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Chen H, Liang Q, Wang B, Liu H, Dong G, Li K. Sports game intervention aids executive function enhancement in children with autism - An fNIRS study. Neurosci Lett 2024; 822:137647. [PMID: 38242348 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137647] [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: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Executive dysfunction is a prevalent issue in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While the efficacy of physical exercise in enhancing cognitive abilities in these children is well-documented, research exploring the relationship between physical exercise and brain function remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cognitively stimulating exercise on executive functions (EF) in children with ASD. The study enrolled thirty children with ASD who were randomly allocated into two groups: a sports game learning group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was utilized to monitor cerebral function alterations pre- and post- an eight-week intervention program. The study focused on three core components of executive function: working memory, inhibitory control (IC), and cognitive flexibility (CF). Results revealed a significant improvement in the EF in the intervention group. After eight weeks of intervention, neural activity, along with improved EF performance, was enhanced significantly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). During post-intervention, EF tasks were also significantly activated in the dorsolateral PFC, orbitofrontal cortex, and frontal pole area. Furthermore, an increase in short-distance functional connectivity within the PFC was observed during resting states. These results imply that engagement in sports game training can significantly improve EF information processing, augmenting task-related cortical activations and the efficiency of brain function networks in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Medicine, Quzhou College of Technology, Quzhou, China; Department of Sports, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China; Shandong Sport University, Jinan, China
| | - Qi Liang
- Shandong Mental Health Center, Jinan, China
| | - Baijie Wang
- Shooting and Cycling Sports Management Center of Shandong Province, Jinan, China
| | | | - Guijun Dong
- Department of Sports, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China
| | - Kefeng Li
- Department of Medicine, Quzhou College of Technology, Quzhou, China; Quzhou Key Laboratory of Acupuncture, Tuina and Neural Network Regulation, Quzhou College of Technology, Quzhou, China.
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Gilmour AM, MacDonald MJ, Cox A, Fairclough SJ, Tyler R. Investigating Ecological Momentary Assessed Physical Activity and Core Executive Functions in 18- to 24-Year-Old Undergraduate Students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6944. [PMID: 37887683 PMCID: PMC10606779 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20206944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Although evidence for young children (<10) and older adults (>64) highlights an association between physical activity (PA) and executive functions (EFs), there is a paucity of research on adolescents aged 18-24 years. Thus, this study examined the associations between PA and EF and the difference in EF between individuals who achieve the moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) guidelines and those who do not. Forty-seven participants engaged in a Stroop task, a reverse Corsi-block test, and a task-switching test, to measure inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, respectively. An ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was used to determine the participant's MVPA and step count, through the "Pathverse" app. Multiple regressions were run to predict the task-switch cost, the Stroop effect, and the backward Corsi span from time spent in MVPA. A two-way ANCOVA examined the effects of achieving the MVPA guidelines on EF. MVPA and step count did not significantly predict EF. There were no significant differences in EF between participants achieving the MVPA guidelines and those that did not. Time spent in MVPA and step count were not significantly associated with working memory, cognitive flexibility, or inhibition in adolescents. Further research is warranted to understand other factors that may significantly affect EF, within and outside an individual's control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayva-Mae Gilmour
- Movement Behaviours, Health, and Wellbeing Research Group, Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK; (M.J.M.); (S.J.F.)
| | - Mhairi J. MacDonald
- Movement Behaviours, Health, and Wellbeing Research Group, Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK; (M.J.M.); (S.J.F.)
| | - Ashley Cox
- Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK;
| | - Stuart J. Fairclough
- Movement Behaviours, Health, and Wellbeing Research Group, Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK; (M.J.M.); (S.J.F.)
| | - Richard Tyler
- Movement Behaviours, Health, and Wellbeing Research Group, Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK; (M.J.M.); (S.J.F.)
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Lepping RJ, McKinney WS, Magnon GC, Keedy SK, Wang Z, Coombes SA, Vaillancourt DE, Sweeney JA, Mosconi MW. Visuomotor brain network activation and functional connectivity among individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 43:844-859. [PMID: 34716740 PMCID: PMC8720186 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25692] [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: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor abnormalities are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and predictive of functional outcomes, though their neural underpinnings remain poorly understood. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined both brain activation and functional connectivity during visuomotor behavior in 27 individuals with ASD and 30 typically developing (TD) controls (ages 9–35 years). Participants maintained a constant grip force while receiving visual feedback at three different visual gain levels. Relative to controls, ASD participants showed increased force variability, especially at high gain, and reduced entropy. Brain activation was greater in individuals with ASD than controls in supplementary motor area, bilateral superior parietal lobules, and contralateral middle frontal gyrus at high gain. During motor action, functional connectivity was reduced between parietal‐premotor and parietal‐putamen in individuals with ASD compared to controls. Individuals with ASD also showed greater age‐associated increases in functional connectivity between cerebellum and visual, motor, and prefrontal cortical areas relative to controls. These results indicate that visuomotor deficits in ASD are associated with atypical activation and functional connectivity of posterior parietal, premotor, and striatal circuits involved in translating sensory feedback information into precision motor behaviors, and that functional connectivity of cerebellar–cortical sensorimotor and nonsensorimotor networks show delayed maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Lepping
- Hoglund Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Walker S McKinney
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, Clinical Child Psychology Program, and Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Grant C Magnon
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sarah K Keedy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Stephen A Coombes
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - David E Vaillancourt
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Matthew W Mosconi
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, Clinical Child Psychology Program, and Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
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Martínez K, Martínez-García M, Marcos-Vidal L, Janssen J, Castellanos FX, Pretus C, Villarroya Ó, Pina-Camacho L, Díaz-Caneja CM, Parellada M, Arango C, Desco M, Sepulcre J, Carmona S. Sensory-to-Cognitive Systems Integration Is Associated With Clinical Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 59:422-433. [PMID: 31260788 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Impaired multisensory integration in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may arise from functional dysconnectivity among brain systems. Our study examines the functional connectivity integration between primary modal sensory regions and heteromodal processing cortex in ASD, and whether abnormalities in network integration relate to clinical severity. METHOD We studied a sample of 55 high-functioning ASD and 64 healthy control (HC) male children and adolescents (total n = 119, age range 7-18 years). Stepwise functional connectivity analysis (SFC) was applied to resting state functional magnetic resonance images (rsfMRI) to characterize the connectivity paths that link primary sensory cortices to higher-order brain cognitive functional circuits and to relate alterations in functional connectivity integration with three clinical scales: Social Communication Questionnaire, Social Responsiveness Scale, and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. RESULTS HC displayed typical functional connectivity transitions from primary sensory systems to association areas, but the ASD group showed altered patterns of multimodal sensory integration to heteromodal systems. Specifically, compared to the HC group, the ASD group showed the following: (1) hyperconnectivity in the visual cortex at initial link step distances; (2) hyperconnectivity between sensory unimodal regions and regions of the default mode network; and (3) hypoconnectivity between sensory unimodal regions and areas of the fronto-parietal and attentional networks. These patterns of hyper- and hypoconnectivity were associated with increased clinical severity in ASD. CONCLUSION Networkwise reorganization in high-functioning ASD individuals affects strategic regions of unimodal-to-heteromodal cortical integration predicting clinical severity. In addition, SFC analysis appears to be a promising approach for studying the neural pathophysiology of multisensory integration deficits in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenia Martínez
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Magdalena Martínez-García
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Marcos-Vidal
- Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joost Janssen
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Francisco X Castellanos
- Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York, NY and the Division of Clinical Research, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Clara Pretus
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and Fundació IMIM (Institut Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Óscar Villarroya
- Unitat de Recerca en Neurociència Cognitiva, Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and Fundació IMIM (Institut Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Pina-Camacho
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Covadonga M Díaz-Caneja
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Sepulcre
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA
| | - Susanna Carmona
- Centro De Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Unidad de Medicina y Cirugía Experimental, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Universidad Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Visual Perceptual Skills in Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Children: The Mediating Role of Comorbidities. Optom Vis Sci 2020; 96:655-663. [PMID: 31479020 DOI: 10.1097/opx.0000000000001416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been commonly associated with alterations in visual perception. However, the individual behavior of visual perceptual skills and its relationship with different comorbidities remain unknown. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine whether visual perceptual skills are impaired in children with ADHD, as well as to test the possible mediating role of comorbidities. METHODS Thirty-five nonmedicated ADHD (20 pure and 15 with comorbidities) and 35 age-matched controls completed the performance-based Test of Visual Perceptual Skills. RESULTS The analysis between total ADHD and controls favored the alternative hypothesis (greater values for children with ADHD) for visual memory, spatial relationships, sequential memory, and all the composite measures (Bayes factor [BF] range, 4.26 to 366.85). The analysis between pure ADHD and controls showed that data are more likely under the alternative hypothesis for spatial relationships, sequential memory, overall, basic, and sequencing (BF range, 3.82 to 21.71), whereas the comparison between ADHD with comorbidities and controls additionally favored the alternative hypothesis for visual discrimination (BF = 5.37). Lastly, data from the comparison between pure ADHD and ADHD with comorbidities were insensitive for favoring the null or alternative hypotheses in any subtest or composite scaled score (BF range, 0.33 to 0.66). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that some specific patterns of visual perception are altered in ADHD, especially for the total ADHD group. The current findings also evidence that comorbidities play an important role in the association between ADHD and visual perceptual skills. Future studies should address the mediating role of each specific type of comorbidity.
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Høyland AL, Nærland T, Engstrøm M, Torske T, Lydersen S, Andreassen OA. Atypical event-related potentials revealed during the passive parts of a Go-NoGo task in autism spectrum disorder: a case-control study. Mol Autism 2019; 10:10. [PMID: 30873274 PMCID: PMC6402134 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are easily recognizable in non-structured clinical and real-life situations. The features are often difficult to capture in structured laboratory settings, and the results from tests do not necessarily reflect symptom severity. We investigated neurophysiological processing in the passive parts of a cued Go-NoGo task, using the active parts of the test as a comparator. Methods Forty-nine adolescents diagnosed with ASD and 49 typically developing (TD) adolescents (age 12–21 years) were included. Daily life executive function was assessed with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). We applied a visual cued Go-NoGo task and recorded event-related potentials (ERPs). We investigated occipital N1, a component related to early perception of visual stimuli, and P3a, a fronto-central component related to switching of attention, in the passive and active parts of the test. Results During the passive parts, the ASD group had statistically significantly longer N1 latency (p < 0.001, Cohens d = 0.75) and enhanced amplitude of P3a (p = 0.002, Cohens d = 0.64) compared to the TD, while no significant differences were observed in the active parts. Both components correlated significantly with the Behavioral Regulation Index of the BRIEF (partial correlation r = 0.35, p = 0.003). Conclusion Delayed N1 response, indicating altered visual perception, and enhanced P3a response, indicating increased neural activation related to attention allocation, were found during the passive parts of a Go-NoGo task in ASD participants. These abnormal ERP signals in the non-structured settings were associated with everyday executive function, suggesting that neurophysiolocal measures related to atypical control of alertness and “hyper-awareness” underlie daily life dysfunction in ASD. Assessments during passive settings have a potential to reveal core neurobiological substrates of ASD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13229-019-0259-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L Høyland
- 1Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Klostergata 46, N-7030 Trondheim, Norway.,2Department of Pediatrics, St. Olavs hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Terje Nærland
- 3NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders and Disabilities, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,4NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Morten Engstrøm
- 5Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.,6Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tonje Torske
- 7Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway
| | - Stian Lydersen
- 1Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Klostergata 46, N-7030 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- 4NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,8Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Wegiel J, Kaczmarski W, Flory M, Martinez-Cerdeno V, Wisniewski T, Nowicki K, Kuchna I, Wegiel J. Deficit of corpus callosum axons, reduced axon diameter and decreased area are markers of abnormal development of interhemispheric connections in autistic subjects. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:143. [PMID: 30567587 PMCID: PMC6299595 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0645-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In autism spectrum disorder, lack of coherence and of complex information processing, and narrowly focused interests and repetitive behaviors are considered a sign of long-range underconnectivity and short-range overconnectivity. The goal of this morphometric study of five anatomically and functionally different segments of the corpus callosum (CC) was to establish patterns of differences between long-range interhemispheric connections in nine neurotypical and nine autistic subjects. RESULTS Electron microscopy revealed a significant reduction in average axon diameter and axon cross-sectional area in autistic subjects, and reduction in CC segment-specific diversification of connections of functionally different cortical regions. The study shows an increase in the percentage of small diameter axons (< 0.651 μm) and a decrease in the percentage of axons with large diameter (> 1.051 μm). The total number of small-diameter axons is reduced in segment I and III by 43% on average. The number of medium- and large-diameter axons is reduced in all five CC segments by an average of 49 and 72%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The detected pattern of pathology suggests a failure of mechanisms controlling guidance of axons during development leading to axonal deficit, and failure of mechanisms controlling axon structure. A reduction in axon diameter may affect the velocity and volume of signal transmission, and distort functional specialization of CC segments. Significant deficits in axon number and reduction in axon size in all five CC segments appear to be substantial components of brain connectome integrity distortion which may contribute to the autism phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarek Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.
| | - Wojciech Kaczmarski
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Michael Flory
- Research Design and Analysis Services, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Veronica Martinez-Cerdeno
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Krzysztof Nowicki
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Izabela Kuchna
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
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Powell PS, Klinger LG, Klinger MR. Patterns of Age-Related Cognitive Differences in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 47:3204-3219. [PMID: 28730417 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3238-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about age-related cognitive differences in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, given the overlap in cognitive impairments in ASD to those seen in typical aging, it is possible that adults with ASD will face even greater cognitive difficulties as they age. The current study used a cross-sectional design to examine age-related cognitive differences in adults with ASD and age and IQ-matched adults with typical development (age range 30-67 years). Results indicated that both age and diagnosis were related to poorer cognitive performance. However, adults with ASD exhibited pronounced age effects on measures related to executive functioning compared to adults with typical development, suggesting that aging in ASD may disproportionately affect specific cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S Powell
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 654 Cherry Street NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0170, USA.
| | - Laura G Klinger
- TEACCH Autism Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, 100 Renee Lynne Court, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7180, USA
| | - Mark R Klinger
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, 321 S Columbia St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
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Development of Brain Network in Children with Autism from Early Childhood to Late Childhood. Neuroscience 2017; 367:134-146. [PMID: 29069617 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Extensive studies have indicated brain function connectivity abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is a lack of longitudinal or cross-sectional research focused on tracking age-related developmental trends of autistic children at an early stage of brain development or based on a relatively large sample. The present study examined brain network changes in a total of 186 children both with and without ASD from 3 to 11 years, an early and key development period when significant changes are expected. The study aimed to investigate possible abnormal connectivity patterns and topological properties of children with ASD from early childhood to late childhood by using resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) data. The main findings of the study were as follows: (1) From the connectivity analysis, several inter-regional synchronizations with reduction were identified in the younger and older ASD groups, and several intra-regional synchronization increases were observed in the older ASD group. (2) From the graph analysis, a reduced clustering coefficient and enhanced mean shortest path length in specific frequencies was observed in children with ASD. (3) Results suggested an age-related decrease of the mean shortest path length in the delta and theta bands in TD children, whereas atypical age-related alteration was observed in the ASD group. In addition, graph measures were correlated with ASD symptom severity in the alpha band. These results demonstrate that abnormal neural communication is already present at the early stages of brain development in autistic children and this may be involved in the behavioral deficits associated with ASD.
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McDiarmid TA, Bernardos AC, Rankin CH. Habituation is altered in neuropsychiatric disorders-A comprehensive review with recommendations for experimental design and analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:286-305. [PMID: 28579490 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Abnormalities in the simplest form of learning, habituation, have been reported in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders as etiologically diverse as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fragile X syndrome, Schizophrenia, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, and Migraine. Here we provide the first comprehensive review of what is known about alterations in this form of non-associative learning in each disorder. Across several disorders, abnormal habituation is predictive of symptom severity, highlighting the clinical significance of habituation and its importance to normal cognitive function. Abnormal habituation is discussed within the greater framework of learning theory and how it may relate to disease phenotype either as a cause, symptom, or therapy. Important considerations for the design and interpretation of habituation experiments are outlined with the hope that these will aid both clinicians and basic researchers investigating how this simple form of learning is altered in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy A McDiarmid
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Rm F221, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Aram C Bernardos
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Rm F221, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Catharine H Rankin
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Rm F221, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 2B5, Canada.
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Sinclair D, Oranje B, Razak KA, Siegel SJ, Schmid S. Sensory processing in autism spectrum disorders and Fragile X syndrome-From the clinic to animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:235-253. [PMID: 27235081 PMCID: PMC5465967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Brains are constantly flooded with sensory information that needs to be filtered at the pre-attentional level and integrated into endogenous activity in order to allow for detection of salient information and an appropriate behavioral response. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) are often over- or under-reactive to stimulation, leading to a wide range of behavioral symptoms. This altered sensitivity may be caused by disrupted sensory processing, signal integration and/or gating, and is often being neglected. Here, we review translational experimental approaches that are used to investigate sensory processing in humans with ASD and FXS, and in relevant rodent models. This includes electroencephalographic measurement of event related potentials, neural oscillations and mismatch negativity, as well as habituation and pre-pulse inhibition of startle. We outline robust evidence of disrupted sensory processing in individuals with ASD and FXS, and in respective animal models, focusing on the auditory sensory domain. Animal models provide an excellent opportunity to examine common mechanisms of sensory pathophysiology in order to develop therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sinclair
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - B Oranje
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, HP A 01.126 Heidelberglaan 100, CX Utrecht, 3584, The Netherlands; Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Ndr. Ringvej 29-67, Glostrup, 2600, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Sensory Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K A Razak
- Psychology Department, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - S J Siegel
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - S Schmid
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, MSB 470, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
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12
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BK Channels Mediate Synaptic Plasticity Underlying Habituation in Rats. J Neurosci 2017; 37:4540-4551. [PMID: 28348135 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3699-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Habituation is a basic form of implicit learning and represents a sensory filter that is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and several other mental disorders. Despite extensive research in the past decades on habituation of startle and other escape responses, the underlying neural mechanisms are still not fully understood. There is evidence from previous studies indicating that BK channels might play a critical role in habituation. We here used a wide array of approaches to test this hypothesis. We show that BK channel activation and subsequent phosphorylation of these channels are essential for synaptic depression presumably underlying startle habituation in rats, using patch-clamp recordings and voltage-sensitive dye imaging in slices. Furthermore, positive modulation of BK channels in vivo can enhance short-term habituation. Although results using different approaches do not always perfectly align, together they provide convincing evidence for a crucial role of BK channel phosphorylation in synaptic depression underlying short-term habituation of startle. We also show that this mechanism can be targeted to enhance short-term habituation and therefore to potentially ameliorate sensory filtering deficits associated with psychiatric disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Short-term habituation is the most fundamental form of implicit learning. Habituation also represents a filter for inundating sensory information, which is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric disorders. Habituation has been studied in different organisms and behavioral models and is thought to be caused by synaptic depression in respective pathways. The underlying molecular mechanisms, however, are poorly understood. We here identify, for the first time, a BK channel-dependent molecular synaptic mechanism leading to synaptic depression that is crucial for habituation, and we discuss the significance of our findings for potential treatments enhancing habituation.
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13
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Hames EC, Murphy B, Rajmohan R, Anderson RC, Baker M, Zupancic S, O’Boyle M, Richman D. Visual, Auditory, and Cross Modal Sensory Processing in Adults with Autism: An EEG Power and BOLD fMRI Investigation. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:167. [PMID: 27148020 PMCID: PMC4835455 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Electroencephalography (EEG) and blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imagining (BOLD fMRI) assessed the neurocorrelates of sensory processing of visual and auditory stimuli in 11 adults with autism (ASD) and 10 neurotypical (NT) controls between the ages of 20-28. We hypothesized that ASD performance on combined audiovisual trials would be less accurate with observable decreased EEG power across frontal, temporal, and occipital channels and decreased BOLD fMRI activity in these same regions; reflecting deficits in key sensory processing areas. Analysis focused on EEG power, BOLD fMRI, and accuracy. Lower EEG beta power and lower left auditory cortex fMRI activity were seen in ASD compared to NT when they were presented with auditory stimuli as demonstrated by contrasting the activity from the second presentation of an auditory stimulus in an all auditory block vs. the second presentation of a visual stimulus in an all visual block (AA2-VV2).We conclude that in ASD, combined audiovisual processing is more similar than unimodal processing to NTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth’ C. Hames
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Brandi Murphy
- Department of Audiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Ravi Rajmohan
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Ronald C. Anderson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Mary Baker
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Stephen Zupancic
- Department of Audiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, LubbockTX, USA
| | - Michael O’Boyle
- College of Human Sciences, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
| | - David Richman
- Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research, Texas Tech University, LubbockTX, USA
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14
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Schaaf RC, Lane AE. Toward a Best-Practice Protocol for Assessment of Sensory Features in ASD. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 45:1380-95. [PMID: 25374136 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2299-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Sensory difficulties are a commonly occurring feature of autism spectrum disorders and are now included as one manifestation of the 'restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities' diagnostic criteria of the DSM5 necessitating guidelines for comprehensive assessment of these features. To facilitate the development of such guidelines, this paper provides an overview of the literature on sensory features in autism spectrum disorder. We summarize the literature pertaining to: terminology, current assessment practices, sensory development, and the relationship of sensory features to core symptoms of autism. The paper concludes with recommendations for clinical assessment of sensory features in Autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roseann C Schaaf
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of the Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Jefferson School of Health Professions, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut Street, Suite 605, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA,
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15
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Khan AJ, Nair A, Keown CL, Datko MC, Lincoln AJ, Müller RA. Cerebro-cerebellar Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:625-34. [PMID: 25959247 PMCID: PMC5708535 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cerebellum plays important roles in sensori-motor and supramodal cognitive functions. Cellular, volumetric, and functional abnormalities of the cerebellum have been found in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but no comprehensive investigation of cerebro-cerebellar connectivity in ASD is available. METHODS We used resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging in 56 children and adolescents (28 subjects with ASD, 28 typically developing subjects) 8-17 years old. Partial and total correlation analyses were performed for unilateral regions of interest (ROIs), distinguished in two broad domains as sensori-motor (premotor/primary motor, somatosensory, superior temporal, and occipital) and supramodal (prefrontal, posterior parietal, and inferior and middle temporal). RESULTS There were three main findings: 1) Total correlation analyses showed predominant cerebro-cerebellar functional overconnectivity in the ASD group; 2) partial correlation analyses that emphasized domain specificity (sensori-motor vs. supramodal) indicated a pattern of robustly increased connectivity in the ASD group (compared with the typically developing group) for sensori-motor ROIs but predominantly reduced connectivity for supramodal ROIs; and 3) this atypical pattern of connectivity was supported by significantly increased noncanonical connections (between sensori-motor cerebral and supramodal cerebellar ROIs and vice versa) in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that sensori-motor intrinsic functional connectivity is atypically increased in ASD, at the expense of connectivity supporting cerebellar participation in supramodal cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Khan
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Aarti Nair
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.; Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Christopher L Keown
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.; Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Michael C Datko
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Alan J Lincoln
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Alliant International University, San Diego, California
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California..
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16
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Travers BG, Tromp DPM, Adluru N, Lange N, Destiche D, Ennis C, Nielsen JA, Froehlich AL, Prigge MBD, Fletcher PT, Anderson JS, Zielinski BA, Bigler ED, Lainhart JE, Alexander AL. Atypical development of white matter microstructure of the corpus callosum in males with autism: a longitudinal investigation. Mol Autism 2015; 6:15. [PMID: 25774283 PMCID: PMC4359536 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-015-0001-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The corpus callosum is the largest white matter structure in the brain, and it is the most consistently reported to be atypical in diffusion tensor imaging studies of autism spectrum disorder. In individuals with typical development, the corpus callosum is known to undergo a protracted development from childhood through young adulthood. However, no study has longitudinally examined the developmental trajectory of corpus callosum in autism past early childhood. METHODS The present study used a cohort sequential design over 9 years to examine age-related changes of the corpus callosum in 100 males with autism and 56 age-matched males with typical development from early childhood (when autism can first be reliably diagnosed) to mid-adulthood (after development of the corpus callosum has been completed) (3 to 41 years of age). RESULTS The group with autism demonstrated a different developmental trajectory of white matter microstructure in the anterior corpus callosum's (genu and body) fractional anisotropy, which suggests atypical brain maturation in these regions in autism. When analyses were broken down by age group, atypical developmental trajectories were present only in the youngest participants (10 years of age and younger). Significant main effects for group were found in terms of decreased fractional anisotropy across all three subregions of the corpus callosum (genu, body, and splenium) and increased mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity in the posterior corpus callosum. CONCLUSIONS These longitudinal results suggest atypical early childhood development of the corpus callosum microstructure in autism that transitions into sustained group differences in adolescence and adulthood. This pattern of results provides longitudinal evidence consistent with a growing number of published studies and hypotheses regarding abnormal brain connectivity across the life span in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany G Travers
- />Occupational Therapy Program, Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- />Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Do P M Tromp
- />Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- />Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- />Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Nicholas Lange
- />Department of Psychiatry, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA USA
- />Neurostatistics Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA USA
| | - Dan Destiche
- />Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Chad Ennis
- />Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Jared A Nielsen
- />Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Alyson L Froehlich
- />Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Molly B D Prigge
- />Department of Radiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
- />Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah and Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - P Thomas Fletcher
- />Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
- />School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Jeffrey S Anderson
- />Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
- />Department of Radiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Brandon A Zielinski
- />Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah and Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT USA
- />Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Erin D Bigler
- />Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT USA
- />Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 USA
| | - Janet E Lainhart
- />Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- />Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- />Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705 USA
- />Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
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17
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Madsen GF, Bilenberg N, Jepsen JR, Glenthøj B, Cantio C, Oranje B. Normal P50 Gating in Children with Autism, Yet Attenuated P50 Amplitude in the Asperger Subcategory. Autism Res 2015; 8:371-8. [PMID: 25599888 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia are separate disorders, but there is evidence of conversion or comorbid overlap. The objective of this paper was to explore whether deficits in sensory gating, as seen in some schizophrenia patients, can also be found in a group of ASD children compared to neurotypically developed children. An additional aim was to investigate the possibility of subdividing our ASD sample based on these gating deficits. In a case-control design, we assessed gating of the P50 and N100 amplitude in 31 ASD children and 39 healthy matched controls (8-12 years) and screened for differences between groups and within the ASD group. We did not find disturbances in auditory P50 and N100 filtering in the group of ASD children as a whole, nor did we find abnormal P50 and N100 amplitudes. However, the P50 amplitude to the conditioning stimulus was significantly reduced in the Asperger subgroup compared to healthy controls. In contrast to what is usually reported for patients with schizophrenia, we found no evidence for sensory gating deficits in our group of ASD children taken as a whole. However, reduced P50 amplitude to conditioning stimuli was found in the Asperger group, which is similar to what has been described in some studies in schizophrenia patients. There was a positive correlation between the P50 amplitude of the conditioning stimuli and anxiety score in the pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified group, which indicates a relation between anxiety and sensory registration in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitte Falcher Madsen
- From the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Research Unit (University function), Mental Health Services in Region of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark
| | - Niels Bilenberg
- From the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Research Unit (University function), Mental Health Services in Region of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt Jepsen
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Denmark.,Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen.,Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birte Glenthøj
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Denmark.,Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | - Cathriona Cantio
- From the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Research Unit (University function), Mental Health Services in Region of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark
| | - Bob Oranje
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Denmark.,Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen
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18
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Meaux E, Taylor MJ, Pang EW, Vara AS, Batty M. Neural substrates of numerosity estimation in autism. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:4362-85. [PMID: 24639374 PMCID: PMC6869290 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual skills, including numerosity estimation are reported to be superior in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This phenomenon is attributed to individuals with ASD processing local features, rather than the Gestalt. We examined the neural correlates of numerosity estimation in adults with and without ASD, to disentangle perceptual atypicalities from numerosity processing. Fourteen adults with ASD and matched typically developed (TD) controls estimated the number of dots (80-150) arranged either randomly (local information) or in meaningful patterns (global information) while brain activity was recorded with magnetoencephalography (MEG). Behavioral results showed no significant group difference in the errors of estimation. However, numerical estimation in ASD was more variable across numerosities than TD and was not affected by the global arrangement of the dots. At 80-120 ms, MEG analyses revealed early significant differences (TD > ASD) in source amplitudes in visual areas, followed from 120 to 400 ms by group differences in temporal, and then parietal regions. After 400 ms, a source was found in the superior frontal gyrus in TD only. Activation in temporal areas was differently sensitive to the global arrangement of dots in TD and ASD. MEG data show that individuals with autism exhibit widespread functional abnormalities. Differences in temporal regions could be linked to atypical global perception. Occipital followed by parietal and frontal differences might be driven by abnormalities in the processing and conversion of visual input into a number-selective neural code and complex cognitive decisional stages. These results suggest overlapping atypicalities in sensory, perceptual and number-related processing during numerosity estimation in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Meaux
- Laboratory for Neurology and Imaging of CognitionDepartment of Neurosciences and Clinical NeurologyUniversity Medical CentreGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Margot J. Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic ImagingHospital for Sick Children & Department of Psychology and Medical ImagingUniversity of TorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elizabeth W. Pang
- Division of NeurologyHospital for Sick children, University of TorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Anjili S. Vara
- Department of Diagnostic ImagingHospital for Sick Children & Department of Psychology and Medical ImagingUniversity of TorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Magali Batty
- INSERMUMR U930 Imagerie et CerveauCentre de Pédopsychiatrie, Université François Rabelais de Tours, CHRU de ToursTours37000France
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19
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Bangel KA, Batty M, Ye AX, Meaux E, Taylor MJ, Doesburg SM. Reduced beta band connectivity during number estimation in autism. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 6:202-13. [PMID: 25379432 PMCID: PMC4215403 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that disruption of integrative processes in sensation and perception may play a critical role in cognitive and behavioural atypicalities characteristic of ASD. In line with this, ASD is associated with altered structural and functional brain connectivity and atypical patterns of inter-regional communication which have been proposed to contribute to cognitive difficulties prevalent in this group. The present MEG study used atlas-guided source space analysis of inter-regional phase synchronization in ASD participants, as well as matched typically developing controls, during a dot number estimation task. This task included stimuli with globally integrated forms (animal shapes) as well as randomly-shaped stimuli which lacked a coherent global pattern. Early task-dependent increases in inter-regional phase synchrony in theta, alpha and beta frequency bands were observed. Reduced long-range beta-band phase synchronization was found in participants with ASD at 70-145 ms during presentation of globally coherent dot patterns. This early reduction in task-dependent inter-regional connectivity encompassed numerous areas including occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal lobe regions. These results provide the first evidence for inter-regional phase synchronization during numerosity estimation, as well as its alteration in ASD, and suggest that problems with communication among brain areas may contribute to difficulties with integrative processes relevant to extraction of meaningful 'Gestalt' features in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin A Bangel
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada ; Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada ; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Magali Batty
- INSERM, UMR U930 Imagerie et Cerveau, Université François de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Annette X Ye
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada ; Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada ; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Emilie Meaux
- Laboratory for Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Neurosciences and Clinical Neurology, University Medical Center, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada ; Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada ; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sam M Doesburg
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada ; Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada ; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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20
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Biscaldi M, Rauh R, Irion L, Jung NH, Mall V, Fleischhaker C, Klein C. Deficits in motor abilities and developmental fractionation of imitation performance in high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 23:599-610. [PMID: 24085467 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-013-0475-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The co-occurrence of motor and imitation disabilities often characterises the spectrum of deficits seen in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Whether these seemingly separate deficits are inter-related and whether, in particular, motor deficits contribute to the expression of imitation deficits is the topic of the present study and was investigated by comparing these deficits' cross-sectional developmental trajectories. To that end, different components of motor performance assessed in the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment and imitation abilities for facial movements and non-meaningful gestures were tested in 70 subjects (aged 6-29 years), including 36 patients with high-functioning ASD and 34 age-matched typically developed (TD) participants. The results show robust deficits in probands with ASD in timed motor performance and in the quality of movement, which are all independent of age, with one exception. Only diadochokinesis improves moderately with increasing age in ASD probands. Imitation of facial movements and of non-meaningful hand, finger, hand finger gestures not related to social context or tool use is also impaired in ASD subjects, but in contrast to motor performance this deficit overall improves with age. A general imitation factor, extracted from the highly inter-correlated imitation tests, is differentially correlated with components of neuromotor performance in ASD and TD participants. By developmentally fractionating developmentally stable motor deficits from developmentally dynamic imitation deficits, we infer that imitation deficits are primarily cognitive in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Biscaldi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany,
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21
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Travers BG, Bigler ED, Tromp DPM, Adluru N, Froehlich AL, Ennis C, Lange N, Nielsen JA, Prigge MBD, Alexander AL, Lainhart JE. Longitudinal processing speed impairments in males with autism and the effects of white matter microstructure. Neuropsychologia 2014; 53:137-45. [PMID: 24269298 PMCID: PMC3946881 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2013] [Revised: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The present study used an accelerated longitudinal design to examine group differences and age-related changes in processing speed in 81 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to 56 age-matched individuals with typical development (ages 6-39 years). Processing speed was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-3rd edition (WISC-III) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-3rd edition (WAIS-III). Follow-up analyses examined processing speed subtest performance and relations between processing speed and white matter microstructure (as measured with diffusion tensor imaging [DTI] in a subset of these participants). After controlling for full scale IQ, the present results show that processing speed index standard scores were on average 12 points lower in the group with ASD compared to the group with typical development. There were, however, no significant group differences in standard score age-related changes within this age range. For subtest raw scores, the group with ASD demonstrated robustly slower processing speeds in the adult versions of the IQ test (i.e., WAIS-III) but not in the child versions (WISC-III), even though age-related changes were similar in both the ASD and typically developing groups. This pattern of results may reflect difficulties that become increasingly evident in ASD on more complex measures of processing speed. Finally, DTI measures of whole-brain white matter microstructure suggested that fractional anisotropy (but not mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity, or axial diffusivity) made significant but small-sized contributions to processing speed standard scores across our entire sample. Taken together, the present findings suggest that robust decreases in processing speed may be present in ASD, more pronounced in adulthood, and partially attributable to white matter microstructural integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany G Travers
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Erin D Bigler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA; The Brain Institute of Utah, University of Utah, 36 South Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, 501 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Do P M Tromp
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Alyson L Froehlich
- Department of Radiology, University of Utah, 30 North 1900 East #1A071, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chad Ennis
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Nicholas Lange
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biostatistics, Harvard University, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Neurostatistics Laboratory, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Jared A Nielsen
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, 401 MREB, 20 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Molly B D Prigge
- Department of Radiology, University of Utah, 30 North 1900 East #1A071, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd., Madison, WI 53719, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1111 Highland Avenue, Room 1005 Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Janet E Lainhart
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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de Boer-Schellekens L, Keetels M, Eussen M, Vroomen J. No evidence for impaired multisensory integration of low-level audiovisual stimuli in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:3004-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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McFadden K, Minshew NJ. Evidence for dysregulation of axonal growth and guidance in the etiology of ASD. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:671. [PMID: 24155705 PMCID: PMC3804918 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Current theories concerning the cause of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have converged on the concept of abnormal development of brain connectivity. This concept is supported by accumulating evidence from functional imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and high definition fiber tracking studies which suggest altered microstructure in the axonal tracts connecting cortical areas may underly many of the cognitive manifestations of ASD. Additionally, large-scale genomic studies implicate numerous gene candidates known or suspected to mediate neuritic outgrowth and axonal guidance in fetal and perinatal life. Neuropathological observations in postmortem ASD brain samples further support this model and include subtle disturbances of cortical lamination and subcortical axonal morphology. Of note is the relatively common finding of poor differentiation of the gray–white junction associated with an excess superficial white matter or “interstitial” neurons (INs). INs are thought to be remnants of the fetal subplate, a transient structure which plays a key role in the guidance and morphogenesis of thalamocortical and cortico-cortical connections and the organization of cortical columnar architecture. While not discounting the importance of synaptic dysfunction in the etiology of ASD, this paper will briefly review the cortical abnormalities and genetic evidence supporting a model of dysregulated axonal growth and guidance as key developmental processes underlying the clinical manifestations of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn McFadden
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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24
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Autonomic Dysregulation During Sensory Stimulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 45:461-72. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1924-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Travers BG, Adluru N, Ennis C, Tromp DPM, Destiche D, Doran S, Bigler ED, Lange N, Lainhart JE, Alexander AL. Diffusion tensor imaging in autism spectrum disorder: a review. Autism Res 2012; 5:289-313. [PMID: 22786754 PMCID: PMC3474893 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 297] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
White matter tracts of the brain allow neurons and neuronal networks to communicate and function with high efficiency. The aim of this review is to briefly introduce diffusion tensor imaging methods that examine white matter tracts and then to give an overview of the studies that have investigated white matter integrity in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). From the 48 studies we reviewed, persons with ASD tended to have decreased fractional anisotropy and increased mean diffusivity in white matter tracts spanning many regions of the brain but most consistently in regions such as the corpus callosum, cingulum, and aspects of the temporal lobe. This decrease in fractional anisotropy was often accompanied by increased radial diffusivity. Additionally, the review suggests possible atypical lateralization in some white matter tracts of the brain and a possible atypical developmental trajectory of white matter microstructure in persons with ASD. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany G Travers
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
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26
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O'Hearn K, Franconeri S, Wright C, Minshew N, Luna B. The development of individuation in autism. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 2012; 39:494-509. [PMID: 22963232 DOI: 10.1037/a0029400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that people with autism rely less on holistic visual information than typical adults. The current studies examine this by investigating core visual processes that contribute to holistic processing--namely, individuation and element grouping--and how they develop in participants with autism and typically developing (TD) participants matched for age, IQ, and gender. Individuation refers to the ability to "see" approximately four elements simultaneously; grouping elements can modify how many elements can be individuated. We examined these processes using two well-established paradigms, rapid enumeration and multiple object tracking (MOT). In both tasks, a performance limit of four elements in typical adults is thought to reflect individuation capacity. Participants with autism displayed a smaller individuation capacity than TD controls, regardless of whether they were enumerating static elements or tracking moving ones. To manipulate the holistic information available via element grouping, elements were arranged into a design in rapid enumeration, or moved together in MOT. Performance in participants with autism was affected to a similar degree as TD participants by element grouping, whether the manipulation helped or hurt performance, consistent with evidence that some types of gestalt/grouping information are processed typically in autism. There was substantial development from childhood to adolescence in the speed of individuation in those with autism, but not from adolescence to adulthood, a pattern distinct from TD participants. These results reveal how core visual processes function in autism, and provide insight into the architecture of vision (i.e., individuation appears distinct from visual strengths in autism, such as visual search).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten O'Hearn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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27
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Yang M, Abrams DN, Zhang JY, Weber MD, Katz AM, Clarke AM, Silverman JL, Crawley JN. Low sociability in BTBR T+tf/J mice is independent of partner strain. Physiol Behav 2012; 107:649-62. [PMID: 22245067 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Revised: 12/14/2011] [Accepted: 12/27/2011] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Inbred mouse strains differ greatly in social behaviors, making them a valuable resource to study genetic and non-genetic mechanisms underlying social deficits relevant to autism spectrum disorders. A hallmark symptom of autism is a lack of ability to understand other people's thoughts and intentions, which leads to impairments in adjusting behaviors in response to ever-changing social situations in daily life. We compared the ability of BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR), a strain with low sociability, and C57BL/6J (B6), a strain with high sociability, for their abilities to modulate responses to social cues from different partners in the reciprocal social interaction test. Results indicate that BTBR exhibited low sociability toward different partners and displayed minimal ability to modify behaviors toward different partners. In contrast, B6 showed high sociability toward different partners and was able to modify social behaviors toward different partners. Consistent results were found in two independent cohorts of different ages, and in both sexes. In the three-chambered test, high sociability in B6 and low sociability in BTBR were independent of strain of the novel mouse. Since social deficits in BTBR could potentially be caused by physical disabilities in detecting social olfactory cues, or in cognitive abilities, we tested BTBR and B6 mice on measures of olfaction and cognition. BTBR mice displayed more sniffing of social odors emitted by soiled bedding than of an odorless novel object, but failed to show a preference for a live novel mouse over a novel object. On olfactory habituation/dishabituation to a sequence of odors, BTBR displayed discrimination abilities across three non-social and two social odors. However, as compared to B6, BTBR displayed less sniff time for both non-social and social odors, and no significant dishabituation between cage odors from two different novel mouse strains, findings that will be important to investigate further. BTBR was generally normal in spatial acquisition on the Morris water maze test, but showed deficits in reversal learning. Time spent freezing on contextual and cued fear conditioning was lower in BTBR than in B6. Our findings suggest that BTBR has poor abilities to modulate its responses to different social partners, which may be analogous to social cognition deficits in autism, adding to the value of this strain as a mouse model of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu Yang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-3730, USA.
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28
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Soulières I, Dawson M, Gernsbacher MA, Mottron L. The level and nature of autistic intelligence II: what about Asperger syndrome? PLoS One 2011; 6:e25372. [PMID: 21991394 PMCID: PMC3182210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A distinctively uneven profile of intelligence is a feature of the autistic spectrum. Within the spectrum, Asperger individuals differ from autistics in their early speech development and in being less likely to be characterized by visuospatial peaks. While different specific strengths characterize different autistic spectrum subgroups, all such peaks of ability have been interpreted as deficits: isolated, aberrant, and irreconcilable with real human intelligence. This view has recently been challenged by findings of autistic strengths in performance on Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), an important marker of general and fluid intelligence. We investigated whether these findings extend to Asperger syndrome, an autistic spectrum subgroup characterized by verbal peaks of ability, and whether the cognitive mechanisms underlying autistic and Asperger RPM performance differ. Thirty-two Asperger adults displayed a significant advantage on RPM over Wechsler Full-Scale and Performance scores relative to their typical controls, while in 25 Asperger children an RPM advantage was found over Wechsler Performance scores only. As previously found with autistics, Asperger children and adults achieved RPM scores at a level reflecting their Wechsler peaks of ability. Therefore, strengths in RPM performance span the autistic spectrum and imply a common mechanism advantageously applied to different facets of cognition. Autistic spectrum intelligence is atypical, but also genuine, general, and underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Soulières
- Centre d'Excellence en Troubles Envahissants du Développement de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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29
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Greater disruption to control of voluntary saccades in autistic disorder than Asperger's disorder: evidence for greater cerebellar involvement in autism? THE CEREBELLUM 2011; 10:70-80. [PMID: 21072692 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-010-0229-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
It remains unclear whether autism and Asperger's disorder (AD) exist on a symptom continuum or are separate disorders with discrete neurobiological underpinnings. In addition to impairments in communication and social cognition, motor deficits constitute a significant clinical feature in both disorders. It has been suggested that motor deficits and in particular the integrity of cerebellar modulation of movement may differentiate these disorders. We used a simple volitional saccade task to comprehensively profile the integrity of voluntary ocular motor behaviour in individuals with high functioning autism (HFA) or AD, and included measures sensitive to cerebellar dysfunction. We tested three groups of age-matched young males with normal intelligence (full scale, verbal, and performance IQ estimates >70) aged between 11 and 19 years; nine with AD, eight with HFA, and ten normally developing males as the comparison group. Overall, the metrics and dynamics of the voluntary saccades produced in this task were preserved in the AD group. In contrast, the HFA group demonstrated relatively preserved mean measures of ocular motricity with cerebellar-like deficits demonstrated in increased variability on measures of response time, final eye position, and movement dynamics. These deficits were considered to be consistent with reduced cerebellar online adaptation of movement. The results support the notion that the integrity of cerebellar modulation of movement may be different in AD and HFA, suggesting potentially differential neurobiological substrates may underpin these complex disorders.
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Abstract
Atypical sensory-based behaviors are a ubiquitous feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). In this article, we review the neural underpinnings of sensory processing in autism by reviewing the literature on neurophysiological responses to auditory, tactile, and visual stimuli in autistic individuals. We review studies of unimodal sensory processing and multisensory integration that use a variety of neuroimaging techniques, including electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional MRI. We then explore the impact of covert and overt attention on sensory processing. With additional characterization, neurophysiologic profiles of sensory processing in ASD may serve as valuable biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic interventions for autism and reveal potential strategies and target brain regions for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysa J Marco
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
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31
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Noonan SK, Haist F, Müller RA. Aberrant functional connectivity in autism: evidence from low-frequency BOLD signal fluctuations. Brain Res 2009; 1262:48-63. [PMID: 19401185 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.12.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2008] [Revised: 12/31/2008] [Accepted: 12/31/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A number of recent studies have examined functional connectivity in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), generally converging on the finding of reduced interregional coordination, or underconnectivity. Underconnectivity has been reported between many brain regions and across a range of cognitive tasks, and has been proposed to underlie behavioral and cognitive impairments associated with ASD. The current study employed functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) to examine interregional correlations of low-frequency BOLD signal fluctuations in 10 high-functioning participants with ASD and 10 typically developing control participants. Whole-brain connectivity with three seed regions of interest (left middle frontal, left superior parietal, and left middle occipital cortex) was evaluated using fMRI datasets acquired during performance of a source recognition task. While fcMRI patterns were found to be largely similar across the two groups, including many common areas, effects for the ASD group were generally more extensive. These findings, although inconsistent with generalized underconnectivity in ASD, are compatible with a model of aberrant connectivity in which the nature of connectivity disturbance (i.e., increased or reduced) may vary by region. Taking into consideration methodological factors that might influence measured fcMRI effects, we suggest that ASD is associated with an inefficiency in optimizing network connections to achieve task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Noonan
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, CA 92120-1863, USA
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32
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Abstract
Cognitive control of behavior continues to improve through adolescence in parallel with important brain maturational processes including synaptic pruning and myelination, which allow for efficient neuronal computations and the functional integration of widely distributed circuitries supporting top-down control of behavior. This is also a time when psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and mood disorders, emerge reflecting a particularly vulnerability to impairments in development during adolescence. Oculomotor studies provide a unique neuroscientific approach to make precise associations between cognitive control and brain circuitry during development that can inform us of impaired systems in psychopathology. In this review, we first describe the development of pursuit, fixation, and visually-guided saccadic eye movements, which collectively indicate early maturation of basic sensorimotor processes supporting reflexive, exogenously-driven eye movements. We then describe the literature on the development of the cognitive control of eye movements as reflected in the ability to inhibit a prepotent eye movement in the antisaccade task, as well as making an eye movement guided by on-line spatial information in working memory in the oculomotor delayed response task. Results indicate that the ability to make eye movements in a voluntary fashion driven by endogenous plans shows a protracted development into adolescence. Characterizing the transition through adolescence to adult-level cognitive control of behavior can inform models aimed at understanding the neurodevelopmental basis of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Luna
- Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development, Department of Psychology and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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33
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Abstract
Although previous studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) excel at visual search, underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. This study investigated the neurofunctional correlates of visual search in children with ASD and matched typically developing (TD) children, using an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging design. We used a visual search paradigm, manipulating search difficulty by varying set size (6, 12, or 24 items), distractor composition (heterogeneous or homogeneous) and target presence to identify brain regions associated with efficient and inefficient search. While the ASD group did not evidence accelerated response time (RT) compared with the TD group, they did demonstrate increased search efficiency, as measured by RT by set size slopes. Activation patterns also showed differences between ASD group, which recruited a network including frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices, and the TD group, which showed less extensive activation mostly limited to occipito-temporal regions. Direct comparisons (for both homogeneous and heterogeneous search conditions) revealed greater activation in occipital and frontoparietal regions in ASD than in TD participants. These results suggest that search efficiency in ASD may be related to enhanced discrimination (reflected in occipital activation) and increased top-down modulation of visual attention (associated with frontoparietal activation).
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Abstract
AbstractAutism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and communication deficits, and repetitive behavior. Studies investigating the integrity of brain systems in autism suggest a wide range of gray and white matter abnormalities that are present early in life and change with development. These abnormalities predominantly affect association areas and undermine functional integration. Executive function, which has a protracted development into adolescence and reflects the integration of complex widely distributed brain function, is also affected in autism. Evidence from studies probing response inhibition and working memory indicate impairments in these core components of executive function, as well as compensatory mechanisms that permit normative function in autism. Studies also demonstrate age-related improvements in executive function from childhood to adolescence in autism, indicating the presence of plasticity and suggesting a prolonged window for effective treatment. Despite developmental gains, mature executive functioning is limited in autism, reflecting abnormalities in wide-spread brain networks that may lead to impaired processing of complex information across all domains.
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35
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Minshew NJ, Hobson JA. Sensory sensitivities and performance on sensory perceptual tasks in high-functioning individuals with autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2008; 38:1485-98. [PMID: 18302014 PMCID: PMC3077539 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-007-0528-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2007] [Accepted: 12/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Most reports of sensory symptoms in autism are second hand or observational, and there is little evidence of a neurological basis. Sixty individuals with high-functioning autism and 61 matched typical participants were administered a sensory questionnaire and neuropsychological tests of elementary and higher cortical sensory perception. Thirty-two percent of autism participants endorsed more sensory sensitivity items than any control participants. Both groups made few errors on elementary sensory perception items. Controls made few errors on higher cortical sensory perception items, but 30% of the autism participants made high numbers of errors. These findings support the common occurrence of sensory symptoms in high functioning autism based on first person report, and the presence of neurological abnormalities in higher cortical sensory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J Minshew
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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36
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Twachtman-Reilly J, Amaral SC, Zebrowski PP. Addressing Feeding Disorders in Children on the Autism Spectrum in School-Based Settings: Physiological and Behavioral Issues. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2008; 39:261-72. [DOI: 10.1044/0161-1461(2008/025)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose
The purposes of this article are to define the nature of feeding difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), identify important components of the assessment and treatment of feeding disorders specific to this population, and delineate specific therapeutic techniques designed to improve assessment and treatment within the school setting.
Method
Literature review and case example are used to define the predominant nature of the feeding difficulties that are experienced by some children on the autism spectrum. Characteristics of this complex disorder that can have an impact on feeding skill and behavior are also identified. These factors are then integrated to create assessment and intervention techniques that can be used in conjunction with traditional feeding approaches to facilitate improvements in eating in this unique population.
Implications
The complex nature of ASD and its many influences on feeding skills and behavior create the need for modification to both assessment and treatment approaches. Additional research is needed to create therapeutic protocols that can be used by school-based speech-language pathologists to effectively assess and treat feeding difficulties that are commonly encountered in children with ASD.
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37
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Information Processing, Neural Connectivity, and Neuronal Organization. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60327-489-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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38
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Kemner C, van der Geest JN, Verbaten MN, van Engeland H. Effects of object complexity and type on the gaze behavior of children with pervasive developmental disorder. Brain Cogn 2007; 65:107-11. [PMID: 17628272 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2006.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2004] [Revised: 05/27/2006] [Accepted: 05/27/2006] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The looking behavior of children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) and age- and IQ-matched normal control children was studied using infrared oculography. Stimuli varying in complexity and topic were presented to test whether children with PDD have specific abnormalities in looking behavior to complex stimuli and/or to faces. All children showed more and longer fixations on the complex objects than on the simple objects, especially the complex nonsense figure, but group differences were not found. The results show no evidence for specific abnormalities in looking behavior to either faces or to complex stimuli in high functioning children with PDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Kemner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht and Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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39
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Bethea TC, Sikich L. Early pharmacological treatment of autism: a rationale for developmental treatment. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 61:521-37. [PMID: 17276749 PMCID: PMC2553755 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2006] [Revised: 09/02/2006] [Accepted: 09/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a dynamic neurodevelopmental syndrome in which disabilities emerge during the first three postnatal years and continue to evolve with ongoing development. We briefly review research in autism describing subtle changes in molecules important in brain development and neurotransmission, in morphology of specific neurons, brain connections, and in brain size. We then provide a general schema of how these processes may interact with particular emphasis on neurotransmission. In this context, we present a rationale for utilizing pharmacologic treatments aimed at modifying key neurodevelopmental processes in young children with autism. Early treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is presented as a model for pharmacologic interventions because there is evidence in autistic children for reduced brain serotonin synthesis during periods of peak synaptogenesis; serotonin is known to enhance synapse refinement; and exploratory studies with these agents in autistic children exist. Additional hypothetical developmental interventions and relevant published clinical data are described. Finally, we discuss the importance of exploring early pharmacologic interventions within multiple experimental settings in order to develop effective treatments as quickly as possible while minimizing risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrence C Bethea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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40
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Brenner LA, Turner KC, Müller RA. Eye Movement and Visual Search: Are There Elementary Abnormalities in Autism? J Autism Dev Disord 2006; 37:1289-309. [PMID: 17120149 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0277-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2005] [Accepted: 07/22/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Although atypical eye gaze is commonly observed in autism, little is known about underlying oculomotor abnormalities. Our review of visual search and oculomotor systems in the healthy brain suggests that relevant networks may be partially impaired in autism, given regional abnormalities known from neuroimaging. However, direct oculomotor evidence for autism remains limited. This gap is critical since oculomotor abnormalities might play a causal role in functions known to be impaired in autism, such as imitation and joint attention. We integrate our oculomotor review into a developmental approach to language impairment related to nonverbal prerequisites. Oculomotor abnormalities may play a role as a sensorimotor defect at the root of impairments in later developing functional systems, ultimately resulting in sociocommunicative deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie A Brenner
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct. #225E, MC1863, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
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41
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Williams DL, Goldstein G, Minshew NJ. Neuropsychologic functioning in children with autism: further evidence for disordered complex information-processing. Child Neuropsychol 2006; 12:279-98. [PMID: 16911973 PMCID: PMC1803025 DOI: 10.1080/09297040600681190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
A wide range of abilities was assessed in 56 high-functioning children with autism and 56 age- and IQ-matched controls. Stepwise discriminant analyses produced good group discrimination for sensory-perceptual, motor, complex language, and complex memory domains but lower agreement for the reasoning domain than previously obtained for adults. Group discrimination did not occur for attention, simple language, simple memory, and visuospatial domains. Findings provide additional support for a complex information-processing model for autism, previously based on adult data, demonstrating a pattern across domains of selective impairments on measures with high demands for integration of information and sparing when demands were low. Children as compared to adults with autism exhibited more prominent sensory-perceptual symptoms and less pronounced reasoning deficits reflecting brain maturation.
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42
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Vidal CN, Nicolson R, DeVito TJ, Hayashi KM, Geaga JA, Drost DJ, Williamson PC, Rajakumar N, Sui Y, Dutton RA, Toga AW, Thompson PM. Mapping corpus callosum deficits in autism: an index of aberrant cortical connectivity. Biol Psychiatry 2006; 60:218-25. [PMID: 16460701 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2005] [Revised: 11/01/2005] [Accepted: 11/03/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Volumetric studies have reported reductions in the size of the corpus callosum (CC) in autism, but the callosal regions contributing to this deficit have differed among studies. In this study, a computational method was used to detect and map the spatial pattern of CC abnormalities in male patients with autism. METHODS Twenty-four boys with autism (aged 10.0 +/- 3.3 years) and 26 control boys (aged 11.0 +/- 2.5 years) underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at 3 Tesla. Total and regional areas of the CC were determined using traditional morphometric methods. Three-dimensional (3D) surface models of the CC were also created from the MRI scans. Statistical maps were created to visualize morphologic variability of the CC and to localize regions of callosal thinning in autism. RESULTS Traditional morphometric methods detected a significant reduction in the total callosal area and in the anterior third of the CC in patients with autism; however, 3D maps revealed significant reductions in both the splenium and genu of the CC in patients. CONCLUSIONS Statistical maps of the CC revealed callosal deficits in autism with greater precision than traditional morphometric methods. These abnormalities suggest aberrant connections between cortical regions, which is consistent with the hypothesis of abnormal cortical connectivity in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine N Vidal
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Brain Mapping Division, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095-7332, USA
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Williams DL, Goldstein G, Carpenter PA, Minshew NJ. Verbal and spatial working memory in autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2006; 35:747-56. [PMID: 16267641 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-005-0021-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Verbal and spatial working memory were examined in high-functioning children, adolescents, and adults with autism compared to age and cognitive-matched controls. No deficit was found in verbal working memory in the individuals with autism using an N-back letter task and standardized measures. The distinction between the N-back task and others used previously to infer a working memory deficit in autism is that this task does not involve a complex cognitive demand. Deficits were found in spatial working memory. Understanding the basis for the dissociation between intact verbal working memory and impaired spatial working memory and the breakdown that occurs in verbal working memory as information processing demands are increased will likely provide valuable insights into the neural basis of autism.
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Kemner C, van Engeland H. ERPs and Eye Movements Reflect Atypical Visual Perception in Pervasive Developmental Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2005; 36:45-54. [PMID: 16374670 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-005-0041-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Many studies of eye tracking or event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in subjects with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) have yielded inconsistent results on attentional processing. However, recent studies have indicated that there are specific abnormalities in early processing that are probably related to perception. ERP amplitudes in response to visual stimuli, measured above the occipital (modality-specific) cortex, are reported to be abnormally small in patients with PDD, and the abnormal visual processing is possibly associated with the spatial visual frequency content of stimuli. It is suggested that subjects with PDD show abnormal activation of visual pathways dedicated to the processing of high and low spatial frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Kemner
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Nowinski CV, Minshew NJ, Luna B, Takarae Y, Sweeney JA. Oculomotor studies of cerebellar function in autism. Psychiatry Res 2005; 137:11-9. [PMID: 16214219 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2005.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2005] [Revised: 05/27/2005] [Accepted: 07/13/2005] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Histopathological, neuroimaging and genetic findings indicate cerebellar abnormalities in autism, but the extent of neurophysiological dysfunction associated with those findings has not been systematically examined. Suppression of intrusive saccades (square wave jerks) and the ability to sustain eccentric gaze, two phenomena requiring intact cerebellar function, were examined in 52 high-functioning individuals with autism and 52 age- and IQ-matched healthy subjects during visual fixation of static central and peripheral targets. Rates of intrusive saccades were not increased in autism during visual fixation, and foveopetal ocular drift was also not increased when subjects held an eccentric gaze. The absence of gross disturbances of visual fixation associated with cerebellar disease in individuals with autism, such as increased square wave jerk rates and foveopetal drift when holding eccentric gaze, indicates that the functional integrity of cerebellar--brainstem networks devoted to oculomotor control is preserved in autism despite reported anatomic variations. However, increased amplitude of intrusive saccades and reduced latency of target refixation after intrusive saccades were observed in individuals with autism, especially when subjects maintained fixation of remembered target locations without sensory guidance. The atypical metrics of intrusive saccades that were observed may be attributable to faulty functional connectivity in cortico-cerebellar networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caralynn V Nowinski
- Department of Psychiatry, MC 913, University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S. Wood St., Suite 235, Chicago, IL 60612-7327, USA
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Mottron L. Matching strategies in cognitive research with individuals with high-functioning autism: current practices, instrument biases, and recommendations. J Autism Dev Disord 2004; 34:19-27. [PMID: 15098953 DOI: 10.1023/b:jadd.0000018070.88380.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
A meta-analysis was performed on the 133 cognitive and behavioral papers in autism using comparison groups in the 1999-2002 period. High-functioning (average IQ: 84.7), adolescents (average, 14.4 years) are largely dominant. IQ is the most frequent matching variable in use (51.2%). The instruments that are most frequently used to determine IQ or general level are Wechsler scales (46.9%), British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS; 22.3%), and Raven Progressive Matrices (RPM; 16.9%). In order to determine if these instruments were equivalent when applied to individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs), Wechsler IQ, EVIP (a French Canadian translation of the BPVS), and RPM were given to a group of 14 individuals with autism and 12 with Asperger syndrome. Comparison of Wechsler and RPM IQs values, expressed as percentiles, to percentile values of EVIP score revealed that EVIP (and to a lesser extent RPM) considerably overestimates the level of all PDD participants as compared to Wechsler Verbal IQ (VIQ), Performance IQ (PIQ), or Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ), whereas these instruments are reported to be strongly correlated in typically developing individuals. This study reveals that identification of objects from a verbal label--the BPVS-PPVT-EVIP task--is a peak of ability in high functioning individuals with PDDs. This peak of ability, even superior to that of block design, has a detrimental effect on matching based on this instrument. A recommendation to replace BPVS/PPVT/EVIP or RPM by Wechsler scale as a basis of IQ/level matching is provided. Accordingly, the former instruments are a potential source of type-1 (for cognitive deficits) or type-2 (for cognitive hyperfunctioning) errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Mottron
- Centre de Recherche Fernand Seguin and Département de Psychiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
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Daoust AM, Limoges E, Bolduc C, Mottron L, Godbout R. EEG spectral analysis of wakefulness and REM sleep in high functioning autistic spectrum disorders. Clin Neurophysiol 2004; 115:1368-73. [PMID: 15134704 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2004.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/15/2004] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of temporo-occipital regions in the pathophysiology of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) by using REM sleep and waking EEG. METHODS The EEG recordings of 9 persons with ASD and 8 control participants were recorded using a 12-electrode montage. Spectral analysis (0.75-19.75 Hz) was performed on EEG activity recorded upon two activated states: REM sleep and wakefulness. RESULTS During REM sleep, persons with ASD showed a selective, significantly lower absolute beta (13.0-19.75 Hz) spectral amplitude over the primary (O(1), O(2)) and associative (T(5), T(6)) cortical visual areas compared to controls. Persons with ASD showed significantly higher absolute theta (4.0-7.75 Hz) spectral amplitude over the left frontal pole region (Fp1) compared to controls during evening wakefulness, but not during morning wakefulness. SIGNIFICANCE The results of waking EEG are consistent with previously reported observations of neuropsychological signs of frontal atypicalities in ASD; results from REM sleep are the first EEG evidence to support the hypothesis of abnormal visuoperceptual functioning in ASD. Altogether, these results point toward atypical thalamo-cortical mechanisms subserving the neural processing of information in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Marie Daoust
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders Program, Laboratoire du Sommeil, Centre de Recherche Fernand-Seguin, Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies, 7070 Boulevard Perras, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1E 1A4
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