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Degré-Pelletier J, Danis É, Thérien VD, Bernhardt B, Barbeau EB, Soulières I. Differential neural correlates underlying visuospatial versus semantic reasoning in autistic children. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:19-29. [PMID: 38696600 PMCID: PMC11065103 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
While fronto-posterior underconnectivity has often been reported in autism, it was shown that different contexts may modulate between-group differences in functional connectivity. Here, we assessed how different task paradigms modulate functional connectivity differences in a young autistic sample relative to typically developing children. Twenty-three autistic and 23 typically developing children aged 6 to 15 years underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning while completing a reasoning task with visuospatial versus semantic content. We observed distinct connectivity patterns in autistic versus typical children as a function of task type (visuospatial vs. semantic) and problem complexity (visual matching vs. reasoning), despite similar performance. For semantic reasoning problems, there was no significant between-group differences in connectivity. However, during visuospatial reasoning problems, we observed occipital-occipital, occipital-temporal, and occipital-frontal over-connectivity in autistic children relative to typical children. Also, increasing the complexity of visuospatial problems resulted in increased functional connectivity between occipital, posterior (temporal), and anterior (frontal) brain regions in autistic participants, more so than in typical children. Our results add to several studies now demonstrating that the connectivity alterations in autistic relative to neurotypical individuals are much more complex than previously thought and depend on both task type and task complexity and their respective underlying cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal, Quebec H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Éliane Danis
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal, Quebec H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Véronique D Thérien
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal, Quebec H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Boris Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, 3801, University street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Elise B Barbeau
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal, Quebec H1E 1A4, Canada
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2
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Rimmer C, Philibert-Lignières G, Iarocci G, Quintin EM. The Contribution of Perceptual Reasoning Skills to Phonological Awareness for School Age Autistic Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1361-1375. [PMID: 36626002 PMCID: PMC9838250 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05834-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the phonological awareness (PA) skills of school age autistic children (age range = 6-12) in two parts: (1) comparing their performance on a PA task to non-autistic children with groups matched on chronological age, verbal and non-verbal cognitive skills, and (2) exploring the role of cognitive skills and autism characteristics on PA skills. Results revealed that the groups did not differ in their PA skills (study 1) and that perceptual reasoning skills are associated with the PA skills of autistic participants (study 2). Results highlight the role of non-verbal cognitive skills in literacy development for autistic children and suggest that their perceptual reasoning abilities likely contribute a great deal when learning to read.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Rimmer
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, 3700 McTavish Street, H3A 1Y2, Montreal, QC, Canada
- The Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, 3640 de la Montagne, H3G 2A8, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gwenaëlle Philibert-Lignières
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, 3700 McTavish Street, H3A 1Y2, Montreal, QC, Canada
- The Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, 3640 de la Montagne, H3G 2A8, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Grace Iarocci
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Eve-Marie Quintin
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, 3700 McTavish Street, H3A 1Y2, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- The Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, 3640 de la Montagne, H3G 2A8, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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3
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Chen K, Zhuang W, Zhang Y, Yin S, Liu Y, Chen Y, Kang X, Ma H, Zhang T. Alteration of the large-scale white-matter functional networks in autism spectrum disorder. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:11582-11593. [PMID: 37851712 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad392] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose core deficit is social dysfunction. Previous studies have indicated that structural changes in white matter are associated with autism spectrum disorder. However, few studies have explored the alteration of the large-scale white-matter functional networks in autism spectrum disorder. Here, we identified ten white-matter functional networks on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data using the K-means clustering algorithm. Compared with the white matter and white-matter functional network connectivity of the healthy controls group, we found significantly decreased white matter and white-matter functional network connectivity mainly located within the Occipital network, Middle temporo-frontal network, and Deep network in autism spectrum disorder. Compared with healthy controls, findings from white-matter gray-matter functional network connectivity showed the decreased white-matter gray-matter functional network connectivity mainly distributing in the Occipital network and Deep network. Moreover, we compared the spontaneous activity of white-matter functional networks between the two groups. We found that the spontaneous activity of Middle temporo-frontal and Deep network was significantly decreased in autism spectrum disorder. Finally, the correlation analysis showed that the white matter and white-matter functional network connectivity between the Middle temporo-frontal network and others networks and the spontaneous activity of the Deep network were significantly correlated with the Social Responsiveness Scale scores of autism spectrum disorder. Together, our findings indicate that changes in the white-matter functional networks are associated behavioral deficits in autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Chen
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Big Health Management, Xihua University, Jinniu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenwen Zhuang
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Big Health Management, Xihua University, Jinniu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yanfang Zhang
- Department of Ultrasonic Medicine, Baiyun Branch, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 Guangzhou Avenue North, Baiyun District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shunjie Yin
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Big Health Management, Xihua University, Jinniu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yinghua Liu
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Big Health Management, Xihua University, Jinniu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Big Health Management, Xihua University, Jinniu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaodong Kang
- The Department of Sichuan 81 Rehabilitation Center, Chengdu University of TCM, No. 81 Bayi Road, Yongning Street, Wenjiang District, Chengdu City 610075, China
| | - Hailin Ma
- Plateau Brain Science Research Center, Tibet University, 10 Zangda East Road, Lhasa City 510631, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Mental Health Education Center and School of Big Health Management, Xihua University, Jinniu District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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4
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Danis E, Nader AM, Degré-Pelletier J, Soulières I. Semantic and Visuospatial Fluid Reasoning in School-Aged Autistic Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4719-4730. [PMID: 36136200 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05746-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
In light of the known visuoperceptual strengths and altered language skills in autism, we investigated the impact of problem content (semantic/visuospatial) combined with complexity and presence of lures on fluid reasoning in 43 autistic and 41 typical children (6-13 years old). Increased complexity and presence of lures diminished performance, but less so as the children's age increased. Typical children were slightly more accurate overall, whereas autistic children were faster at solving complex visuospatial problems. Thus, reasoning could rely more extensively on visuospatial strategies in autistic versus typical children. A combined speed-accuracy measure revealed similar performance in both groups, suggesting a similar pace in fluid reasoning development. Visual presentation of conceptual information seems to suit the reasoning processes of autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Danis
- Department of Psychology, University of Québec in Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- CIUSSS NIM Research Center, Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Nader
- Department of Psychology, University of Québec in Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- CIUSSS NIM Research Center, Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Québec in Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada
| | - Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Department of Psychology, University of Québec in Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- CIUSSS NIM Research Center, Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Department of Psychology, University of Québec in Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- CIUSSS NIM Research Center, Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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5
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Thérien VD, Degré-Pelletier J, Barbeau EB, Samson F, Soulières I. Different levels of visuospatial abilities linked to differential brain correlates underlying visual mental segmentation processes in autism. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9186-9211. [PMID: 37317036 PMCID: PMC10350832 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural underpinnings of enhanced locally oriented visual processing that are specific to autistics with a Wechsler's Block Design (BD) peak are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the brain correlates underlying visual segmentation associated with the well-established autistic superior visuospatial abilities in distinct subgroups using functional magnetic resonance imaging. This study included 31 male autistic adults (15 with (AUTp) and 16 without (AUTnp) a BD peak) and 28 male adults with typical development (TYP). Participants completed a computerized adapted BD task with models having low and high perceptual cohesiveness (PC). Despite similar behavioral performances, AUTp and AUTnp showed generally higher occipital activation compared with TYP participants. Compared with both AUTnp and TYP participants, the AUTp group showed enhanced task-related functional connectivity within posterior visuoperceptual regions and decreased functional connectivity between frontal and occipital-temporal regions. A diminished modulation in frontal and parietal regions in response to increased PC was also found in AUTp participants, suggesting heavier reliance on low-level processing of global figures. This study demonstrates that enhanced visual functioning is specific to a cognitive phenotypic subgroup of autistics with superior visuospatial abilities and reinforces the need to address autistic heterogeneity by good cognitive characterization of samples in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique D Thérien
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Elise B Barbeau
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Fabienne Samson
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
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6
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Morin TM, Moore KN, Isenburg K, Ma W, Stern CE. Functional reconfiguration of task-active frontoparietal control network facilitates abstract reasoning. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:5761-5773. [PMID: 36420534 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac457] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
While the brain's functional network architecture is largely conserved between resting and task states, small but significant changes in functional connectivity support complex cognition. In this study, we used a modified Raven's Progressive Matrices Task to examine symbolic and perceptual reasoning in human participants undergoing fMRI scanning. Previously, studies have focused predominantly on discrete symbolic versions of matrix reasoning, even though the first few trials of the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices task consist of continuous perceptual stimuli. Our analysis examined the activation patterns and functional reconfiguration of brain networks associated with resting state and both symbolic and perceptual reasoning. We found that frontoparietal networks, including the cognitive control and dorsal attention networks, were significantly activated during abstract reasoning. We determined that these same task-active regions exhibited flexibly-reconfigured functional connectivity when transitioning from resting state to the abstract reasoning task. Conversely, we showed that a stable network core of regions in default and somatomotor networks was maintained across both resting and task states. We propose that these regionally-specific changes in the functional connectivity of frontoparietal networks puts the brain in a "task-ready" state, facilitating efficient task-based activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Morin
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 677 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Kylie N Moore
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 677 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Kylie Isenburg
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 677 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Weida Ma
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Chantal E Stern
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, 677 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Center, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States
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7
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Wilkinson M, Keehn RJ, Linke A, You Y, Gao Y, Alemu K, Correas A, Rosen B, Kohli J, Wagner L, Sridhar A, Marinkovic K, Müller RA. fMRI BOLD and MEG theta power reflect complementary aspects of activity during lexicosemantic decision in adolescents with ASD. NEUROIMAGE. REPORTS 2022; 2:100134. [PMID: 36438080 PMCID: PMC9683354 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been predominantly unimodal. While many fMRI studies have reported atypical activity patterns for diverse tasks, the MEG literature in ASD remains comparatively small. Our group recently reported atypically increased event-related theta power in individuals with ASD during lexicosemantic processing. The current multimodal study examined the relationship between fMRI BOLD signal and anatomically-constrained MEG (aMEG) theta power. Thirty-three adolescents with ASD and 23 typically developing (TD) peers took part in both fMRI and MEG scans, during which they distinguished between standard words (SW), animal words (AW), and pseudowords (PW). Regions-of-interest (ROIs) were derived based on task effects detected in BOLD signal and aMEG theta power. BOLD signal and theta power were extracted for each ROI and word condition. Compared to TD participants, increased theta power in the ASD group was found across several time windows and regions including left fusiform and inferior frontal, as well as right angular and anterior cingulate gyri, whereas BOLD signal was significantly increased in the ASD group only in right anterior cingulate gyrus. No significant correlations were observed between BOLD signal and theta power. Findings suggest that the common interpretation of increases in BOLD signal and theta power as 'activation' require careful differentiation, as these reflect largely distinct aspects of regional brain activity. Some group differences in dynamic neural processing detected with aMEG that are likely relevant for lexical processing may be obscured by the hemodynamic signal source and low temporal resolution of fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Wilkinson
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, United States,Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - R.J. Jao Keehn
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - A.C. Linke
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Y. You
- Spatiotemporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Y. Gao
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, United States,Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - K. Alemu
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - A. Correas
- Spatiotemporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - B.Q. Rosen
- Spatiotemporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - J.S. Kohli
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, United States,Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - L. Wagner
- Spatiotemporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - A. Sridhar
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - K. Marinkovic
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, United States,Spatiotemporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States,Radiology Department, University of California at San Diego, CA, United States
| | - R.-A. Müller
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, United States,Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States,Corresponding author. San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120, United States. (R.-A. Müller)
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8
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Faridi F, Seyedebrahimi A, Khosrowabadi R. Brain Structural Covariance Network in Asperger Syndrome Differs From Those in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Healthy Controls. Basic Clin Neurosci 2022; 13:815-838. [PMID: 37323949 PMCID: PMC10262285 DOI: 10.32598/bcn.2021.2262.1] [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: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social, cognitive and behavioral impairments. These impairments are often reported along with alteration of the brain structure such as abnormal changes in the grey matter (GM) density. However, it is not yet clear whether these changes could be used to differentiate various subtypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method We compared the regional changes of GM density in ASD, Asperger's Syndrome (AS) individuals and a group of healthy controls (HC). In addition to regional changes itself, the amount of GM density changes in one region as compared to other brain regions was also calculated. We hypothesized that this structural covariance network could differentiate the AS individuals from the ASD and HC groups. Therefore, statistical analysis was performed on the MRI data of 70 male subjects including 26 ASD (age=14-50, IQ=92-132), 16 AS (age=7-58, IQ=93-133) and 28 HC (age=9-39, IQ=95-144). Result The one-way ANOVA on the GM density of 116 anatomically separated regions showed significant differences among the groups. The pattern of structural covariance network indicated that covariation of GM density between the brain regions is altered in ASD. Conclusion This changed structural covariance could be considered as a reason for less efficient segregation and integration of information in the brain that could lead to cognitive dysfunctions in autism. We hope these findings could improve our understanding about the pathobiology of autism and may pave the way towards a more effective intervention paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Faridi
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Afrooz Seyedebrahimi
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Khosrowabadi
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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9
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Thérien VD, Degré-Pelletier J, Barbeau EB, Samson F, Soulières I. Differential neural correlates underlying mental rotation processes in two distinct cognitive profiles in autism. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103221. [PMID: 36228483 PMCID: PMC9668634 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103221] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced visuospatial abilities characterize the cognitive profile of a subgroup of autistics. However, the neural correlates underlying such cognitive strengths are largely unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the neural underpinnings of superior visuospatial functioning in different autistic subgroups. Twenty-seven autistic adults, including 13 with a Wechsler's Block Design peak (AUTp) and 14 without (AUTnp), and 23 typically developed adults (TYP) performed a classic mental rotation task. As expected, AUTp participants were faster at the task compared to TYP. At the neural level, AUTp participants showed enhanced bilateral parietal and occipital activation, stronger occipito-parietal and fronto-occipital connectivity, and diminished fronto-parietal connectivity compared to TYP. On the other hand, AUTnp participants presented greater activation in right and anterior regions compared to AUTp. In addition, reduced connectivity between occipital and parietal regions was observed in AUTnp compared to AUTp and TYP participants. A greater reliance on posterior regions is typically reported in the autism literature. Our results suggest that this commonly reported finding may be specific to a subgroup of autistic individuals with enhanced visuospatial functioning. Moreover, this study demonstrated that increased occipito-frontal synchronization was associated with superior visuospatial abilities in autism. This finding contradicts the long-range under-connectivity hypothesis in autism. Finally, given the relationship between distinct cognitive profiles in autism and our observed differences in brain functioning, future studies should provide an adequate characterization of the autistic subgroups in their research. The main limitations are small sample sizes and the inclusion of male-only participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique D. Thérien
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Elise B. Barbeau
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fabienne Samson
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Corresponding author at: Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal (Québec) H3C 3P8, Canada.
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10
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Cai Y, Zhao J, Wang L, Xie Y, Fan X. Altered topological properties of white matter structural network in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Asian J Psychiatr 2022; 75:103211. [PMID: 35907341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability and is currently viewed as a disorder of brain connectivity in which white matter abnormalities. However, the majority of the research to date has focused on children with ASD. Understanding the topological organization of the white matter structural network in adults may help uncover the nature of ASD pathology in adulthood. METHOD This study investigated the topological properties of white matter structural network using diffusion tensor imaging and graph theory analysis in a sample of 32 adults with ASD compared to 35 matched typically developing (TD) controls. Group differences in global and nodal topological metrics were compared. The relationships between the altered network metrics and the severity of clinical symptoms were calculated. RESULTS Compared to TD controls, ASD patients exhibited decreased small-worldness and increased global efficiency. In addition, the reduced nodal efficiency and increased nodal degree were found in the frontal (e.g., the inferior frontal gyrus) and parietal (e.g., postcentral gyrus) regions. Furthermore, the altered topological metrics (e.g., increased global efficiency and reduced nodal efficiency) were correlated with the severity of ASD symptoms. CONCLUSION These results indicated that the complicatedly topological organization of the white matter structural network was abnormal and may play an essential role in the underlying pathological mechanism of ASD in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Cai
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Jinghui Zhao
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yuanjun Xie
- Department of Radiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710030, China.
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
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11
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Neural differences in social and figurative language processing on the autism spectrum. Neuropsychologia 2022; 171:108240. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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12
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The time-locked neurodynamics of semantic processing in autism spectrum disorder: an EEG study. Cogn Neurodyn 2022; 16:43-72. [PMID: 35126770 PMCID: PMC8807749 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-021-09697-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Language processing is often an area of difficulty in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Semantic processing-the ability to add meaning to a stimulus-is thought to be especially affected in ASD. However, the neurological origin of these deficits, both structurally and temporally, have yet to be discovered. To further previous behavioral findings on language differences in ASD, the present study used an implicit semantic priming paradigm and electroencephalography (EEG) to compare the level of theta coherence throughout semantic processing, between typically developing (TD) and ASD participants. Theta coherence is an indication of synchronous EEG oscillations and was of particular interest due to its previous links with semantic processing. Theta coherence was analyzed in response to semantically related or unrelated pairs of words and pictures across bilateral short, medium, and long electrode connections. We found significant results across a variety of conditions, but most notably, we observed reduced coherence for language stimuli in the ASD group at a left fronto-parietal connection from 100 to 300 ms. This replicates previous findings of underconnectivity in left fronto-parietal language networks in ASD. Critically, the early time window of this underconnectivity, from 100 to 300 ms, suggests that impaired semantic processing of language in ASD may arise during pre-semantic processing, during the initial communication between lower-level linguistic processing and higher-level semantic processing. Our results suggest that language processing functions are unique in ASD compared to TD, and that subjects with ASD might rely on a temporally different language processing loop altogether.
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13
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Wang H, Ma ZH, Xu LZ, Yang L, Ji ZZ, Tang XZ, Liu JR, Li X, Cao QJ, Liu J. Developmental brain structural atypicalities in autism: a voxel-based morphometry analysis. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2022; 16:7. [PMID: 35101065 PMCID: PMC8805267 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-022-00443-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown atypicalities in structural brain changes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while a noticeable discrepancy in their results indicates the necessity of conducting further researches. METHODS The current study investigated the atypical structural brain features of autistic individuals who aged 6-30 years old. A total of 52 autistic individuals and 50 age-, gender-, and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched typically developing (TD) individuals were included in this study, and were assigned into three based cohorts: childhood (6-12 years old), adolescence (13-18 years old), and adulthood (19-30 years old). Analyses of whole-brain volume and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on the sMRI data were conducted. RESULTS No significant difference was found in the volumes of whole-brain, gray matter, and white matter between the autism and TD groups in the three age-based cohorts. For VBM analyses, the volumes of gray matter in the right superior temporal gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (6-12 years old) were smaller than those in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the left inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (13-18 years old) was larger than that in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the right middle occipital gyrus in the autism group (19-30 years old) was larger than that in the TD group, and the gray matter volume in the left posterior cingulate gyrus in the autism group was smaller than that in the TD group. CONCLUSION Autistic individuals showed different atypical regional gray matter volumetric changes in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood compared to their TD peers, indicating that it is essential to consider developmental stages of the brain when exploring brain structural atypicalities in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zeng-Hui Ma
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ling-Zi Xu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zhao-Zheng Ji
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xin-Zhou Tang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jing-Ran Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xue Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Qing-Jiu Cao
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Jing Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
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14
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Bled C, Guillon Q, Soulières I, Bouvet L. Thinking in pictures in everyday life situations among autistic adults. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255039. [PMID: 34293061 PMCID: PMC8297849 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autistic individuals are often described as thinking in pictures. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenomenological characteristics of mental representations and inner experiences of autistic individuals. A total of 39 autistic adults and 80 control adults answered an online questionnaire. Autistic participants reported a more frequent use of visual mental representations than controls for different types of everyday situations. Moreover, autistic individuals defined their visual mental representations as more detailed than control participants. Furthermore, when describing their inner experiences, autistic participants used perceptive visual themes whereas control participants relied more on the description of events and memories. Our results support the hypothesis that some autistic individuals indeed “think in pictures”. We discuss the impact of such a visual way of thinking in daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Bled
- Laboratoire CERPPS-E.A. 7411, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Quentin Guillon
- Laboratoire CERPPS-E.A. 7411, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Psychology Department, C.P. 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Lucie Bouvet
- Laboratoire CERPPS-E.A. 7411, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
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15
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Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity Between Resting State Brain Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:3088-3101. [PMID: 34272649 PMCID: PMC9213274 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05191-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Functional brain connectivity (FBC) has previously been examined in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between-resting-state networks (RSNs) using a highly sensitive and reproducible hypothesis-free approach. However, results have been inconsistent and sex differences have only recently been taken into consideration using this approach. We estimated main effects of diagnosis and sex and a diagnosis by sex interaction on between-RSNs FBC in 83 ASD (40 females/43 males) and 85 typically developing controls (TC; 43 females/42 males). We found increased connectivity between the default mode (DM) and (a) the executive control networks in ASD (vs. TC); (b) the cerebellum networks in males (vs. females); and (c) female-specific altered connectivity involving visual, language and basal ganglia (BG) networks in ASD—in suggestive compatibility with ASD cognitive and neuroscientific theories.
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16
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van der Heijden ME, Gill JS, Sillitoe RV. Abnormal Cerebellar Development in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dev Neurosci 2021; 43:181-190. [PMID: 33823515 PMCID: PMC8440334 DOI: 10.1159/000515189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impaired social interactions and repetitive behaviors with symptom onset in early infancy. The genetic risks for ASD have long been appreciated: concordance of ASD diagnosis may be as high as 90% for monozygotic twins and 30% for dizygotic twins, and hundreds of mutations in single genes have been associated with ASD. Nevertheless, only 5-30% of ASD cases can be explained by a known genetic cause, suggesting that genetics is not the only factor at play. More recently, several studies reported that up to 40% of infants with cerebellar hemorrhages and lesions are diagnosed with ASD. These hemorrhages are overrepresented in severely premature infants, who are born during a period of highly dynamic cerebellar development that encompasses an approximately 5-fold size expansion, an increase in structural complexity, and remarkable rearrangements of local neural circuits. The incidence of ASD-causing cerebellar hemorrhages during this window supports the hypothesis that abnormal cerebellar development may be a primary risk factor for ASD. However, the links between developmental deficits in the cerebellum and the neurological dysfunctions underlying ASD are not completely understood. Here, we discuss key processes in cerebellar development, what happens to the cerebellar circuit when development is interrupted, and how impaired cerebellar function leads to social and cognitive impairments. We explore a central question: Is cerebellar development important for the generation of the social and cognitive brain or is the cerebellum part of the social and cognitive brain itself?
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike E. van der Heijden
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jason S. Gill
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Roy V. Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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17
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Lan Z, Xu S, Wu Y, Xia L, Hua K, Li M, Liu M, Yin Y, Li C, Huang S, Feng Y, Jiang G, Wang T. Alterations of Regional Homogeneity in Preschool Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:644543. [PMID: 33828452 PMCID: PMC8019812 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.644543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives The study was aimed at investigating the alterations of local spontaneous brain activity in preschool boys with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Methods Based on regional homogeneity (ReHo), the acquired resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data sets, which included 86 boys with ASD and 54 typically developing (TD) boys, were used to detect regional brain activity. Pearson correlation analysis was used to study the relationship between abnormal ReHo value and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), developmental quotient, and age. Results In the ASD group, we found increased ReHo in the right calcarine as well as decreased ReHo in the opercular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, the left middle temporal gyrus, the left angular gyrus, and the right medial orbital frontal cortex (p < 0.05, false discovery rate correction). We did not find a correlation between the results of brain regions and the CARS, ABC, and age. Conclusions Our study found spontaneous activity changes in multiple brain regions, especially the visual and language-related areas of ASD, that may help to further understand the clinical characteristics of boys with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong Lan
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shoujun Xu
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yunfan Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Likun Xia
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, People's Hospital of Yuxi City, Yuxi, China
| | - Kelei Hua
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengchen Liu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Yin
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunlong Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shumei Huang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guihua Jiang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianyue Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
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18
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You Y, Correas A, Jao Keehn RJ, Wagner LC, Rosen BQ, Beaton LE, Gao Y, Brocklehurst WT, Fishman I, Müller RA, Marinkovic K. MEG Theta during Lexico-Semantic and Executive Processing Is Altered in High-Functioning Adolescents with Autism. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:1116-1130. [PMID: 33073290 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have revealed atypical activation during language and executive tasks in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the spatiotemporal stages of processing associated with these dysfunctions remain poorly understood. Using an anatomically constrained magnetoencephalography approach, we examined event-related theta oscillations during a double-duty lexical decision task that combined demands on lexico-semantic processing and executive functions. Relative to typically developing peers, high-functioning adolescents with ASD had lower performance accuracy on trials engaging selective semantic retrieval and cognitive control. They showed an early overall theta increase in the left fusiform cortex followed by greater activity in the left-lateralized temporal (starting at ~250 ms) and frontal cortical areas (after ~450 ms) known to contribute to language processing. During response preparation and execution, the ASD group exhibited elevated theta in the anterior cingulate cortex, indicative of greater engagement of cognitive control. Simultaneously increased activity in the ipsilateral motor cortex may reflect a less lateralized and suboptimally organized motor circuitry. Spanning early sensory-specific and late response selection stages, the higher event-related theta responsivity in ASD may indicate compensatory recruitment to offset inefficient lexico-semantic retrieval under cognitively demanding conditions. Together, these findings provide further support for atypical language and executive functions in high-functioning ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi You
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Angeles Correas
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - R Joanne Jao Keehn
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Laura C Wagner
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Burke Q Rosen
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lauren E Beaton
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Yangfeifei Gao
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
| | | | - Inna Fishman
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
| | - Ksenija Marinkovic
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA.,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92120, USA.,Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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19
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Role of Oligodendrocytes and Myelin in the Pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10120951. [PMID: 33302549 PMCID: PMC7764453 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10120951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an early neurodevelopmental disorder that involves deficits in interpersonal communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. Although ASD pathophysiology is still uncertain, alterations in the abnormal development of the frontal lobe, limbic areas, and putamen generate an imbalance between inhibition and excitation of neuronal activity. Interestingly, recent findings suggest that a disruption in neuronal connectivity is associated with neural alterations in white matter production and myelination in diverse brain regions of patients with ASD. This review is aimed to summarize the most recent evidence that supports the notion that abnormalities in the oligodendrocyte generation and axonal myelination in specific brain regions are involved in the pathophysiology of ASD. Fundamental molecular mediators of these pathological processes are also examined. Determining the role of alterations in oligodendrogenesis and myelination is a fundamental step to understand the pathophysiology of ASD and identify possible therapeutic targets.
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20
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Coburn KL, Williams DL. Development of Neural Structure and Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential Implications for Learning Language. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2020; 29:1783-1797. [PMID: 32697616 DOI: 10.1044/2020_ajslp-19-00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Neurodevelopmental processes that begin during gestation and continue throughout childhood typically support language development. Understanding these processes can help us to understand the disruptions to language that occur in neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method For this tutorial, we conducted a focused literature review on typical postnatal brain development and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electroencephalography studies of the neurodevelopmental differences that occur in ASD. We then integrated this knowledge with the literature on evidence-based speech-language intervention practices for autistic children. Results In ASD, structural differences include altered patterns of cortical growth and myelination. Functional differences occur at all brain levels, from lateralization of cortical functions to the rhythmic activations of single neurons. Neuronal oscillations, in particular, could help explain disrupted language development by elucidating the timing differences that contribute to altered functional connectivity, complex information processing, and speech parsing. Findings related to implicit statistical learning, explicit task learning, multisensory integration, and reinforcement in ASD are also discussed. Conclusions Consideration of the neural differences in autistic children provides additional scientific support for current recommended language intervention practices. Recommendations consistent with these neurological findings include the use of short, simple utterances; repetition of syntactic structures using varied vocabulary; pause time; visual supports; and individualized sensory modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L Coburn
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Diane L Williams
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
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21
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Dryburgh E, McKenna S, Rekik I. Predicting full-scale and verbal intelligence scores from functional Connectomic data in individuals with autism Spectrum disorder. Brain Imaging Behav 2020; 14:1769-1778. [PMID: 31055763 PMCID: PMC7572331 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00111-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Decoding how intelligence is engrained in the human brain construct is vital in the understanding of particular neurological disorders. While the majority of existing studies focus on characterizing intelligence in neurotypical (NT) brains, investigating how neural correlates of intelligence scores are altered by atypical neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), is almost absent. To help fill this gap, we use a connectome-based predictive model (CPM) to predict intelligence scores from functional connectome data, derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). The utilized model learns how to select the most significant positive and negative brain connections, independently, to predict the target intelligence scores in NT and ASD populations, respectively. In the first step, using leave-one-out cross-validation we train a linear regressor robust to outliers to identify functional brain connections that best predict the target intelligence score (p - value < 0.01). Next, for each training subject, positive (respectively negative) connections are summed to produce single-subject positive (respectively negative) summary values. These are then paired with the target training scores to train two linear regressors: (a) a positive model which maps each positive summary value to the subject score, and (b) a negative model which maps each negative summary value to the target score. In the testing stage, by selecting the same connections for the left-out testing subject, we compute their positive and negative summary values, which are then fed to the trained negative and positive models for predicting the target score. This framework was applied to NT and ASD populations independently to identify significant functional connections coding for full-scale and verbal intelligence quotients in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Dryburgh
- BASIRA Lab, CVIP Group, Computing, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Stephen McKenna
- CVIP Group, Computing, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Islem Rekik
- BASIRA Lab, CVIP Group, Computing, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
- Faculty of Computer and Informatics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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22
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Libero LE, Schaer M, Li DD, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. A Longitudinal Study of Local Gyrification Index in Young Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:2575-2587. [PMID: 29850803 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Local gyrification index (LGI), a metric quantifying cortical folding, was evaluated in 105 boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 49 typically developing (TD) boys at 3 and 5 years-of-age. At 3 years-of-age, boys with ASD had reduced gyrification in the fusiform gyrus compared with TD boys. A longitudinal evaluation from 3 to 5 years revealed that while TD boys had stable/decreasing LGI, boys with ASD had increasing LGI in right inferior temporal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule, and stable LGI in left lingual gyrus. LGI was also examined in a previously defined neurophenotype of boys with ASD and disproportionate megalencephaly. At 3 years-of-age, this subgroup exhibited increased LGI in right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and paracentral cortex, and left cingulate cortex and superior frontal gyrus relative to TD boys and increased LGI in right paracentral lobule and parahippocampal gyrus, and left precentral gyrus compared with boys with ASD and normal brain size. In summary, this study identified alterations in the pattern and development of LGI during early childhood in ASD. Distinct patterns of alterations in subgroups of boys with ASD suggests that multiple neurophenotypes exist and boys with ASD and disproportionate megalencephaly should be evaluated separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Libero
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Marie Schaer
- Office Medico-Pedagogique, Universite de Geneve, Rue David Dafour 1, Geneva 8, Switzerland
| | - Deana D Li
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - David G Amaral
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, 2230 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA, USA
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23
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Kopec J, Hagmann C, Shea N, Prawl A, Batkin D, Russo N. Examining the Temporal Limits of Enhanced Visual Feature Detection in Children With Autism. Autism Res 2020; 13:1561-1572. [PMID: 32896996 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The enhanced perceptual processing of visual features in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is supported by an abundance of evidence in the spatial domain, with less robust evidence regarding whether this extends to information presented across time. The current study aimed to replicate and extend previous work finding that children with an ASD demonstrated enhanced perceptual accuracy in detecting feature-based (but not categorically defined) targets in time, when these were presented quickly, at a stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) of 50 ms per item. Specifically, we extend the range of SOAs to examine the temporal boundaries of this enhanced accuracy and examine whether there is a relationship between ASD-related traits and detection accuracy on temporal visual search tasks. Individuals with autism perceived feature-based targets with statistically higher accuracy than their typically developing peers between SOAs of 39 and 65 ms and were numerically faster at all SOAs. No group differences were noted for category-based task accuracy. Our results also demonstrated that ASD-related traits measured by the autism spectrum quotient were positively correlated with accuracy on the feature-based task. Overall, results suggest that accurate visual perception of features (particularly color) is enhanced in children with ASD across time. LAY SUMMARY: Our results suggest that children with autism are able to process visual features, such as color, more accurately than typically developing children, even when these are presented very rapidly. Accuracy was higher in children with higher levels of autism-related traits and symptoms. Our findings suggest that more accurate visual perception exists not only across space in children with autism, as much of the existing literature demonstrates, but also over time. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1561-1572. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Kopec
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Carl Hagmann
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Nicole Shea
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Alyssa Prawl
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Batkin
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Natalie Russo
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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24
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Individual differences in white and grey matter structure associated with verbal habits of thought. Brain Res 2020; 1742:146890. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Yuk V, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Altered Connectivity During a False-Belief Task in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 5:901-912. [PMID: 32600899 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in social communication are one of the main features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adults with ASD show atypical brain activity during false-belief understanding, an aspect of social communication involving the ability to infer that an individual can have an incorrect belief about a situation. Our study is the first to investigate whether adults with ASD exhibit differences in frequency-specific functional connectivity patterns during false-belief reasoning. METHODS We used magnetoencephalography to contrast functional connectivity underlying false-belief understanding between 40 adults with ASD and 39 control adults. We examined whole-brain phase synchrony measures during a false-belief task in 3 frequency bands: theta (4-7 Hz), alpha (8-14 Hz), and beta (15-30 Hz). RESULTS Adults with ASD demonstrated reduced theta-band connectivity compared with control adults between several right-lateralized and midline regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex, right temporoparietal junction, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right superior temporal gyrus. During false-belief trials, they also recruited a network in the beta band that included primary visual regions such as the bilateral inferior occipital gyri and the left anterior temporoparietal junction. CONCLUSIONS Reduced theta-band synchrony between areas associated with mentalizing, inhibition, and visual processing implies some difficulty in communication among these functions in ASD. This impairment in top-down control in the theta band may be counterbalanced by their engagement of a beta-band network because both the left anterior temporoparietal junction and beta-band oscillations are associated with attentional processes. Thus, adults with ASD demonstrate alternative neural mechanisms for successful false-belief reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Yuk
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Department of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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26
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Bassell J, Srivastava S, Prohl AK, Scherrer B, Kapur K, Filip-Dhima R, Berry-Kravis E, Soorya L, Thurm A, Powell CM, Bernstein JA, Buxbaum JD, Kolevzon A, Warfield SK, Sahin M. Diffusion Tensor Imaging Abnormalities in the Uncinate Fasciculus and Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Pediatr Neurol 2020; 106:24-31. [PMID: 32107139 PMCID: PMC7190002 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This cohort study utilized diffusion tensor imaging tractography to compare the uncinate fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus in children with Phelan-McDermid syndrome with age-matched controls and investigated trends between autism spectrum diagnosis and the integrity of the uncinate fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus white matter tracts. METHODS This research was conducted under a longitudinal study that aims to map the genotype, phenotype, and natural history of Phelan-McDermid syndrome and identify biomarkers using neuroimaging (ClinicalTrial NCT02461420). Patients were aged three to 21 years and underwent longitudinal neuropsychologic assessment over 24 months. MRI processing and analyses were completed using previously validated image analysis software distributed as the Computational Radiology Kit (http://crl.med.harvard.edu/). Whole-brain connectivity was generated for each subject using a stochastic streamline tractography algorithm, and automatically defined regions of interest were used to map the uncinate fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. RESULTS There were 10 participants (50% male; mean age 11.17 years) with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (n = 8 with autism). Age-matched controls, enrolled in a separate longitudinal study (NIH R01 NS079788), underwent the same neuroimaging protocol. There was a statistically significant decrease in the uncinate fasciculus fractional anisotropy measure and a statistically significant increase in uncinate fasciculus mean diffusivity measure, in the patient group versus controls in both right and left tracts (P ≤ 0.024). CONCLUSION Because the uncinate fasciculus plays a critical role in social and emotional interaction, this tract may underlie some deficits seen in the Phelan-McDermid syndrome population. These findings need to be replicated in a larger cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Bassell
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Siddharth Srivastava
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anna K. Prohl
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Benoit Scherrer
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kush Kapur
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rajna Filip-Dhima
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth Berry-Kravis
- Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois,Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois,Department of Biochemistry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Latha Soorya
- Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Pediatrics and Developmental Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Craig M. Powell
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama,Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Jonathan A. Bernstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Joseph D. Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York,Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York,Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Simon K. Warfield
- Computational Radiology Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Alterations of functional connectivities associated with autism spectrum disorder symptom severity: a multi-site study using multivariate pattern analysis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4330. [PMID: 32152327 PMCID: PMC7062843 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60702-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder. The estimation of ASD severity is very important in clinical practice due to providing a more elaborate diagnosis. Although several studies have revealed some resting-state functional connectivities (RSFCs) that are related to the ASD severity, they have all been based on small-sample data and local RSFCs. The aim of the present study is to adopt multivariate pattern analysis to investigate a subset of connectivities among whole-brain RSFCs that are more contributive to ASD severity estimation based on large-sample data. Regression estimation shows a Pearson correlation value of 0.5 between the estimated and observed severity, with a mean absolute error of 1.41. The results provide obvious evidence that some RSFCs undergo notable alterations with the severity of ASD. More importantly, these selected RSFCs have an abnormality in the connection modes of the inter-network and intra-network connections. In addition, these selected abnormal RSFCs are mainly associated with the sensorimotor network, the default mode network, and inter-hemispheric connectivities, while exhibiting significant left hemisphere lateralization. Overall, this study indicates that some RSFCs suffer from abnormal alterations in patients with ASD, providing additional evidence of large-scale functional network alterations in ASD.
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28
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Li Y, Zhou Z, Chang C, Qian L, Li C, Xiao T, Xiao X, Chu K, Fang H, Ke X. Anomalies in uncinate fasciculus development and social defects in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2019; 19:399. [PMID: 31842898 PMCID: PMC6916076 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2391-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social interaction deficits and difficulties in emotional regulation. The neural substrates for these socio-affective deficits are not yet clear, but one potential candidate is maldevelopment of the uncinate fasciculus (UF), a white matter tract thought to be involved in socio-affective processing. However, the developmental trajectory of the UF in young children with social interaction deficits has not been examined. The present study was designed to describe the developmental growth trajectory of the UF and the relationships between UF development and social deficits in ASD. METHODS Eigenvalues of the UF were measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based tractography in 37 children with ASD and 27 matched 2-3-year-old subjects with developmental delay (DD) at baseline (time 1) and at 2-year follow-up (time 2). Growth rates of the UF were compared between groups and associations with social deficit scores according to the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) analyzed by Pearson's correlations. RESULTS At time 1, axial diffusivity (AD) of the left UF was significantly larger in the ASD group than the DD group. At time 2, left UF fractional anisotropy (FA) was significantly higher and radial diffusivity (RD) significantly lower in the ASD group than the DD group. The rate of UF growth during this 2-year interval was faster in children with ASD than DD. Significant negative correlations were found between the rise in ADI-R social deficit measures and both right UF RD and left UF mean diffusivity (MD). CONCLUSIONS Young children with ASD demonstrate UF overgrowth during the 2-year development period between 2 and 3 and 4-5 years of age, and this white matter abnormality is directly associated with the progression of social deficits. TRIAL REGISTRATION World Health Organization class I registered international clinical trial platform, ChiCTR-ROC-17012877.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Li
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Zhengbing Zhou
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Chen Chang
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Lu Qian
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Chunyan Li
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Ting Xiao
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Kangkang Chu
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Hui Fang
- 0000 0004 1798 8369grid.452645.4Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029 Jiangsu China
| | - Xiaoyan Ke
- Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, No.264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
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29
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Tanu, Kakkar D. Influence of Emotional Imagery on Risk Perception and Decision Making in Autism Spectrum Disorder. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-019-09822-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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30
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Ma X, Qiu S. Control of cortical synapse development and plasticity by MET receptor tyrosine kinase, a genetic risk factor for autism. J Neurosci Res 2019; 98:2115-2129. [PMID: 31746037 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The key developmental milestone events of the human brain, such as neurogenesis, synapse formation, maturation, and plasticity, are determined by a myriad of molecular signaling events, including those mediated by a number of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and their cognate ligands. Aberrant or mistimed brain development and plasticity can lead to maladaptive changes, such as dysregulated synaptic connectivity and breakdown of circuit functions necessary for cognition and adaptive behaviors, which are hypothesized pathophysiologies of many neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we review recent literature that supports autism spectrum disorder as a likely result of aberrant synapse development due to mistimed maturation and plasticity. We focus on MET RTK, a prominent genetic risk factor for autism, and discuss how a pleiotropic molecular signaling system engaged by MET exemplifies a genetic program that controls cortical circuit development and plasticity by modulating the anatomical and functional connectivity of cortical circuits, thus conferring genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokuang Ma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Shenfeng Qiu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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31
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Right-lateralized frontal activation underlies successful updating of verbal working memory in adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Biol Psychol 2019; 148:107743. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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32
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Maróthi R, Csigó K, Kéri S. Early-Stage Vision and Perceptual Imagery in Autism Spectrum Conditions. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:337. [PMID: 31632255 PMCID: PMC6781947 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are characterized by multifaceted alterations in visual perception and mental imagery. However, the interaction between early-stage visual perception and imagery has not been explored. We recruited 40 individuals with ASC and 20 neurotypical control volunteers to participate in a lateral masking task. Participants detected a luminance-contrast target pattern (Gabor patch) flanked by two collinear masks. The flanking masks inhibit target detection at small target-mask distances and facilitate target detection at intermediate target-mask distances. In the perceptual task, the masks appeared adjacent to the target. In the imagery task, participants imagined the masks immediately after seeing them. Results revealed that individuals with ASC characterized by exceptional visuoconstructional abilities (enhanced Block Design performance; n = 20) showed weaker inhibition at small target-mask distances and stronger facilitation at intermediate target-mask distances relative to the controls. Visual imagery was markedly dampened in ASC regardless of the visuoconstructional abilities. At the behavioral level, these results indicate increased facilitation via lateral connections in the primary visual cortex (V1) of individuals with ASC who exhibit exceptional visuoconstructional abilities, together with less efficient mental imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeka Maróthi
- Nyírö Gyula National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Csigó
- Nyírö Gyula National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Kéri
- Nyírö Gyula National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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33
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Wong CH, Gau SSF, Chou TL. Neural correlates of association strength and categorical relatedness in youths with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2019; 12:1484-1494. [PMID: 31385651 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Impaired language and communication are commonly observed in youths with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, the organization of semantic knowledge in youths with ASD remains unclear compared to typically developing (TD) youths. The present study addresses this issue by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the distinction between association strength and categorical relatedness of semantic knowledge. A sample of 31 male youths with ASD (mean age = 12.1 years, SD = 1.2) and 38 TD youths (mean age = 11.9 years, SD = 1.0) was recruited with matched age, gender, and handedness. Participants decided if two visually presented Chinese characters were semantically related during fMRI scanning. For weaker association strength, the ASD group showed greater left cuneus activation, which was positively correlated with the picture completion for visual perception, whereas the TD group showed greater middle temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus activation. For higher categorical relatedness, the TD group showed greater activation than the ASD group in the occipitotemporal cortex and left precuneus, which was positively correlated with the similarities for concept formulation. Findings imply that the ASD group may use lower-level visual information for both association strength and categorical relatedness. The TD group showed higher-level controlled processes of more elaborate semantic representations for association strength and more elaborate features of categorical knowledge for semantic selection and integration. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1484-1494. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often present language/communication impairments. Exploring the difference of semantic processing between youths with ASD and typically developing (TD) youths is crucial for understanding the organization of semantic knowledge. We found different neural substrates of semantic knowledge between these two groups. ASD youths may rely more on lower-level visual information during semantic judgments, whereas TD youths showed higher-level controlled processes of more elaborate semantic representations for selection and integration of words, phrases, and sentences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciao-Han Wong
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Imaging Center for Integrated Body, Mind, and Culture Research, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Li Chou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Gyawali S, Patra BN. Autism spectrum disorder: Trends in research exploring etiopathogenesis. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2019; 73:466-475. [PMID: 31077508 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition in which affected individuals have difficulties while interacting and communicating socially, and repetitive behaviors. It has a multifactorial etiology. Various risk factors, including genetic and environmental influences, have been explored while trying to understand its causation. As older evidence was suggestive of a high heritability, a majority of research focused on finding the underlying genetic causes of autism. Due to these efforts, there have been advances in the knowledge of some of the genetic factors associated with autism. But a recent trend also shows an increasing interest in exploration of various potential environmental triggers. These efforts have brought us closer to understanding the elusive disorder more so than ever before. The current review discusses the recent trends in research exploring the etiopathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreeya Gyawali
- Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Bichitra Nanda Patra
- Department of Psychiatry and National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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35
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Urgen BM, Topac Y, Ustun FS, Demirayak P, Oguz KK, Kansu T, Saygi S, Ozcelik T, Boyaci H, Doerschner K. Homozygous LAMC3 mutation links to structural and functional changes in visual attention networks. Neuroimage 2019; 190:242-253. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.03.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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36
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Ogawa R, Kagitani-Shimono K, Matsuzaki J, Tanigawa J, Hanaie R, Yamamoto T, Tominaga K, Hirata M, Mohri I, Taniike M. Abnormal cortical activation during silent reading in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Brain Dev 2019; 41:234-244. [PMID: 30448302 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2018.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2018] [Revised: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by communication deficits and social difficulties, and individuals with ASD frequently exhibit varied levels of language abilities. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying their language deficits remain unclear. To gain insight into the neurophysiological mechanisms of receptive language deficits, we assessed cortical activation patterns in adolescents with ASD during silent word-reading. METHODS We used magnetoencephalography to measure cortical activation during a silent word-reading task in 14 adolescent boys with high-functioning ASD and 17 adolescent boys with typical development (TD). RESULTS Compared with participants with TD, those with ASD exhibited significantly decreased cortical activation in the left middle temporal gyrus, left temporoparietal junction, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left posterior insula, and right occipitotemporal gyrus, and increased activation in the right anterior insula. Participants with ASD also exhibited a lack of left-lateralization in the central sulcus and abnormal right-lateralization in the anterior insula area. Furthermore, in participants with ASD, we found that abnormal activation of the right central sulcus correlated significantly with lower visual word comprehension scores, and that decreased activation of the right anterior insula correlated significantly with the severity of social interaction difficulties. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that atypical cortical activation and lateralization in the temporal-frontal area, which is associated with higher-order language processing functions, such as semantic analysis, may play a crucial role in visual word comprehension and social interaction difficulties in adolescents with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rei Ogawa
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kuriko Kagitani-Shimono
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Junko Matsuzaki
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Junpei Tanigawa
- Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryuzo Hanaie
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoka Yamamoto
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koji Tominaga
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hirata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ikuko Mohri
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masako Taniike
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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Kaku SM, Jayashankar A, Girimaji SC, Bansal S, Gohel S, Bharath RD, Srinath S. Early childhood network alterations in severe autism. Asian J Psychiatr 2019; 39:114-119. [PMID: 30610990 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the differences in whole brain topology and connectivity in 17 children of the ages 3-8 years across severity of ASD, we performed resting state fMRI using a 3T MRI scanner and graph theoretical analysis of networks. METHOD Patients were partitioned into two cohorts based on the severity of ASD, determined using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores (Mild, 30-36; Severe, 37+). Standard preprocessing pipeline was used, followed by independent component analysis (ICA) to identify regions of interest (ROIs) to construct subject-specific Z-correlation matrices representing the whole brain network. Following which, graph theory measures were calculated in the range of sparsity 6%-35% and statistically analyzed, and corrected for significance (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Regional clustering coefficient that revealed significant between-group (mild vs. severe) differences were correlated against clinical scores (CARS). RESULTS Children with severe ASD revealed significantly increased clustering coefficient and small-worldness compared to those with mild or moderate ASD. Region of interest analysis revealed altered clustering in the Heschl's gyrus that significantly correlated with CARS scores. CONCLUSION The findings from the current study provide early stage evidence of aberrant brain connectivity appearing in severe ASD, prior to the effect of environmental bias and pruning mechanisms. The clustering of the Heschl's gyrus correlated to the severity of ASD symptoms and agrees with current literature on ASD-associated cortical changes, reflecting early changes to language processing regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sowmyashree Mayur Kaku
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Satish Chandra Girimaji
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Sonia Bansal
- Department of Neuroanaesthesia and Neuro-Critical Care, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Suril Gohel
- Department of Health Informatics, School of Health Professions, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Rose Dawn Bharath
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
| | - Shoba Srinath
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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Soussia M, Rekik I. Unsupervised Manifold Learning Using High-Order Morphological Brain Networks Derived From T1-w MRI for Autism Diagnosis. Front Neuroinform 2018; 12:70. [PMID: 30459585 PMCID: PMC6232924 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2018.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), alter brain functional (from fMRI) and structural (from diffusion MRI) connectivities at multiple levels and in varying degrees. While unraveling such alterations have been the focus of a large number of studies, morphological brain connectivity has been out of the research scope. In particular, shape-to-shape relationships across brain regions of interest (ROIs) were rarely investigated. As such, the use of networks based on morphological brain data in neurological disorder diagnosis, while leveraging the advent of machine learning, could complement our knowledge on brain wiring alterations in unprecedented ways. In this paper, we use conventional T1-weighted MRI to define morphological brain networks (MBNs), each quantifying shape relationship between different cortical regions for a specific cortical attribute at both low-order and high-order levels. While typical brain connectomes investigate the relationship between two ROIs, we propose high-order MBN which better captures brain complex interactions by modeling the morphological relationship between pairs of ROIs. For ASD identification, we present a connectomic manifold learning framework, which learns multiple kernels to estimate a similarity measure between ASD and normal controls (NC) connectional features, to perform dimensionality reduction for clustering ASD and NC subjects. We benchmark our ASD identification method against both supervised and unsupervised state-of-the-art methods, while depicting the most discriminative high- and low-order relationships between morphological regions in the left and right hemispheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayssa Soussia
- CVIP Group, BASIRA Lab, School of Science and Engineering, Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Department of Electrical Engineering, The National Engineering School of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Islem Rekik
- CVIP Group, BASIRA Lab, School of Science and Engineering, Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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39
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Alfred KL, Kraemer DJM. Verbal and visual cognition: Individual differences in the lab, in the brain, and in the classroom. Dev Neuropsychol 2018; 42:507-520. [PMID: 29505308 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2017.1401075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In many ways, individuals vary in their thought processes, and in their cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Among the findings revealed by individual differences research, one major dividing line highlighted recurrently by decades of experimental studies is that between linguistically-mediated cognitive operations (verbal cognition), versus cognition, which primarily operates on visual - or visuospatial - representations (visual cognition). In this article, we review findings from three research areas-cognitive abilities, working memory, and task strategies-focusing on individual differences in verbal and visual cognition. In each area we highlight behavioral, neuroimaging, and classroom-based findings, bridging the perspectives of these different methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Alfred
- a Department of Education and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences , Dartmouth College , Hanover , New Hampshire
| | - David J M Kraemer
- a Department of Education and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences , Dartmouth College , Hanover , New Hampshire
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40
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Pua EPK, Malpas CB, Bowden SC, Seal ML. Different brain networks underlying intelligence in autism spectrum disorders. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:3253-3262. [PMID: 29667272 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been sustained clinical and cognitive neuroscience research interest in how network correlates of brain-behavior relationships might be altered in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. As previous work has mostly focused on adults, the nature of whole-brain connectivity networks underlying intelligence in pediatric cohorts with abnormal neurodevelopment requires further investigation. We used network-based statistics (NBS) to examine the association between resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) connectivity and fluid intelligence ability in male children (n = 50) with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD; M = 10.45, SD = 1.58 years and in controls (M = 10.38, SD = 0.96 years) matched on fluid intelligence performance, age and sex. Repeat analyses were performed in independent sites for validation and replication. Despite being equivalent on fluid intelligence ability to strictly matched neurotypical controls, boys with ASD displayed a subnetwork of significantly increased associations between functional connectivity and fluid intelligence. Between-group differences remained significant at higher edge thresholding, and results were validated in independent-site replication analyses in an equivalent age and sex-matched cohort with ASD. Regions consistently implicated in atypical connectivity correlates of fluid intelligence in ASD were the angular gyrus, posterior middle temporal gyrus, occipital and temporo-occipital regions. Development of fluid intelligence neural correlates in young ASD males is aberrant, with an increased strength in intrinsic connectivity association during childhood. Alterations in whole-brain network correlates of fluid intelligence in ASD may be a compensatory mechanism that allows equal task performance to neurotypical peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Peng Kiat Pua
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Charles B Malpas
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Clinical Outcomes Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Stephen C Bowden
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,St. Vincent's Hospital, 41 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia
| | - Marc L Seal
- The Royal Children's Hospital, Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Exploring the neural correlates of lexical stress perception in english among Chinese-English bilingual children with autism spectrum disorder: An ERP study. Neurosci Lett 2018; 666:158-164. [PMID: 29248615 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies found that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were less sensitive to the variations of lexical stress in their native language than typically developing controls. However, no study has been conducted to explore the perception of lexical stress in the second language among individuals with ASD. Using ERPs (event-related potentials) measurement with an oddball paradigm, the current study examined and compared the neural responses by Chinese-English bilingual children with ASD and typically developing controls in the processing of English lexical stress. The results showed that when compared with typically developing controls, children with ASD manifested reduced MMN (mismatch negativity) amplitude at the left temporal-parietal and parietal sites, indicating that they were less sensitive to lexical stress. However, a more negative MMN response was found for ASD group than for typically developing group at the right central-parietal, temporal-parietal, and temporal sites. In addition, the right hemisphere was more activated than the left hemisphere for ASD group, which might be derived from the reversed asymmetry of brain activation for individuals with ASD when processing language-related stimuli.
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Abbott AE, Linke AC, Nair A, Jahedi A, Alba LA, Keown CL, Fishman I, Müller RA. Repetitive behaviors in autism are linked to imbalance of corticostriatal connectivity: a functional connectivity MRI study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2018; 13:32-42. [PMID: 29177509 PMCID: PMC5793718 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsx129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural underpinnings of repetitive behaviors (RBs) in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), ranging from cognitive to motor characteristics, remain unknown. We assessed RB symptomatology in 50 ASD and 52 typically developing (TD) children and adolescents (ages 8-17 years), examining intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of corticostriatal circuitry, which is important for reward-based learning and integration of emotional, cognitive and motor processing, and considered impaired in ASDs. Connectivity analyses were performed for three functionally distinct striatal seeds (limbic, frontoparietal and motor). Functional connectivity with cortical regions of interest was assessed for corticostriatal circuit connectivity indices and ratios, testing the balance of connectivity between circuits. Results showed corticostriatal overconnectivity of limbic and frontoparietal seeds, but underconnectivity of motor seeds. Correlations with RBs were found for connectivity between the striatal motor seeds and cortical motor clusters from the whole-brain analysis, and for frontoparietal/limbic and motor/limbic connectivity ratios. Division of ASD participants into high (n = 17) and low RB subgroups (n = 19) showed reduced frontoparietal/limbic and motor/limbic circuit ratios for high RB compared to low RB and TD groups in the right hemisphere. Results suggest an association between RBs and an imbalance of corticostriatal iFC in ASD, being increased for limbic, but reduced for frontoparietal and motor circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela E Abbott
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
| | - Annika C Linke
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
| | - Aarti Nair
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Afrooz Jahedi
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
- Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University
| | - Laura A Alba
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
| | - Christopher L Keown
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
- Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Inna Fishman
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Department of Psychology, Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, San Diego State University
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
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The Potential Application of Multiscale Entropy Analysis of Electroencephalography in Children with Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. ENTROPY 2017; 19:e19080428. [PMID: 33535366 DOI: 10.3390/e19080428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Electroencephalography (EEG) is frequently used in functional neurological assessment of children with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Multiscale entropy (MSE) can reveal complexity in both short and long time scales and is more feasible in the analysis of EEG. Entropy-based estimation of EEG complexity is a powerful tool in investigating the underlying disturbances of neural networks of the brain. Most neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in childhood affect the early stage of brain development. The analysis of EEG complexity may show the influences of different neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders on different regions of the brain during development. This article aims to give a brief summary of current concepts of MSE analysis in pediatric neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Studies utilizing MSE or its modifications for investigating neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in children were reviewed. Abnormal EEG complexity was shown in a variety of childhood neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, and epilepsy in infancy and childhood. MSE has been shown to be a powerful method for analyzing the non-linear anomaly of EEG in childhood neurological diseases. Further studies are needed to show its clinical implications on diagnosis, treatment, and outcome prediction.
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Murdaugh DL, Maximo JO, Cordes CE, O'Kelley SE, Kana RK. From word reading to multisentence comprehension: Improvements in brain activity in children with autism after reading intervention. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 16:303-312. [PMID: 28856093 PMCID: PMC5565787 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Children with ASD show a unique reading profile characterized by decoding abilities equivalent to verbal abilities, but with lower comprehension skills. Neuroimaging studies have found recruitment of regions primarily associated with visual processing (e.g., fusiform gyrus and medial parietal cortex), but reduced activation in frontal and temporal regions, when reading in adults with ASD. The purpose of this study was to assess neural changes associated with an intense reading intervention program in children with ASD using three fMRI tasks of reading. Methods 25 children with ASD were randomly assigned to a treatment (ASD-EXP) or waitlist group (ASD-WLC). Children participated in a reading intervention program (4-hour sessions per day, 5 days a week for 10 weeks). We utilized three tasks: word, sentence, and multisentence processing, each with differential demands of reading comprehension. fMRI data were acquired at each of two scanning sessions 10-weeks apart. Results Across tasks, post-intervention results revealed that the ASD-EXP group showed greater activation in bilateral precentral gyrus and the postcentral gyrus, visual processing regions (e.g., occipital cortex, fusiform gyrus), and frontal regions. In the word task, left thalamus and the right angular gyrus (AG) activation was unique to the ASD-EXP group post-intervention. Sentence tasks showed differential activation of core language areas (e.g., IFG, IPL) post-intervention. Conclusions Our results provide evidence for differential recruitment of brain regions based on task demands in children with ASD, and support the potential of targeted interventions to alter brain activation in response to positive gains in treatment. Children with ASD have a different reading profile from other reading disorders that needs to be specifically targeted in interventions.
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Key Words
- ADI, Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised
- ADOS, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
- ASD, autism spectrum disorder
- ASD-EXP, children with ASD in the treatment group
- ASD-WLC, children with ASD in the waitlist control group
- Children with ASD
- GORT-4, Gray Oral Reading Test – Fourth Edition
- Intervention
- LFFG, left fusiform gyrus
- LIFG, left inferior frontal gyrus
- LIOG, left inferior occipital gyrus
- LMFG, left middle frontal gyrus
- LPCG, left precentral gyrus
- LSMA, left supplementary motor area
- LSPL, left superior parietal lobule
- LSTG, left superior temporal gyrus
- LTHAL, left thalamus
- Reading comprehension
- SORT-R, Slosson Oral Reading Test - Revised
- V/V, Visualizing and Verbalizing
- WASI, Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence
- fMRI
- fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna L. Murdaugh
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jose O. Maximo
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Claire E. Cordes
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sarah E. O'Kelley
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Rajesh K. Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0021, USA.
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Chiodo L, Majerus S, Mottron L. Typical versus delayed speech onset influences verbal reporting of autistic interests. Mol Autism 2017; 8:35. [PMID: 28736607 PMCID: PMC5520365 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0155-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The distinction between autism and Asperger syndrome has been abandoned in the DSM-5. However, this clinical categorization largely overlaps with the presence or absence of a speech onset delay which is associated with clinical, cognitive, and neural differences. It is unknown whether these different speech development pathways and associated cognitive differences are involved in the heterogeneity of the restricted interests that characterize autistic adults. METHOD This study tested the hypothesis that speech onset delay, or conversely, early mastery of speech, orients the nature and verbal reporting of adult autistic interests. The occurrence of a priori defined descriptors for perceptual and thematic dimensions were determined, as well as the perceived function and benefits, in the response of autistic people to a semi-structured interview on their intense interests. The number of words, grammatical categories, and proportion of perceptual/thematic descriptors were computed and compared between groups by variance analyses. The participants comprised 40 autistic adults grouped according to the presence (N = 20) or absence (N = 20) of speech onset delay, as well as 20 non-autistic adults, also with intense interests, matched for non-verbal intelligence using Raven's Progressive Matrices. RESULTS The overall nature, function, and benefit of intense interests were similar across autistic subgroups, and between autistic and non-autistic groups. However, autistic participants with a history of speech onset delay used more perceptual than thematic descriptors when talking about their interests, whereas the opposite was true for autistic individuals without speech onset delay. This finding remained significant after controlling for linguistic differences observed between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Verbal reporting, but not the nature or positive function, of intense interests differed between adult autistic individuals depending on their speech acquisition history: oral reporting of intense interests was characterized by perceptual dominance for autistic individuals with delayed speech onset and thematic dominance for those without. This may contribute to the heterogeneous presentation observed among autistic adults of normal intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliane Chiodo
- Psychology & Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, PsyNCog University of Liège, Place des Orateurs, 1, Bâtiment 33, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Steve Majerus
- Psychology & Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, PsyNCog University of Liège, Place des Orateurs, 1, Bâtiment 33, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurent Mottron
- Centre d'Excellence en Troubles Envahissants du Développement de l'Université de Montréal, Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, 7070 Blvd Perras, Montréal, Québec H1E 1A4 Canada
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Coderre EL, Chernenok M, Gordon B, Ledoux K. Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Semantic Processing in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An ERP Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:795-812. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2985-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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47
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Burack JA, Russo N, Kovshoff H, Palma Fernandes T, Ringo J, Landry O, Iarocci G. How I Attend—Not How Well Do I Attend: Rethinking Developmental Frameworks of Attention and Cognition in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2016.1197226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Genetic and functional analyses demonstrate a role for abnormal glycinergic signaling in autism. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:936-45. [PMID: 26370147 PMCID: PMC5382231 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition characterized by marked genetic heterogeneity. Recent studies of rare structural and sequence variants have identified hundreds of loci involved in ASD, but our knowledge of the overall genetic architecture and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remains incomplete. Glycine receptors (GlyRs) are ligand-gated chloride channels that mediate inhibitory neurotransmission in the adult nervous system but exert an excitatory action in immature neurons. GlyRs containing the α2 subunit are highly expressed in the embryonic brain, where they promote cortical interneuron migration and the generation of excitatory projection neurons. We previously identified a rare microdeletion of the X-linked gene GLRA2, encoding the GlyR α2 subunit, in a boy with autism. The microdeletion removes the terminal exons of the gene (GLRA2(Δex8-9)). Here, we sequenced 400 males with ASD and identified one de novo missense mutation, p.R153Q, absent from controls. In vitro functional analysis demonstrated that the GLRA2(Δex8)(-)(9) protein failed to localize to the cell membrane, while the R153Q mutation impaired surface expression and markedly reduced sensitivity to glycine. Very recently, an additional de novo missense mutation (p.N136S) was reported in a boy with ASD, and we show that this mutation also reduced cell-surface expression and glycine sensitivity. Targeted glra2 knockdown in zebrafish induced severe axon-branching defects, rescued by injection of wild type but not GLRA2(Δex8-9) or R153Q transcripts, providing further evidence for their loss-of-function effect. Glra2 knockout mice exhibited deficits in object recognition memory and impaired long-term potentiation in the prefrontal cortex. Taken together, these results implicate GLRA2 in non-syndromic ASD, unveil a novel role for GLRA2 in synaptic plasticity and learning and memory, and link altered glycinergic signaling to social and cognitive impairments.
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Ismail MMT, Keynton RS, Mostapha MMMO, ElTanboly AH, Casanova MF, Gimel'farb GL, El-Baz A. Studying Autism Spectrum Disorder with Structural and Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Survey. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:211. [PMID: 27242476 PMCID: PMC4862981 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities have emerged as powerful means that facilitate non-invasive clinical diagnostics of various diseases and abnormalities since their inception in the 1980s. Multiple MRI modalities, such as different types of the sMRI and DTI, have been employed to investigate facets of ASD in order to better understand this complex syndrome. This paper reviews recent applications of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to study autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Main reported findings are sometimes contradictory due to different age ranges, hardware protocols, population types, numbers of participants, and image analysis parameters. The primary anatomical structures, such as amygdalae, cerebrum, and cerebellum, associated with clinical-pathological correlates of ASD are highlighted through successive life stages, from infancy to adulthood. This survey demonstrates the absence of consistent pathology in the brains of autistic children and lack of research investigations in patients under 2 years of age in the literature. The known publications also emphasize advances in data acquisition and analysis, as well as significance of multimodal approaches that combine resting-state, task-evoked, and sMRI measures. Initial results obtained with the sMRI and DTI show good promise toward the early and non-invasive ASD diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa M. T. Ismail
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
| | - Robert S. Keynton
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
| | | | - Ahmed H. ElTanboly
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
| | - Manuel F. Casanova
- Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Sciences, University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC, USA
| | | | - Ayman El-Baz
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
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Crespi B, Leach E, Dinsdale N, Mokkonen M, Hurd P. Imagination in human social cognition, autism, and psychotic-affective conditions. Cognition 2016; 150:181-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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