organization, with consistent findings reported from the prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, frontoinsular cortex, cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum and brainstem. The paucity of postmortem human studies linking neuropathology to the underlying etiology has been partly addressed using animal models to explore the impact of genetic and non-genetic factors clinically relevant for the ASD phenotype. Genetically modified models include those based on well-studied monogenic ASD genes (NLGN3, NLGN4, NRXN1, CNTNAP2, SHANK3, MECP2, FMR1, TSC1/2), emerging risk genes (CHD8, SCN2A, SYNGAP1, ARID1B, GRIN2B, DSCAM, TBR1), and copy number variants (15q11-q13 deletion, 15q13.3 microdeletion, 15q11-13 duplication, 16p11.2 deletion and duplication, 22q11.2 deletion). Models of idiopathic ASD include inbred rodent strains that mimic ASD behaviors as well as models developed by environmental interventions such as prenatal exposure to sodium valproate, maternal autoantibodies, and maternal immune activation. In addition to replicating some of the neuropathologic features seen in postmortem studies, a common finding in several animal models of ASD is altered density of dendritic spines, with the direction of the change depending on the specific genetic modification, age and brain region. Overall, postmortem neuropathologic studies with larger sample sizes representative of the various ASD risk genes and diverse clinical phenotypes are warranted to clarify putative etiopathogenic pathways further and to promote the emergence of clinically relevant diagnostic and therapeutic tools. In addition, as genetic alterations may render certain individuals more vulnerable to developing the pathological changes at the synapse underlying the behavioral manifestations of ASD, neuropathologic investigation using genetically modified animal models will help to improve our understanding of the disease mechanisms and enhance the development of targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merina Varghese
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Neha Keshav
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Sarah Jacot-Descombes
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Children and Teenagers, University Hospitals and School of Medicine, Geneva, CH-1205, Switzerland
| | - Tahia Warda
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Dara L Dickstein
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Hala Harony-Nicolas
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Elodie Drapeau
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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McDonald S, Rushby JA, Dalton KI, Allen SK, Parks N. The role of abnormalities in the corpus callosum in social cognition deficits after Traumatic Brain Injury. Soc Neurosci 2017; 13:471-479. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1356370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Skye McDonald
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Katie I. Dalton
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Samantha K. Allen
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicklas Parks
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Giuliano A, Saviozzi I, Brambilla P, Muratori F, Retico A, Calderoni S. The effect of age, sex and clinical features on the volume of Corpus Callosum in pre-schoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a case-control study. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 47:568-578. [PMID: 28112456 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of literature has identified volume alterations of the corpus callosum (CC) in subjects with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, to date very few investigations have been conducted on pre-school-age ASD children. This study aims to compare the volume of CC and its sub-regions between pre-schoolers with ASD and controls (CON) and to examine their relationship to demographic and clinical variables (sex, age, non-verbal IQ -NVIQ-, expressive non-echolalic language, emotional and behavioural problems, and autism severity). The volume of CC of 40 pre-schoolers with ASD (20 males and 20 females; mean age: 49 ± 12 months; mean NVIQ: 73 ± 22) and 40 sex-, age-, and NVIQ-matched CON subjects (20 M and 20 F; mean age: 49 ± 14 months; mean NVIQ: 73 ± 23) were quantified applying the FreeSurfer automated parcellation software on Magnetic Resonance images. No significant volumetric differences in CC total volume and in its sub-regions between ASD and CON were found using total brain volume as a covariate. Analogously, absence of CC volumetric differences was evident when boys and girls with ASD were compared with their matched controls. The CC total volume of younger ASD male subjects was found significantly larger with respect to matched CON, which is consistent with the atypical growth trajectory widely reported in these young children. The CC total volume was negatively correlated with autism severity, whereas no association between CC volume and other clinical variables was detected. If replicated, the indirect relationship between CC volume and autism severity suggests the involvement of CC in core ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Giuliano
- Physics Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Pisa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Largo Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Psychiatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Filippo Muratori
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Retico
- Pisa Division, National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Largo Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Calderoni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
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Anderson LB, Paul LK, Brown WS. Emotional Intelligence in Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2017; 32:267-279. [DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acx001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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Simner J, Rehme M, Carmichael D, Bastin M, Sprooten E, McIntosh A, Lawrie S, Zedler M. Social responsiveness to inanimate entities: Altered white matter in a ‘social synaesthesia’. Neuropsychologia 2016; 91:282-289. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Rehmel JL, Brown WS, Paul LK. Proverb comprehension in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2016; 160:21-29. [PMID: 27448531 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2015] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Comprehension of non-literal language involves multiple neural systems likely involving callosal connections. We describe proverb comprehension impairments in individuals with isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) and normal-range general intelligence. Experiment 1 compared Gorham Proverb Test (Gorham, 1956) performance in 19 adults with AgCC and 33 neurotypical control participants of similar age, sex, and intelligence. Experiment 2 used the Proverbs subtest of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS, 2001) to compare 19 adults with AgCC and 17 control participants with similar age, sex, and intelligence. Gorham Proverbs performance was impaired in the AgCC group for both the free-response and multiple-choice tasks. On the D-KEFS proverbs test, the AgCC group performed significantly worse on the free-response task (and all derivative scores) despite normal levels of performance on the multiple-choice task. Covarying verbal intelligence did not alter these outcomes. However, covarying a measure of non-literal language comprehension considerably reduced group differences in proverb comprehension on the Gorham test, but had little effect on the D-KEFS group differences. The difference between groups seemed to be greatest when participants had to generate their own interpretation (free response), or in the multiple choice format when the test included many proverbs that were likely to be less familiar. Taken together, the results of this study clearly show that proverb comprehension is diminished in individuals with AgCC compared to their peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L Rehmel
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
| | - Warren S Brown
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA.
| | - Lynn K Paul
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA; California Institute of Technology, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, MC 228-77, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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Paul LK, Erickson RL, Hartman JA, Brown WS. Learning and memory in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychologia 2016; 86:183-92. [PMID: 27091586 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Damage to long white matter pathways in the cerebral cortex is known to affect memory capacity. However, the specific contribution of interhemispheric connectivity in memory functioning is only beginning to become understood. The present study examined verbal and visual memory processing in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition (WMS-III; Wechsler, 1997b). Thirty participants with AgCC (FSIQ >78) were compared against 30 healthy age and IQ matched controls on auditory/verbal (Logical Memory, Verbal Paired Associates) and visual (Visual Reproduction, Faces) memory subtests. Performance was worse in AgCC than controls on immediate and delayed verbal recall for rote word pairs and on delayed recall of faces, as well as on percent recall for these tasks. Immediate recall for thematic information from stories was also worse in AgCC, but groups did not differ on memory for details from narratives or on recall for thematic information following a time delay. Groups also did not differ on memory for abstract figures or immediate recall of faces. On all subtests, individuals with AgCC had greater frequency of clinically significant impairments than predicted by the normal distribution. Results suggest less efficient overall verbal and visual learning and memory with relative weaknesses processing verbal pairs and delayed recall for faces. These findings suggest that the corpus callosum facilitates more efficient learning and recall for both verbal and visual information, that individuals with AgCC may benefit from receiving verbal information within semantic context, and that known deficits in facial processing in individuals with AgCC may contribute to their impairments in recall for faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn K Paul
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA; California Institute of Technology, Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Roger L Erickson
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
| | - Jo Ann Hartman
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
| | - Warren S Brown
- Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, Travis Research Institute, 180 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
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Jarczok TA, Fritsch M, Kröger A, Schneider AL, Althen H, Siniatchkin M, Freitag CM, Bender S. Maturation of interhemispheric signal propagation in autism spectrum disorder and typically developing controls: a TMS-EEG study. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2016; 123:925-35. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-016-1550-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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McHugh T, Buchanan L. Pun processing from a psycholinguistic perspective: Introducing the Model of Psycholinguistic Hemispheric Incongruity Laughter (M.PHIL). Laterality 2016; 21:455-483. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2016.1146292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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35
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Cavalari RNS, Donovick PJ. Agenesis of the corpus callosum: symptoms consistent with developmental disability in two siblings. Neurocase 2015; 21:95-102. [PMID: 24417213 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2013.873059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is a congenital disorder that disrupts the development of neurological structures connecting the right and left hemispheres of the brain. In addition to neurological symptoms, many individuals with AgCC demonstrate marked deficits in social, communication, and adaptive skills. This paper presents two case studies of congenital AgCC in siblings with socioemotional and behavioral symptoms consistent with developmental disability, but with notably different symptom presentations and clinical needs. Conclusions from these cases suggest that unique symptom profiles of individuals with AgCC warrant careful consideration for referral to appropriate academic and habilitative services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel N S Cavalari
- a Department of Psychology , Binghamton University - State University of New York , USA
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36
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Demopoulos C, Arroyo MS, Dunn W, Strominger Z, Sherr EH, Marco E. Individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum show sensory processing differences as measured by the sensory profile. Neuropsychology 2014; 29:751-758. [PMID: 25528608 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Given reports of high pain thresholds and reduced auditory response in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), this study investigated whether affected participants report atypical experiences and behaviors on a well-established sensory processing measure. METHODS Fourteen participants with AgCC (ages 11-59) completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (Brown & Dunn, 2001). Sensory profile scales were classified as "Atypical" if they were more than 1 standard deviation from the mean. RESULTS Fifty-seven percent of participants with AgCC reported reduced sensory registration as compared to an expected 16% of the normative sample. Similarly, 50% of the AgCC participants reported atypically increased auditory processing difficulties. CONCLUSIONS Using a well-established sensory processing questionnaire, participants with AgCC reported measurable differences in multiple aspects of sensory processing. The most notable difference was in the quadrant of low sensory registration, suggesting that individuals with AgCC may require sensory information to be presented more slowly or at a higher intensity for adequate processing. The sensory modality that was most affected was the auditory system, which is consistent with increased rates of language disorders and autism spectrum disorders in this population. Understanding sensory processing in individuals with AgCC can both elucidate the role of interhemispheric transfer in the development of intact sensory processing as well as contribute to our knowledge of the role of the corpus callosum in a range of disorders in which sensory processes are impacted. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly Demopoulos
- University of California-San Francisco, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, 513 Parnassus Avenue, S362, San Francisco, CA 94143-0628
| | - Monica S Arroyo
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
| | - Winnie Dunn
- University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Occupational Therapy Education, 3901 Rainbow Blvd / MS2003, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Zoe Strominger
- University of California-San Francisco, Department of Neurology, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Elliott H Sherr
- University of California-San Francisco, Department of Neurology, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94143.,University of California-San Francisco, Department of Pediatrics, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Elysa Marco
- University of California-San Francisco, Department of Neurology, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94143.,University of California-San Francisco, Department of Pediatrics, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143.,University of California-San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143
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Autism spectrum disorder as early neurodevelopmental disorder: evidence from the brain imaging abnormalities in 2-3 years old toddlers. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:1633-40. [PMID: 24419870 PMCID: PMC4057630 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that occurs within the first 3 years of life, which is marked by social skills and communication deficits along with stereotyped repetitive behavior. Although great efforts have been made to clarify the underlying neuroanatomical abnormalities and brain-behavior relationships in adolescents and adults with ASD, literature is still limited in information about the neurobiology of ASD in the early age of life. Brain images of 50 toddlers with ASD and 28 age, gender, and developmental quotient matched toddlers with developmental delay (DD) (control group) between ages 2 and 3 years were captured using combined magnetic resonance-based structural imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Structural magnetic resonance imaging was applied to assess overall gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes, and regional alterations were assessed by voxel-based morphometry. DTI was used to investigate the white matter tract integrity. Compared with DD, significant increases were observed in ASD, primarily in global GM and WM volumes and in right superior temporal gyrus regional GM and WM volumes. Higher fractional anisotropy value was also observed in the corpus callosum, posterior cingulate cortex, and limbic lobes of ASD. The converging findings of structural and white matter abnormalities in ASD suggest that alterations in neural-anatomy of different brain regions may be involved in behavioral and cognitive deficits associated with ASD, especially in an early age of 2-3 years old toddlers.
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38
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Bridgman MW, Brown WS, Spezio ML, Leonard MK, Adolphs R, Paul LK. Facial emotion recognition in agenesis of the corpus callosum. J Neurodev Disord 2014; 6:32. [PMID: 25705318 PMCID: PMC4335392 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-6-32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired social functioning is a common symptom of individuals with developmental disruptions in callosal connectivity. Among these developmental conditions, agenesis of the corpus callosum provides the most extreme and clearly identifiable example of callosal disconnection. To date, deficits in nonliteral language comprehension, humor, theory of mind, and social reasoning have been documented in agenesis of the corpus callosum. Here, we examined a basic social ability as yet not investigated in this population: recognition of facial emotion and its association with social gaze. METHODS Nine individuals with callosal agenesis and nine matched controls completed four tasks involving emotional faces: emotion recognition from upright and inverted faces, gender recognition, and passive viewing. Eye-tracking data were collected concurrently on all four tasks and analyzed according to designated facial regions of interest. RESULTS Individuals with callosal agenesis exhibited impairments in recognizing emotions from upright faces, in particular lower accuracy for fear and anger, and these impairments were directly associated with diminished attention to the eye region. The callosal agenesis group exhibited greater consistency in emotion recognition across conditions (upright vs. inverted), with poorest performance for fear identification in both conditions. The callosal agenesis group also had atypical facial scanning (lower fractional dwell time in the eye region) during gender naming and passive viewing of faces, but they did not differ from controls on gender naming performance. The pattern of results did not differ when taking into account full-scale intelligence quotient or presence of autism spectrum symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Agenesis of the corpus callosum results in a pattern of atypical facial scanning characterized by diminished attention to the eyes. This pattern suggests that reduced callosal connectivity may contribute to the development and maintenance of emotion processing deficits involving reduced attention to others' eyes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Warren S Brown
- Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary, 91101 Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Michael L Spezio
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Caltech, 91125 Pasadena, CA, USA ; Scripps College, 91711 Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Matthew K Leonard
- Neurological Surgery, University of California, 94117-1080 San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ralph Adolphs
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Caltech, 91125 Pasadena, CA, USA ; Division of Biology, Caltech, 91125 Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Lynn K Paul
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, Caltech, 91125 Pasadena, CA, USA
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Erickson RL, Paul LK, Brown WS. Verbal learning and memory in agenesis of the corpus callosum. Neuropsychologia 2014; 60:121-30. [PMID: 24933663 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The role of interhemispheric interactions in the encoding, retention, and retrieval of verbal memory can be clarified by assessing individuals with complete or partial agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC), but who have normal intelligence. This study assessed verbal learning and memory in AgCC using the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II). Twenty-six individuals with AgCC were compared to 24 matched controls on CVLT-II measures, as well as Donders׳ four CVLT-II factors (i.e., Attention Span, Learning Efficiency, Delayed Memory, and Inaccurate Memory). Individuals with AgCC performed significantly below healthy controls on the Delayed Memory factor, confirmed by significant deficits in short and long delayed free recall and cued recall. They also performed less well in original learning. Deficient performance by individuals with AgCC during learning trials, as well as deficits in all forms of delayed memory, suggest that the corpus callosum facilitates interhemispheric elaboration and encoding of verbal information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger L Erickson
- The Travis Research Institute, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, 180 N. Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
| | - Lynn K Paul
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, MC 228-77, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Warren S Brown
- The Travis Research Institute, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, 180 N. Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA.
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Dodero L, Damiano M, Galbusera A, Bifone A, Tsaftsaris SA, Scattoni ML, Gozzi A. Neuroimaging evidence of major morpho-anatomical and functional abnormalities in the BTBR T+TF/J mouse model of autism. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76655. [PMID: 24146902 PMCID: PMC3797833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/01/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) mice display prominent behavioural deficits analogous to the defining symptoms of autism, a feature that has prompted a widespread use of the model in preclinical autism research. Because neuro-behavioural traits are described with respect to reference populations, multiple investigators have examined and described the behaviour of BTBR mice against that exhibited by C57BL/6J (B6), a mouse line characterised by high sociability and low self-grooming. In an attempt to probe the translational relevance of this comparison for autism research, we used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to map in both strain multiple morpho-anatomical and functional neuroimaging readouts that have been extensively used in patient populations. Diffusion tensor tractography confirmed previous reports of callosal agenesis and lack of hippocampal commissure in BTBR mice, and revealed a concomitant rostro-caudal reorganisation of major cortical white matter bundles. Intact inter-hemispheric tracts were found in the anterior commissure, ventro-medial thalamus, and in a strain-specific white matter formation located above the third ventricle. BTBR also exhibited decreased fronto-cortical, occipital and thalamic gray matter volume and widespread reductions in cortical thickness with respect to control B6 mice. Foci of increased gray matter volume and thickness were observed in the medial prefrontal and insular cortex. Mapping of resting-state brain activity using cerebral blood volume weighted fMRI revealed reduced cortico-thalamic function together with foci of increased activity in the hypothalamus and dorsal hippocampus of BTBR mice. Collectively, our results show pronounced functional and structural abnormalities in the brain of BTBR mice with respect to control B6 mice. The large and widespread white and gray matter abnormalities observed do not appear to be representative of the neuroanatomical alterations typically observed in autistic patients. The presence of reduced fronto-cortical metabolism is of potential translational relevance, as this feature recapitulates previously-reported clinical observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Dodero
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Mario Damiano
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Sotirios A. Tsaftsaris
- IMT - Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology Section, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Billeci L, Calderoni S, Tosetti M, Catani M, Muratori F. White matter connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders: a tract-based spatial statistics study. BMC Neurol 2012. [PMID: 23194030 PMCID: PMC3607981 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2377-12-148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with widespread alterations in white matter (WM) integrity. However, while a growing body of studies is shedding light on microstructural WM alterations in high-functioning adolescents and adults with ASD, literature is still lacking in information about whole brain structural connectivity in children and low-functioning patients with ASD. This research aims to investigate WM connectivity in ASD children with and without mental retardation compared to typically developing controls (TD). Methods Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed in 22 young children with ASD (mean age: 5.54 years) and 10 controls (mean age: 5.25 years). Data were analysed both using the tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and the tractography. Correlations were investigated between the WM microstructure in the identified altered regions and the productive language level. Results The TBSS analysis revealed widespread increase of fractional anisotropy (FA) in major WM pathways. The tractographic approach showed an increased fiber length and FA in the cingulum and in the corpus callosum and an increased mean diffusivity in the indirect segments of the right arcuate and the left cingulum. Mean diffusivity was also correlated with expressive language functioning in the left indirect segments of the arcuate fasciculus. Conclusions Our study confirmed the presence of several structural connectivity abnormalities in young ASD children. In particular, the TBSS profile of increased FA that characterized the ASD patients extends to children a finding previously detected in ASD toddlers only. The WM integrity abnormalities detected may be relevant to the pathophysiology of ASD, since the structures involved participate in some core atypical characteristics of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Billeci
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research (CNR), Pisa, Italy
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Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Lai MC. Self-referential and social cognition in a case of autism and agenesis of the corpus callosum. Mol Autism 2012; 3:14. [PMID: 23171505 PMCID: PMC3522057 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-3-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND While models of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are emerging at the genetic level of analysis, clear models at higher levels of analysis, such as neuroanatomy, are lacking. Here we examine agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) as a model at the level of neuroanatomy that may be relevant for understanding self-referential and social-cognitive difficulties in ASC. METHODS We examined performance on a wide array of tests in self-referential and social-cognitive domains in a patient with both AgCC and a diagnosis of ASC. Tests included a depth-of-processing memory paradigm with self-referential and social-cognitive manipulations, self-report measures of self-consciousness, alexithymia, and empathy, as well as performance measures of first-person pronoun usage and mentalizing ability. The performance of the AgCC patient was compared to a group of individuals with ASC but without AgCC and with neurotypical controls. These comparison groups come from a prior study where group differences were apparent across many measures. We used bootstrapping to assess whether the AgCC patient exhibited scores that were within or outside the 95% bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap confidence intervals observed in both comparison groups. RESULTS Within the depth-of-processing memory paradigm, the AgCC patient showed decreased memory sensitivity that was more extreme than both comparison groups across all conditions. The patient's most pronounced difficulty on this task emerged in the social-cognitive domain related to information-processing about other people. The patient was similar to the ASC group in benefiting less from self-referential processing compared to the control group. Across a variety of other self-referential (i.e. alexithymia, private self-consciousness) and social-cognitive measures (i.e. self-reported imaginative and perspective-taking subscales of empathy, mentalizing), the AgCC patient also showed more extreme scores than those observed for both of the comparison groups. However, the AgCC patient scored within the range observed in the comparison groups on measures of first-person pronoun usage and self-reported affective empathy subscales. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that AgCC co-occurring with a diagnosis of ASC may be a relevant model at the level of neuroanatomy for understanding mechanisms involved in self-referential and high-level social-cognitive difficulties in ASC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights RG6 6AL, UK
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
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Hinkley LBN, Marco EJ, Findlay AM, Honma S, Jeremy RJ, Strominger Z, Bukshpun P, Wakahiro M, Brown WS, Paul LK, Barkovich AJ, Mukherjee P, Nagarajan SS, Sherr EH. The role of corpus callosum development in functional connectivity and cognitive processing. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39804. [PMID: 22870191 PMCID: PMC3411722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The corpus callosum is hypothesized to play a fundamental role in integrating information and mediating complex behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that lack of normal callosal development can lead to deficits in functional connectivity that are related to impairments in specific cognitive domains. We examined resting-state functional connectivity in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) and matched controls using magnetoencephalographic imaging (MEG-I) of coherence in the alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (12-30 Hz) and gamma (30-55 Hz) bands. Global connectivity (GC) was defined as synchronization between a region and the rest of the brain. In AgCC individuals, alpha band GC was significantly reduced in the dorsolateral pre-frontal (DLPFC), posterior parietal (PPC) and parieto-occipital cortices (PO). No significant differences in GC were seen in either the beta or gamma bands. We also explored the hypothesis that, in AgCC, this regional reduction in functional connectivity is explained primarily by a specific reduction in interhemispheric connectivity. However, our data suggest that reduced connectivity in these regions is driven by faulty coupling in both inter- and intrahemispheric connectivity. We also assessed whether the degree of connectivity correlated with behavioral performance, focusing on cognitive measures known to be impaired in AgCC individuals. Neuropsychological measures of verbal processing speed were significantly correlated with resting-state functional connectivity of the left medial and superior temporal lobe in AgCC participants. Connectivity of DLPFC correlated strongly with performance on the Tower of London in the AgCC cohort. These findings indicate that the abnormal callosal development produces salient but selective (alpha band only) resting-state functional connectivity disruptions that correlate with cognitive impairment. Understanding the relationship between impoverished functional connectivity and cognition is a key step in identifying the neural mechanisms of language and executive dysfunction in common neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders where disruptions of callosal development are consistently identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leighton B. N. Hinkley
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elysa J. Marco
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Anne M. Findlay
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Susanne Honma
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Rita J. Jeremy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Zoe Strominger
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Polina Bukshpun
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Mari Wakahiro
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Warren S. Brown
- Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Lynn K. Paul
- Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Caltech, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - A. James Barkovich
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Srikantan S. Nagarajan
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elliott H. Sherr
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Processing speed delays contribute to executive function deficits in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2012; 18:521-9. [PMID: 22390821 PMCID: PMC3605885 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617712000045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Corpus callosum malformation and dysfunction are increasingly recognized causes of cognitive and behavioral disability. Individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) offer unique insights regarding the cognitive skills that depend specifically upon callosal connectivity. We examined the impact of AgCC on cognitive inhibition, flexibility, and processing speed using the Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT) and Trail Making Test (TMT) from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. We compared 36 individuals with AgCC and IQs within the normal range to 56 matched controls. The AgCC cohort was impaired on timed measures of inhibition and flexibility; however, group differences on CWIT Inhibition, CWIT Inhibition/Switching and TMT Number-Letter Switching appear to be largely explained by slow performance in basic operations such as color naming and letter sequencing. On CWIT Inhibition/Switching, the AgCC group was found to commit significantly more errors which suggests that slow performance is not secondary to a cautious strategy. Therefore, while individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum show real deficits on tasks of executive function, this impairment appears to be primarily a consequence of slow cognitive processing. Additional studies are needed to investigate the impact of AgCC on other aspects of higher order cortical function.
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Wolf JF, Milkovic S, Osswald N, Rellum T, Paschzella N, Rohrschneider W, Gehrmann J. [Agenesis of the corpus callosum: Cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents--a case report]. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KINDER-UND JUGENDPSYCHIATRIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2011; 39:207-13. [PMID: 21563112 DOI: 10.1024/1422-4917/a000107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Agenesis of the corpus callosum is associated with a wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Cranial MRI confirms the diagnosis. We report a case of a 13-year-old boy with global developmental delay, mental retardation as well as neurological and psychiatric symptoms but without symptoms of ADHD who is unable to cope with school demands. Agenesis of the corpus callosum is a relatively rare, but possibly underestimated differential diagnosis of unclear retardations in development in children or suspicion of ADHD respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan F Wolf
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, St. Marien und St. Annastiftskrankenhaus, Ludwigshafen a. Rh
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Paul LK. Developmental malformation of the corpus callosum: a review of typical callosal development and examples of developmental disorders with callosal involvement. J Neurodev Disord 2011; 3:3-27. [PMID: 21484594 PMCID: PMC3163989 DOI: 10.1007/s11689-010-9059-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2010] [Accepted: 08/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This review provides an overview of the involvement of the corpus callosum (CC) in a variety of developmental disorders that are currently defined exclusively by genetics, developmental insult, and/or behavior. I begin with a general review of CC development, connectivity, and function, followed by discussion of the research methods typically utilized to study the callosum. The bulk of the review concentrates on specific developmental disorders, beginning with agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC)-the only condition diagnosed exclusively by callosal anatomy. This is followed by a review of several genetic disorders that commonly result in social impairments and/or psychopathology similar to AgCC (neurofibromatosis-1, Turner syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Williams yndrome, and fragile X) and two forms of prenatal injury (premature birth, fetal alcohol syndrome) known to impact callosal development. Finally, I examine callosal involvement in several common developmental disorders defined exclusively by behavioral patterns (developmental language delay, dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and Tourette syndrome).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn K Paul
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, HSS 228-77, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA,
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Symington SH, Paul LK, Symington MF, Ono M, Brown WS. Social cognition in individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum. Soc Neurosci 2010; 5:296-308. [DOI: 10.1080/17470910903462419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Turk AA, Brown WS, Symington M, Paul LK. Social narratives in agenesis of the corpus callosum: Linguistic analysis of the Thematic Apperception Test. Neuropsychologia 2010; 48:43-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2009] [Revised: 07/21/2009] [Accepted: 08/08/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Frazier TW, Hardan AY. A meta-analysis of the corpus callosum in autism. Biol Psychiatry 2009; 66:935-41. [PMID: 19748080 PMCID: PMC2783565 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2009] [Revised: 07/15/2009] [Accepted: 07/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have reported reductions in corpus callosum (CC) total area and CC regions in individuals with autism. However, studies have differed concerning the magnitude and/or region contributing to CC reductions. The present study determined the significance and magnitude of reductions in CC total and regional area measures in autism. METHOD PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched to identify MRI studies examining corpus callosum area in autism. Ten studies contributed data from 253 patients with autism (mean age = 14.58, SD = 6.00) and 250 healthy control subjects (mean age = 14.47, SD = 5.31). Of these 10 studies, 8 reported area measurements for corpus callosum regions (anterior, mid/body, and posterior), and 6 reported area for Witelson subdivisions. Meta-analytic procedures were used to quantify differences in total and region CC area measurements. RESULTS Total CC area was reduced in autism and the magnitude of the reduction was medium (weighted mean d = .48, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .30-.66). All regions showed reductions in size with the magnitude of the effect decreasing caudally (anterior d = .49, mid/body d = .43, posterior d = .37). Witelson subdivision 3 (rostral body) showed the largest effect, indicating greatest reduction in the region containing premotor/supplementary motor neurons. CONCLUSIONS Corpus callosum reductions are present in autism and support the aberrant connectivity hypothesis. Future diffusion tensor imaging studies examining specific fiber tracts connecting the hemispheres are needed to identify the cortical regions most affected by CC reductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Frazier
- Center for Autism and Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health, Cleveland Clinic
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
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Beauchamp MH, Anderson VA, Catroppa C, Maller JJ, Godfrey C, Rosenfeld JV, Kean M. Implications of Reduced Callosal Area for Social Skills after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Children. J Neurotrauma 2009; 26:1645-54. [DOI: 10.1089/neu.2009.0916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam H. Beauchamp
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Behavioural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vicki A. Anderson
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Behavioural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cathy Catroppa
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Behavioural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jerome J. Maller
- Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Celia Godfrey
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeffery V. Rosenfeld
- Department of Surgery, Monash University, and Department of Neurosurgery, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Kean
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychological Studies, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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