1
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Wu D, Wolff JJ, Ravi S, Elison JT, Estes A, Paterson S, St John T, Abdi H, Moraglia LE, Piven J, Swanson MR. Infants who develop autism show smaller inventories of deictic and symbolic gestures at 12 months of age. Autism Res 2024; 17:838-851. [PMID: 38204321 PMCID: PMC11014769 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Gestures are an important social communication skill that infants and toddlers use to convey their thoughts, ideas, and intentions. Research suggests that early gesture use has important downstream impacts on developmental processes, such as language learning. However, autistic children are more likely to have challenges in their gestural development. The current study expands upon previous literature on the differences in gesture use between young autistic and non-autistic toddlers by collecting data using a parent-report questionnaire called the MCDI-Words and Gestures at three time points, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Results (N = 467) showed that high-likelihood infants who later met diagnostic criteria for ASD (n = 73 HL-ASD) have attenuated gesture growth from 12 to 24 months for both deictic gestures and symbolic gestures when compared to high-likelihood infants who later did not meet criteria for ASD (n = 249 HL-Neg) and low-likelihood infants who did not meet criteria for ASD (n = 145 LL-Neg). Other social communicative skills, like play behaviors and imitation, were also found to be impacted in young autistic children when compared to their non-autistic peers. Understanding early differences in social communication growth before a formal autism diagnosis can provide important insights for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Wu
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA
| | - Jason J Wolff
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Shruthi Ravi
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Annette Estes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sarah Paterson
- James S. McDonnell Foundation, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tanya St John
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Hervé Abdi
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA
| | - Luke E Moraglia
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA
| | - Joseph Piven
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Meghan R Swanson
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA
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2
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Hou W, Li J. Intact or impaired? The understanding of give-and-take interactions in children with autism spectrum disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2024; 144:104642. [PMID: 38061287 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding and predicting others' behavior in a dynamic and rapidly changing world is a fundamental aspect of social interactions. However, it remains unclear as to whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could understand and predict goal-directed social actions. AIMS To investigate the understanding of give-and-take interactions in children with ASD with the use of eye tracking. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Experiment 1 and 2 investigated the understanding of giving and taking respectively in 5-to 8-year-old Chinese children with ASD and typically developing children by using the eye-tracking technology. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS We found that children with ASD could predict actions, but they were less proficient in processing give-and-take interactions. Moreover, children with ASD showed impaired understanding of giving but not taking. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that the basic mechanisms of action prediction are intact in children with ASD whereas there may be deficits in the top-down social processing of the giving gesture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Child Language Lab, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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3
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Foster NC, Bennett SJ, Pullar K, Causer J, Becchio C, Clowes DP, Hayes SJ. Observational learning of atypical biological kinematics in autism. Autism Res 2023; 16:1799-1810. [PMID: 37534381 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Observing and voluntarily imitating the biological kinematics displayed by a model underpins the acquisition of new motor skills via sensorimotor processes linking perception with action. Differences in voluntary imitation in autism could be related to sensorimotor processing activity during action-observation of biological motion, as well as how sensorimotor integration processing occurs across imitation attempts. Using an observational practice protocol, which minimized the active contribution of the peripheral sensorimotor system, we examined the contribution of sensorimotor processing during action-observation. The data showed that autistic participants imitated both the temporal duration and atypical kinematic profile of the observed movement with a similar level of accuracy as neurotypical participants. These findings suggest the lower-level perception-action processes responsible for encoding biological kinematics during the action-observation phase of imitation are operational in autism. As there was no task-specific engagement of the peripheral sensorimotor system during observational practice, imitation difficulties in autism are most likely underpinned by sensorimotor integration issues related to the processing of efferent and (re)afferent sensorimotor information during trial-to-trial motor execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan C Foster
- Center for Human Technologies, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Simon J Bennett
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Kiri Pullar
- Center for Human Technologies, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Joe Causer
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Cristina Becchio
- Center for Human Technologies, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel P Clowes
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, IOE, Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, London, UK
| | - Spencer J Hayes
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, IOE, Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, London, UK
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4
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Fears NE, Sherrod GM, Blankenship D, Patterson RM, Hynan LS, Wijayasinghe I, Popa DO, Bugnariu NL, Miller HL. Motor differences in autism during a human-robot imitative gesturing task. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2023; 106:105987. [PMID: 37207496 PMCID: PMC10684312 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2023.105987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Difficulty with imitative gesturing is frequently observed as a clinical feature of autism. Current practices for assessment of imitative gesturing ability-behavioral observation and parent report-do not allow precise measurement of specific components of imitative gesturing performance, instead relying on subjective judgments. Advances in technology allow researchers to objectively quantify the nature of these movement differences, and to use less socially stressful interaction partners (e.g., robots). In this study, we aimed to quantify differences in imitative gesturing between autistic and neurotypical development during human-robot interaction. METHODS Thirty-five autistic (n = 19) and neurotypical (n = 16) participants imitated social gestures of an interactive robot (e.g., wave). The movements of the participants and the robot were recorded using an infrared motion-capture system with reflective markers on corresponding head and body locations. We used dynamic time warping to quantify the degree to which the participant's and robot's movement were aligned across the movement cycle and work contribution to determine how each joint angle was producing the movements. FINDINGS Results revealed differences between autistic and neurotypical participants in imitative accuracy and work contribution, primarily in the movements requiring unilateral extension of the arm. Autistic individuals imitated the robot less accurately and used less work at the shoulder compared to neurotypical individuals. INTERPRETATION These findings indicate differences in autistic participants' ability to imitate an interactive robot. These findings build on our understanding of the underlying motor control and sensorimotor integration mechanisms that support imitative gesturing in autism which may aid in identifying appropriate intervention targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Fears
- University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Gabriela M Sherrod
- University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA; University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | | | - Rita M Patterson
- University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Linda S Hynan
- University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Dan O Popa
- University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Nicoleta L Bugnariu
- University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA; University of the Pacific, School of Health Sciences, USA
| | - Haylie L Miller
- University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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5
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Morris P, Hope E, Foulsham T, Mills JP. Dancing out for a voice; a narrative review of the literature exploring autism, physical activity, and dance. J Bodyw Mov Ther 2023; 33:202-215. [PMID: 36775520 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2022.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterised by profound challenges with social communication and social interaction. Currently, there are few therapeutic interventions that successfully target some of the functionally impairing traits associated with autism. Furthermore, many of these interventions comprise a variety of limitations; including, limited accessibility, extensive durations, or the requirement of a trained professional to deliver the intervention. New research suggests that instead of targeting all traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder with a single solution, scientific research should focus on providing therapeutic tools that alleviate functionally impairing facets specific to the individual. Owing to the nature of physical activity, sports, and dance (coordinated movement) these activities could provide opportunities to enhance communication skills and social development in autistic children. Therefore, this paper gives a narrative overview of the literature surrounding communication and coordinated movement; outlining what is meant by communication challenges, exploring the benefits of coordinated movement for traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and delineating how coordinated movement elicits positive outcomes for autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Morris
- School of Sport, Exercise Science and Rehabilitation, University of Essex, UK.
| | - Edward Hope
- School of Sport, Exercise Science and Rehabilitation, University of Essex, UK
| | - Tom Foulsham
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, UK
| | - John P Mills
- School of Sport, Exercise Science and Rehabilitation, University of Essex, UK
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6
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Sparaci L, Formica D, Lasorsa FR, Raiano L, Venuti P, Capirci O. New Methods for Unraveling Imitation Accuracy Differences Between Children with Autism and Typically Developing Peers. Percept Mot Skills 2022; 129:1749-1774. [PMID: 36151737 DOI: 10.1177/00315125221126215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study applies methods used in sign language and gesture research to better understand reduced imitation accuracy (IA) of actions and gestures in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and we addressed contrasting theories on IA in ASD and the role of objects and meanings in imitation. Eight male children with ASD with a mean chronological age (CA) of 86.76 months (SD = 10.74, range 70.5-104.4) and 22 male and female peers with typical development (TD) and a mean CA of 85.44 months (SD = 7.95, range 73.4-96.7) imitated videos of an adult performing actions with objects, representational gestures, conventional gestures and meaningless gestures. We measured accuracy as ability to effectively reproduce features (handshape, palm orientation, location, movement direction and type) and timing (speed) of observed actions/gestures, after ruling out cases of specular (i.e., mirror-like) versus anatomical imitation. Results highlighted significantly lower feature and timing accuracy in children with ASD with respect to the TD group across tasks, and these findings supported sensory-motor theories of IA in ASD. Our data also showed the different impact of objects and meanings within groups. Overall, these results suggest validity to our assessment method and suggested the importance of considering both discreet variables (i.e., variables describing action/gesture feature accuracy, e.g. handshape, movement direction) and continuous variables (i.e., kinematic variables, e.g. speed) in evaluating IA in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sparaci
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Formica
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NeXT: Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human- Technology Interaction Research Unit, 9317Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (UCBM), Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Raiano
- NeXT: Neurophysiology and Neuroengineering of Human- Technology Interaction Research Unit, 9317Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (UCBM), Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Venuti
- Psychology and Cognitive Science Department, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Olga Capirci
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, Rome, Italy
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7
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Hendrikse SC, Kluiver S, Treur J, Wilderjans TF, Dikker S, Koole SL. How Virtual Agents Can Learn to Synchronize: an Adaptive Joint Decision-Making Model of Psychotherapy. COGN SYST RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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8
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Nagai M, Honma M, Kumada T, Osada Y. Spontaneous Interpersonal Coordination in Stepping and Autistic‐Like Traits. JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jpr.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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9
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Ward EK, Braukmann R, Weiland RF, Bekkering H, Buitelaar JK, Hunnius S. Action predictability is reflected in beta power attenuation and predictive eye movements in adolescents with and without autism. Neuropsychologia 2021; 157:107859. [PMID: 33887295 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Most theoretical accounts of autism posit difficulties in predicting others' actions, and this difficulty has been proposed to be at the root of autistic individuals' social communication differences. Empirical results are mixed, however, with autistic individuals showing reduced action prediction in some studies but not in others. It has recently been proposed that this effect might be observed primarily when observed actions are less predictable, but this idea has yet to be tested. To assess the influence of predictability on neural and behavioural action prediction, the current study employed an action observation paradigm with multi-step actions that become gradually more predictable. Autistic and non-autistic adolescents showed similar patterns of motor system activation during observation, as seen in attenuated mu and beta power compared to baseline, with beta power further modulated by predictability in both groups. Bayesian statistics confirmed that action predictability influenced beta power similarly in both groups. The groups also made similar behavioural predictions, as seen in three eye-movement measures. We found no evidence that autistic adolescents responded differently than non-autistic adolescents to the predictability of an observed action. These findings show that autistic adolescents do spontaneously predict others' actions, both neurally and behaviourally, which calls into question the role of action prediction as a key mechanism underlying autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma K Ward
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Ricarda Braukmann
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ricarda F Weiland
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Harold Bekkering
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sabine Hunnius
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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10
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Crucitti J, Hyde C, Stokes MA. Hammering that Nail: Varied Praxis Motor Skills in Younger Autistic Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:3253-3262. [PMID: 31297643 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04136-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies measuring praxis abilities in young autistic children have only used praxis measures that were not optimised for autistic individuals. Hence, we used the FAB-R to measure praxis skills in autistic (n = 38) and typically developing (TD) children (n = 38) aged between four and 10 years. Praxis abilities were generally not different between autistic and TD children. However, total dyspraxia and errors during verbal command and tool use were impaired in autistic children from a specialist autistic school (SAS). In contrast, autistic participants from the GC typically did not differ in praxis performance compared to controls. Hence, praxis abilities significantly vary between autistic younger children. Exploring mediating influences of such variability is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Crucitti
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Mark A Stokes
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
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11
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Blancas M, Maffei G, Sánchez-Fibla M, Vouloutsi V, Verschure PFMJ. Collaboration Variability in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:559793. [PMID: 33132875 PMCID: PMC7573250 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.559793] [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: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper addresses how impairments in prediction in young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relate to their behavior during collaboration. To assess it, we developed a task where participants play in collaboration with a synthetic agent to maximize their score. The agent's behavior changes during the different phases of the game, requiring participants to model the agent's sensorimotor contingencies to play collaboratively. Our results (n = 30, 15 per group) show differences between autistic and neurotypical individuals in their behavioral adaptation to the other partner. Contrarily, there are no differences in the self-reports of that collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Blancas
- Synthetic Perceptive Emotive Cognitive Systems (SPECS) Laboratory, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Information and Communication Technology, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giovanni Maffei
- Synthetic Perceptive Emotive Cognitive Systems (SPECS) Laboratory, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martí Sánchez-Fibla
- Department of Information and Communication Technology, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vasiliki Vouloutsi
- Synthetic Perceptive Emotive Cognitive Systems (SPECS) Laboratory, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul F M J Verschure
- Synthetic Perceptive Emotive Cognitive Systems (SPECS) Laboratory, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Marton-Alper IZ, Gvirts-Provolovski HZ, Nevat M, Karklinsky M, Shamay-Tsoory SG. Herding in human groups is related to high autistic traits. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17957. [PMID: 33087785 PMCID: PMC7578000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74951-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Herding is ubiquitous throughout all social life forms, providing beneficial outcomes. Here, we examine whether herding emerges spontaneously in human groups and whether it adheres to the core principles of herding observed in the animal kingdom. Using a computerized paradigm involving the movements of circles, we tested the emergence of spontaneous and intentional herding of 136 participants assigned into groups of four participants. Herding was assessed by measuring directional synchrony in the movements of the circles, level of cohesion, and separation between circles. We found that human groups tend to spontaneously herd, particularly in terms of directional synchrony, supporting the notion of a human herding instinct. We further asked whether individuals with high traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit differences in their herding tendencies. Results indicated that individuals with high ASD traits showed greater social separation from the group, compared to individuals with low ASD traits. Moreover, we found diminished spontaneous synchrony, but intact instructed synchrony in the high vs. the low ASD traits group. We contend that humans spontaneously herd with their group and suggest that the spontaneous tendency to synchronize with others is diminished in individuals with high ASD traits, though it is recovered when synchronization is intentional.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M Nevat
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - M Karklinsky
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - S G Shamay-Tsoory
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), Haifa, Israel
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13
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Casartelli L, Cesareo A, Biffi E, Campione GC, Villa L, Molteni M, Sinigaglia C. Vitality form expression in autism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17182. [PMID: 33057003 PMCID: PMC7560849 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73364-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The notion of "vitality form" has been coined by Daniel Stern to describe the basic features of action, which may reflect the mood or affective state of an agent. There is general consensus that vitality forms substantiate social interactions in children as well in adults. Previous studies have explored children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)'s ability in copying and recognizing the vitality forms of actions performed by others. In this paper we investigated, for the first time, how children with ASD express different vitality forms when acting themselves. We recorded the kinematics of ASD and typically developing (TD) children while performing three different types of action with two different vitality forms. There were two conditions. In the what condition we contrasted the three different types of action performed with a same vitality form, while in the how condition we contrasted the same type of action performed with two different vitality forms. The results showed a clear difference between ASD children and TD children in the how, but not in the what, condition. Indeed, while TD children distinguished the vitality forms to be expressed by mostly varying a specific spatiotemporal parameter (i.e. movement time), no significant variation in this parameter was found in ASD children. As they are not prone to express vitality forms as neurotypical individuals do, individuals with ASD's interactions with neurotypical peers could therefore be difficult to achieve successfully, with cascading effects on their propensity to be tuned to their surrounding social world, or so we conjecture. If this conjecture would turn out to be correct, our findings could have promising implication for theoretical and clinical research in the context of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Casartelli
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E.MEDEA, Child Psychopathology Department, Theoretical and Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - A Cesareo
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E.MEDEA, Bioengineering Lab, Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - E Biffi
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E.MEDEA, Bioengineering Lab, Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - G C Campione
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E.MEDEA, Child Psychopathology Department, Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - L Villa
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E.MEDEA, Child Psychopathology Department, Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - M Molteni
- Scientific Institute IRCCS E.MEDEA, Child Psychopathology Department, Bosisio Parini Lecco, Italy
| | - C Sinigaglia
- Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Department of Philosophy, Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122, Milano, Italy.
- Cognition in Action (CIA) Unit, PHILAB, 20122, Milan, Italy.
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14
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Not So Automatic Imitation: Expectation of Incongruence Reduces Interference in Both Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:1310-1323. [PMID: 31902056 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04355-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Research has observed evidence for both hypo-(supposedly due to a broken mirror neuron system) and hyper-(thought to be the result of deficits in adaptive control) imitation in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This work sought to adjudicate between these findings using an automatic imitation (AI) paradigm with the novel manipulation of the need to engage adaptive control of imitation. Results demonstrated that ASD participants do not display a specific deficit in AI capability, are able to engage in proactive control of AI, and that relative to a well-matched effector condition, AI is not selectively associated with ASD symptom severity. These data cast doubt upon the notion of impairments in imitation or its control in ASD.
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15
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Yates L, Hobson H. Continuing to look in the mirror: A review of neuroscientific evidence for the broken mirror hypothesis, EP-M model and STORM model of autism spectrum conditions. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 24:1945-1959. [PMID: 32668956 PMCID: PMC7539595 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320936945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The mirror neuron system has been argued to be a key brain system responsible for action understanding and imitation. Subsequently, mirror neuron system dysfunction has therefore been proposed to explain the social deficits manifested within autism spectrum condition, an approach referred to as the broken mirror hypothesis. Despite excitement surrounding this hypothesis, extensive research has produced insufficient evidence to support the broken mirror hypothesis in its pure form, and instead two alternative models have been formulated: EP-M model and the social top-down response modulation (STORM) model. All models suggest some dysfunction regarding the mirror neuron system in autism spectrum condition, be that within the mirror neuron system itself or systems that regulate the mirror neuron system. This literature review compares these three models in regard to recent neuroscientific investigations. This review concludes that there is insufficient support for the broken mirror hypothesis, but converging evidence supports an integrated EP-M and STORM model.
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Kayarian FB, Jannati A, Rotenberg A, Santarnecchi E. Targeting Gamma-Related Pathophysiology in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Transcranial Electrical Stimulation: Opportunities and Challenges. Autism Res 2020; 13:1051-1071. [PMID: 32468731 PMCID: PMC7387209 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A range of scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities correlates with the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Among these are alterations of brain oscillations in the gamma-frequency EEG band in adults and children with ASD, whose origin has been linked to dysfunctions of inhibitory interneuron signaling. While therapeutic interventions aimed to modulate gamma oscillations are being tested for neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and frontotemporal dementia, the prospects for therapeutic gamma modulation in ASD have not been extensively studied. Accordingly, we discuss gamma-related alterations in the setting of ASD pathophysiology, as well as potential interventions that can enhance gamma oscillations in patients with ASD. Ultimately, we argue that transcranial electrical stimulation modalities capable of entraining gamma oscillations, and thereby potentially modulating inhibitory interneuron circuitry, are promising methods to study and mitigate gamma alterations in ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1051-1071. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Brain functions are mediated by various oscillatory waves of neuronal activity, ranging in amplitude and frequency. In certain neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, reduced high-frequency oscillations in the "gamma" band have been observed, and therapeutic interventions to enhance such activity are being explored. Here, we review and comment on evidence of reduced gamma activity in ASD, arguing that modalities used in other disorders may benefit individuals with ASD as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fae B. Kayarian
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Jannati
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neuromodulation Program and Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neuromodulation Program and Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Foster NC, Bennett SJ, Causer J, Elliott D, Bird G, Hayes SJ. Facilitating sensorimotor integration via blocked practice underpins imitation learning of atypical biological kinematics in autism spectrum disorder. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 24:1494-1505. [PMID: 32168992 PMCID: PMC7383415 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320908104] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The reduced efficacy of voluntary imitation in autism is suggested to be underpinned by differences in sensorimotor processing. We examined whether the imitation of novel atypical biological kinematics by autistic adults is enhanced by imitating a model in a predictable blocked practice trial order. This practice structure is expected to facilitate trial-to-trial sensorimotor processing, integration and encoding of biological kinematics. The results showed that neurotypical participants were generally more effective at imitating the biological kinematics across all experimental phases. Importantly, and compared to a pre-test where imitation was performed in a randomised (unpredictable) trial order, the autistic participants learned to imitate the atypical kinematics more effectively following an acquisition phase of repeatedly imitating the same model during blocked practice. Data from the post-test showed that autistic participants remained effective at imitating the atypical biological kinematics when the models were subsequently presented in a randomised trial order. These findings show that the reduced efficacy of voluntary imitation in autism can be enhanced during learning by facilitating trial-to-trial processing and integration of sensorimotor information using blocked practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan C Foster
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy.,Liverpool John Moores University, UK
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18
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Jospe K, Flöel A, Lavidor M. The interactive effect of empathy and motor cortex stimulation on hand gesture comprehension. Neuropsychologia 2020; 141:107412. [PMID: 32109487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that the Action-Observation Network (AON) is involved in both emotional-embodiment (empathy) and action-embodiment mechanisms. In the current study, we hypothesized that interfering with the AON will impair action recognition and that this impairment will be modulated by empathy levels. Fifty-two participants conducted a semantic decision task of hand gesture recognition, while we interfered with the AON by applying active (n = 26) or sham (n = 26) transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to the hand area of the primary motor cortex. We found that interfering with the AON impaired the performance of participants with high empathy levels and enhanced the performance of participants with low empathy. This finding suggests that the embodiment module may be flexible, and that it can be enhanced in individuals with low empathy by simple manipulation of motor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Jospe
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel.
| | - Agnes Flöel
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine of Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Department of Psychology, The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
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Gowen E, Vabalas A, Casson AJ, Poliakoff E. Instructions to attend to an observed action increase imitation in autistic adults. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 24:730-743. [PMID: 31752526 DOI: 10.1177/1362361319882810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether reduced visual attention to an observed action might account for altered imitation in autistic adults. A total of 22 autistic and 22 non-autistic adults observed and then imitated videos of a hand producing sequences of movements that differed in vertical elevation while their hand and eye movements were recorded. Participants first performed a block of imitation trials with general instructions to imitate the action. They then performed a second block with explicit instructions to attend closely to the characteristics of the movement. Imitation was quantified according to how much participants modulated their movement between the different heights of the observed movements. In the general instruction condition, the autistic group modulated their movements significantly less compared to the non-autistic group. However, following instructions to attend to the movement, the autistic group showed equivalent imitation modulation to the non-autistic group. Eye movement recording showed that the autistic group spent significantly less time looking at the hand movement for both instruction conditions. These findings show that visual attention contributes to altered voluntary imitation in autistic individuals and have implications for therapies involving imitation as well as for autistic people's ability to understand the actions of others.
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20
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21
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Adornetti I, Ferretti F, Chiera A, Wacewicz S, Żywiczyński P, Deriu V, Marini A, Magni R, Casula L, Vicari S, Valeri G. Do Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Understand Pantomimic Events? Front Psychol 2019; 10:1382. [PMID: 31316416 PMCID: PMC6611388 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments of motor representation of actions have been reported as a core component of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Individuals with ASD have difficulties in a number of functions such as assuming anticipatory postures, imitating body movements, producing and understanding gestures, and recognizing motor intentions. Such cognitive-motor abilities are all involved in pantomime. However, the available evidence on the production and comprehension of pantomime in individuals with ASD is still inconclusive. The current investigation assessed pantomime comprehension in 40 children with high-functioning ASD and 40 children with typical development balanced for age, IQ, level of formal education, and cognitive profile. The participants were asked to watch video recordings of pantomimes representing simple transitive events enacted by actors and match them to the corresponding pictorial representations. Such pantomimes were delivered in two conditions with different levels of information content (i.e., lean or rich). The two groups of children performed similarly on these tasks. Nonetheless, children with ASD who were administered the pantomimes in the lean condition performed worse than participants who were administered the informatively richer pantomimes. The methodological implications for interpretation of previous findings and future studies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Adornetti
- Cosmic Laboratory, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferretti
- Cosmic Laboratory, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Chiera
- Cosmic Laboratory, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Slawomir Wacewicz
- Department of English, Center for Language Evolution Studies CLES, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - Przemysław Żywiczyński
- Department of English, Center for Language Evolution Studies CLES, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - Valentina Deriu
- Cosmic Laboratory, Department of Philosophy, Communication and Performing Arts, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Marini
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone, Italy
| | - Rita Magni
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Casula
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Valeri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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22
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Kilroy E, Cermak SA, Aziz-Zadeh L. A Review of Functional and Structural Neurobiology of the Action Observation Network in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Coordination Disorder. Brain Sci 2019; 9:E75. [PMID: 30925819 PMCID: PMC6523237 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9040075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has reported motor impairment similarities between children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and a subgroup of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is a debate as to whether DCD is a co-occurring diagnosis in individuals with ASD and motor impairments (ASDd), or if motor impairments in ASD are distinct from DCD. However, the etiology of motor impairments is not well understood in either disorder. Clarifying comorbidities in ASD is important to determine different etiopathological phenotyping clusters in ASD and to understand the variety of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the disorder. Furthermore, this distinction has important therapeutic relevance. Here we explore the current neuroimaging findings in ASD and DCD and discusses possible neural mechanisms that underlie similarities and differences between the disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Kilroy
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Sharon A Cermak
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
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Sano M, Yamaguchi K, Fukatsu R, Hoshiyama M. Action performance in children with autism spectrum disorder at preschool age: a pilot study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2019; 66:289-295. [PMID: 34141391 PMCID: PMC7942769 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2019.1580472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Motor deficits related to imitation have been observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. This pilot investigation focused on motor performances, including daily tool-use actions, performing an action in the absence of the tool, and imitating (copying tool-use action presented visually), in eight children with ASD and eight children with typical development (TD), with all of pre-school age (4-6 years). Methods: Motor performances were compared between the children with ASD and TD. Differences between an actual tool-use action and performing a tool-use action without the tool according to verbal instruction were also assessed between the groups. Results: Children with ASD showed impairments in imitating, but their actual tool-use actions and tool-use actions without tools following verbal instruction were not different from those of TD children. The spatial error rate in the tasks was higher in children with ASD. Conclusions: The present study indicates that disturbance in imitating actions appears by the age of 4-6 years in children with ASD, possibly as a characteristic symptom affecting motor performance at pre-school age. Generalized apraxia might follow by the age of 8 years or older.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misako Sano
- National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Post-graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Higashi-ku, Japan
| | - Kaori Yamaguchi
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Narita International University of Health and Welfare, Narita, Japan
| | - Reiko Fukatsu
- National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan
| | - Minoru Hoshiyama
- Brain & Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Higashi-ku, Japan
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24
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Foti F, Piras F, Vicari S, Mandolesi L, Petrosini L, Menghini D. Observational Learning in Low-Functioning Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Behavioral and Neuroimaging Study. Front Psychol 2019; 9:2737. [PMID: 30687188 PMCID: PMC6338041 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
New skills may be learned from the outcomes of their own internally generated actions (experiential learning) or from the observation of the consequences of externally generated actions (observational learning). Observational learning requires the coordination of cognitive functions and the processing of social information. Due to the “social” abilities underlying observational learning, the study of this process in individuals with limited social abilities such as those affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is worthy of being investigated. We asked a group of 16 low-functioning young children with ASD and group of 16 sex- and mental age-matched typically developing (TD) children to build a house with a set of bricks after a video-demonstration showing an actor who built the house (observational task – OBS task) and then to build by trial and error another house (experiential task – EXP task). For ASD group, performances in learning tasks were correlated with measures of cortical thickness of specific Regions of Interest (ROI) and volume of deep gray matter structures known to be related with such kinds of learning. According to our a priori hypothesis, for OBS task we selected the following ROI: frontal lobe (pars opercularis, pars triangularis, and premotor area), parietal lobe (inferior parietal gyrus), temporal lobe (superior temporal gyrus), cerebellar hemispheres. For EXP task, we selected the following ROI: precentral frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus, cerebellar hemispheres, basal ganglia, thalamus. Although performances of ASD and TD children improved in both OBS and EXP tasks, children with ASD obtained lower scores of goal achievement than TD children in both learning tasks. Only in ASD group, goal achievement scores positively correlated with hyperimitations indicating that children with ASD tended to have a “copy-all” approach that facilitated the goal achievement. Moreover, the marked hyperimitative tendencies of children with ASD were positively associated with the thickness of left pars opercularis, left premotor area, and right superior temporal gyrus, areas belonging to mirror neuron system, and with the volume of both cerebellar hemispheres. These findings suggest that in children with ASD the hyperimitation can represent a learning strategy that might be related to the mirror neuron system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Foti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Vicari
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Mandolesi
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Motor Sciences and Wellness, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Deny Menghini
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
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25
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Forbes PA, Suddell SF, Farmer H, Logeswaran Y, Hamilton AFDC. The way others move can influence what we choose. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 72:1756-1770. [PMID: 30298789 DOI: 10.1177/1747021818808461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Whether pointing at a menu item or rifling through a clothes rack, when we choose we often move. We investigated whether people's tendency to copy the movements of others could influence their choices. Participants saw pairs of pictures in private and indicated which one they preferred. They then entered a virtual art gallery and saw the same picture pairs in the presence of a virtual character. Having observed the virtual character point to indicate her preference with either a high or low movement trajectory, participants indicated their preference. There was either an anatomical (same movement, same choice) or spatial correspondence (same movement, different choice) between the participant's pictures and those of the virtual character. We found that participants copied the movement made by the virtual character rather than her action goal (i.e., her choice of picture). This resulted in a shift towards the virtual character's preferences in the anatomical condition but away from her preferences in the spatial condition. This effect was driven by the observation of the virtual character's high pointing movements. In a further experiment, we did not find any significant differences in imitation behaviour in autism, although autistic participants were less consistent in their choices. Our findings demonstrate that we are not only influenced by other's choices but also the types of movements others make to indicate those choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Ag Forbes
- 1 Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Steph F Suddell
- 2 School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Harry Farmer
- 3 Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Yanakan Logeswaran
- 1 Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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26
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Fulceri F, Tonacci A, Lucaferro A, Apicella F, Narzisi A, Vincenti G, Muratori F, Contaldo A. Interpersonal motor coordination during joint actions in children with and without autism spectrum disorder: The role of motor information. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2018; 80:13-23. [PMID: 29879613 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kinematics plays a key role in action prediction, imitation and joint action coordination. Despite people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show a failure to use kinematic cues during observation and imitation, there is a paucity of studies exploring the role of this dysfunction during joint actions in children with ASD. AIM To evaluate the interpersonal motor coordination of children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children during a joint action task. METHOD Twenty-two participants performed two cooperative tasks. In the first one (Clear End-Point), children were provided with a priori information on movement end-point. In the second one (Unclear End-Point), the end-point was unknown and children had to use kinematic cues to accomplish the shared goal. RESULTS We found no between-group differences in the first task, even if children with ASD displayed greater reaction time variability. In the second task, they showed less accurate and slower movements than TD children. Moreover, their movement features did not differ between the two tasks, whereas TD children showed reduced reaction time variability and number of errors in the second task. CONCLUSION Children with ASD were impaired in joint action coordination when they had to rely only on kinematic information. They were not able to pay more attention to the kinematic cues in absence of a visual goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fulceri
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Tonacci
- Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Lucaferro
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Via Caruso, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Apicella
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonio Narzisi
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Vincenti
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Annarita Contaldo
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 331, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy.
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27
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Fitzpatrick P, Frazier JA, Cochran D, Mitchell T, Coleman C, Schmidt RC. Relationship Between Theory of Mind, Emotion Recognition, and Social Synchrony in Adolescents With and Without Autism. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1337. [PMID: 30108541 PMCID: PMC6079204 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Difficulty in social communication and interaction is a primary diagnostic feature of ASD. Research has found that adolescents with ASD display various impairments in social behavior such as theory of mind (ToM), emotion recognition, and social synchrony. However, not much is known about the relationships among these dimensions of social behavior. Adolescents with and without ASD participated in the study. ToM ability was measured by viewing social animations of geometric shapes, recognition of facial emotions was measured by viewing pictures of faces, and synchrony ability was measured with a spontaneously arising interpersonal movement task completed with a caregiver and an intentional interpersonal task. Attention and social responsiveness were measured using parent reports. We then examined the relationship between ToM, emotion recognition, clinical measures of attention and social responsiveness, and social synchronization that arises either spontaneously or intentionally. Results indicate that spontaneous synchrony was related to ToM and intentional synchrony was related to clinical measures of attention and social responsiveness. Facial emotion recognition was not related to either ToM or social synchrony. Our findings highlight the importance of biological motion perception and production and attention for more fully understanding the social behavior characteristic of ASD. The findings suggest that the processes underlying difficulties in spontaneous synchrony in ASD are different than the processes underlying difficulties in intentional synchronization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Fitzpatrick
- Department of Psychology, Assumption College, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jean A. Frazier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - David Cochran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Teresa Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Caitlin Coleman
- Department of Psychology, Assumption College, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - R. C. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, United States
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Aziz-Zadeh L, Kilroy E, Corcelli G. Understanding Activation Patterns in Shared Circuits: Toward a Value Driven Model. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:180. [PMID: 29867409 PMCID: PMC5949354 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade many studies indicate that we utilize our own motor system to understand the actions of other people. This mirror neuron system (MNS) has been proposed to be involved in social cognition and motor learning. However, conflicting findings regarding the underlying mechanisms that drive these shared circuits make it difficult to decipher a common model of their function. Here we propose adapting a “value-driven” model to explain discrepancies in the human mirror system literature and to incorporate this model with existing models. We will use this model to explain discrepant activation patterns in multiple shared circuits in the human data, such that a unified model may explain reported activation patterns from previous studies as a function of value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Emily Kilroy
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Giorgio Corcelli
- Department of Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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29
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Habib K, Montreuil T, Bertone A. Social Learning Through Structured Exercise for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-018-0139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Pokorny JJ, Hatt NV, Rogers SJ, Rivera SM. What Are You Doing With That Object? Comparing the Neural Responses of Action Understanding in Adolescents With and Without Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 48:809-823. [PMID: 29168088 PMCID: PMC5826790 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3338-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Understanding another's actions, including what they are doing and why they are doing it, can be difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This understanding is supported by the action observation (AON) and mentalizing (MZN) networks, as well as the superior temporal sulcus. We examined these areas in children with ASD and typically developing controls by having participants view eating and placing actions performed in conventional and unconventional ways while functional magnetic resonance images were collected. We found an effect of action-type, but not conventionality, in both groups, and a between groups difference only when viewing conventional eating actions. Findings suggest there are not global AON/MZN deficits in ASD, and observing unconventional actions may not spontaneously activate the MZN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Pokorny
- The MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95618, USA
| | - Naomi V Hatt
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95618, USA
| | - Sally J Rogers
- The MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Susan M Rivera
- The MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95618, USA.
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Wakusawa K, Nara C, Kubota Y, Tomizawa Y, Taki Y, Sassa Y, Kobayashi S, Suzuki-Muromoto S, Hirose M, Yokoyama H, Nara T, Kure S, Mori N, Takei N, Kawashima R. Intra-individual cognitive imbalance in ASD between perceptual reasoning and ambiguity-solving related to tool use: Comparison among children exhibiting ASD, AD/HD, and typical development. Brain Dev 2018; 40:16-25. [PMID: 28750723 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several studies have suggested that objective deficits in the processing of abstract information in conjunction with an enhanced ability to process concrete information is a definitive characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, this cognitive imbalance is not necessarily clear in high-functioning autistic individuals who do not display absolute differences relative to typically developing (TD) populations. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify this cognitive tendency in high-functioning autistic individuals using intra-individual cognitive comparisons. METHODS The reaction times (RTs) of TD children, children with ASD, and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) (n=17 in each group, mean age=11.9years, age range=9.8-15.8years) were compared using the Which/How-to-Apply Tools (W/HAT) test, which consists of tasks requiring the adaptive use of novel tools and familiar tools in atypical and typical situations. Differences in RTs between the atypical and typical trials ([A-T]) were used to assess intra-individual cognitive imbalances. RESULTS As predicted, the [A-T] scores of the ASD group were significantly higher than those of the TD group even though the RTs in the atypical and typical trials did not differ. Additionally, the [A-T] values were significantly higher in the ASD group than in the AD/HD group, which indicates that the cognitive imbalance was specific to ASD individuals. No significant interaction was detected between the trial and subject group. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study demonstrate that a cognitive imbalance in ASD individuals may enhance the current understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder, which is found in a range of individuals, including those with obvious cortical dysfunction to those with only intra-individual imbalances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Wakusawa
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan; Department of Developmental Neuropsychiatry, Miyagi Children's Hospital, Japan.
| | - Chieko Nara
- Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Yuki Kubota
- Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Yayoi Tomizawa
- Department of Health Science, Tohoku Fukushi University, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Taki
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Yuko Sassa
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Satoru Kobayashi
- Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya City West Medical Center, Japan
| | | | - Mieko Hirose
- Department of Pediatrics, Hakodate Goryokaku Hospital, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yokoyama
- Fukushima Medical Center for Children and Women, Fukushima Medical University, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nara
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychiatry, Miyagi Children's Hospital, Japan
| | - Shigeo Kure
- Department of Pediatrics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Norio Mori
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychiatry, Miyagi Children's Hospital, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Takei
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychiatry, Miyagi Children's Hospital, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Department of Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
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32
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Wadsworth HM, Maximo JO, Donnelly RJ, Kana RK. Action simulation and mirroring in children with autism spectrum disorders. Behav Brain Res 2017; 341:1-8. [PMID: 29247748 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Mental imitation, perhaps a precursor to motor imitation, involves visual perspective-taking and motor imagery. Research on mental imitation in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been rather limited compared to that on motor imitation. The main objective of this fMRI study is to determine the differences in brain responses underlying mirroring and mentalizing networks during mental imitation in children and adolescents with ASD. Thirteen high-functioning children and adolescents with ASD and 15 age-and- IQ-matched typically developing (TD) control participants took part in this fMRI study. In the MRI scanner, participants were shown cartoon pictures of people performing everyday actions (Transitive actions: e.g., ironing clothes but with the hand missing; and Intransitive actions: e.g., clapping hands with the palms missing) and were asked to identify which hand or palm orientation would best fit the gap. The main findings are: 1) both groups performed equally while processing transitive and intransitive actions; 2) both tasks yielded activation in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) in ASD and TD groups; 3) Increased activation was seen in ASD children, relative to TD, in left ventral premotor and right middle temporal gyrus during intransitive actions; and 4) ASD symptom severity positively correlated with activation in left parietal, right middle temporal, and right premotor regions across all subjects. Overall, our findings suggest that regions mediating mirroring may be recruiting more brain resources in ASD and may have implications for understanding social movement through modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Wadsworth
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA; Glenwood Autism & Behavioral Health Center, Birmingham, USA
| | - Jose O Maximo
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Rebecca J Donnelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA; Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
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33
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Functional but Inefficient Kinesthetic Motor Imagery in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 48:784-795. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3367-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Turi M, Muratori F, Tinelli F, Morrone MC, Burr DC. Autism is associated with reduced ability to interpret grasping actions of others. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12687. [PMID: 28979000 PMCID: PMC5627240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12995-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the ability of children with ASD to discriminate a small cylinder from a large cube by observing a point-light movie of an actor grasping the object, either from an allocentric or egocentric viewpoint (observing action of others or self). Compared with typically developing controls, high functioning autistic children showed a strong selective impairment in this task, but only with the allocentric viewpoint, where thresholds were twice as high: egocentric thresholds were similar to age- and ability-matched controls. The magnitude of the impairment correlated strongly with the degree of symptomology (R2 = 0.5). The results suggest that children with ASD might be impaired in their ability to predict and infer the consequences of others' movements, which could be related to the social-communicative deficits often reported in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Turi
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Fondazione Stella Maris Mediterraneo, Chiaromonte, Potenza, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Tinelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Morrone
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Robotics, Brain & Cognitive Sciences Department, Italian Institute of Technology, via Morego 30, 16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - David C Burr
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Pisa, Italy.
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Fitzpatrick P, Romero V, Amaral JL, Duncan A, Barnard H, Richardson MJ, Schmidt RC. Evaluating the importance of social motor synchronization and motor skill for understanding autism. Autism Res 2017; 10:1687-1699. [PMID: 28590041 PMCID: PMC5648610 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in social interaction and communicating with others are core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the specific processes underlying such social competence impairments are not well understood. An important key for increasing our understanding of ASD-specific social deficits may lie with the social motor synchronization that takes place when we implicitly coordinate our bodies with others. Here, we tested whether dynamical measures of synchronization differentiate children with ASD from controls and further explored the relationships between synchronization ability and motor control problems. We found (a) that children with ASD exhibited different and less stable patterns of social synchronization ability than controls; (b) children with ASD performed motor movements that were slower and more variable in both spacing and timing; and (c) some social synchronization that involved motor timing was related to motor ability but less rhythmic synchronization was not. These findings raise the possibility that objective dynamical measures of synchronization ability and motor skill could provide new insights into understanding the social deficits in ASD that could ultimately aid clinical diagnosis and prognosis. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1687-1699. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Veronica Romero
- Center for Cognition, Action and Perception, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Joseph L. Amaral
- Center for Cognition, Action and Perception, University of Cincinnati, USA
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Amie Duncan
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Holly Barnard
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | | | - R. C. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, College of the Holy Cross, USA
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Abstract
Early autism research focused on behavior and cognition. In recent decades, the pace of research has accelerated, and advances in imaging and genetics have allowed the accumulation of biological data. Nevertheless, a coherent picture of the syndrome at either phenotypic or biological level has not emerged. We see two fundamental obstacles to progress in basic understanding of autism. First, the two defining features (impairment in social interactions and communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests) are historically seen as integrally related. Others hold that these two major traits are fractionable and must be studied independently, casting doubt on autism as a coherent syndrome. Second, despite much recent research on brain structure and function, environmental factors, and genetics/genomics, findings on the biological level have not generally aligned well with those on the phenotypic level. In the first two sections, we explore these challenges, and in the third section, we review approaches that may facilitate progress, such as (1) including in studies all individuals defined by social impairment without regard to repetitive behaviors, (2) forming narrowly defined subtypes by thorough characterization on specific features, both diagnostic and non-diagnostic, (3) focusing on characteristics that may be relatively robust to environmental influence, (4) studying children as early as possible, minimizing environmental influence, and including longitudinal course as an important part of the phenotype, (5) subtyping by environmental risk factors, (6) distinguishing between what participants can do and what they typically do, and (7) aggregating large data sets across sites. (JINS, 2017, 23, 903-915).
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37
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Studenka BE, Gillam SL, Hartzheim D, Gillam RB. Motor and verbal perspective taking in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Changes in social interaction with people and tools. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2017; 66:64-79. [PMID: 28285893 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty communicating with others nonverbally, via mechanisms such as hand gestures, eye contact and facial expression. Individuals with ASD also have marked deficits in planning future actions (Hughes, 1996), which might contribute to impairments in non-verbal communication. Perspective taking is typically assessed using verbal scenarios whereby the participant imagines how an actor would interact in a social situation (e.g., Sally Anne task; Baron-Cohen, Leslie, & Frith, 1985). METHOD The current project evaluated motor perspective taking in five children with ASD (8-11 years old) as they participated in a narrative intervention program over the course of about 16 weeks. The goal of the motor perspective-taking task was to facilitate the action of an experimenter either hammering with a tool or putting it away. RESULTS Initially, children with ASD facilitated the experimenter's action less than neurotypical control children. As the narrative intervention progressed, children with ASD exhibited increased motor facilitation that paralleled their increased use of mental state and causal language, indicating a link between verbal and motor perspective taking. CONCLUSIONS Motoric perspective taking provides an additional way to assess understanding and communication in children with ASD and may be a valuable tool for both early assessment and diagnosis of children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna E Studenka
- Department of Health, Physical Education, & Recreation, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
| | - Sandra L Gillam
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
| | - Daphne Hartzheim
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
| | - Ronald B Gillam
- Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
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38
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Hudac CM, Stessman HAF, DesChamps TD, Kresse A, Faja S, Neuhaus E, Webb SJ, Eichler EE, Bernier RA. Exploring the heterogeneity of neural social indices for genetically distinct etiologies of autism. J Neurodev Disord 2017; 9:24. [PMID: 28559932 PMCID: PMC5446693 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-017-9199-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disorder. Promising initiatives utilizing interdisciplinary characterization of ASD suggest phenotypic subtypes related to specific likely gene-disrupting mutations (LGDMs). However, the role of functionally associated LGDMs in the neural social phenotype is unknown. Methods In this study of 26 children with ASD (n = 13 with an LGDM) and 13 control children, we characterized patterns of mu attenuation and habituation as children watched videos containing social and nonsocial motions during electroencephalography acquisition. Results Diagnostic comparisons were consistent with prior work suggesting aberrant mu attenuation in ASD within the upper mu band (10–12 Hz), but typical patterns within the lower mu band (8–10 Hz). Preliminary exploration indicated distinct social sensitization patterns (i.e., increasing mu attenuation for social motion) for children with an LGDM that is primarily expressed during embryonic development. In contrast, children with an LGDM primarily expressed post-embryonic development exhibited stable typical patterns of lower mu attenuation. Neural social indices were associated with social responsiveness, but not cognition. Conclusions These findings suggest unique neurophysiological profiles for certain genetic etiologies of ASD, further clarifying possible genetic functional subtypes of ASD and providing insight into mechanisms for targeted treatment approaches. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11689-017-9199-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Hudac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Holly A F Stessman
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Trent D DesChamps
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Anna Kresse
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
| | - Susan Faja
- Boston Children's Hospital and Division of Developmental Medicine, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Emily Neuhaus
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA.,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195 USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195 USA.,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98145 USA
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39
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Bruschweiler-Stern N. The Music of Dan’s Life. PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/07351690.2017.1299492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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40
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Mizuguchi T, Sugimura R, Shimada H, Hasegawa T. Imitation Learning Errors Are Affected by Visual Cues in Both Performance and Observation Phases. Percept Mot Skills 2017; 124:846-863. [PMID: 28447538 DOI: 10.1177/0031512517705533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms of action imitation were examined. Previous studies have suggested that success or failure of imitation is determined at the point of observing an action. In other words, cognitive processing after observation is not related to the success of imitation; 20 university students participated in each of three experiments in which they observed a series of object manipulations consisting of four elements (hands, tools, object, and end points) and then imitated the manipulations. In Experiment 1, a specific intially observed element was color coded, and the specific manipulated object at the imitation stage was identically color coded; participants accurately imitated the color coded element. In Experiment 2, a specific element was color coded at the observation but not at the imitation stage, and there were no effects of color coding on imitation. In Experiment 3, participants were verbally instructed to attend to a specific element at the imitation stage, but the verbal instructions had no effect. Thus, the success of imitation may not be determined at the stage of observing an action and color coding can provide a clue for imitation at the imitation stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Mizuguchi
- 1 Institute of Education, Academic Assembly, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan
| | - Ryoko Sugimura
- 2 Department of Child Care, Bunka Gakuen Nagano Technical College, Nagano, Japan
| | - Hideaki Shimada
- 1 Institute of Education, Academic Assembly, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan
| | - Takehiro Hasegawa
- 3 Department of Research and Development, Art Childcare Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.,4 Institute for Education and Human Development, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
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Ansuini C, Podda J, Battaglia FM, Veneselli E, Becchio C. One hand, two hands, two people: Prospective sensorimotor control in children with autism. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017. [PMID: 28292645 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.02.009.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Where grasps are made reveals how grasps are planned. The grasp height effect predicts that, when people take hold of an object to move it to a new position, the grasp height on the object is inversely related to the height of the target position. In the present study, we used this effect as a window into the prospective sensorimotor control of children with autism spectrum disorders without accompanying intellectual impairment. Participants were instructed to grasp a vertical cylinder and move it from a table (home position) to a shelf of varying height (target position). Depending on the conditions, they performed the task using only one hand (unimanual), two hands (bimanual), or with the help of a co-actor (joint). Comparison between the performance of typically developing children and children with autism revealed no group difference across tasks. We found, however, a significant influence of IQ on grasp height modulation in both groups. These results provide clear evidence against a general prospective sensorimotor planning deficit and suggest that at least some form of higher order planning is present in autism without accompanying intellectual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Ansuini
- C'MON Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Jessica Podda
- C'MON Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Edvige Veneselli
- Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, G. Gaslini Institute, Genova, Italy
| | - Cristina Becchio
- C'MON Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
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42
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Ansuini C, Podda J, Battaglia FM, Veneselli E, Becchio C. One hand, two hands, two people: Prospective sensorimotor control in children with autism. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 29:86-96. [PMID: 28292645 PMCID: PMC6987911 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Where grasps are made reveals how grasps are planned. The grasp height effect predicts that, when people take hold of an object to move it to a new position, the grasp height on the object is inversely related to the height of the target position. In the present study, we used this effect as a window into the prospective sensorimotor control of children with autism spectrum disorders without accompanying intellectual impairment. Participants were instructed to grasp a vertical cylinder and move it from a table (home position) to a shelf of varying height (target position). Depending on the conditions, they performed the task using only one hand (unimanual), two hands (bimanual), or with the help of a co-actor (joint). Comparison between the performance of typically developing children and children with autism revealed no group difference across tasks. We found, however, a significant influence of IQ on grasp height modulation in both groups. These results provide clear evidence against a general prospective sensorimotor planning deficit and suggest that at least some form of higher order planning is present in autism without accompanying intellectual impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Ansuini
- C'MON Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Jessica Podda
- C'MON Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Edvige Veneselli
- Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, G. Gaslini Institute, Genova, Italy
| | - Cristina Becchio
- C'MON Unit, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
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Wadsworth HM, Maximo JO, Lemelman AR, Clayton K, Sivaraman S, Deshpande HD, Ver Hoef L, Kana RK. The Action Imitation network and motor imitation in children and adolescents with autism. Neuroscience 2016; 343:147-156. [PMID: 27956067 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
While deficits in imitation had been reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), its exact nature remains unclear. A dysfunction in mirroring mechanisms (through action imitation) has been proposed by some studies to explain this, although some recent evidence points against this hypothesis. The current study used behavior and functional MRI to examine the integrated functioning of the regions that are considered part of the Action Imitation network (AIN) in children and adolescents with ASD during a motor imitation task. Fourteen ASD and 15 age-and-IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children were asked to imitate a series of hand gestures in the MRI scanner. Intact performance on imitation (accurate imitation of hand gestures outside the scanner) in both ASD and TD groups was accompanied by significantly lower activity in ASD participants, relative to TD, in right angular gyrus, precentral gyrus, and left middle cingulate. In addition, autism traits were found to be significantly correlated with activation in the right angular gyrus. Overall, the findings of this study support the role of AIN in imitation and a potential difference in the recruitment of this network in ASD children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Wadsworth
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Jose O Maximo
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Amy R Lemelman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Kacy Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Soumya Sivaraman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | | | - Lawrence Ver Hoef
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
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Janczyk M, Welsh TN, Dolk T. A role of goals for social inhibition of return? Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2016; 69:2402-2418. [DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2015.1112417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The social inhibition of return (sIOR) effect refers to the finding that response initiation times are longer if a movement is executed to a location where another person has responded to just before. Previous studies have examined the influence of the goal of the action on sIOR. In these studies, however, the movement endpoint and to-be-attained goal (e.g., touching/pressing a response key) were at the same spatial location. In the present two experiments, we disentangled movement endpoint and goal's identity and locations by means of introducing action effects that followed directly from a movement. Similar methods were previously shown powerful enough to clearly show the importance of action goals for other phenomena—a finding consistent with effect-based theories of action control, such as the ideomotor theory. The results of the present study revealed that sIOR was shaped by the movement endpoint location, not the goal's identity or location. That is, in both experiments, an sIOR effect was observed, but the magnitude of the sIOR effect was not modulated by repetitions/switches of goals or their locations. Thus, results indicate that goals play a negligible role in the emergence of the sIOR and, consequently, highlight the importance of action observation for the emergence of the sIOR effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Janczyk
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timothy N. Welsh
- Centre for Motor Control, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas Dolk
- Department of Psychology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Human Science, Research Group: Diversity and Inclusion, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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45
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Fiebich
- Department of Philosophy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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46
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Rizzolatti G, Sinigaglia C. The mirror mechanism: a basic principle of brain function. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:757-765. [PMID: 27761004 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The mirror mechanism is a basic brain mechanism that transforms sensory representations of others' behaviour into one's own motor or visceromotor representations concerning that behaviour. According to its location in the brain, it may fulfil a range of cognitive functions, including action and emotion understanding. In each case, it may enable a route to knowledge of others' behaviour, which mainly depends on one's own motor or visceromotor representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Rizzolatti
- University of Parma, Department of Neuroscience, via Volturno 39, I-43100 Parma, Italy.,Brain Center for Motor and Social Cognition, Italian Institute of Technology, I-43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Corrado Sinigaglia
- University of Milan, Department of Philosophy, via Festa del Perdono 7, I-20122 Milano, Italy.,Center for the Study of Social Action, University of Milan, I-20122 Milan, Italy
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47
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Happé F, Cook JL, Bird G. The Structure of Social Cognition: In(ter)dependence of Sociocognitive Processes. Annu Rev Psychol 2016; 68:243-267. [PMID: 27687121 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Social cognition is a topic of enormous interest and much research, but we are far from having an agreed taxonomy or factor structure of relevant processes. The aim of this review is to outline briefly what is known about the structure of social cognition and to suggest how further progress can be made to delineate the in(ter)dependence of core sociocognitive processes. We focus in particular on several processes that have been discussed and tested together in typical and atypical (notably autism spectrum disorder) groups: imitation, biological motion, empathy, and theory of mind. We consider the domain specificity/generality of core processes in social learning, reward, and attention, and we highlight the potential relevance of dual-process theories that distinguish systems for fast/automatic and slow/effortful processing. We conclude with methodological and conceptual suggestions for future progress in uncovering the structure of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Happé
- MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom; ,
| | - Jennifer L Cook
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom;
| | - Geoffrey Bird
- MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom; ,
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48
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Hayes SJ, Andrew M, Elliott D, Gowen E, Bennett SJ. Low Fidelity Imitation of Atypical Biological Kinematics in Autism Spectrum Disorders Is Modulated by Self-Generated Selective Attention. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46:502-13. [PMID: 26349922 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2588-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We examined whether adults with autism had difficulty imitating atypical biological kinematics. To reduce the impact that higher-order processes have on imitation we used a non-human agent model to control social attention, and removed end-state target goals in half of the trials to minimise goal-directed attention. Findings showed that only neurotypical adults imitated atypical biological kinematics. Adults with autism did, however, become significantly more accurate at imitating movement time. This confirmed they engaged in the task, and that sensorimotor adaptation was self-regulated. The attentional bias to movement time suggests the attenuation in imitating kinematics might be a compensatory strategy due to deficits in lower-level visuomotor processes associated with self-other mapping, or selective attention modulated the processes that represent biological kinematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer J Hayes
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
| | - Matthew Andrew
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Digby Elliott
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.,Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Emma Gowen
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Simon J Bennett
- Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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Fitzpatrick P, Frazier JA, Cochran DM, Mitchell T, Coleman C, Schmidt RC. Impairments of Social Motor Synchrony Evident in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1323. [PMID: 27630599 PMCID: PMC5005316 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions typically involve movements of the body that become synchronized over time and both intentional and spontaneous interactional synchrony have been found to be an essential part of successful human interaction. However, our understanding of the importance of temporal dimensions of social motor synchrony in social dysfunction is limited. Here, we used a pendulum coordination paradigm to assess dynamic, process-oriented measures of social motor synchrony in adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our data indicate that adolescents with ASD demonstrate less synchronization in both spontaneous and intentional interpersonal coordination. Coupled oscillator modeling suggests that ASD participants assembled a synchronization dynamic with a weaker coupling strength, which corresponds to a lower sensitivity and decreased attention to the movements of the other person, but do not demonstrate evidence of a delay in information transmission. The implication of these findings for isolating an ASD-specific social synchronization deficit that could serve as an objective, bio-behavioral marker is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean A. Frazier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, WorcesterMA, USA
| | - David M. Cochran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, WorcesterMA, USA
| | - Teresa Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, WorcesterMA, USA
| | - Caitlin Coleman
- Department of Psychology, Assumption College, WorcesterMA, USA
| | - R. C. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, College of the Holy Cross, WorcesterMA, USA
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50
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Scharoun SM, Bryden PJ. Anticipatory Planning in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Assessment of Independent and Joint Action Tasks. Front Integr Neurosci 2016; 10:29. [PMID: 27601983 PMCID: PMC4993991 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2016.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. Although not a diagnostic feature, motor impairments have been recently acknowledged as prevalent and significant, such that these children have difficulties planning, organizing and coordinating movements. This study aimed to further investigate anticipatory motor planning in children with ASD by means of assessing end- and beginning-state comfort, considering inconsistent reports of end-state comfort in independent action, and the study of beginning-state comfort being limited to one study with young adults. Five- to eleven-year-old children with ASD, and chronologically age- and sex-matched typically-developing children picked-up a glass and: (1) poured a cup of water; and (2) passed it to the researcher to pour a cup of water. End-state comfort was deemed evident if participants grasped the glass thumb-down followed by a 180° rotation; therefore ending with a thumb-up posture. Beginning-state comfort was deemed evident if participants passed the glass to the researcher oriented upright. Findings revealed less end-state comfort in children with ASD, attributed to motor planning deficits. Beginning-state comfort did not differ, ascribed to the habitual nature of the task; therefore reflecting a stimulus-driven response as opposed to an action which reflects anticipatory planning. The findings support difficulties with motor planning and control for children with ASD in an independent task. However, when acting with a familiar object in joint action, behavior does not differ, likely indicative of a habitual, stimulus-driven response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Scharoun
- Department of Kinesiology, University of WaterlooWaterloo, ON, Canada; Department of Kinesiology and Physical Activity, Wilfrid Laurier UniversityWaterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Pamela J Bryden
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Activity, Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, ON, Canada
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