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Thompson E, Feldman JI, Valle A, Davis H, Keceli-Kaysili B, Dunham K, Woynaroski T, Tharpe AM, Picou EM. A Comparison of Listening Skills of Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth While Using and Not Using Remote Microphone Systems. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:4618-4634. [PMID: 37870877 PMCID: PMC10721240 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-22-00720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purposes of this study were to compare (a) listening-in-noise (accuracy and effort) and (b) remote microphone (RM) system benefits between autistic and non-autistic youth. DESIGN Groups of autistic and non-autistic youth that were matched on chronological age and biological sex completed listening-in-noise testing when wearing and not wearing an RM system. Listening-in-noise accuracy and listening effort were evaluated simultaneously using a dual-task paradigm for stimuli varying in type (syllables, words, sentences, and passages). Several putative moderators of RM system effects on outcomes of interest were also evaluated. RESULTS Autistic youth outperformed non-autistic youth in some conditions on listening-in-noise accuracy; listening effort between the two groups was not significantly different. RM system use resulted in listening-in-noise accuracy improvements that were nonsignificantly different across groups. Benefits of listening-in-noise accuracy were all large in magnitude. RM system use did not have an effect on listening effort for either group. None of the putative moderators yielded effects of the RM system on listening-in-noise accuracy or effort for non-autistic youth that were significant and interpretable, indicating that RM system benefits did not vary according to any of the participant characteristics assessed. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to expectations, autistic youth did not demonstrate listening-in-noise deficits compared to non-autistic youth. Both autistic and non-autistic youth appear to experience RM system benefits marked by large gains in listening-in-noise performance. Thus, the use of this technology in educational and other noisy settings where speech perception needs enhancement might be beneficial for both groups of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Thompson
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Jacob I. Feldman
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Nashville, TN
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Annalise Valle
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Hilary Davis
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Bahar Keceli-Kaysili
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Kacie Dunham
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, TN
| | - Tiffany Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Nashville, TN
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Anne Marie Tharpe
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Erin M. Picou
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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Feldman JI, Dunham K, DiCarlo GE, Cassidy M, Liu Y, Suzman E, Williams ZJ, Pulliam G, Kaiser S, Wallace MT, Woynaroski TG. A Randomized Controlled Trial for Audiovisual Multisensory Perception in Autistic Youth. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4318-4335. [PMID: 36028729 PMCID: PMC9417081 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05709-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Differences in audiovisual integration are commonly observed in autism. Temporal binding windows (TBWs) of audiovisual speech can be trained (i.e., narrowed) in non-autistic adults; this study evaluated a computer-based perceptual training in autistic youth and assessed whether treatment outcomes varied according to individual characteristics. Thirty autistic youth aged 8-21 were randomly assigned to a brief perceptual training (n = 15) or a control condition (n = 15). At post-test, the perceptual training group did not differ, on average, on TBWs for trained and untrained stimuli and perception of the McGurk illusion compared to the control group. The training benefited youth with higher language and nonverbal IQ scores; the training caused widened TBWs in youth with co-occurring cognitive and language impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Kacie Dunham
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gabriella E DiCarlo
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Mass General Brigham Neurology Residency Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Margaret Cassidy
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yupeng Liu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Evan Suzman
- Master's Program in Biomedical Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Southwestern School of Medicine, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zachary J Williams
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Grace Pulliam
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sophia Kaiser
- Cognitive Studies Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Dunham-Carr K, Feldman JI, Simon DM, Edmunds SR, Tu A, Kuang W, Conrad JG, Santapuram P, Wallace MT, Woynaroski TG. The Processing of Audiovisual Speech Is Linked with Vocabulary in Autistic and Nonautistic Children: An ERP Study. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1043. [PMID: 37508976 PMCID: PMC10377472 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13071043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Explaining individual differences in vocabulary in autism is critical, as understanding and using words to communicate are key predictors of long-term outcomes for autistic individuals. Differences in audiovisual speech processing may explain variability in vocabulary in autism. The efficiency of audiovisual speech processing can be indexed via amplitude suppression, wherein the amplitude of the event-related potential (ERP) is reduced at the P2 component in response to audiovisual speech compared to auditory-only speech. This study used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure P2 amplitudes in response to auditory-only and audiovisual speech and norm-referenced, standardized assessments to measure vocabulary in 25 autistic and 25 nonautistic children to determine whether amplitude suppression (a) differs or (b) explains variability in vocabulary in autistic and nonautistic children. A series of regression analyses evaluated associations between amplitude suppression and vocabulary scores. Both groups demonstrated P2 amplitude suppression, on average, in response to audiovisual speech relative to auditory-only speech. Between-group differences in mean amplitude suppression were nonsignificant. Individual differences in amplitude suppression were positively associated with expressive vocabulary through receptive vocabulary, as evidenced by a significant indirect effect observed across groups. The results suggest that efficiency of audiovisual speech processing may explain variance in vocabulary in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacie Dunham-Carr
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jacob I Feldman
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - David M Simon
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Sarah R Edmunds
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
- Department of Educational Studies, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Alexander Tu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Wayne Kuang
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Los Angeles General Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Julie G Conrad
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Pooja Santapuram
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
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Ainsworth K, Bertone A. Audiovisual temporal binding window narrows with age in autistic individuals. Autism Res 2023; 16:355-363. [PMID: 36426723 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Atypical sensory perception has been recognized in autistic individuals since its earliest descriptions and is now considered a key characteristic of autism. Although the integration of sensory information (multisensory integration; MSI) has been demonstrated to be altered in autism, less is known about how this perceptual process differs with age. This study aimed to assess the integration of audiovisual information across autistic children and adolescents. MSI was measured using a non-social, simultaneity judgment task. Variation in temporal sensitivity was evaluated via Gaussian curve fitting procedures, allowing us to compare the width of temporal binding windows (TBWs), where wider TBWs indicate less sensitivity to temporal alignment. We compared TBWs in age and IQ matched groups of autistic (n = 32) and neurotypical (NT; n = 73) children and adolescents. The sensory profile of all participants was also measured. Across all ages assessed (i.e., 6 through 18 years), TBWs were negatively correlated with age in the autistic group. A significant correlation was not found in the NT group. When compared as a function of child (6-12 years) and adolescent (13-18 years) age groups, a significant interaction of group (autism vs NT) by age group was found, whereby TBWs became narrower with age in the autistic, but not neurotypical group. We also found a significant main effect of age and no significant main effect of group. Results suggest that TBW differences between autistic and neurotypical groups diminishes with increasing age, indicating an atypical developmental profile of MSI in autism which ameliorates across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty Ainsworth
- Perceptual Neuroscience Laboratory (PNLab) for Autism and Development, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Armando Bertone
- Perceptual Neuroscience Laboratory (PNLab) for Autism and Development, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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Giurgola S, Casati C, Stampatori C, Perucca L, Mattioli F, Vallar G, Bolognini N. Abnormal multisensory integration in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:953-968. [PMID: 35094114 PMCID: PMC8918188 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06310-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Temporal Binding Window (TBW) represents a reliable index of efficient multisensory integration process, which allows individuals to infer which sensory inputs from different modalities pertain to the same event. TBW alterations have been reported in some neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders and seem to negatively affects cognition and behavior. So far, it is still unknown whether deficits of multisensory integration, as indexed by an abnormal TBW, are present even in Multiple Sclerosis. We addressed this issue by testing 25 participants affected by relapsing–remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) and 30 age-matched healthy controls. Participants completed a simultaneity judgment task (SJ2) to assess the audio-visual TBW; two unimodal SJ2 versions were used as control tasks. Individuals with RRMS showed an enlarged audio-visual TBW (width range = from − 166 ms to + 198 ms), as compared to healthy controls (width range = − 177/ + 66 ms), thus showing an increased tendency to integrate temporally asynchronous visual and auditory stimuli. Instead, simultaneity perception of unimodal (visual or auditory) events overall did not differ from that of controls. These results provide first evidence of a selective deficit of multisensory integration in individuals affected by RRMS, besides the well-known motor and cognitive impairments. The reduced multisensory temporal acuity is likely caused by a disruption of the neural interplay between different sensory systems caused by multiple sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Giurgola
- Department of Psychology and NeuroMI, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Carlotta Casati
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Laura Perucca
- Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Flavia Mattioli
- Neuropsychology Unit, Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vallar
- Department of Psychology and NeuroMI, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology and NeuroMI, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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6
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Remote Microphone Systems Can Improve Listening-in-Noise Accuracy and Listening Effort for Youth With Autism. Ear Hear 2022; 43:436-447. [PMID: 35030553 PMCID: PMC8881266 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examined whether remote microphone (RM) systems improved listening-in-noise performance in youth with autism. We explored effects of RM system use on both listening-in-noise accuracy and listening effort in a well-characterized sample of participants with autism. We hypothesized that listening-in-noise accuracy would be enhanced and listening effort reduced, on average, when participants used the RM system. Furthermore, we predicted that effects of RM system use on listening-in-noise accuracy and listening effort would vary according to participant characteristics. Specifically, we hypothesized that participants who were chronologically older, had greater nonverbal cognitive and language ability, displayed fewer features of autism, and presented with more typical sensory and multisensory profiles might exhibit greater benefits of RM system use than participants who were younger, had less nonverbal cognitive or language ability, displayed more features of autism, and presented with greater sensory and multisensory disruptions. DESIGN We implemented a within-subjects design to investigate our hypotheses, wherein 32 youth with autism completed listening-in-noise testing with and without an RM system. Listening-in-noise accuracy and listening effort were evaluated simultaneously using a dual-task paradigm for stimuli varying in complexity (i.e., syllable-, word-, sentence-, and passage-level). In addition, several putative moderators of RM system effects (i.e., sensory and multisensory function, language, nonverbal cognition, and broader features of autism) on outcomes of interest were evaluated. RESULTS Overall, RM system use resulted in higher listening-in-noise accuracy in youth with autism compared with no RM system use. The observed benefits were all large in magnitude, although the benefits on average were greater for more complex stimuli (e.g., key words embedded in sentences) and relatively smaller for less complex stimuli (e.g., syllables). Notably, none of the putative moderators significantly influenced the effects of the RM system on listening-in-noise accuracy, indicating that RM system benefits did not vary according to any of the participant characteristics assessed. On average, RM system use did not have an effect on listening effort across all youth with autism compared with no RM system use but instead yielded effects that varied according to participant profile. Specifically, moderated effects indicated that RM system use was associated with increased listening effort for youth who had (a) average to below-average nonverbal cognitive ability, (b) below-average language ability, and (c) reduced audiovisual integration. RM system use was also associated with decreased listening effort for youth with very high nonverbal cognitive ability. CONCLUSIONS This study extends prior work by showing that RM systems have the potential to boost listening-in-noise accuracy for youth with autism. However, this boost in accuracy was coupled with increased listening effort, as indexed by longer reaction times while using an RM system, for some youth with autism, perhaps suggesting greater engagement in the listening-in-noise tasks when using the RM system for youth who had lower cognitive abilities, were less linguistically able, and/or have difficulty integrating seen and heard speech. These findings have important implications for clinical practice, suggesting RM system use in classrooms could potentially improve listening-in-noise performance for some youth with autism.
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Feldman JI, Conrad JG, Kuang W, Tu A, Liu Y, Simon DM, Wallace MT, Woynaroski TG. Relations Between the McGurk Effect, Social and Communication Skill, and Autistic Features in Children with and without Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1920-1928. [PMID: 34101080 PMCID: PMC8842559 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05074-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism show alterations in multisensory integration that have been theoretically and empirically linked with the core and related features of autism. It is unclear, however, to what extent multisensory integration maps onto features of autism within children with and without autism. This study, thus, evaluates relations between audiovisual integration and core and related autism features across children with and without autism. Thirty-six children reported perceptions of the McGurk illusion during a psychophysical task. Parents reported on participants' autistic features. Increased report of illusory percepts tended to covary with reduced autistic features and greater communication skill. Some relations, though, were moderated by group. This work suggests that associations between multisensory integration and higher-order skills are present, but in some instances vary according to diagnostic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Julie G Conrad
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Wayne Kuang
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Tu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Yupeng Liu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David M Simon
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Feldman JI, Cassidy M, Liu Y, Kirby AV, Wallace MT, Woynaroski TG. Relations between Sensory Responsiveness and Features of Autism in Children. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110775. [PMID: 33114357 PMCID: PMC7690864 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition defined by differences in social communication and by the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities (RRBs). Individuals with autism also commonly present with atypical patterns of sensory responsiveness (i.e., hyporesponsiveness, hyperresponsiveness, and sensory seeking), which are theorized to produce cascading effects across other domains of development. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in sensory responsiveness in children with and without autism (ages 8–18 years), as well as relations between patterns of sensory responsiveness and core and related features of autism. Participants were 50 children with autism and 50 non-autistic peers matched on age and sex. A comprehensive clinical battery included multiple measures of sensory responsiveness, core features of autism, adaptive behavior, internalizing behaviors, cognitive ability, and language ability. Groups significantly differed on all three patterns of sensory responsiveness. Some indices of core and related autism features were robustly associated with all three patterns of sensory responsiveness (e.g., RRBs), while others were more strongly associated with discrete patterns of sensory responsiveness (i.e., internalizing problem behaviors and hyperresponsiveness, language and sensory seeking). This study extends prior work to show that differences in sensory responsiveness that are linked with core and related features of autism persist in older children and adolescents on the spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I. Feldman
- Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (M.T.W.); (T.G.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-615-936-5470
| | - Margaret Cassidy
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (M.C.); (Y.L.)
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Yupeng Liu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (M.C.); (Y.L.)
- Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Anne V. Kirby
- Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
| | - Mark T. Wallace
- Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (M.T.W.); (T.G.W.)
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Tiffany G. Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (M.T.W.); (T.G.W.)
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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Siemann JK, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Wallace MT. Approaches to Understanding Multisensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:1430-1449. [PMID: 32869933 PMCID: PMC7721996 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal sensory responses are a DSM-5 symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and research findings demonstrate altered sensory processing in ASD. Beyond difficulties with processing information within single sensory domains, including both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity, difficulties in multisensory processing are becoming a core issue of focus in ASD. These difficulties may be targeted by treatment approaches such as "sensory integration," which is frequently applied in autism treatment but not yet based on clear evidence. Recently, psychophysical data have emerged to demonstrate multisensory deficits in some children with ASD. Unlike deficits in social communication, which are best understood in humans, sensory and multisensory changes offer a tractable marker of circuit dysfunction that is more easily translated into animal model systems to probe the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Paralleling experimental paradigms that were previously applied in humans and larger mammals, we and others have demonstrated that multisensory function can also be examined behaviorally in rodents. Here, we review the sensory and multisensory difficulties commonly found in ASD, examining laboratory findings that relate these findings across species. Next, we discuss the known neurobiology of multisensory integration, drawing largely on experimental work in larger mammals, and extensions of these paradigms into rodents. Finally, we describe emerging investigations into multisensory processing in genetic mouse models related to autism risk. By detailing findings from humans to mice, we highlight the advantage of multisensory paradigms that can be easily translated across species, as well as the potential for rodent experimental systems to reveal opportunities for novel treatments. LAY SUMMARY: Sensory and multisensory deficits are commonly found in ASD and may result in cascading effects that impact social communication. By using similar experiments to those in humans, we discuss how studies in animal models may allow an understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie difficulties in multisensory integration, with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1430-1449. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin K Siemann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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