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Silvestri C, Scaini S, Giani L, Ferro M, Nobile M, Caputi M. Theory of Mind: A Brief Review of Candidate Genes. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:717. [PMID: 38927653 PMCID: PMC11203359 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060717] [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: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Deficits in theory of mind (ToM), known as the ability to understand the other's mind, have been associated with several psychopathological outcomes. The present systematic review aims to summarize the results of genetic studies that investigated gene polymorphisms associated with mentalization performance tasks in children and adults. The systematic review was carried out following PRISMA guidelines, and the literature search was conducted in PubMed and EBSCOhost using the following keywords: 'theory of mind, mentalizing, mindreading' and 'gene, genetic basis'. Nineteen studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Most of the literature focused on the role of DRD4, DAT1, OXTR, OXT, COMT, ZNF804A, AVP, AVPR, SCL6A4, EFHC2, MAO-A, and the family of GTF2I genes in influencing ToM. However, controversial results emerged in sustaining the link between specific genetic polymorphisms and mentalization abilities in children and adults. Available data show heterogeneous outcomes, with studies reporting an association between the same family genes in subjects of the same age and other studies reporting no correlation. This does not allow us to draw any solid conclusions but paves the way for exploring genes involved in ToM tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Silvestri
- Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy; (C.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Simona Scaini
- Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy; (C.S.); (L.G.)
- Child and Adolescent Unit, Italian Psychotherapy Clinics, Corso San Gottardo 5, 20136 Milan, Italy
| | - Ludovica Giani
- Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy; (C.S.); (L.G.)
| | - Mattia Ferro
- Brain and Behaviour Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy;
| | - Maria Nobile
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, 23842 Lecco, Italy;
| | - Marcella Caputi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via E. Weiss, 34128 Trieste, Italy;
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Schnitzler T, Fuchs T. Autism as a Disorder of Affective Empathy. Psychopathology 2023; 57:53-62. [PMID: 37852203 DOI: 10.1159/000533655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Since the first description by Leo Kanner, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been attributed a reduced empathy. However, it has not yet been clarified how empathy is specifically impaired in autism. Typically, scholars distinguish between the affective and the cognitive dimensions of empathy. The latter largely overlaps with the concept of the theory of mind (ToM), according to which we need internal inferences or simulations for gaining access to the hidden mental states of others. Since a deficit in ToM is a widely accepted explanation for difficulties of individuals with ASD in social interactions, limitations in cognitive empathy are accordingly assumed. Regarding affective empathy, there are contradictory results using various methods, showing an impaired affective empathy. The main aim of the paper is to present ASD primarily as a disorder of shared interpersonal and interaffective experiences and thus of affective empathy by means of a phenomenological analysis considering empirical studies. In this framework, a deficit of the ToM is accepted but criticized as a central explanatory approach for ASD since (1) it assumes a fundamental inaccessibility of other people, which does not correspond to our everyday social situations, and (2) it manifests developmentally long after the first signs of ASD, which means that its deficit cannot explain the basic autistic difficulties in social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Schnitzler
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Fuchs
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Tassone F, Protic D, Allen EG, Archibald AD, Baud A, Brown TW, Budimirovic DB, Cohen J, Dufour B, Eiges R, Elvassore N, Gabis LV, Grudzien SJ, Hall DA, Hessl D, Hogan A, Hunter JE, Jin P, Jiraanont P, Klusek J, Kooy RF, Kraan CM, Laterza C, Lee A, Lipworth K, Losh M, Loesch D, Lozano R, Mailick MR, Manolopoulos A, Martinez-Cerdeno V, McLennan Y, Miller RM, Montanaro FAM, Mosconi MW, Potter SN, Raspa M, Rivera SM, Shelly K, Todd PK, Tutak K, Wang JY, Wheeler A, Winarni TI, Zafarullah M, Hagerman RJ. Insight and Recommendations for Fragile X-Premutation-Associated Conditions from the Fifth International Conference on FMR1 Premutation. Cells 2023; 12:2330. [PMID: 37759552 PMCID: PMC10529056 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The premutation of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene is characterized by an expansion of the CGG trinucleotide repeats (55 to 200 CGGs) in the 5' untranslated region and increased levels of FMR1 mRNA. Molecular mechanisms leading to fragile X-premutation-associated conditions (FXPAC) include cotranscriptional R-loop formations, FMR1 mRNA toxicity through both RNA gelation into nuclear foci and sequestration of various CGG-repeat-binding proteins, and the repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN)-initiated translation of potentially toxic proteins. Such molecular mechanisms contribute to subsequent consequences, including mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal death. Clinically, premutation carriers may exhibit a wide range of symptoms and phenotypes. Any of the problems associated with the premutation can appropriately be called FXPAC. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI), and fragile X-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (FXAND) can fall under FXPAC. Understanding the molecular and clinical aspects of the premutation of the FMR1 gene is crucial for the accurate diagnosis, genetic counseling, and appropriate management of affected individuals and families. This paper summarizes all the known problems associated with the premutation and documents the presentations and discussions that occurred at the International Premutation Conference, which took place in New Zealand in 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Tassone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; (B.D.); (D.H.); (V.M.-C.)
| | - Dragana Protic
- Department of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia;
- Fragile X Clinic, Special Hospital for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Neurology, 11040 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Emily Graves Allen
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (E.G.A.); (P.J.); (K.S.)
| | - Alison D. Archibald
- Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia;
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia;
- Genomics in Society Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Anna Baud
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland; (A.B.); (K.T.)
| | - Ted W. Brown
- Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
- Fragile X Association of Australia, Brookvale, NSW 2100, Australia;
- NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY 10314, USA
| | - Dejan B. Budimirovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Fragile X Clinic, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences-Child Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jonathan Cohen
- Fragile X Alliance Clinic, Melbourne, VIC 3161, Australia;
| | - Brett Dufour
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; (B.D.); (D.H.); (V.M.-C.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children of Northern California, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
| | - Rachel Eiges
- Stem Cell Research Laboratory, Medical Genetics Institute, Shaare Zedek Medical Center Affiliated with the Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem 91031, Israel;
| | - Nicola Elvassore
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), 35129 Padova, Italy; (N.E.); (C.L.)
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Lidia V. Gabis
- Keshet Autism Center Maccabi Wolfson, Holon 5822012, Israel;
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Samantha J. Grudzien
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 4148 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (S.J.G.); (P.K.T.)
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Deborah A. Hall
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - David Hessl
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; (B.D.); (D.H.); (V.M.-C.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Abigail Hogan
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - Jessica Ezzell Hunter
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA; (J.E.H.); (S.N.P.); (M.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Peng Jin
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (E.G.A.); (P.J.); (K.S.)
| | - Poonnada Jiraanont
- Faculty of Medicine, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand;
| | - Jessica Klusek
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; (A.H.); (J.K.)
| | - R. Frank Kooy
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Claudine M. Kraan
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia;
- Diagnosis and Development, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Cecilia Laterza
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM), 35129 Padova, Italy; (N.E.); (C.L.)
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Lee
- Fragile X New Zealand, Nelson 7040, New Zealand;
| | - Karen Lipworth
- Fragile X Association of Australia, Brookvale, NSW 2100, Australia;
| | - Molly Losh
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201, USA;
| | - Danuta Loesch
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia;
| | - Reymundo Lozano
- Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
| | - Marsha R. Mailick
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA;
| | - Apostolos Manolopoulos
- Intramural Research Program, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA;
| | - Veronica Martinez-Cerdeno
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; (B.D.); (D.H.); (V.M.-C.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children of Northern California, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
| | - Yingratana McLennan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children of Northern California, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
| | | | - Federica Alice Maria Montanaro
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy;
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Matthew W. Mosconi
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA;
- Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Sarah Nelson Potter
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA; (J.E.H.); (S.N.P.); (M.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Melissa Raspa
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA; (J.E.H.); (S.N.P.); (M.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Susan M. Rivera
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA;
| | - Katharine Shelly
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; (E.G.A.); (P.J.); (K.S.)
| | - Peter K. Todd
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 4148 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (S.J.G.); (P.K.T.)
- Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Healthcare, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Katarzyna Tutak
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland; (A.B.); (K.T.)
| | - Jun Yi Wang
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA;
| | - Anne Wheeler
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA; (J.E.H.); (S.N.P.); (M.R.); (A.W.)
| | - Tri Indah Winarni
- Center for Biomedical Research (CEBIOR), Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang 502754, Central Java, Indonesia;
| | - Marwa Zafarullah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
| | - Randi J. Hagerman
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; (B.D.); (D.H.); (V.M.-C.)
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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Chen Y, Guo L, Han M, Zhang S, Chen Y, Zou J, Bai S, Cheng G, Zeng Y. Cerebellum Neuropathology and Motor Skill Deficits in Fragile X Syndrome. Int J Dev Neurosci 2022; 82:557-568. [DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yu‐shan Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Liu Guo
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Man Han
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Si‐ming Zhang
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Yi‐qi Chen
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Jia Zou
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Shu‐yuan Bai
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Gui‐rong Cheng
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
| | - Yan Zeng
- Brain Science and Advanced Technology Institute, School of Medicine Wuhan University of Science and Technology Wuhan China
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Miller JG, Bartholomay KL, Lee CH, Bruno JL, Lightbody AA, Reiss AL. Empathy and Anxiety in Young Girls with Fragile X Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:2213-2223. [PMID: 34081299 PMCID: PMC8639840 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05105-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
We tested whether empathy is impaired and associated with anxiety in girls with fragile X syndrome (FXS). We measured parent-reported empathy and self-reported anxiety in young girls with FXS and in a developmentally-matched comparison group. Girls with FXS received higher parent-reported scores on cognitive and affective empathy but also self-reported more severe anxiety symptoms, particularly separation anxiety and phobia symptoms, than girls in the comparison group. Girls with FXS who received higher cognitive empathy scores, however, appeared buffered against risk for separation anxiety and phobia symptoms. Girls with FXS experience elevated empathy and anxiety relative to their developmentally-matched peers. Higher cognitive empathy in girls with FXS may indicate resilience against specific forms of anxiety that are commonly observed in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Kristi L Bartholomay
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Cindy H Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bruno
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Amy A Lightbody
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Allan L Reiss
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Smogorzewska J, Osterhaus C. A matter of style? Parenting behaviors of mothers of typically-developing children, children with mild intellectual disability, and deaf or hard-of-hearing children. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2022.2039618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Ellis K, Moss J, Stefanidou C, Oliver C, Apperly I. The development of early social cognitive skills in neurogenetic syndromes associated with autism: Cornelia de Lange, fragile X and Rubinstein-Taybi syndromes. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2021; 16:488. [PMID: 34809685 PMCID: PMC8607585 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-021-02117-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cornelia de Lange (CdLS), Fragile X (FXS) and Rubinstein-Taybi syndromes (RTS) evidence unique profiles of autistic characteristics. To delineate these profiles further, the development of early social cognitive abilities in children with CdLS, FXS and RTS was compared to that observed in typically developing (TD) and autistic (AUT) children. METHODS Children with CdLS (N = 22), FXS (N = 19) and RTS (N = 18), completed the Early Social Cognition Scale (ESCogS). Extant data from AUT (N = 19) and TD (N = 86) children were used for comparison. RESULTS Similar to AUT children, children with CdLS, FXS and RTS showed an overall delay in passing ESCogS tasks. Children with CdLS showed a similar degree of delay to AUT children and greater delay than children with FXS and RTS. The CdLS, FXS and RTS groups did not pass tasks in the same sequence observed in TD and AUT children. Children with CdLS (p = 0.04), FXS (p = 0.02) and RTS (p = 0.04) performed better on tasks requiring understanding simple intentions in others significantly more than tasks requiring joint attention skills. CONCLUSIONS An underlying mechanism other than general cognitive delay may be disrupting early social cognitive development in children with CdLS, FXS and RTS. Factors that may disrupt early social cognitive development within these syndromes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Ellis
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU26 7XH, UK.
| | - Jo Moss
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU26 7XH, UK
| | - Chrysi Stefanidou
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Rivermead Campus, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, CM1 1SQ, UK
| | - Chris Oliver
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ian Apperly
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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Psychometric Evaluation of Social Cognition and Behavior Measures in Children and Adolescents with Down Syndrome. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070836. [PMID: 34202453 PMCID: PMC8301941 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are often described as socially engaged; however, challenges with social cognition, expressive language, and social interaction are also common in DS and are prospective outcomes of interest for clinical trials. The current study evaluates the psychometric properties of standardized measurements of social cognition and social behavior for potential use as outcome measures for children and adolescents with DS. Seventy-three youth ages 6 to 17 years old (M = 12.67, SD = 3.16) with DS were assessed on social cognition subtests of a neuropsychological assessment at two time points. Caregivers also completed a parent-report measure of social behavior. Measures were evaluated for feasibility, test-retest reliability, practice effects, convergent validity, and associations with broader developmental domains (i.e., age, cognition, and language). All social cognition and behavior measures met criteria for a portion of the psychometric indices evaluated, yet feasibility limitations were identified for the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition (NEPSY-II) Affect Recognition subtest, and the NEPSY-II Theory of Mind subtest had problematic floor effects for percentile ranks. The Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2; T-scores) had high feasibility, moderate to excellent test-retest reliability, and no practice effects, suggesting this measure could be appropriate for use in clinical trials involving youth with DS.
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Smogorzewska J, Osterhaus C. Advanced theory of mind in children with mild intellectual disability and deaf or hard of hearing children: A two-year longitudinal study in middle childhood. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 39:603-624. [PMID: 34117656 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigates the development of advanced theory of mind (AToM) among typically developing (TD) children, children with mild intellectual disability (MID), and deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children. The 2-year longitudinal study comprised three waves and included a large sample of children from Poland in middle childhood aged around 7.5-9.5 years (N = 779; M = 7.7, SD = 0.92 at wave 1). The analysis of children's understanding of second-order false belief and the Faux-Pas Recognition Test showed that TD children outperformed children with MID and DHH children on both measures. At 7.5 years, almost 60% of the TD children correctly solved the second-order false belief task; correct performance at 7.5 years in children with MID and DHH children was 27 and 38% respectively. Two years later, correct performance rose to 80% (TD children), 45% (children with MID), and 63% (DHH children). Despite these differences, the speed of AToM development did not differ across the groups. The development of faux-pas recognition followed a non-linear pattern, with TD children showing no further significant development after mid-elementary school. Our findings show differences in AToM development between TD children, children with MID, and DHH children, and they suggest that children's development of AToM may follow different developmental pathways, depending on the aspect of AToM under study.
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Hutchins TL, Lewis L, Prelock PA, Brien A. The Development and Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of the Theory of Mind Inventory: Self Report-Adult (ToMI:SR-Adult). J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 51:1839-1851. [PMID: 32851573 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04654-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of a new self-report measure of social cognition: the Theory of Mind Inventory:Self-report-Adult (ToMI:SR-Adult). Adults with autism (or a suspicion of autism; n = 111) and typically developing adults (n = 109) completed a demographic questionnaire and the ToMI:SR-Adult online. Both quantitative and qualitative self-reports of one's own theory of mind functioning were collected. The ToMI:SR-Adult performed well under all examinations of reliability and validity (internal consistency, accuracy of classification, contrasting-groups). The qualitative data confirmed impressions of validity and revealed that the adults in our sample had high levels of self-insight regarding their own theory of mind. The ToMI:SR-Adult is offered as a promising research and clinical tool for the assessment of social cognition in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany L Hutchins
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Vermont, 407 Pomeroy Hall, 489 Main Street, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.
| | - Laura Lewis
- Department of Nursing, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA
| | - Patricia A Prelock
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Vermont, 407 Pomeroy Hall, 489 Main Street, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
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Gernsbacher MA, Yergeau M. Empirical Failures of the Claim That Autistic People Lack a Theory of Mind. ARCHIVES OF SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 7:102-118. [PMID: 31938672 PMCID: PMC6959478 DOI: 10.1037/arc0000067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The claim that autistic people lack a theory of mind—that they fail to understand that other people have a mind or that they themselves have a mind—pervades psychology. This article (a) reviews empirical evidence that fails to support the claim that autistic people are uniquely impaired, much less that all autistic people are universally impaired, on theory-of-mind tasks; (b) highlights original findings that have failed to replicate; (c) documents multiple instances in which the various theory-of-mind tasks fail to relate to each other and fail to account for autistic traits, social interaction, and empathy; (c) summarizes a large body of data, collected by researchers working outside the theory-of-mind rubric, that fails to support assertions made by researchers working inside the theory-of-mind rubric; and (d) concludes that the claim that autistic people lack a theory of mind is empirically questionable and societally harmful. The assertion that autistic people lack a theory of mind—that they fail to understand that other people have a mind or that they themselves have a mind—pervades psychology. In this article, we critically examine the empirical basis of this assertion. We review empirical evidence that fails to support the claim that autistic people are uniquely impaired, much less that all autistic people are universally impaired, on theory-of-mind tasks. We highlight seminal theory-of-mind findings that have failed to replicate. We document multiple instances in which the various theory-of-mind tasks fail to converge and fail to predict autistic traits, social interaction, and empathy. We summarize a large body of data, collected by researchers working outside the theory-of-mind rubric, that fails to support assertions made by researchers working inside the theory-of-mind rubric. We conclude that the claim that autistic people lack a theory of mind is empirically questionable and societally harmful.
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Montoya-Rodríguez MM, Molina-Cobos FJ. Training perspective taking skills in individuals with intellectual disabilities: A functional approach. JOURNAL OF CONTEXTUAL BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Smogorzewska J, Szumski G, Grygiel P. Theory of mind development in school environment: A case of children with mild intellectual disability learning in inclusive and special education classrooms. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES 2019; 32:1241-1254. [PMID: 31069902 DOI: 10.1111/jar.12616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This longitudinal study examines the extent to which a school classroom (inclusive vs. special education) is meaningful for theory of mind (ToM) development among children with mild intellectual disability. MATERIALS AND METHODS The participant group consisted of 166 primary school-aged children (M = 8.1, SD = 0.99), 79 of whom attended inclusive classrooms; the remaining 87 were in special education classrooms. RESULTS Although all children developed ToM over time, children's learning of ToM in inclusive classrooms was significantly greater than that seen in special classrooms. The difference remained significant after controlling for age. The present authors have compared children's individual and family characteristics, but there were almost no differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS The present authors discuss the results in the light of their importance for children's cognitive and social development. The implications for children's education are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paweł Grygiel
- Department of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
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Del Hoyo Soriano L, Thurman AJ, Abbeduto L. Specificity: A Phenotypic Comparison of Communication-Relevant Domains Between Youth With Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome. Front Genet 2018; 9:424. [PMID: 30327664 PMCID: PMC6174242 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the shared presence of an intellectual disability (ID), there is a growing literature documenting important phenotypic differences between Down syndrome (DS) and fragile X syndrome (FXS). These conclusions, however, are based on a synthesis across studies, each of which typically includes only measures of a limited number of constructs, and with differing participant characteristics. Firmer conclusions regarding specific phenotypes require a single comprehensive multi-domain assessment of participants with the syndrome groups being well matched on chronological age (CA) and cognitive functioning. The current study was designed to fill this gap by assessing several important cognitive and behavioral domains relevant to communication, such as: structural language skills, false belief understanding, as well as pragmatics and behavioral difficulties, in 30 adolescents of both sexes with DS and 39 males with FXS, matched on CA and nonverbal (NV) cognition. After statistically controlling for NV cognition, we did not find significant syndrome differences in expressive and receptive structural language or false belief understanding. In contrast, participants with DS displayed less stereotyped language and fewer behavioral difficulties compared to males with FXS. Within-syndrome associations among the targeted domains are described. Finally, females with DS were less impaired than males with DS in almost all structural language domains, whereas no significant sex-related differences were observed in NV cognition, false belief understanding, pragmatics, or behavior. Clinical and methodological implications of the findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Del Hoyo Soriano
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Angela John Thurman
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
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Intelligence and specific cognitive functions in intellectual disability: implications for assessment and classification. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2018; 31:88-95. [PMID: 29206685 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Current diagnostic criteria for intellectual disability categorize ability as measured by IQ tests. However, this does not suit the new conceptualization of intellectual disability, which refers to a range of neuropsychiatric syndromes that have in common early onset, cognitive impairments, and consequent deficits in learning and adaptive functioning. A literature review was undertaken on the concept of intelligence and whether it encompasses a range of specific cognitive functions to solve problems, which might be better reported as a profile, instead of an IQ, with implications for diagnosis and classification of intellectual disability. RECENT FINDINGS Data support a model of intelligence consisting of distinct but related processes. Persons with intellectual disability with the same IQ level have different cognitive profiles, based on varying factors involved in aetiopathogenesis. Limitations of functioning and many biopsychological factors associated with intellectual disability are more highly correlated with impairments of specific cognitive functions than with overall IQ. SUMMARY The current model of intelligence, based on IQ, is of limited utility for intellectual disability, given the wide range and variability of cognitive functions and adaptive capacities. Assessing level of individual impairment in executive and specific cognitive functions may be a more useful alternative. This has considerable implications for the revision of the International Classification of Diseases and for the cultural attitude towards intellectual disability in general.
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Morel A, Peyroux E, Leleu A, Favre E, Franck N, Demily C. Overview of Social Cognitive Dysfunctions in Rare Developmental Syndromes With Psychiatric Phenotype. Front Pediatr 2018; 6:102. [PMID: 29774207 PMCID: PMC5943552 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2018.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rare neurodevelopmental syndromes often present social cognitive deficits that may underlie difficulties in social interactions and increase the risk of psychosis or autism spectrum disorders. However, little is known regarding the specificities of social cognitive impairment across syndromes while it remains a major challenge for the care. Our review provides an overview of social cognitive dysfunctions in rare diseases associated with psychiatric symptoms (with a prevalence estimated between 1 in 1,200 and 1 in 25,000 live births: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Rett syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, Turner syndrome, and Williams syndrome) and shed some light on the specific mechanisms that may underlie these skills in each clinical presentation. We first detail the different processes included in the generic expression "social cognition" before summarizing the genotype, psychiatric phenotype, and non-social cognitive profile in each syndrome. Then, we offer a systematic review of the social cognitive abilities and the disturbed mechanisms they are likely associated with. We followed the PRISMA process, including the definition of the relevant search terms, the selection of studies based on clear inclusion, and exclusion criteria and the quality appraisal of papers. We finally provide insights that may have considerable influence on the development of adapted therapeutic interventions such as social cognitive training (SCT) therapies specifically designed to target the psychiatric phenotype. The results of this review suggest that social cognition impairments share some similarities across syndromes. We propose that social cognitive impairments are strongly involved in behavioral symptoms regardless of the overall cognitive level measured by intelligence quotient. Better understanding the mechanisms underlying impaired social cognition may lead to adapt therapeutic interventions. The studies targeting social cognition processes offer new thoughts about the development of specific cognitive training programs, as they highlight the importance of connecting neurocognitive and SCT techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Morel
- Scientific Brain Training, Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Elodie Peyroux
- Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, SUR/CL3R: Service Universitaire de Réhabilitation, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Arnaud Leleu
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Dijon, France
| | - Emilie Favre
- Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Franck
- Centre ressource de réhabilitation psychosociale et de remédiation cognitive, CH Le Vinatier, Lyon et UMR 5229 (CNRS and Université Lyon), Lyon, France
| | - Caroline Demily
- Reference Center for Rare Diseases GénoPsy, CH Le Vinatier, UMR 5229, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Lyon, France
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Nonverbal components of Theory of Mind in typical and atypical development. Infant Behav Dev 2017; 48:54-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Morel A, Demily C. Cognition sociale dans les troubles neuro-génétiques de l’enfant : revue de la littérature. Arch Pediatr 2017; 24:757-765. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2017.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Cummings L. Cognitive Aspects of Pragmatic Disorders. PERSPECTIVES IN PRAGMATICS, PHILOSOPHY & PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-47489-2_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Turkstra LS, Clark A, Burgess S, Hengst JA, Wertheimer JC, Paul D. Pragmatic communication abilities in children and adults: implications for rehabilitation professionals. Disabil Rehabil 2016; 39:1872-1885. [DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1212113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lyn S. Turkstra
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Allison Clark
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine and TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sloane Burgess
- Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Julie A. Hengst
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Wertheimer
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Diane Paul
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Rockville, MD, USA
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Hahn LJ. Joint Attention and Early Social Developmental Cascades in Neurogenetic Disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2016; 51:123-152. [PMID: 29071204 PMCID: PMC5653316 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irrdd.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
This review examines what is known about joint attention and early social development in three neurogenetic syndromes: Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and fragile X syndrome. In addition, the potential cascading effects of joint attention on subsequent social development, especially social interaction and social cognition are proposed. The potential issues and complexities associated with conducting prospective, longitudinal studies of infant social development in neurogenetic disorders are discussed.
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Demily C, Rigard C, Peyroux E, Chesnoy-Servanin G, Morel A, Franck N. «Cognitus & Moi»: A Computer-Based Cognitive Remediation Program for Children with Intellectual Disability. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:10. [PMID: 26869942 PMCID: PMC4737901 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Attentional, visuospatial, and social cognition deficits have a negative impact on children's adaptative and social competences and, as a result, on their ability to achieve a normal functioning and behavior. Until now and despite the frequency of those deficits, there is a lack of children's specific cognitive remediation tools specifically dedicated to attentional and visuospatial areas. The «Cognitus & Moi» program involves a variety of exercises in a paper and/or pencil (n = 30) or a computerized format (n = 29) and a strategy coaching approach. Each module of «Cognitus & Moi» targets a single impaired cognitive area, within the limits of cognitive domains' overlapping. The little cartoon character named Cognitus, who illustrates the program, is supposed to be very friendly and kind toward children. Cognitus will accompany them throughout the program for an effective and positive reinforcement. The main goal of «Cognitus & Moi» is to adjust to children's difficulties in daily life. Moreover, since the cognitive remediation benefit is complex to apply in daily life, the program is based on a metacognitive strategy. After a complete neuropsychological assessment and a psychoeducational session (with the child and the parents), 16 1-h-sessions of cognitive remediation with the therapist are proposed. Each session is composed of three parts: (1) computerized tasks focusing on specific attentional or visuospatial components (20 min). The attentional module targets hearing, visual, and divided attention. A double attention task is also proposed. The visuospatial module targets eye tracking and gaze direction, spatial orientation, visuospatial memory and construction, and mental imagery; (2) pen and paper tasks focusing on the same processes (20 min) and a facial emotion recognition task; (3) a proposal of a home-based task (during 20 min). Weekly, specific attentional and visuospatial home tasks are proposed to the child and analyzed with the parents and the therapist. Indeed, home exercises are useful to promote the transfer of strategies to daily life and their subsequent automation. The heterogeneity of cognitive deficits in intellectual deficiency necessitates an individualized cognitive remediation therapy. In this regard, «Cognitus & Moi» seems to be a promising tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Demily
- GénoPsy, Center for the Diagnosis and Management of Genetic Psychiatric Disorders, CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France; UMR 5229, EDR-Psy, Center of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Caroline Rigard
- GénoPsy, Center for the Diagnosis and Management of Genetic Psychiatric Disorders, CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France; UMR 5229, EDR-Psy, Center of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Elodie Peyroux
- GénoPsy, Center for the Diagnosis and Management of Genetic Psychiatric Disorders, CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France; UMR 5229, EDR-Psy, Center of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Centre référent lyonnais en réhabilitation psychosociale et en remédiation cognitive (CL3R), CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France
| | | | - Aurore Morel
- GénoPsy, Center for the Diagnosis and Management of Genetic Psychiatric Disorders, CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France; UMR 5229, EDR-Psy, Center of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Franck
- UMR 5229, EDR-Psy, Center of Cognitive Neuroscience, CNRS, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Centre référent lyonnais en réhabilitation psychosociale et en remédiation cognitive (CL3R), CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France
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Frölander HE, Möller C, Rudner M, Mishra S, Marshall JD, Piacentini H, Lyxell B. Theory-of-mind in individuals with Alström syndrome is related to executive functions, and verbal ability. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1426. [PMID: 26441796 PMCID: PMC4585138 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: This study focuses on cognitive prerequisites for the development of theory-of-mind (ToM), the ability to impute mental states to self and others in young adults with Alström syndrome (AS). AS is a rare and quite recently described recessively inherited ciliopathic disorder which causes progressive sensorineural hearing loss and juvenile blindness, as well as many other organ dysfunctions. Two cognitive abilities were considered; Phonological working memory (WM) and executive functions (EF), both of importance in speech development. Methods: Ten individuals (18–37 years) diagnosed with AS, and 20 individuals with no known impairment matched for age, gender, and educational level participated. Sensory functions were measured. Information about motor functions and communicative skills was obtained from responses to a questionnaire. ToM was assessed using Happés strange stories, verbal ability by a vocabulary test, phonological WM by means of an auditory presented non-word serial recall task and EF by tests of updating and inhibition. Results: The AS group performed at a significantly lower level than the control group in both the ToM task and the EF tasks. A significant correlation was observed between recall of non-words and EF in the AS group. Updating, but not inhibition, correlated significantly with verbal ability, whereas both updating and inhibition were significantly related to the ability to initiate and sustain communication. Poorer performance in the ToM and EF tasks were related to language perseverance and motor mannerisms. Conclusion: The AS group displayed a delayed ToM as well as reduced phonological WM, EF, and verbal ability. A significant association between ToM and EF, suggests a compensatory role of EF. This association may reflect the importance of EF to perceive and process input from the social environment when the social interaction is challenged by dual sensory loss. We argue that limitations in EF capacity in individuals with AS, to some extent, may be related to early blindness and progressive hearing loss, but maybe also to gene specific abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Erik Frölander
- Health Academy, School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University Örebro, Sweden ; Audiological Research Centre, Örebro University Hospital Örebro, Sweden ; Swedish Institute for Disability Research Linköping, Sweden ; Linnaeus Centre HEAD Linköping, Sweden ; Research on Hearing and Deafness (HEAD) graduate School Linköping, Sweden
| | - Claes Möller
- Health Academy, School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University Örebro, Sweden ; Audiological Research Centre, Örebro University Hospital Örebro, Sweden ; Swedish Institute for Disability Research Linköping, Sweden ; Linnaeus Centre HEAD Linköping, Sweden ; Department of Audiology, Örebro University Hospital Örebro, Sweden
| | - Mary Rudner
- Swedish Institute for Disability Research Linköping, Sweden ; Linnaeus Centre HEAD Linköping, Sweden ; Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sushmit Mishra
- Institute of Health Sciences, Utkal University Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Jan D Marshall
- Jackson Laboratory Bar Harbor, ME, USA ; Alstrom Syndrome International Mount Desert, ME, USA
| | | | - Björn Lyxell
- Swedish Institute for Disability Research Linköping, Sweden ; Linnaeus Centre HEAD Linköping, Sweden ; Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University Linköping, Sweden
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Li X, Wang K, Wu J, Hong Y, Zhao J, Feng X, Xu M, Wang M, Ndasauka Y, Zhang X. The link between impaired theory of mind and executive function in children with cerebral palsy. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2014; 35:1686-1693. [PMID: 24685096 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between theory of mind (ToM) deficits and executive function (EF) impairments in children with cerebral palsy (CP), 42 CP with children and 42 typically developing (TD) children, acting as controls, were assessed on the tasks of ToM (false belief and faux pas) and EF (inhibition, updating and shifting). Results showed that CP children had deficits both in ToM and EF tasks. The correlation analyses showed that two EF components (inhibition and updating) were strongly related to false belief and faux pas in both two groups. We also found correlation between shifting and false belief and faux pas. However, this correlation was only found in TD children and not in children with CP. These findings suggest that children with CP lag behind TD children in both ToM and EF. Further, the results reveal, interestingly, that ToM deficits in CP children might be related to their inhibition and updating impairments, but not to shifting impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function & Disease, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province 230027, PR China; Department of Medical Psychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China.
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China
| | - Jianxian Wu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China
| | - Yongfeng Hong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China
| | - Jingpu Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China
| | - Xiaojun Feng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China
| | - Mei Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230032, PR China
| | - Yamikani Ndasauka
- School of Humanities & Social Science, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China
| | - Xiaochu Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function & Disease, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province 230027, PR China; School of Humanities & Social Science, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China.
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Turkstra LS, Abbeduto L, Meulenbroek P. Social cognition in adolescent girls with fragile x syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2014; 119:319-39. [PMID: 25007297 PMCID: PMC4285382 DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-119.4.319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to characterize social cognition, executive functions (EFs), and everyday social functioning in adolescent girls with fragile X syndrome, and identify relationships among these variables. Participants were 20 girls with FXS and 20 age-matched typically developing peers. Results showed significant between-groups differences in social cognition, accounted for by differences in IQ and language. Within the FXS group, IQ and language were related to social cognition; parent-reported social functioning was related to language and EFs; and self-reported social functioning was generally good and not related to cognitive or social cognition variables. Results suggest that intervention might focus on managing language and cognitive contributions to social functioning, rather than social cognition, and underscore the importance of considering parent and adolescent perspectives.
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Validation d’une version francophone de l’inventaire de la Théorie de l’Esprit (ToMI-vf). EUROPEAN REVIEW OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.erap.2014.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Schenkel LS, Chamberlain TF, Towne TL. Impaired Theory of Mind and psychosocial functioning among pediatric patients with Type I versus Type II bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Res 2014; 215:740-6. [PMID: 24461271 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Revised: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM) have been documented among pediatric patients with Bipolar Disorder (BD). However, fewer studies have directly examined differences between type I and type II patients and whether or not ToM deficits are related to psychosocial difficulties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare type I versus type II pediatric bipolar patients and matched Healthy Controls (HC) on ToM and interpersonal functioning tasks. All participants completed the Revised Mind in the Eyes Task (MET), the Cognitive and Emotional Perspective Taking Task (CEPTT), and the Index of Peer Relations (IPR). Type I BD patients reported greater peer difficulties on the IPR compared to HC, and also performed more poorly on the MET and the cognitive condition of the CEPTT, but did not differ significantly on the emotional condition. There were no significant group differences between type II BD patients and HC. More impaired ToM performance was associated with poorer interpersonal functioning. Type I BD patients show deficits in the ability to understand another's mental state, irrespective of emotional valence. Deficits in understanding others' mental states could be an important treatment target for type I pediatric patients with BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay S Schenkel
- Department of Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology, 18 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, 14623 NY, USA.
| | - Todd F Chamberlain
- Department of Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology, 18 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, 14623 NY, USA
| | - Terra L Towne
- Department of Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology, 18 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, 14623 NY, USA
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Williams TA, Porter MA, Langdon R. Social approach and emotion recognition in fragile X syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2014; 119:133-150. [PMID: 24679350 DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-119.2.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Evidence is emerging that individuals with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) display emotion recognition deficits, which may contribute to their significant social difficulties. The current study investigated the emotion recognition abilities, and social approachability judgments, of FXS individuals when processing emotional stimuli. Relative to chronological age- (CA-) and mental age- (MA-) matched controls, the FXS group performed significantly more poorly on the emotion recognition tasks, and displayed a bias towards detecting negative emotions. Moreover, after controlling for emotion recognition deficits, the FXS group displayed significantly reduced ratings of social approachability. These findings suggest that a social anxiety pattern, rather than poor socioemotional processing, may best explain the social avoidance observed in FXS.
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Frölander HE, Möller C, Marshall JD, Sundqvist A, Rönnåsen B, Falkensson L, Lyxell B. Theory-of-mind in adolescents and young adults with Alström syndrome. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2014; 78:530-6. [PMID: 24485176 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2013.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study focuses on theory-of-mind in adolescents and young adults with Alström syndrome (ALMS). ALMS, an autosomal recessive syndrome causes juvenile blindness, sensorineural hearing loss, cardiomyopathy, endocrinological disorders and metabolic dysfunction. Theory-of-mind (ToM) refers to the ability to impute mental states to one self and to others. Clinical observations have revealed an increased occurrence of deviances in mental state understanding in ALMS. In the present study ToM will be examined and related to working memory (WM), verbal ability and sensory loss. METHODS Twelve young individuals (16-37 years) with ALMS and 24 nondisabled individuals matched on age, gender and educational level participated. ToM was assessed by means of a multiple task that taxes the ability to understand thoughts and feelings of story characters'. WM was examined by means of a reading span task and verbal ability by means of a vocabulary test. RESULTS The ALMS group performed at significantly lower levels in ToM tasks and displayed a higher variability in performance than the control group. Individuals with ALMS and a relatively poor level performance provided fewer correct mental state inferences in ToM tasks than ALMS individuals with relatively higher performance levels. ALMS individuals with relatively high performance levels made as many correct inferences in ToM tasks as the control group, but their inferences were more often incomplete. Vocabulary skills and educational level, but not WM-capacity predicted ToM performance. Degree of deafblindness did not have an impact on ToM. Age of onset of visual loss but not hearing loss related to ToM. CONCLUSIONS The individuals with ALMS display a high degree of heterogeneity in terms of ToM, where some individuals reached performance levels comparable to nondisabled individuals. The results are discussed with respect to how cognitive and verbal abilities and factors related to the disability affect ToM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Erik Frölander
- Health Academy, Örebro University, Örebro SE 701 82, Sweden; Audiological Research Centre, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro SE 701 85, Sweden; The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping, Sweden; Research on Hearing and Deafness (HEAD) Graduate School, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Claes Möller
- Health Academy, Örebro University, Örebro SE 701 82, Sweden; Audiological Research Centre, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro SE 701 85, Sweden; Department of Audiology, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro SE 701 85, Sweden; The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping, Sweden; The Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Annette Sundqvist
- Department of Behavioral Science and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping SE 581 83, Sweden; The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping, Sweden; The Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Berit Rönnåsen
- Health Academy, Örebro University, Örebro SE 701 82, Sweden; Audiological Research Centre, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro SE 701 85, Sweden; The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping, Sweden; Research on Hearing and Deafness (HEAD) Graduate School, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Lil Falkensson
- The Swedish National Expert Team for the Diagnoses of Deafblindness, National Resource Centre, Lund, SE 223 50, Sweden
| | - Björn Lyxell
- Department of Behavioral Science and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping SE 581 83, Sweden; The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Linköping, Sweden; The Linnaeus Centre HEAD, Linköping, Sweden
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Berry-Kravis E, Hessl D, Abbeduto L, Reiss AL, Beckel-Mitchener A, Urv TK. Outcome measures for clinical trials in fragile X syndrome. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2013; 34:508-22. [PMID: 24042082 PMCID: PMC3784007 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0b013e31829d1f20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Progress in basic neuroscience has led to identification of molecular targets for treatment in fragile X syndrome (FXS) and other neurodevelopmental disorders; however, there is a gap in translation to targeted therapies in humans. One major obstacle to the demonstration of efficacy in human trials has been the lack of generally accepted endpoints to assess improvement in function in individuals with FXS. To address this problem, the National Institutes of Health convened a meeting of leading scientists and clinicians with the goal of identifying and standardizing outcome measures for use as potential endpoints in clinical trials in FXS. METHODS Participants in the meeting included FXS experts, experts in the design and implementation of clinical trials and measure development, and representatives from advocacy groups, industry, and federal agencies. RESULTS The group generated recommendations for optimal outcome measures in cognitive, behavioral, and biomarker/medical domains, including additional testing and validation of existing measures and development of new measures in areas of need. Although no one endpoint or set of endpoints could be identified that met all criteria as an optimal measure, recommendations are presented in this report. CONCLUSION The report is expected to guide the selection of measures in clinical trials and lead to the use of a more consistent battery of measures across trials. Furthermore, this will help to direct research toward gaps in the development of validated FXS-specific outcome measures and to assist with interpretation of clinical trial data by creating templates for measurement of treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Berry-Kravis
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurological Sciences and Biochemistry Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
| | - David Hessl
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA
| | - Allan L. Reiss
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research and Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Radiology and Pediatrics Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | | | - Tiina K. Urv
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Fisch GS. Autism and epistemology IV: Does autism need a theory of mind? Am J Med Genet A 2013; 161A:2464-80. [PMID: 23956150 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.36135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Accepted: 06/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In their article, "Does the autistic child have a 'theory of mind'?," Baron-Cohen et al. [1985] proposed a novel paradigm to explain social impairment in children diagnosed as autistic (AD). Much research has been undertaken since their article went to print. The purpose of this commentary is to gauge whether Theory of Mind (ToM)-or lack thereof-is a valid model for explaining abnormal social behavior in children with AD. ToM is defined as "the ability to impute mental states to oneself and to others" and "the ability to make inferences about what other people believe to be the case." The source for their model was provided by an article published earlier by Premack and Woodruff, "Does the chimpanzee have a theory of mind?" Later research in chimpanzees did not support a ToM in primates. From the outset, ToM as a neurocognitive model of autism has had many shortcomings-methodological, logical, and empirical. Other ToM assumptions, for example, its universality in all children in all cultures and socioeconomic conditions, are not supported by data. The age at which a ToM emerges, or events that presage a ToM, are too often not corroborated. Recent studies of mirror neurons, their location and interconnections in brain, their relationship to social behavior and language, and the effect of lesions there on speech, language and social behavior, strongly suggests that a neurobiological as opposed to neurocognitive model of autism is a more parsimonious explanation for the social and behavioral phenotypes observed in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gene S Fisch
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, NYU Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing, New York, New York
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Losh M, Martin GE, Klusek J, Hogan-Brown AL, Sideris J. Social communication and theory of mind in boys with autism and fragile x syndrome. Front Psychol 2012; 3:266. [PMID: 22934085 PMCID: PMC3422728 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairments in the social use of language, or pragmatics, constitute a core characteristic of autism. Problems with pragmatic language have also been documented in fragile X syndrome (FXS), a monogenic condition that is the most common known genetic cause of autism. Evidence suggests that social cognitive ability, or theory of mind, may also be impaired in both conditions, and in autism, may importantly relate to pragmatic language ability. Given the substantial overlap observed in autism and FXS, this study aimed to better define those social-communicative phenotypes that overlap in these two conditions by comparing pragmatic language ability and theory of mind in children with idiopathic autism and children with FXS, with and without autism, as well as children with Down syndrome and typically developing controls. We further examined correlations between these cognitive-behavioral phenotypes and molecular genetic variation related to the Fragile X Mental Retardation-1 gene (FMR1) in the FXS group. Results indicated that children with idiopathic autism and those with FXS and autism performed comparably on direct-assessment measures of pragmatic language and theory of mind, whereas those with FXS only did not differ from controls. Theory of mind was related to pragmatic language ability in all groups. Pragmatic language and theory of mind also correlated with genetic variation at the FMR1 locus (Cytosine-Guanine-Guanine repeats and percent methylation). These results point toward substantial overlap in the social and language phenotypes in autism and FXS and suggest a molecular genetic basis to these phenotypic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Losh
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University Evanston, IL, USA
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Casten KS, Gray AC, Burwell RD. Discrimination learning and attentional set formation in a mouse model of Fragile X. Behav Neurosci 2011; 125:473-9. [PMID: 21517146 DOI: 10.1037/a0023561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X Syndrome is the most prevalent genetic cause of mental retardation. Selective deficits in executive function, including inhibitory control and attention, are core features of the disorder. In humans, Fragile X results from a trinucleotide repeat in the Fmr1 gene that renders it functionally silent and has been modeled in mice by targeted deletion of the Fmr1 gene. Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice recapitulate many features of Fragile X syndrome, but evidence for deficits in executive function is inconsistent. To address this issue, we trained wild-type and Fmr1 KO mice on an experimental paradigm that assesses attentional set-shifting. Mice learned to discriminate between stimuli differing in two of three perceptual dimensions. Successful discrimination required attending only to the relevant dimension, while ignoring irrelevant dimensions. Mice were trained on three discriminations in the same perceptual dimension, each followed by a reversal. This procedure normally results in the formation of an attentional set to the relevant dimension. Mice were then required to shift attention and discriminate based on a previously irrelevant perceptual dimension. Wild-type mice exhibited the increase in trials to criterion expected when shifting attention from one perceptual dimension to another. In contrast, the Fmr1 KO group failed to show the expected increase, suggesting impairment in forming an attentional set. Fmr1 KO mice also exhibited a general impairment in learning discriminations and reversals. This is the first demonstration that Fmr1 KO mice show a deficit in attentional set formation.
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Abu-Akel A, Shamay-Tsoory S. Neuroanatomical and neurochemical bases of theory of mind. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:2971-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 390] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2010] [Revised: 07/14/2011] [Accepted: 07/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Cook F, Oliver C. A review of defining and measuring sociability in children with intellectual disabilities. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2011; 32:11-24. [PMID: 21036013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2010.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2010] [Revised: 09/13/2010] [Accepted: 09/21/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
There is a substantial body of research indicating that compromised social functioning for individuals with intellectual disabilities has far reaching implications for quality of life, community participation and wellbeing. However, an inherent difficulty for research into social functioning is the lack of agreed definition of key concepts in the area. The current paper reviews definitions for four concepts related to the central concept of sociability (social cognition, social competence, social skills and social behaviour). By reviewing the definitions available in the wider social and cognitive psychology literature and comparing these to definitions provided in research with individuals with intellectual disabilities it is clear that concepts are poorly defined. The current article proposes working definitions which may be used give impetus to future debate in the area. The clinical implications of having implicitly understood concepts rather than definable and measurable traits are considered. The review calls for researchers to provide definitions for the concepts under investigation and their relationship to measures employed in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Cook
- Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
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Sprung M. Clinically Relevant Measures of Children's Theory of Mind and Knowledge about Thinking: Non-Standard and Advanced Measures. Child Adolesc Ment Health 2010; 15:204-216. [PMID: 32847202 DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2010.00568.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Measures of Theory of Mind (ToM) in clinical disorders and conditions are reviewed, focusing on non-standard and advanced measures. Relevant studies linking these measures to social problems and cognitive symptoms are reviewed. The multifaceted nature of ToM is stressed and clinically relevant aspects of ToM are suggested. Strategies to select relevant measures for clinical research and practice are presented and examples are discussed in more detail. It is recommended to consider specific aspects of ToM in relation to specific clinical conditions and symptoms. Relationships between ToM and other cognitive deficits, and implications for clinical practice and intervention are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sprung
- Psychology Department, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. E-mail:
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Schneider A, Hagerman RJ, Hessl D. Fragile X syndrome -- from genes to cognition. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 15:333-42. [PMID: 20014363 DOI: 10.1002/ddrr.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a single gene disorder with an expanded CGG allele on the X chromosome, is the most common form of inherited cognitive impairment. The cognitive deficit ranges from mild learning disabilities to severe intellectual disability. The phenotype includes hyperactivity, short attention span, emotional problems including anxiety, social avoidance, poor eye contact, and hyperarousal to sensory stimuli. Imaging studies in FXS have clarified the impact of the FMR1 mutation on brain development and function by documenting structural abnormalities, predominantly in the caudate nucleus and cerebellum, and functional deficits in the caudate, frontal-striatal circuits, and the limbic system. On the basis of current research results, a targeted treatment for FXS will be available in the near future. Currently, a number of psychopharmacological agents are helpful in treating many of the problems in FXS including hyperactivity, attention deficits, anxiety, episodic aggression, and hyperarousal. Although the targeted treatments aim at strengthening synaptic connections, it is essential that these treatments are combined with learning programs that address the cognitive deficits in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Schneider
- M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California at Davis Medical Center, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
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Whole-brain expression analysis of FMRP in adult monkey and its relationship to cognitive deficits in fragile X syndrome. Brain Res 2009; 1264:76-84. [PMID: 19368811 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.01.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2008] [Revised: 01/24/2009] [Accepted: 01/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is one of the most prevalent forms of heritable mental retardation and developmental delay in males. The syndrome is caused by the silencing of a single gene (fragile X mental retardation-1; FMR1) and the lack of expression of its protein product (fragile X mental retardation-1 protein; FMRP). Recent work has linked the high expression levels of FMRP in the magnocellular layers of lateral geniculate nucleus (M-LGN) of the visual system to a specific reduction of perceptual function known to be mediated by that neural structure. This finding has given rise to the intriguing notion that FMRP expression level may be used as an index of susceptibility of specific brain regions to the observed perceptual and cognitive deficits in FXS. We undertook a comprehensive expression profiling study of FMRP in the monkey to obtain further insight into the link between FMPR expression and the behavioural impact of its loss in FXS. We report here the first 3D whole-brain map of FMRP expression in the Old-World monkey and show that certain brain structures display high FMRP levels, such as the cerebellum, striatum, and temporal lobe structures. This finding provides support for the notion that FMRP expression loss is linked to behavioural and cognitive impairment associated with these structures. We argue that whole-brain FMRP expression mapping may be used to formulate and test new hypotheses about other forms of impairments in FXS that were not specifically examined in this study.
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Thirion-Marissiaux AF, Nader-Grosbois N. Theory of mind "beliefs", developmental characteristics and social understanding in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2008; 29:547-566. [PMID: 18023323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2007.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2007] [Revised: 09/16/2007] [Accepted: 09/21/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of development of ToM belief abilities in intellectually disabled (ID) children and typically developing (TD) children matched on their developmental age were investigated. The links between cognition, language, social understanding and ToM belief abilities were examined. EDEI-R [Perron-Borelli M. (1996). Echelles Différentielles d'Efficiences Intellectuelles. Forme Révisée (EDEI-R). Paris: Editions et Applications Psychologiques.] was used to match participants and to assess social understanding. ECOSSE [Lecocq P. (1996). L'E.CO.S.SE. Une épreuve de compréhension syntaxico-sémantique. Paris: Presses Universitaires du Septentrion.] assessed the level of syntactic and semantic comprehension of French speaking, to ensure a good comprehension of the questions in false belief tasks. Five tasks assessed the ability in visual perspective taking and in understanding of false belief. A difference in the global ToM ability was found between both groups (difference hypothesis in ID participants). Specific abilities in different ToM tasks showed developmental patterns partially different and partially similar, between ID and TD groups. The interest to assess the understanding of belief by means of several tasks is confirmed. Positive links between cognition, language and ToM abilities were found in both groups, but the impact of cognition and language on abilities in each ToM task is different in both groups. Finally, the specific impact of social understanding and of chronological age on abilities in false belief in ID group is discussed.
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Cornish K, Turk J, Hagerman R. The fragile X continuum: new advances and perspectives. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2008; 52:469-82. [PMID: 18444988 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01056.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome is the world's most common hereditary cause of intellectual disability in men and to a lesser extent in women. The disorder is caused by the silencing of a single gene on the X chromosome, the Fragile X Mental Retardation Gene-1. A substantial body of research across the disciplines of molecular genetics, child psychiatry and developmental neuroscience bears testament to a decade of exciting and innovative science that has advanced our knowledge about the fragile X 'signature' or influence across cognitive and social development. The core aims of this review are to first discuss fragile X syndrome and premutation involvement in the context of current advances that demonstrate the dynamic nature of the genotype on phenotypic outcomes. Second, to discuss the implications of these recent advances for the development of clinical and educational interventions and resource tools that target specific phenotypic 'signatures' within the fragile X continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Cornish
- McGill Child Laboratory for Research and Education in Developmental Disorders, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
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Iarocci G, Yager J, Elfers T. What gene–environment interactions can tell us about social competence in typical and atypical populations. Brain Cogn 2007; 65:112-27. [PMID: 17628271 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2007.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2005] [Revised: 01/03/2007] [Accepted: 01/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Social competence is a complex human behaviour that is likely to involve a system of genes that interacts with a myriad of environmental risk and protective factors. The search for its genetic and environmental origins and influences is equally complex and will require a multidimensional conceptualization and multiple methods and levels of analysis. Behavioural genetic research can begin to address the fundamental yet complex question of how children develop social competence by uncovering the various influences on social development and disentangling variance due to multiple genes, environments and experiences. In this paper, we review the current status of research on sociability, face recognition, emotion recognition, and theory of mind (TOM)--well defined and measured constructs that are likely to be useful indices for detecting genetic and environmental influences on social competence. We also propose specific milestones as indices of further progress in the field: the development of an operational definition of the construct of social competence, the identification of social endophenotypes-psychological processes that are validly and reliably measured components of social competence, and improving specificity and homogeneity with regard to social endophenotypes within a population of study by employing 'extreme social phenotypes'. These efforts will lead to a better understanding of the specific contributions to the normal variation of social competence in the general population as well as to atypical social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Iarocci
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
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Abstract
Many of the known genetically based neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with a distinctive behavioral phenotype. As these behavioral phenotypes have been elucidated by clinical research, distinctive profiles of social traits have emerged as prominent syndromic features. This article reviews social phenotypic findings for fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, Turner syndrome, Williams syndrome, and velocardiofacial syndrome. An analysis of these social profiles raises several questions regarding the relationship between identified social impairments and autism and the relationship between social impairments in neurodevelopmental disorders and those found in normative child populations. The unique profile of certain of the known behavioral phenotypes also serves to distinguish several dimensions of sociability that are not readily observed in typical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Feinstein
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, MC 5719, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Wishart JG, Cebula KR, Willis DS, Pitcairn TK. Understanding of facial expressions of emotion by children with intellectual disabilities of differing aetiology. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2007; 51:551-63. [PMID: 17537169 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00947.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interpreting emotional expressions is a socio-cognitive skill central to interpersonal interaction. Poor emotion recognition has been reported in autism but is less well understood in other kinds of intellectual disabilities (ID), with procedural differences making comparisons across studies and syndromes difficult. This study aimed to compare directly facial emotion recognition skills in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), Down's syndrome (DS) and non-specific intellectual disability (NSID), contrasting ability and error profiles with those of typically developing (TD) children of equivalent cognitive and linguistic status. METHODS Sixty children participated in the study: 15 FXS, 15 DS, 15 NSID and 15 TD children. Standardised measures of cognitive, language and socialisation skills were collected for all children, along with measures of performance on two photo-matching tasks: an 'identity-matching' task (to control for basic face-processing ability) and an 'emotion-matching' task (happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear or disgust). RESULTS Identity-matching ability did not differ across the four child groups. Only the DS group performed significantly more poorly on the emotion-matching task and only in comparison to the TD group, with fear recognition an area of particular difficulty. CONCLUSION Findings support previous evidence of emotion recognition abilities commensurate with overall developmental level in children with FXS or NSID, but not DS. They also suggest, however, that syndrome-specific difficulties may be subtle and detectable, at least in smaller-scale studies, only in comparison with TD matches, and not always across syndromes. Implications for behavioural phenotype theory, educational interventions and future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Wishart
- Moray House School of Education, Edinburgh, UK.
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Grant CM, Apperly I, Oliver C. Is Theory of Mind Understanding Impaired in Males with Fragile X Syndrome? JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2006; 35:17-28. [PMID: 17123170 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-006-9077-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2005] [Accepted: 10/19/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Males with fragile X syndrome (FXS) have difficulties with social interaction and many show autistic features. This study examined whether the social deficits characteristic of FXS are associated with theory of mind difficulties. Two groups of boys with FXS participated: a group with few autistic features and a group with many autistic features. An intellectual disability control group also participated. In addition to using standard theory of mind tasks, new techniques were used that were able to separate out the various processing demands of the task (e.g., memory, inhibitory control). Overall, the findings indicate that both groups of boys with FXS have difficulty with theory of mind tasks compared to an intellectual disability control group. However, both groups with FXS also performed worse on comparison trials that required working memory but not theory of mind. Theory of mind difficulties are likely to be an important aspect of the FXS clinical profile, but are most likely the result from a more basic difficulty with working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy M Grant
- Paediatric Psychology, Child Development Centre, Windsor Building, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, LE1 5WW, United Kingdom
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45
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Lewis P, Abbeduto L, Murphy M, Richmond E, Giles N, Bruno L, Schroeder S. Cognitive, language and social-cognitive skills of individuals with fragile X syndrome with and without autism. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2006; 50:532-45. [PMID: 16774638 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00803.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is not known whether those with co-morbid fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism represent a distinct subtype of FXS; whether the especially severe cognitive delays seen in studies of young children with co-morbid FXS and autism compared with those with only FXS continue into adolescence and young adulthood; and whether autism in those with FXS is 'true autism', i.e. reflects the same underlying problems as idiopathic autism. METHOD We compared the non-verbal IQ of adolescents and young adults with co-morbid FXS and autism (n = 10) with those with only FXS (n = 44). We then created a subsample of those with FXS only, matched on non-verbal IQ, mental age and gender (n = 21) to the subsample of those with co-morbid FXS and autism. We compared the two groups on measures of expressive language, receptive language (lexical, grammatical morphology and syntactic patterns), and a theory of mind task. RESULTS Those with co-morbid FXS and autism had lower non-verbal IQs than those with only FXS. The participants with co-morbid FXS and autism did not perform as well as the cognitive ability- and gender-matched participants with only FXS on the three measures of receptive language or the theory of mind task; there were no differences on the expressive language measure. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the notion that those with co-morbid FXS and autism represent a distinct subtype of FXS, with more impairment in receptive language and theory of mind even when controlling for their lower non-verbal IQ relative to those with only FXS. The greater cognitive impairments observed in those with co-morbid FXS and autism continues into adolescence and young adulthood; and the autism seen in those with FXS appears to be the same as idiopathic autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Lewis
- Waisman Center University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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Cornish K, Kogan C, Turk J, Manly T, James N, Mills A, Dalton A. The emerging fragile X premutation phenotype: Evidence from the domain of social cognition. Brain Cogn 2005; 57:53-60. [PMID: 15629215 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2004.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/12/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused by large methylated expansions of a CGG repeat (>200) region upstream of the FMR1 gene that results in the lack of expression of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Affected individuals display a neurobehavioral phenotype that includes a significant impairment in social cognition alongside deficits in attentional control, inhibition and working memory. In contrast, relatively little is known about the trajectory and specificity of any cognitive impairment associated with the fragile X premutation ("carrier-status") (approximately 55-200 repeats). Here, we focus on one aspect of cognition that has been well documented in the fragile X full mutation, namely social cognition. The results suggest that premutation males display a pattern of deficit similar in profile, albeit milder in presentation, to that of the full mutation. However, little evidence emerged for a correlation between CGG repeat length and severity of phenotypic outcomes. The findings are discussed in the context of functional neuroimaging and brain-behaviour-molecular correlates. We speculate that the deficiencies in social cognition are attributable to impairment of neural pathways modulated by the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Cornish
- Neuroscience Laboratory for Research and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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