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Sachdeva J, Mittal R, Mehta J, Jain R, Ranjan A. Resolving autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through brain topologies using fMRI dataset with multi-layer perceptron (MLP). Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2024; 343:111858. [PMID: 39106532 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in individuals during childhood and has enduring consequences for their social interactions and communication. The prediction of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in individuals based on the differences in brain networks and activities have been studied extensively in the recent past, however, with lower accuracies. Therefore in this research, identification at the early stage through computer-aided algorithms to differentiate between ASD and TD patients is proposed. In order to identify features, a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) model is developed which utilizes logistic regression on characteristics extracted from connectivity matrices of subjects derived from fMRI images. The features that significantly contribute to the classification of individuals as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or typically developing (TD) are identified by the logistic regression model. To enhance emphasis on essential attributes, an AND operation is integrated. This involves selecting features demonstrating statistical significance across diverse logistic regression analyses conducted on various random distributions. The iterative approach contributes to a comprehensive understanding of relevant features for accurate classification. By implementing this methodology, the estimation of feature importance became more dependable, and the potential for overfitting is moderated through the evaluation of model performance on various subsets of data. It is observed from the experimentation that the highly correlated Left Lateral Occipital Cortex and Right Lateral Occipital Cortex ROIs are only found in ASD. Also, it is noticed that the highly correlated Left Cerebellum Tonsil and Right Cerebellum Tonsil are only found in TD participants. Among the MLP classifier, a recall of 82.61 % is achieved followed by Logistic Regression with an accuracy of 72.46 %. MLP also stands out with a commendable accuracy of 83.57 % and AUC of 0.978.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jainy Sachdeva
- Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering Department, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, India.
| | - Riyaansh Mittal
- Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering Department, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, India
| | - Jiya Mehta
- Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering Department, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, India
| | - Riya Jain
- Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering Department, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, India
| | - Anmol Ranjan
- Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering Department, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, India
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Tansey R, Graff K, Rai S, Merrikh D, Godfrey KJ, Vanderwal T, Bray S. Development of human visual cortical function: A scoping review of task- and naturalistic-fMRI studies through the interactive specialization and maturational frameworks. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105729. [PMID: 38763178 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105729] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Overarching theories such as the interactive specialization and maturational frameworks have been proposed to describe human functional brain development. However, these frameworks have not yet been systematically examined across the fMRI literature. Visual processing is one of the most well-studied fields in neuroimaging, and research in this area has recently expanded to include naturalistic paradigms that facilitate study in younger age ranges, allowing for an in-depth critical appraisal of these frameworks across childhood. To this end, we conducted a scoping review of 94 developmental visual fMRI studies, including both traditional experimental task and naturalistic studies, across multiple sub-domains (early visual processing, category-specific higher order processing, naturalistic visual processing). We found that across domains, many studies reported progressive development, but few studies describe regressive or emergent changes necessary to fit the maturational or interactive specialization frameworks. Our findings suggest a need for the expansion of developmental frameworks and clearer reporting of both progressive and regressive changes, along with well-powered, longitudinal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryann Tansey
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Kirk Graff
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Shefali Rai
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Daria Merrikh
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Kate J Godfrey
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tamara Vanderwal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Signe Bray
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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3
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Chen L, Abate M, Fredericks M, Guo Y, Tao Z, Zhang X. Age-related differences in the intrinsic connectivity of the hippocampus and ventral temporal lobe in autistic individuals. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1394706. [PMID: 38938289 PMCID: PMC11208705 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1394706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although memory challenges in autistic individuals have been characterized recently, the functional connectivity of the hippocampus and ventral temporal lobe, two structures important for episodic and semantic memory functions, are poorly understood in autistic individuals. Moreover, age-related differences in the functional connectivity associated with these two memory networks are unrevealed. Methods The current study investigated age-related differences in intrinsic connectivity of the hippocampal and ventral temporal lobe (vTL) memory networks in well-matched ASD (n = 73; age range: 10.23-55.40 years old) and Non-ASD groups (n = 74; age range: 10.46-56.20 years old) from the open dataset ABIDE-I. Both theory-driven ROI-to-ROI approach and exploratory seed-based whole-brain approach were used. Results and discussion Our findings revealed reduced connectivity in ASD compared to Non-ASD peers, as well as an age-related reduction in the connectivity of hippocampal and vTL networks with triple networks, namely, the default mode network (DMN), the central executive network (CEN), and the salience network (SN), potentially underpinning their challenges in memory, language, and social functions. However, we did not observe reliable differences in age-related effects between the ASD and Non-ASD groups. Our study underscores the importance of understanding memory network dysfunctions in ASD across the lifespan to inform educational and clinical practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Chen
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Program, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Meghan Abate
- Neuroscience Program, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | | | - Yuanchun Guo
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Zhizhen Tao
- Department of Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Xiuming Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, United States
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Zheng X, Zhou F, Fu M, Xu L, Wang J, Li J, Li K, Sindermann C, Montag C, Becker B, Zhan Y, Kendrick KM. Patterns of neural activity in response to threatening faces are predictive of autistic traits: modulatory effects of oxytocin receptor genotype. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:168. [PMID: 38553454 PMCID: PMC10980722 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02889-w] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Autistic individuals generally demonstrate impaired emotion recognition but it is unclear whether effects are emotion-specific or influenced by oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotype. Here we implemented a dimensional approach using an implicit emotion recognition task together with functional MRI in a large cohort of neurotypical adult participants (N = 255, male = 131, aged 17-29 years) to establish associations between autistic traits and neural and behavioral responses to specific face emotions, together with modulatory effects of OXTR genotype. A searchlight-based multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed an extensive network of frontal, basal ganglia, cingulate and limbic regions exhibiting significant predictability for autistic traits from patterns of responses to angry relative to neutral expression faces. Functional connectivity analyses revealed a genotype interaction (OXTR SNPs rs2254298, rs2268491) for coupling between the orbitofrontal cortex and mid-cingulate during angry expression processing, with a negative association between coupling and autistic traits in the risk-allele group and a positive one in the non-risk allele group. Overall, results indicate extensive emotion-specific associations primarily between patterns of neural responses to angry faces and autistic traits in regions processing motivation, reward and salience but not in early visual processing. Functional connections between these identified regions were not only associated with autistic traits but also influenced by OXTR genotype. Thus, altered patterns of neural responses to threatening faces may be a potential biomarker for autistic symptoms although modulatory influences of OXTR genotype need to be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meina Fu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jialin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Keshuang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Cornelia Sindermann
- University of Stuttgart, Computational Digital Psychology, Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hongkong, Hongkong, China
| | - Yang Zhan
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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Lesinger K, Rosenthal G, Pierce K, Courchesne E, Dinstein I, Avidan G. Functional connectivity of the human face network exhibits right hemispheric lateralization from infancy to adulthood. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20831. [PMID: 38012206 PMCID: PMC10682179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47581-z] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Adults typically exhibit right hemispheric dominance in the processing of faces. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated age-dependent changes in face processing lateralization from infancy to adulthood (1-48 years old; N = 194). We co-registered anatomical and resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans of toddlers, children, adolescents, and adults into a common space and examined functional connectivity across the face, as well as place, and object-selective regions identified in adults. As expected, functional connectivity between core face-selective regions was stronger in the right compared to the left hemisphere in adults. Most importantly, the same lateralization was evident in all other age groups (infants, children, adolescents) and appeared only in face-selective regions, and not in place or object-selective regions. These findings suggest that the physiological development of face-selective brain areas may differ from that of object and place-selective areas. Specifically, the functional connectivity of the core-face selective regions exhibits rightward lateralization from infancy, years before these areas develop mature face-selective responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keren Lesinger
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, 8410501, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Gideon Rosenthal
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, 8410501, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Karen Pierce
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Ilan Dinstein
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, 8410501, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Galia Avidan
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, 8410501, Beer Sheva, Israel.
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Liu J, Chen L, Chang H, Rudoler J, Al-Zughoul AB, Kang JB, Abrams DA, Menon V. Replicable Patterns of Memory Impairments in Children With Autism and Their Links to Hyperconnected Brain Circuits. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:1113-1123. [PMID: 37196984 PMCID: PMC10646152 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Memory impairments have profound implications for social communication and educational outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the precise nature of memory dysfunction in children with ASD and the underlying neural circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. The default mode network (DMN) is a brain network that is associated with memory and cognitive function, and DMN dysfunction is among the most replicable and robust brain signatures of ASD. METHODS We used a comprehensive battery of standardized episodic memory assessments and functional circuit analyses in 25 8- to 12-year-old children with ASD and 29 matched typically developing control children. RESULTS Memory performance was reduced in children with ASD compared with control children. General and face memory emerged as distinct dimensions of memory difficulties in ASD. Importantly, findings of diminished episodic memory in children with ASD were replicated in 2 independent data sets. Analysis of intrinsic functional circuits associated with the DMN revealed that general and face memory deficits were associated with distinct, hyperconnected circuits: Aberrant hippocampal connectivity predicted diminished general memory while aberrant posterior cingulate cortex connectivity predicted diminished face memory. Notably, aberrant hippocampal-posterior cingulate cortex circuitry was a common feature of diminished general and face memory in ASD. CONCLUSIONS Our results represent a comprehensive appraisal of episodic memory function in children with ASD and identify extensive and replicable patterns of memory reductions in children with ASD that are linked to dysfunction of distinct DMN-related circuits. These findings highlight a role for DMN dysfunction in ASD that extends beyond face memory to general memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Liu
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
| | - Lang Chen
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
| | - Hyesang Chang
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Jeremy Rudoler
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Ahmad Belal Al-Zughoul
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Julia Boram Kang
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Daniel A Abrams
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Wu Tsai Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Wu Tsai Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
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Soylu F, May K, Kana R. White and gray matter correlates of theory of mind in autism: a voxel-based morphometry study. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1671-1689. [PMID: 37452864 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02680-5] [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: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in theory of mind (ToM) and social communication. Studying structural and functional correlates of ToM in the brain and how autistic and nonautistic groups differ in terms of these correlates can help with diagnosis and understanding the biological mechanisms of ASD. In this study, we investigated white matter volume (WMV) and gray matter volume (GMV) differences between matching autistic and nonautistic samples, and how these structural features relate to age and ToM skills, indexed by the Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RMIE) measure. The results showed widespread GMV and WMV differences between the two groups in regions crucial for social processes. The autistic group did not express the typically observed negative GMV and positive WMV correlations with age at the same level as the nonautistic group, pointing to abnormalities in developmental structural changes. In addition, we found differences between the two groups in how GMV relates to ToM, particularly in the left frontal regions, and how WMV relates to ToM, mostly in the cingulate and corpus callosum. Finally, GMV in the left insula, a region that is part of the salience network, was found to be crucial in distinguishing ToM performance between the two groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firat Soylu
- Educational Psychology Program, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
| | - Kaitlyn May
- Educational Psychology Program, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA
| | - Rajesh Kana
- Department of Psychology, & the Center for Innovative Research in Autism, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA
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Dai J, Scherf KS. The Privileged Status of Peer Faces: Subordinate-level Neural Representations of Faces in Emerging Adults. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:715-735. [PMID: 36638228 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Faces can be represented at a variety of different subordinate levels (e.g., race) that can become "privileged" for visual recognition in perceivers and is reflected as patterns of biases (e.g., own-race bias). The mechanisms encoding privileged status are likely varied, making it difficult to predict how neural systems represent subordinate-level biases in face processing. Here, we investigate the neural basis of subordinate-level representations of human faces in the ventral visual pathway, by leveraging recent behavioral findings indicating the privileged nature of peer faces in identity recognition for adolescents and emerging adults (i.e., ages 18-25 years). We tested 166 emerging adults in a face recognition paradigm and a subset of 31 of these participants in two fMRI task paradigms. We showed that emerging adults exhibit a peer bias in face recognition behavior, which indicates a privileged status for a subordinate-level category of faces that is not predicted based on experience alone. This privileged status of peer faces is supported by multiple neural mechanisms within the ventral visual pathway, including enhanced neural magnitude and neural size in the neural size in the fusiform area (FFA1), which is a critical part of the face-processing network that fundamentally supports the representations of subordinate-level categories of faces. These findings demonstrate organizational principles that the human ventral visual pathway uses to privilege relevant social information in face representations, which is essential for navigating human social interactions. It will be important to understand whether similar mechanisms support representations of other subordinate-level categories like race and gender.
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Neurobiological correlates and attenuated positive social intention attribution during laughter perception associated with degree of autistic traits. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:585-596. [PMID: 36808307 PMCID: PMC10049931 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02599-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Laughter plays an important role in group formation, signaling social belongingness by indicating a positive or negative social intention towards the receiver. In adults without autism, the intention of laughter can be correctly differentiated without further contextual information. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, differences in the perception and interpretation of social cues represent a key characteristic of the disorder. Studies suggest that these differences are associated with hypoactivation and altered connectivity among key nodes of the social perception network. How laughter, as a multimodal nonverbal social cue, is perceived and processed neurobiologically in association with autistic traits has not been assessed previously. We investigated differences in social intention attribution, neurobiological activation, and connectivity during audiovisual laughter perception in association with the degree of autistic traits in adults [N = 31, Mage (SD) = 30.7 (10.0) years, nfemale = 14]. An attenuated tendency to attribute positive social intention to laughter was found with increasing autistic traits. Neurobiologically, autistic trait scores were associated with decreased activation in the right inferior frontal cortex during laughter perception and with attenuated connectivity between the bilateral fusiform face area with bilateral inferior and lateral frontal, superior temporal, mid-cingulate and inferior parietal cortices. Results support hypoactivity and hypoconnectivity during social cue processing with increasing ASD symptoms between socioemotional face processing nodes and higher-order multimodal processing regions related to emotion identification and attribution of social intention. Furthermore, results reflect the importance of specifically including signals of positive social intention in future studies in ASD.
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Hirsch J, Zhang X, Noah JA, Dravida S, Naples A, Tiede M, Wolf JM, McPartland JC. Neural correlates of eye contact and social function in autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265798. [PMID: 36350848 PMCID: PMC9645655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Reluctance to make eye contact during natural interactions is a central diagnostic criterion for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the underlying neural correlates for eye contacts in ASD are unknown, and diagnostic biomarkers are active areas of investigation. Here, neuroimaging, eye-tracking, and pupillometry data were acquired simultaneously using two-person functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during live "in-person" eye-to-eye contact and eye-gaze at a video face for typically-developed (TD) and participants with ASD to identify the neural correlates of live eye-to-eye contact in both groups. Comparisons between ASD and TD showed decreased right dorsal-parietal activity and increased right ventral temporal-parietal activity for ASD during live eye-to-eye contact (p≤0.05, FDR-corrected) and reduced cross-brain coherence consistent with atypical neural systems for live eye contact. Hypoactivity of right dorsal-parietal regions during eye contact in ASD was further associated with gold standard measures of social performance by the correlation of neural responses and individual measures of: ADOS-2, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (r = -0.76, -0.92 and -0.77); and SRS-2, Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (r = -0.58). The findings indicate that as categorized social ability decreases, neural responses to real eye-contact in the right dorsal parietal region also decrease consistent with a neural correlate for social characteristics in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Hirsch
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Xian Zhang
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - J. Adam Noah
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Swethasri Dravida
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Mark Tiede
- Brain Function Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Julie M. Wolf
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Haartsen R, Mason L, Garces P, Gui A, Charman T, Tillmann J, Johnson MH, Buitelaar JK, Loth E, Murphy D, Jones EJH. Qualitative differences in the spatiotemporal brain states supporting configural face processing emerge in adolescence in autism. Cortex 2022; 155:13-29. [PMID: 35961249 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.06.010] [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: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying the neural processing of faces can illuminate the mechanisms of compromised social expertise in autism. To resolve a longstanding debate, we examined whether differences in configural face processing in autism are underpinned by quantitative differences in the activation of typical face processing pathways, or the recruitment of non-typical neural systems. METHODS We investigated spatial and temporal characteristics of event-related EEG responses to upright and inverted faces in a large sample of children, adolescents, and adults with and without autism. We examined topographic analyses of variance and global field power to identify group differences in the spatial and temporal response to face inversion. We then examined how quasi-stable spatiotemporal profiles - microstates - are modulated by face orientation and diagnostic group. RESULTS Upright and inverted faces produced distinct profiles of topography and strength in the topographical analyses. These topographical profiles differed between diagnostic groups in adolescents, but not in children or adults. In the microstate analysis, the autistic group showed differences in the activation strength of normative microstates during early-stage processing at all ages, suggesting consistent quantitative differences in the operation of typical processing pathways; qualitative differences in microstate topographies during late-stage processing became prominent in adults, suggesting the increasing involvement of non-typical neural systems with processing time and over development. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that early difficulties with configural face processing may trigger later compensatory processes in autism that emerge in later development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne Haartsen
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom.
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Pilar Garces
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna Gui
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, United Kingdom
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12
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Costa C, Cristea IA, Dal Bò E, Melloni C, Gentili C. Brain activity during facial processing in autism spectrum disorder: an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:1412-1424. [PMID: 33723876 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though aberrant face processing is a hallmark of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), findings on accompanying brain activity are divergent. Therefore, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of studies examining brain activity during face processing. METHODS We searched PubMed and PsycINFO using combinations of terms as 'fMRI', 'Autism Spectrum Disorder', 'Face Perception'. Eligible studies reported on DSM-diagnosed ASD individuals, compared to controls (HC), using face stimuli presented in fMRI and reporting whole-brain analysis coordinates. We compared two approaches: 'convergence of differences' (primary analysis) using study-level coordinates from ASD vs. HC contrasts, and 'differences in convergence' (secondary) pooling coordinates within each group separately, and contrasting the resultant ALE maps. RESULTS Thirty-five studies (655 ASD and 668 HC) were included. Primary analysis identified a cluster in amygdala/parahippocampus where HC showed greater convergence of activation. Secondary analysis yielded no significant results. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that ASD dysfunction in face processing relies on structures involved in emotional processing rather than perception. We also demonstrate that the two ALE methodologies lead to divergent results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano Costa
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ioana Alina Cristea
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elisa Dal Bò
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Caterina Melloni
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Claudio Gentili
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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13
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Patterson G, Cummings KK, Jung J, Okada NJ, Tottenham N, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M, Green SA. Effects of sensory distraction and salience priming on emotion identification in autism: an fMRI study. J Neurodev Disord 2021; 13:42. [PMID: 34556059 PMCID: PMC8461948 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-021-09391-0] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Social interaction often occurs in noisy environments with many extraneous sensory stimuli. This is especially relevant for youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who commonly experience sensory over-responsivity (SOR) in addition to social challenges. However, the relationship between SOR and social difficulties is still poorly understood and thus rarely addressed in interventions. This study investigated the effect of auditory sensory distracters on neural processing of emotion identification in youth with ASD and the effects of increasing attention to social cues by priming participants with their own emotional faces. Methods While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 30 youth with ASD and 24 typically developing (TD) age-matched controls (ages 8–17 years) identified faces as happy or angry with and without simultaneously hearing aversive environmental noises. Halfway through the task, participants also viewed videos of their own emotional faces. The relationship between parent-rated auditory SOR and brain responses during the task was also examined. Results Despite showing comparable behavioral performance on the task, ASD and TD youth demonstrated distinct patterns of neural activity. Compared to TD, ASD youth showed greater increases in amygdala, insula, and primary sensory regions when identifying emotions with noises compared to no sounds. After viewing videos of their own emotion faces, ASD youth showed greater increases in medial prefrontal cortex activation compared to TD youth. Within ASD youth, lower SOR was associated with reduced increased activity in subcortical regions after the prime and greater increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex after the prime, particularly in trials with noises. Conclusions The results suggest that the sensory environment plays an important role in how ASD youth process social information. Additionally, we demonstrated that increasing attention to relevant social cues helps ASD youth engage frontal regions involved in higher-order social cognition, a mechanism that could be targeted in interventions. Importantly, the effect of the intervention may depend on individual differences in SOR, supporting the importance of pre-screening youth for sensory challenges prior to social interventions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s11689-021-09391-0.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaitlin K Cummings
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Jiwon Jung
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Nana J Okada
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.,Havard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.,Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 660 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA. .,Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 660 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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14
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Zhao F, Chen Z, Rekik I, Liu P, Mao N, Lee SW, Shen D. A Novel Unit-Based Personalized Fingerprint Feature Selection Strategy for Dynamic Functional Connectivity Networks. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:651574. [PMID: 33828457 PMCID: PMC8019754 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.651574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The sliding-window-based dynamic functional connectivity networks (SW-D-FCN) derive from resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging has become an increasingly useful tool in the diagnosis of various neurodegenerative diseases. However, it is still challenging to learn how to extract and select the most discriminative features from SW-D-FCN. Conventionally, existing methods opt to select a single discriminative feature set or concatenate a few more from the SW-D-FCN. However, such reductionist strategies may fail to fully capture the personalized discriminative characteristics contained in each functional connectivity (FC) sequence of the SW-D-FCN. To address this issue, we propose a unit-based personalized fingerprint feature selection (UPFFS) strategy to better capture the most discriminative feature associated with a target disease for each unit. Specifically, we regard the FC sequence between any pair of brain regions of interest (ROIs) is regarded as a unit. For each unit, the most discriminative feature is identified by a specific feature evaluation method and all the most discriminative features are then concatenated together as a feature set for the subsequent classification task. In such a way, the personalized fingerprint feature derived from each FC sequence can be fully mined and utilized in classification decision. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, we conduct experiments to distinguish subjects diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder from normal controls. Experimental results show that the proposed strategy can select relevant discriminative features and achieve superior performance to benchmark methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhao
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai, China
| | - Zhiyuan Chen
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai, China
| | - Islem Rekik
- BASIRA Lab, Faculty of Computer and Informatics Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.,School of Science and Engineering, Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Peiqiang Liu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Shandong Technology and Business University, Yantai, China
| | - Ning Mao
- Department of Radiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China
| | - Seong-Whan Lee
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dinggang Shen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai United Imaging Intelligence Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China.,Department of Artificial Intelligence, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
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15
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Styliadis C, Leung R, Özcan S, Moulton EA, Pang E, Taylor MJ, Papadelis C. Atypical spatiotemporal activation of cerebellar lobules during emotional face processing in adolescents with autism. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:2099-2114. [PMID: 33528852 PMCID: PMC8046060 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social deficits and atypical facial processing of emotional expressions. The underlying neuropathology of these abnormalities is still unclear. Recent studies implicate cerebellum in emotional processing; other studies show cerebellar abnormalities in ASD. Here, we elucidate the spatiotemporal activation of cerebellar lobules in ASD during emotional processing of happy and angry faces in adolescents with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls. Using magnetoencephalography, we calculated dynamic statistical parametric maps across a period of 500 ms after emotional stimuli onset and determined differences between group activity to happy and angry emotions. Following happy face presentation, adolescents with ASD exhibited only left‐hemispheric cerebellar activation in a cluster extending from lobule VI to lobule V (compared to TD controls). Following angry face presentation, adolescents with ASD exhibited only midline cerebellar activation (posterior IX vermis). Our findings indicate an early (125–175 ms) overactivation in cerebellar activity only for happy faces and a later overactivation for both happy (250–450 ms) and angry (250–350 ms) faces in adolescents with ASD. The prioritized hemispheric activity (happy faces) could reflect the promotion of a more flexible and adaptive social behavior, while the latter midline activity (angry faces) may guide conforming behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charis Styliadis
- Laboratory of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Selin Özcan
- Laboratory of Children's Brain Dynamics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric A Moulton
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elizabeth Pang
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Autism Research Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christos Papadelis
- Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center, Cook Children's Health Care System, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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16
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Suri K, Lewis M, Minar N, Willson E, Ace J. Face Memory Deficits in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-020-09840-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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17
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Minio-Paluello I, Porciello G, Pascual-Leone A, Baron-Cohen S. Face individual identity recognition: a potential endophenotype in autism. Mol Autism 2020; 11:81. [PMID: 33081830 PMCID: PMC7576748 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00371-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Face individual identity recognition skill is heritable and independent of intellectual ability. Difficulties in face individual identity recognition are present in autistic individuals and their family members and are possibly linked to oxytocin polymorphisms in families with an autistic child. While it is reported that developmental prosopagnosia (i.e., impaired face identity recognition) occurs in 2-3% of the general population, no prosopagnosia prevalence estimate is available for autism. Furthermore, an autism within-group approach has not been reported towards characterizing impaired face memory and to investigate its possible links to social and communication difficulties. METHODS The present study estimated the prevalence of prosopagnosia in 80 autistic adults with no intellectual disability, investigated its cognitive characteristics and links to autism symptoms' severity, personality traits, and mental state understanding from the eye region by using standardized tests and questionnaires. RESULTS More than one third of autistic participants showed prosopagnosia. Their face memory skill was not associated with their symptom's severity, empathy, alexithymia, or general intelligence. Face identity recognition was instead linked to mental state recognition from the eye region only in autistic individuals who had prosopagnosia, and this relationship did not depend on participants' basic face perception skills. Importantly, we found that autistic participants were not aware of their face memory skills. LIMITATIONS We did not test an epidemiological sample, and additional work is necessary to establish whether these results generalize to the entire autism spectrum. CONCLUSIONS Impaired face individual identity recognition meets the criteria to be a potential endophenotype in autism. In the future, testing for face memory could be used to stratify autistic individuals into genetically meaningful subgroups and be translatable to autism animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Minio-Paluello
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giuseppina Porciello
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Guttmann Brain Health Institute, Institut Guttmann de Neurorehabilitació, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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18
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Sapey-Triomphe LA, Boets B, Van Eylen L, Noens I, Sunaert S, Steyaert J, Wagemans J. Ventral stream hierarchy underlying perceptual organization in adolescents with autism. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 25:102197. [PMID: 32014827 PMCID: PMC6997624 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Object recognition relies on a hierarchically organized ventral visual stream, with both bottom-up and top-down processes. Here, we aimed at investigating the neural underpinnings of perceptual organization along the ventral visual stream in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and at determining whether this would be associated with decreased top-down processing in ASD. Nineteen typically developing (TD) adolescents and sixteen adolescents with ASD participated in an fMRI study where they had to detect visual objects. Five conditions displayed Gabor patterns (defined by texture and/or contour) with increasing levels of perceptual organization. In each condition, both groups showed similar abilities. In line with the expected cortical hierarchy, brain activity patterns revealed a progressive involvement of regions, from low-level occipital regions to higher-level frontal regions, when stimuli became more and more organized. The brain patterns were generally similar in both groups, but the ASD group showed greater activation than TD participants in the middle occipital gyrus and lateral occipital complex when perceiving fully organized everyday objects. Effective connectivity analyses suggested that top-down functional connections between the lower levels of the cortical hierarchy were less influenced by the meaning carried by the stimuli in the ASD group than in the TD group. We hypothesize that adolescents with ASD may have been less influenced by top-down processing when perceiving recognizable objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie-Anne Sapey-Triomphe
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7h, PB 7001, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Lien Van Eylen
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ilse Noens
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | | | - Jean Steyaert
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7h, PB 7001, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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19
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Wu YY, Wang SF, Zhu PW, Yuan Q, Shi WQ, Lin Q, Li B, Min YL, Zhou Q, Shao Y. Altered Intrinsic Functional Connectivity of the Primary Visual Cortex in Patients with Neovascular Glaucoma: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2020; 16:25-33. [PMID: 32021196 PMCID: PMC6954828 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s228606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose was to investigate the differences in spontaneous functional connectivity (FC) of the primary visual cortex (V1) between patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG) and healthy controls (HCs) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data. METHODS A total of 18 patients with NVG (nine males and nine females) and 18 HCs with similar age and sex background were enrolled in the study and inspected using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The differences in FC of the V1 between the two groups were compared using the independent samples t-test. We used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to compare the average FC values of NVG subjects with those of HCs. RESULTS FC in the left V1 and right fusiform gyrus, bilateral cuneus, and left precuneus was significantly decreased in the NVG group compared with that reported in the HC group. Meanwhile, patients with NVG presented increased FC between the right V1 and bilateral middle frontal gyrus. However, they also exhibited declining FC between the right V1 and left precuneus, and bilateral cuneus. The ROC curve analysis of each brain region indicated that the accuracy of the area under the ROC curves regarding NVG was excellent. CONCLUSION NVG involves aberrant FC in the V1 in different brain areas, including the visual-related and cognitive-related regions. These findings may assist in unveiling the underlying neural mechanisms of impaired visual function in NVG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Yuan Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Shui-Feng Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Pei-Wen Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Yuan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Qing Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Biao Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - You-Lan Min
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiong Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Shao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
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20
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Rolls ET, Zhou Y, Cheng W, Gilson M, Deco G, Feng J. Effective connectivity in autism. Autism Res 2019; 13:32-44. [PMID: 31657138 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The aim was to go beyond functional connectivity, by measuring in the first large-scale study differences in effective, that is directed, connectivity between brain areas in autism compared to controls. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) data set in 394 people with autism spectrum disorder and 473 controls, and effective connectivity (EC) was measured between 94 brain areas. First, in autism, the middle temporal gyrus and other temporal areas had lower effective connectivities to the precuneus and cuneus, and these were correlated with the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule total, communication, and social scores. This lower EC from areas implicated in face expression analysis and theory of mind to the precuneus and cuneus implicated in the sense of self may relate to the poor understanding of the implications of face expression inputs for oneself in autism, and to the reduced theory of mind. Second, the hippocampus and amygdala had higher EC to the middle temporal gyrus in autism, and these are thought to be back projections based on anatomical evidence and are weaker than in the other direction. This may be related to increased retrieval of recent and emotional memories in autism. Third, some prefrontal cortex areas had higher EC with each other and with the precuneus and cuneus. Fourth, there was decreased EC from the temporal pole to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and there was evidence for lower activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a brain area implicated in emotion-related decision-making. Autism Res 2020, 13: 32-44. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: To understand autism spectrum disorders better, it may be helpful to understand whether brain systems cause effects on each other differently in people with autism. In this first large-scale neuroimaging investigation of effective connectivity in people with autism, it is shown that parts of the temporal lobe involved in facial expression identification and theory of mind have weaker effects on the precuneus and cuneus implicated in the sense of self. This may relate to the poor understanding of the implications of face expression inputs for oneself in autism, and to the reduced theory of mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund T Rolls
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunyi Zhou
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Matthieu Gilson
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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21
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Puberty and functional brain development in humans: Convergence in findings? Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 39:100690. [PMID: 31450015 PMCID: PMC6969369 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there is a long history of studying the influence of pubertal hormones on brain function/structure in animals, this research in human adolescents is young but burgeoning. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of findings from neuroimaging studies investigating the relation between pubertal and functional brain development in humans. We quantified the findings from this literature in which statistics required for standard meta-analyses are often not provided (i.e., effect size in fMRI studies). To do so, we assessed convergence in findings within content domains (reward, facial emotion, social information, cognitive processing) in terms of the locus and directionality (i.e., positive/negative) of effects. Face processing is the only domain with convergence in the locus of effects in the amygdala. Social information processing is the only domain with convergence of positive effects; however, these effects are not consistently present in any brain region. There is no convergence of effects in either the reward or cognitive processing domains. This limited convergence in findings across domains is not the result of null findings or even due to the variety of experimental paradigms researchers employ. Instead, there are critical theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues that must be addressed in order to move the field forward.
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22
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Dwyer P, Xu B, Tanaka JW. Investigating the perception of face identity in adults on the autism spectrum using behavioural and electrophysiological measures. Vision Res 2019; 157:132-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2018.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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23
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Elbich DB, Molenaar PCM, Scherf KS. Evaluating the organizational structure and specificity of network topology within the face processing system. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:2581-2595. [PMID: 30779256 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing appreciation that network-level interactions among regions produce components of face processing previously ascribed to individual regions. Our goals were to use an exhaustive data-driven approach to derive and quantify the topology of directed functional connections within a priori defined nodes of the face processing network and evaluate whether the topology is category-specific. Young adults were scanned with fMRI as they viewed movies of faces, objects, and scenes. We employed GIMME to model effective connectivity among core and extended face processing regions, which allowed us to evaluate all possible directional connections, under each viewing condition (face, object, place). During face processing, we observed directional connections from the right posterior superior temporal sulcus to both the right occipital face area and right fusiform face area (FFA), which does not reflect the topology reported in prior studies. We observed connectivity between core and extended regions during face processing, but this limited to a feed-forward connection from the FFA to the amygdala. Finally, the topology of connections was unique to face processing. These findings suggest that the pattern of directed functional connections within the face processing network, particularly in the right core regions, may not be as hierarchical and feed-forward as described previously. Our findings support the notion that topologies of network connections are specialized, emergent, and dynamically responsive to task demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Elbich
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Peter C M Molenaar
- Department of Health & Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - K Suzanne Scherf
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
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Huang H, Liu X, Jin Y, Lee SW, Wee CY, Shen D. Enhancing the representation of functional connectivity networks by fusing multi-view information for autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 40:833-854. [PMID: 30357998 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity network provides novel insights on how distributed brain regions are functionally integrated, and its deviations from healthy brain have recently been employed to identify biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorders. However, most of brain network analysis methods utilized features extracted only from one functional connectivity network for brain disease detection and cannot provide a comprehensive representation on the subtle disruptions of brain functional organization induced by neuropsychiatric disorders. Inspired by the principles of multi-view learning which utilizes information from multiple views to enhance object representation, we propose a novel multiple network based framework to enhance the representation of functional connectivity networks by fusing the common and complementary information conveyed in multiple networks. Specifically, four functional connectivity networks corresponding to the four adjacent values of regularization parameter are generated via a sparse regression model with group constraint ( l2,1 -norm), to enhance the common intrinsic topological structure and limit the error rate caused by different views. To obtain a set of more meaningful and discriminative features, we propose using a modified version of weighted clustering coefficients to quantify the subtle differences of each group-sparse network at local level. We then linearly fuse the selected features from each individual network via a multi-kernel support vector machine for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The proposed framework achieves an accuracy of 79.35%, outperforming all the compared single network methods for at least 7% improvement. Moreover, compared with other multiple network methods, our method also achieves the best performance, that is, with at least 11% improvement in accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huifang Huang
- School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China.,Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) and Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Xingdan Liu
- School of Computer and Information Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Jin
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) and Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Seong-Whan Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chong-Yaw Wee
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) and Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dinggang Shen
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center (BRIC) and Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Scherf KS, Griffin JW, Judy B, Whyte EM, Geier CF, Elbich D, Smyth JM. Improving sensitivity to eye gaze cues in autism using serious game technology: study protocol for a phase I randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2018; 8:e023682. [PMID: 30287612 PMCID: PMC6173230 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by impairments in social communication. Core symptoms are deficits in social looking behaviours, including limited visual attention to faces and sensitivity to eye gaze cues. We designed an intervention game using serious game mechanics for adolescents with ASD. It is designed to train individuals with ASD to discover that the eyes, and shifts in gaze specifically, provide information about the external world. We predict that the game will increase understanding of gaze cues and attention to faces. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Social Games for Adolescents with Autism (SAGA) trial is a preliminary, randomised controlled trial comparing the intervention game with a waitlist control condition. 34 adolescents (10-18 years) with ASD with a Full-Scale IQ between 70 and 130 and a minimum second grade reading level, and their parents, will be randomly assigned (equally to intervention or the control condition) following baseline assessments. Intervention participants will be instructed to play the computer game at home on a computer for ~30 min, three times a week. All families are tested in the lab at baseline and approximately 2 months following randomisation in all measures. Primary outcomes are assessed with eye tracking to measure sensitivity to eye gaze cues and social visual attention to faces; secondary outcomes are assessed with questionnaires to measure social skills and autism-like behaviours. The analyses will focus on evaluating the feasibility, safety and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION SAGA is approved by the Institutional Review Board at Pennsylvania State University (00005097). Findings will be disseminated via scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals and to participants via newsletter. The intervention game will be available to families in the control condition after the full data are collected and if analyses indicate that it is effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02968225.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Suzanne Scherf
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jason W Griffin
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian Judy
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elisabeth M Whyte
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Charles F Geier
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel Elbich
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua M Smyth
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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26
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Kliemann D, Richardson H, Anzellotti S, Ayyash D, Haskins AJ, Gabrieli JDE, Saxe RR. Cortical responses to dynamic emotional facial expressions generalize across stimuli, and are sensitive to task-relevance, in adults with and without Autism. Cortex 2018; 103:24-43. [PMID: 29554540 PMCID: PMC5988954 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) report difficulties extracting meaningful information from dynamic and complex social cues, like facial expressions. The nature and mechanisms of these difficulties remain unclear. Here we tested whether that difficulty can be traced to the pattern of activity in "social brain" regions, when viewing dynamic facial expressions. In two studies, adult participants (male and female) watched brief videos of a range of positive and negative facial expressions, while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (Study 1: ASD n = 16, control n = 21; Study 2: ASD n = 22, control n = 30). Patterns of hemodynamic activity differentiated among facial emotional expressions in left and right superior temporal sulcus, fusiform gyrus, and parts of medial prefrontal cortex. In both control participants and high-functioning individuals with ASD, we observed (i) similar responses to emotional valence that generalized across facial expressions and animated social events; (ii) similar flexibility of responses to emotional valence, when manipulating the task-relevance of perceived emotions; and (iii) similar responses to a range of emotions within valence. Altogether, the data indicate that there was little or no group difference in cortical responses to isolated dynamic emotional facial expressions, as measured with fMRI. Difficulties with real-world social communication and social interaction in ASD may instead reflect differences in initiating and maintaining contingent interactions, or in integrating social information over time or context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorit Kliemann
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Hilary Richardson
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stefano Anzellotti
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dima Ayyash
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amanda J Haskins
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca R Saxe
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Picci G, Gotts SJ, Scherf KS. A theoretical rut: revisiting and critically evaluating the generalized under/over-connectivity hypothesis of autism. Dev Sci 2018; 19:524-49. [PMID: 27412228 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In 2004, two papers proposed that pervasive functional under-connectivity (Just et al., ) or a trade-off between excessive local connectivity at the cost of distal under-connectivity (Belmonte et al., ) characterizes atypical brain organization in autism. Here, we take stock of the most recent and rigorous functional and structural connectivity findings with a careful eye toward evaluating the extent to which they support these original hypotheses. Indeed, the empirical data do not support them. From rsfMRI studies in adolescents and adults, there is an emerging consensus regarding long-range functional connections indicating cortico-cortical under-connectivity, specifically involving the temporal lobes, combined with subcortical-cortical over-connectivity. In contrast, there is little to no consensus regarding local functional connectivity or findings from task-based functional connectivity studies. The structural connectivity data suggest that white matter tracts are pervasively weak, particularly in the temporal lobe. Together, these findings are revealing how deeply complex the story is regarding atypical neural network organization in autism. In other words, distance and strength of connectivity as individual factors or as interacting factors do not consistently explain the patterns of atypical neural connectivity in autism. Therefore, we make several methodological recommendations and highlight developmental considerations that will help researchers in the field cultivate new hypotheses about the nature and mechanisms of potentially aberrant functional and structural connectivity in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Picci
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Stephen J Gotts
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, USA
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28
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Syndromic Autism: Progressing Beyond Current Levels of Description. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-017-0116-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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29
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Investigating the Influence of Biological Sex on the Behavioral and Neural Basis of Face Recognition. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0104-17. [PMID: 28497111 PMCID: PMC5423736 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0104-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is interest in understanding the influence of biological factors, like sex, on the organization of brain function. We investigated the influence of biological sex on the behavioral and neural basis of face recognition in healthy, young adults. In behavior, there were no sex differences on the male Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT)+ or the female CFMT+ (that we created) and no own-gender bias (OGB) in either group. We evaluated the functional topography of ventral stream organization by measuring the magnitude and functional neural size of 16 individually defined face-, two object-, and two place-related regions bilaterally. There were no sex differences in any of these measures of neural function in any of the regions of interest (ROIs) or in group level comparisons. These findings reveal that men and women have similar category-selective topographic organization in the ventral visual pathway. Next, in a separate task, we measured activation within the 16 face-processing ROIs specifically during recognition of target male and female faces. There were no sex differences in the magnitude of the neural responses in any face-processing region. Furthermore, there was no OGB in the neural responses of either the male or female participants. Our findings suggest that face recognition behavior, including the OGB, is not inherently sexually dimorphic. Face recognition is an essential skill for navigating human social interactions, which is reflected equally in the behavior and neural architecture of men and women.
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Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairment in social communication and restricted and repetitive interests. While not included in the diagnostic characterization, aspects of face processing and learning have shown disruptions at all stages of development in ASD, although the exact nature and extent of the impairment vary by age and level of functioning of the ASD sample as well as by task demands. In this review, we examine the nature of face attention, perception, and learning in individuals with ASD focusing on three broad age ranges (early development, middle childhood, and adolescence/adulthood). We propose that early delays in basic face processing contribute to the atypical trajectory of social communicative skills in individuals with ASD and contribute to poor social learning throughout development. Face learning is a life-long necessity, as the social world of individual only broadens with age, and thus addressing both the source of the impairment in ASD as well as the trajectory of ability throughout the lifespan, through targeted treatments, may serve to positively impact the lives of individuals who struggle with social information and understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jane Webb
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI), Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development (CHBD)
| | | | - Susan Faja
- Harvard University
- Boston Children’s Hospital
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31
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Ecker C, Schmeisser MJ, Loth E, Murphy DG. Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Humans. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 224:27-48. [PMID: 28551749 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-52498-6_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition that is associated with differences in brain anatomy and connectivity. Yet, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin the atypical developmental of the brain in ASD remain poorly understood. Here, we review the findings of in vivo neuroimaging studies examining the time course of atypical brain development in ASD and relate the different neurodevelopmental stages that are atypical in ASD to the known neurobiological mechanisms that drive the maturation of the typically developing brain. In particular, we focus on the notion of 'early brain overgrowth' in ASD, which may lead to differences in the formation of the brain's micro- and macro-circuitry. Moreover, we attempt to link the in vivo reports describing differences in brain anatomy and connectivity on the macroscopic level to the increasing number of post-mortem studies examining the neural architecture of the brain in ASD on the microscopic level. In addition, we discuss future directions and outstanding questions in this particular field of research and highlight the need for establishing the link between micro- and macro-pathology in the same set of individuals with ASD based on advances in genetic, molecular and imaging techniques. In combination, these may proof to be invaluable for patient stratification and the development of novel pharmacotherapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
| | - Michael J Schmeisser
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Division of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Declan G Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
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32
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Foss-Feig JH, McGugin RW, Gauthier I, Mash LE, Ventola P, Cascio CJ. A functional neuroimaging study of fusiform response to restricted interests in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2016; 8:15. [PMID: 27081401 PMCID: PMC4831124 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-016-9149-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background While autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by both social communication deficits and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interest, literature examining possible neural bases of the latter class of symptoms is limited. The fusiform face area (FFA) is a region in the ventral temporal cortex that not only shows preferential responsiveness to faces but also responds to non-face objects of visual expertise. Because restricted interests in ASD are accompanied by high levels of visual expertise, the objective of this study was to determine the extent to which this region responds to images related to restricted interests in individuals with ASD, compared to individuals without ASD who have a strong hobby or interest. Methods Children and adolescents with and without ASD with hobbies or interests that consumed a pre-determined minimum amount of time were identified, and the intensity, frequency, and degree of interference of these interests were quantified. Each participant underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while viewing images related to their personal restricted interests (in the ASD group) or strong interest or hobby (in the comparison group). A generalized linear model was used to compare the intensity and spatial extent of fusiform gyrus response between groups, controlling for the appearance of faces in the stimuli. Results Images related to interests and expertise elicited response in FFA in both ASD and typically developing individuals, but this response was more robust in ASD. Conclusions These findings add neurobiological support to behavioral observations that restricted interests are associated with enhanced visual expertise in ASD, above and beyond what would be expected for simply a strong interest. Further, the results suggest that brain regions associated with social functioning may not be inherently less responsive in ASD, but rather may be recruited by different environmental stimuli. This study contributes to our understanding of the neural basis of restricted interests in ASD and may provide clues toward developing novel interventions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11689-016-9149-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Foss-Feig
- Yale University Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT USA ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place Box 1230, New York, NY USA
| | - Rankin W McGugin
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Isabel Gauthier
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Lisa E Mash
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, 1601 23rd Ave South, Suite 3057, Nashville, TN 37212 USA
| | - Pamela Ventola
- Yale University Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Carissa J Cascio
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, 1601 23rd Ave South, Suite 3057, Nashville, TN 37212 USA ; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, TN USA
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Sinha S, McGovern RA, Sheth SA. Deep brain stimulation for severe autism: from pathophysiology to procedure. Neurosurg Focus 2016; 38:E3. [PMID: 26030703 DOI: 10.3171/2015.3.focus1548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early-onset impairment in social interaction and communication and by repetitive, restricted behaviors and interests. Because the degree of impairment may vary, a spectrum of clinical manifestations exists. Severe autism is characterized by complete lack of language development and potentially life-threatening self-injurious behavior, the latter of which may be refractory to medical therapy and devastating for affected individuals and their caretakers. New treatment strategies are therefore needed. Here, the authors propose deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) as a therapeutic intervention to treat severe autism. The authors review recent developments in the understanding of the pathophysiology of autism. Specifically, they describe the genetic and environmental alterations that affect neurodevelopment. The authors also highlight the resultant microstructural, macrostructural, and functional abnormalities that emerge during brain development, which create a pattern of dysfunctional neural networks involved in socioemotional processing. They then discuss how these findings implicate the BLA as a key node in the pathophysiology of autism and review a reported case of BLA DBS for treatment of severe autism. Much progress has been made in recent years in understanding the pathophysiology of autism. The BLA represents a logical neurosurgical target for treating severe autism. Further study is needed that considers mechanistic and operative challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Sinha
- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey; and
| | - Robert A McGovern
- 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Sameer A Sheth
- 2Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
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Baum SH, Stevenson RA, Wallace MT. Behavioral, perceptual, and neural alterations in sensory and multisensory function in autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 134:140-60. [PMID: 26455789 PMCID: PMC4730891 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Although sensory processing challenges have been noted since the first clinical descriptions of autism, it has taken until the release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013 for sensory problems to be included as part of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the diagnostic profile. Because sensory information forms the building blocks for higher-order social and cognitive functions, we argue that sensory processing is not only an additional piece of the puzzle, but rather a critical cornerstone for characterizing and understanding ASD. In this review we discuss what is currently known about sensory processing in ASD, how sensory function fits within contemporary models of ASD, and what is understood about the differences in the underlying neural processing of sensory and social communication observed between individuals with and without ASD. In addition to highlighting the sensory features associated with ASD, we also emphasize the importance of multisensory processing in building perceptual and cognitive representations, and how deficits in multisensory integration may also be a core characteristic of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Baum
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ryan A Stevenson
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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35
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Padula MC, Schaer M, Scariati E, Schneider M, Van De Ville D, Debbané M, Eliez S. Structural and functional connectivity in the default mode network in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. J Neurodev Disord 2015; 7:23. [PMID: 26236404 PMCID: PMC4522079 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-015-9120-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neural endophenotype associated with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) includes deviant cortical development and alterations in brain connectivity. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) findings also reported disconnectivity within the default mode network (DMN). In this study, we explored the relationship between functional and structural DMN connectivity and their changes with age in patients with 22q11DS in comparison to control participants. Given previous evidence of an association between DMN disconnectivity and the manifestation of psychotic symptoms, we further investigated this relationship in our group of patients with 22q11DS. METHODS T1-weighted, diffusion, and resting-state fMRI scans were acquired from 41 patients with 22q11DS and 43 control participants aged 6 to 28 years. A data-driven approach based on independent component analysis (ICA) was used to identify the DMN and to define regions of interest for the structural and functional connectivity analysis. Prodromal psychotic symptoms were assessed in adolescents and adults using the positive symptom scores of the Structured Interview of Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS). Connectivity measures were compared between groups and correlated with age. Repeating the between-group analysis in three different age bins further assessed the presence of age-related alterations in DMN connectivity. Structural and functional connectivity measures were then correlated with the SIPS scores. RESULTS A simultaneous reduction of functional and structural connectivity between core medial nodes of the DMN was observed. Furthermore, structural connectivity measures significantly increased with age in the control group but not in patients with 22q11DS, suggesting the presence of an age-related alteration of the DMN structural connections. No correlations were found between the DMN disconnectivity and expression of prodromal symptoms in 22q11DS. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate the presence of functional and structural DMN disconnectivity in 22q11DS and that patients with 22q11DS fail to develop normal structural connections between medial DMN nodes. This suggests the presence of altered neurodevelopmental trajectories in 22q11DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carmela Padula
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211 Genève 8, Switzerland
| | - Marie Schaer
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211 Genève 8, Switzerland ; Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Elisa Scariati
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211 Genève 8, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211 Genève 8, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland ; Medical Image Processing Lab, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martin Debbané
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211 Genève 8, Switzerland ; Adolescence Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland ; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, U K
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Office Médico-Pédagogique, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Rue David-Dufour 1, Case Postale 50, 1211 Genève 8, Switzerland ; Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Nomi JS, Uddin LQ. Face processing in autism spectrum disorders: From brain regions to brain networks. Neuropsychologia 2015; 71:201-16. [PMID: 25829246 PMCID: PMC4506751 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by reduced attention to social stimuli including the human face. This hypo-responsiveness to stimuli that are engaging to typically developing individuals may result from dysfunctioning motivation, reward, and attention systems in the brain. Here we review an emerging neuroimaging literature that emphasizes a shift from focusing on hypo-activation of isolated brain regions such as the fusiform gyrus, amygdala, and superior temporal sulcus in ASD to a more holistic approach to understanding face perception as a process supported by distributed cortical and subcortical brain networks. We summarize evidence for atypical activation patterns within brain networks that may contribute to social deficits characteristic of the disorder. We conclude by pointing to gaps in the literature and future directions that will continue to shed light on aspects of face processing in autism that are still under-examined. In particular, we highlight the need for more developmental studies and studies examining ecologically valid and naturalistic social stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Nomi
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States.
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States; Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States.
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