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Chen J, Wei Z, Xu C, Peng Z, Yang J, Wan G, Chen B, Gong J, Zhou K. Social visual preference mediates the effect of cortical thickness on symptom severity in children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1132284. [PMID: 37398604 PMCID: PMC10311909 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1132284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Evidence suggests that there is a robust relationship between altered neuroanatomy and autistic symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social visual preference, which is regulated by specific brain regions, is also related to symptom severity. However, there were a few studies explored the potential relationships among brain structure, symptom severity, and social visual preference. Methods The current study investigated relationships among brain structure, social visual preference, and symptom severity in 43 children with ASD and 26 typically developing (TD) children (aged 2-6 years). Results Significant differences were found in social visual preference and cortical morphometry between the two groups. Decreased percentage of fixation time in digital social images (%DSI) was negatively related to not only the thickness of the left fusiform gyrus (FG) and right insula, but also the Calibrated Severity Scores for the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Social Affect (ADOS-SA-CSS). Mediation analysis showed that %DSI partially mediated the relationship between neuroanatomical alterations (specifically, thickness of the left FG and right insula) and symptom severity. Conclusion These findings offer initial evidence that atypical neuroanatomical alterations may not only result in direct effects on symptom severity but also lead to indirect effects on symptom severity through social visual preference. This finding enhances our understanding of the multiple neural mechanisms implicated in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jierong Chen
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhen Wei
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, South China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuangyong Xu
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ziwen Peng
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junjie Yang
- Department of Child Health Care, Luohu District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guobin Wan
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Rehabilitation, Affliated Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianhua Gong
- Department of Child Health Care, Luohu District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keying Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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2
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Gürler Z, Gharsallaoui MA, Rekik I. Template-based graph registration network for boosting the diagnosis of brain connectivity disorders. Comput Med Imaging Graph 2023; 103:102140. [PMID: 36470102 DOI: 10.1016/j.compmedimag.2022.102140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Brain graphs are powerful representations to explore the biological roadmaps of the human brain in its healthy and disordered states. Recently, a few graph neural networks (GNNs) have been designed for brain connectivity synthesis and diagnosis. However, such non-Euclidean deep learning architectures might fail to capture the neural interactions between different brain regions as they are trained without guidance from any prior biological template-i.e., template-free learning. Here we assume that using a population-driven brain connectional template (CBT) that captures well the connectivity patterns fingerprinting a given brain state (e.g., healthy) can better guide the GNN training in its downstream learning task such as classification or regression. To this aim we design a plug-in graph registration network (GRN) that can be coupled with any conventional graph neural network (GNN) so as to boost its learning accuracy and generalizability to unseen samples. Our GRN is a graph generative adversarial network (gGAN), which registers brain graphs to a prior CBT. Next, the registered brain graphs are used to train typical GNN models. Our GRN can be integrated into any GNN working in an end-to-end fashion to boost its prediction accuracy. Our experiments showed that GRN remarkably boosted the prediction accuracy of four conventional GNN models across four neurological datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep Gürler
- BASIRA lab, Faculty of Computer and Informatics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mohammed Amine Gharsallaoui
- BASIRA lab, Faculty of Computer and Informatics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey; Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie, Tunisia
| | - Islem Rekik
- BASIRA lab, Faculty of Computer and Informatics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey; Computing, Imperial-X Translation and Innovation Hub, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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3
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Estimation of connectional brain templates using selective multi-view network normalization. Med Image Anal 2020; 59:101567. [DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2019.101567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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4
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Quantifying individual differences in brain morphometry underlying symptom severity in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9898. [PMID: 31289283 PMCID: PMC6617442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45774-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are still unclear. Despite extensive efforts, most findings are difficult to reproduce due to high levels of individual variance in phenotypic expression. To quantify individual differences in brain morphometry in ASD, we implemented a novel subject-level, distance-based method on subject-specific attributes. In a large multi-cohort sample, each subject with ASD (n = 100; n = 84 males; mean age: 11.43 years; mean IQ: 110.58) was strictly matched to a control participant (n = 100; n = 84 males; mean age: 11.43 years; mean IQ: 110.70). Intrapair Euclidean distance of MRI brain morphometry and symptom severity measures (Social Responsiveness Scale) were entered into a regularised machine learning pipeline for feature selection, with rigorous out-of-sample validation and permutation testing. Subject-specific structural morphometry features significantly predicted individual variation in ASD symptom severity (19 cortical thickness features, p = 0.01, n = 5000 permutations; 10 surface area features, p = 0.006, n = 5000 permutations). Findings remained robust across subjects and were replicated in validation samples. Identified cortical regions implicate key hubs of the salience and default mode networks as neuroanatomical features of social impairment in ASD. Present results highlight the importance of subject-level markers in ASD, and offer an important step forward in understanding the neurobiology of heterogeneous disorders.
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5
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Dhifallah S, Rekik I. Clustering-based multi-view network fusion for estimating brain network atlases of healthy and disordered populations. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 311:426-435. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2018.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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6
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A systematic review of structural MRI biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder: A machine learning perspective. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 71:68-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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7
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JD C, T S, K T, A C, TA K, H TF. Altered Anterior Insular Asymmetry in Pre-teen and Adolescent Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. ANNALS OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018; 1:24-35. [PMID: 34263174 PMCID: PMC8277119 DOI: 10.18314/abne.v1i1.1120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is hallmarked by social-emotional reciprocity deficits. Social-emotional responding requires the clear recognition of social cues as well as the internal monitoring of emotional salience. Insular cortex is central to the salience network, and plays a key role in approach-avoidance emotional valuation. Consistent right anterior insular hypoactivity and variable volumetric differences of insular cortical volumes were shown previously. The current study analyzed anterior and posterior insular volume/asymmetry changes in ASD across age. Age was used as an additional grouping variable as previous studies indicated differential regional volume in ASD individuals before and after puberty onset. In the current sample, pre-teen ASD expressed left lateralized anterior insula, while adolescent ASD had right lateralization. Typically developing (TD) individuals expressed the opposite lateralization of anterior insula in both age-groups (right greater than left anterior insular volume among pre-teen TD and left greater than right anterior insular volume among adolescent TD). Social-emotional calibrated severity scores from the ADOS were positively correlated with leftward anterior insular asymmetry and negatively correlated with proportional right anterior insular volumes in ASD. Insular cortex has a lateralized role in autonomic nervous system regulation (parasympathetic control in the left, sympathetic control in the right). Atypical insular asymmetry in ASD may contribute to the development of networks with a diminished salience signal to human faces and voices, and may lead to more learned passive avoidant responses to such stimuli at younger ages, leading to more distressed responses in adolescence. Data here supports the use of early behavioral intervention to increase awareness of and reward for social-emotional cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cohen JD
- Department of Psychology, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Smith T
- Department of Chemistry, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Thompson K
- Department of Psychology, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Collins A
- Department of Psychology, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Knaus TA
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Tager-Flusberg H
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, LA, USA
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8
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Hornix BE, Havekes R, Kas MJH. Multisensory cortical processing and dysfunction across the neuropsychiatric spectrum. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 97:138-151. [PMID: 29496479 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Sensory processing is affected in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Genetic and environmental factors guide the formation and fine-tuning of brain circuitry necessary to receive, organize, and respond to sensory input in order to behave in a meaningful and consistent manner. During certain developmental stages the brain is sensitive to intrinsic and external factors. For example, disturbed expression levels of certain risk genes during critical neurodevelopmental periods may lead to exaggerated brain plasticity processes within the sensory circuits, and sensory stimulation immediately after birth contributes to fine-tuning of these circuits. Here, the neurodevelopmental trajectory of sensory circuit development will be described and related to some example risk gene mutations that are found in neuropsychiatric disorders. Subsequently, the flow of sensory information through these circuits and the relationship to synaptic plasticity will be described. Research focusing on the combined analyses of neural circuit development and functioning are necessary to expand our understanding of sensory processing and behavioral deficits that are relevant across the neuropsychiatric spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty E Hornix
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert Havekes
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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9
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Fatemi SH, Wong DF, Brašić JR, Kuwabara H, Mathur A, Folsom TD, Jacob S, Realmuto GM, Pardo JV, Lee S. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 tracer [ 18F]-FPEB displays increased binding potential in postcentral gyrus and cerebellum of male individuals with autism: a pilot PET study. CEREBELLUM & ATAXIAS 2018; 5:3. [PMID: 29449954 PMCID: PMC5810020 DOI: 10.1186/s40673-018-0082-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is first manifested during early childhood. Postmortem experiments have identified significantly elevated expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) in cerebellar vermis and prefrontal cortex of individuals with autism. Methods In the current study we employed the mGluR5 tracer [18F]-3-fluoro-5-[(pyridin-3-yl)ethynyl]benzonitrile ([18F]-FPEB) to quantify mGluR5 binding in vivo in adults with autism vs. healthy controls using positron emission tomography (PET). Results We identified significantly higher [18F]-FPEB binding potential in the postcentral gyrus and cerebellum of individuals with autism. There was a significant negative correlation between age and [18F]-FPEB binding potential in the cerebellum but not in the postcentral gyrus. In the precuneus, [18F]-FPEB binding potential correlated positively with the lethargy subscale score for the Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC). In cerebellum, there were significant negative correlations between [18F]-FPEB binding potential and ABC total score, ABC hyperactivity subscale score, and the ABC inappropriate speech subscale score. Conclusions These novel findings demonstrate for the first time that mGluR5 binding is altered in critical brain areas of subjects with autism, suggesting abnormal glutamate signaling in these regions. Finally, the correlations between altered [18F]-FPEB binding potential in the cerebellum and precuneus suggest that some autistic symptoms may be influenced by abnormal glutamate signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hossein Fatemi
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA.,2Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, 321 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Dean F Wong
- 3The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Section of High Resolution Brain PET Imaging, Division of Nuclear Medicine, and Molecular Imaging, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD USA.,4Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA.,5Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA.,6Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - James R Brašić
- 3The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Section of High Resolution Brain PET Imaging, Division of Nuclear Medicine, and Molecular Imaging, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Hiroto Kuwabara
- 3The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Section of High Resolution Brain PET Imaging, Division of Nuclear Medicine, and Molecular Imaging, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Anil Mathur
- 3The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Section of High Resolution Brain PET Imaging, Division of Nuclear Medicine, and Molecular Imaging, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Timothy D Folsom
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Suma Jacob
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - George M Realmuto
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - José V Pardo
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1 Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417-2399 USA
| | - Susanne Lee
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St SE, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
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10
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Bi XA, Wang Y, Shu Q, Sun Q, Xu Q. Classification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Random Support Vector Machine Cluster. Front Genet 2018; 9:18. [PMID: 29467790 PMCID: PMC5808191 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is mainly reflected in the communication and language barriers, difficulties in social communication, and it is a kind of neurological developmental disorder. Most researches have used the machine learning method to classify patients and normal controls, among which support vector machines (SVM) are widely employed. But the classification accuracy of SVM is usually low, due to the usage of a single SVM as classifier. Thus, we used multiple SVMs to classify ASD patients and typical controls (TC). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 46 TC and 61 ASD patients were obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database. Only 84 of 107 subjects are utilized in experiments because the translation or rotation of 7 TC and 16 ASD patients has surpassed ±2 mm or ±2°. Then the random SVM cluster was proposed to distinguish TC and ASD. The results show that this method has an excellent classification performance based on all the features. Furthermore, the accuracy based on the optimal feature set could reach to 96.15%. Abnormal brain regions could also be found, such as inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (orbital and opercula part), hippocampus, and precuneus. It is indicated that the method of random SVM cluster may apply to the auxiliary diagnosis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia-An Bi
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yang Wang
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Qing Shu
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Qi Sun
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Qian Xu
- College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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11
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Thye MD, Bednarz HM, Herringshaw AJ, Sartin EB, Kana RK. The impact of atypical sensory processing on social impairments in autism spectrum disorder. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 29:151-167. [PMID: 28545994 PMCID: PMC6987885 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered sensory processing has been an important feature of the clinical descriptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is evidence that sensory dysregulation arises early in the progression of ASD and impacts social functioning. This paper reviews behavioral and neurobiological evidence that describes how sensory deficits across multiple modalities (vision, hearing, touch, olfaction, gustation, and multisensory integration) could impact social functions in ASD. Theoretical models of ASD and their implications for the relationship between sensory and social functioning are discussed. Furthermore, neural differences in anatomy, function, and connectivity of different regions underlying sensory and social processing are also discussed. We conclude that there are multiple mechanisms through which early sensory dysregulation in ASD could cascade into social deficits across development. Future research is needed to clarify these mechanisms, and specific focus should be given to distinguish between deficits in primary sensory processing and altered top-down attentional and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Thye
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Haley M Bednarz
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Abbey J Herringshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Emma B Sartin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States.
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12
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Lin J, Lv X, Niu M, Liu L, Chen J, Xie F, Zhong M, Qiu S, Li L, Huang R. Radiation-induced abnormal cortical thickness in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 14:610-621. [PMID: 28348952 PMCID: PMC5357686 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Conventional MRI studies showed that radiation-induced brain necrosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in years after radiotherapy (RT) could involve brain gray matter (GM) and impair brain function. However, it is still unclear the radiation-induced brain morphological changes in NPC patients with normal-appearing GM in the early period after RT. In this study, we acquired high-resolution brain structural MRI data from three groups of patients, 22 before radiotherapy (pre-RT) NPC patients with newly diagnosed but not yet medically treated, 22 NPC patients in the early-delayed stage after radiotherapy (post-RT-ED), and 20 NPC patients in the late-delayed stage after radiotherapy (post-RT-LD), and then analyzed the radiation-induced cortical thickness alteration in NPC patients after RT. Using a vertex-wise surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach, we detected significantly decreased cortical thickness in the precentral gyrus (PreCG) in the post-RT-ED group compared to the pre-RT group. And the post-RT-LD group showed significantly increased cortical thickness in widespread brain regions, including the bilateral inferior parietal, left isthmus of the cingulate, left bank of the superior temporal sulcus and left lateral occipital regions, compared to the pre-RT group, and in the bilateral PreCG compared to the post-RT-ED group. Similar analysis with ROI-wise SBM method also found the consistent results. These results indicated that radiation-induced brain injury mainly occurred in the post-RT-LD group and the cortical thickness alterations after RT were dynamic in different periods. Our findings may reflect the pathogenesis of radiation-induced brain injury in NPC patients with normal-appearing GM and an early intervention is necessary for protecting GM during RT.
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Key Words
- 2D-CRT, conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy
- AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer
- ANOVA, analysis of variance
- Brain injury
- CMBs, cerebral microbleeds
- CT, cortical thickness
- Cortical thickness
- DMN, default mode network
- FDR, false discovery rate
- FWHM, full width at half maximum
- GLM, general linear model
- GM, gray matter
- ICC, isthmus of the cingulate cortex
- IMRT, intensity-modulated radiation therapy
- IPC, inferior parietal cortex
- KPS, Karnofsky performance status scale
- LOC, lateral occipital cortex
- MTC, middle temporal cortex
- NPC, nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- PoCG, postcentral gyrus
- PreCG, precentral gyrus
- PreCUN, precuneus
- RA, relative alteration
- RT, radiotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- SBM, surface-based morphometry
- STC, superior temporal cortex
- Structural MRI
- Surface-based morphometry
- VBM, voxel-based morphometry
- WM, white matter
- bSTS, bank of the superior temporal sulcus
- cMFC, caudal middle frontal cortex
- post-RT-ED, in the early-delayed stage after radiotherapy
- post-RT-LD, in the late-delayed stage after radiotherapy
- pre-RT, before radiotherapy
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabao Lin
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Lv
- Department of Medical Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
| | - Meiqi Niu
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Lizhi Liu
- Department of Medical Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
| | - Jun Chen
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Fei Xie
- Department of Medical Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
| | - Miao Zhong
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Shijun Qiu
- Department of Medical Imaging, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, PR China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Medical Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
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Mehling MH, Tassé MJ. Severity of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Conceptualization, and Transition to DSM-5. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 46:2000-2016. [PMID: 26873143 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2731-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Mirroring the evolution of the conceptualization of autism has been changes in the diagnostic process, including the most recent revisions to the DSM-5 and the addition of severity-based diagnostic modifiers assigned on the basis of intensity of needed supports. A review of recent literature indicates that in research stratifying individuals on the basis of autism severity, core ASD symptomology is the primary consideration. This conceptualization is disparate from the conceptualization put forth in DSM-5 in which severity determination is based on level of needed support, which is also impacted by cognitive, language, behavioral, and adaptive functioning. This paper reviews literature in this area and discusses possible instruments that may be useful to inform clinical judgment in determining ASD severity levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret H Mehling
- Nisonger Center, The Ohio State University, McCampbell Hall Room 279, 1581 Dodd Dr, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| | - Marc J Tassé
- Nisonger Center, The Ohio State University, McCampbell Hall Room 279, 1581 Dodd Dr, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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14
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Torgerson CM, Quinn C, Dinov I, Liu Z, Petrosyan P, Pelphrey K, Haselgrove C, Kennedy DN, Toga AW, Van Horn JD. Interacting with the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) via the LONI Pipeline workflow environment. Brain Imaging Behav 2016; 9:89-103. [PMID: 25666423 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-015-9354-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Under the umbrella of the National Database for Clinical Trials (NDCT) related to mental illnesses, the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) seeks to gather, curate, and make openly available neuroimaging data from NIH-funded studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). NDAR has recently made its database accessible through the LONI Pipeline workflow design and execution environment to enable large-scale analyses of cortical architecture and function via local, cluster, or "cloud"-based computing resources. This presents a unique opportunity to overcome many of the customary limitations to fostering biomedical neuroimaging as a science of discovery. Providing open access to primary neuroimaging data, workflow methods, and high-performance computing will increase uniformity in data collection protocols, encourage greater reliability of published data, results replication, and broaden the range of researchers now able to perform larger studies than ever before. To illustrate the use of NDAR and LONI Pipeline for performing several commonly performed neuroimaging processing steps and analyses, this paper presents example workflows useful for ASD neuroimaging researchers seeking to begin using this valuable combination of online data and computational resources. We discuss the utility of such database and workflow processing interactivity as a motivation for the sharing of additional primary data in ASD research and elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carinna M Torgerson
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging and The Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, 2001 North Soto Street - SSB1-Room 102, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
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15
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Foster NEV, Doyle-Thomas KAR, Tryfon A, Ouimet T, Anagnostou E, Evans AC, Zwaigenbaum L, Lerch JP, Lewis JD, Hyde KL. Structural Gray Matter Differences During Childhood Development in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multimetric Approach. Pediatr Neurol 2015; 53:350-9. [PMID: 26231265 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2015.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. Gray matter differences linked to autism spectrum disorder have been studied using a variety of structural imaging methods, but yielded little consensus; the extent to which disparate results reflect differences in methodology or heterogeneity within autism spectrum disorder is not yet clear. Moreover, very few studies have examined gray matter changes as a function of age in autism spectrum disorder. METHOD A detailed investigation of gray matter structural development was performed via voxel-based morphometry, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area analyses in 38 autism spectrum disorder versus 46 typically developing children. RESULTS Relative to typically developing children, the autism spectrum disorder group showed gray matter increases most prominently in the frontal and temporal lobes (including regions such as medial frontal gyrus, Broca's area and posterior temporal cortex), as well as certain parietal and occipital subcortical regions. Gray matter decreases were found only near the temporoparietal junction. Subcortical gray matter increases were found in the putamen and caudate nucleus, while decreases were found in cerebellum. There were age-dependent GM differences in distributed regions including prefrontal cortex, primary sensorimotor cortex, and temporoparietal junction. CONCLUSION The results underline the distributed nature of gray matter structural differences in autism spectrum disorder and provide a more comprehensive characterization of autism spectrum disorder-related cortical and subcortical gray matter structural differences during childhood and adolescent development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E V Foster
- International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), FAS, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Krissy A R Doyle-Thomas
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ana Tryfon
- International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), FAS, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tia Ouimet
- International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), FAS, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alan C Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Jason P Lerch
- The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John D Lewis
- Montreal Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Krista L Hyde
- International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), FAS, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Radeloff D, Ciaramidaro A, Siniatchkin M, Hainz D, Schlitt S, Weber B, Poustka F, Bölte S, Walter H, Freitag CM. Structural alterations of the social brain: a comparison between schizophrenia and autism. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106539. [PMID: 25188200 PMCID: PMC4154717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia share a substantial number of etiologic and phenotypic characteristics. Still, no direct comparison of both disorders has been performed to identify differences and commonalities in brain structure. In this voxel based morphometry study, 34 patients with autism spectrum disorder, 21 patients with schizophrenia and 26 typically developed control subjects were included to identify global and regional brain volume alterations. No global gray matter or white matter differences were found between groups. In regional data, patients with autism spectrum disorder compared to typically developed control subjects showed smaller gray matter volume in the amygdala, insula, and anterior medial prefrontal cortex. Compared to patients with schizophrenia, patients with autism spectrum disorder displayed smaller gray matter volume in the left insula. Disorder specific positive correlations were found between mentalizing ability and left amygdala volume in autism spectrum disorder, and hallucinatory behavior and insula volume in schizophrenia. Results suggest the involvement of social brain areas in both disorders. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings and to quantify the amount of distinct and overlapping neural correlates in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Radeloff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
| | - Angela Ciaramidaro
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
| | - Michael Siniatchkin
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
| | - Daniela Hainz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
| | - Sabine Schlitt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
| | - Bernhard Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- Psychiatric University Clinics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fritz Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Margarete Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main,Germany
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Gogolla N, Takesian AE, Feng G, Fagiolini M, Hensch TK. Sensory integration in mouse insular cortex reflects GABA circuit maturation. Neuron 2014; 83:894-905. [PMID: 25088363 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Insular cortex (IC) contributes to a variety of complex brain functions, such as communication, social behavior, and self-awareness through the integration of sensory, emotional, and cognitive content. How the IC acquires its integrative properties remains unexplored. We compared the emergence of multisensory integration (MSI) in the IC of behaviorally distinct mouse strains. While adult C57BL/6 mice exhibited robust MSI, this capacity was impaired in the inbred BTBR T+tf/J mouse model of idiopathic autism. The deficit reflected weakened γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) circuits and compromised postnatal pruning of cross-modal input. Transient pharmacological enhancement by diazepam in BTBR mice during an early sensitive period rescued inhibition and integration in the adult IC. Moreover, impaired MSI was common across three other monogenic models (GAD65, Shank3, and Mecp2 knockout mice) displaying behavioral phenotypes and parvalbumin-circuit abnormalities. Our findings offer developmental insight into a key neural circuit relevant to neuropsychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Gogolla
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Anne E Takesian
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 180 Dundas Street West, Toronto ON M5G 1Z8, Canada
| | - Guoping Feng
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Michela Fagiolini
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Takao K Hensch
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, 180 Dundas Street West, Toronto ON M5G 1Z8, Canada.
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Samyn V, Wiersema JR, Bijttebier P, Roeyers H. Effortful control and executive attention in typical and atypical development: An event-related potential study. Biol Psychol 2014; 99:160-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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The effect of age, diagnosis, and their interaction on vertex-based measures of cortical thickness and surface area in autism spectrum disorder. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2014; 121:1157-70. [PMID: 24752753 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-014-1207-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that is accompanied by an atypical development of brain maturation. So far, brain development has mainly been studied during early childhood in ASD, and using measures of total or lobular brain volume. However, cortical volumetric measures are a product of two distinct biological neuroanatomical features, cortical thickness, and surface area, which most likely also have different neurodevelopmental trajectories in ASD. Here, we therefore examined age-related differences in cortical thickness and surface area in a cross-sectional sample of 77 male individuals with ASD ranging from 7 to 25 years of age, and 77 male neurotypical controls matched for age and FSIQ. Surface-based measures were analyzed using a general linear model (GLM) including linear, quadratic, and cubic age terms, as well as their interactions with the main effect of group. When controlling for the effects of age, individuals with ASD had spatially distributed reductions in cortical thickness relative to controls, particularly in fronto-temporal regions, and also showed significantly reduced surface area in the prefrontal cortex and the anterior temporal lobe. We also observed significant group × age interactions for both measures. However, while cortical thickness was best predicted by a quadratic age term, the neurodevelopmental trajectory for measures of surface area was mostly linear. Our findings suggest that ASD is accompanied by age-related and region-specific reductions in cortical thickness and surface area during childhood and early adulthood. Thus, differences in the neurodevelopmental trajectory of maturation for both measures need to be taken into account when interpreting between-group differences overall.
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Delmonte S, Gallagher L, O'Hanlon E, McGrath J, Balsters JH. Functional and structural connectivity of frontostriatal circuitry in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:430. [PMID: 23964221 PMCID: PMC3734372 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities in frontostriatal circuitry potentially underlie the two core deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); social interaction and communication difficulties and restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Whilst a few studies have examined connectivity within this circuitry in ASD, no previous study has examined both functional and structural connectivity within the same population. The present study provides the first exploration of both functional and structural frontostriatal connectivity in ASD. Twenty-eight right-handed Caucasian male ASD (17.28 ± 3.57 years) and 27 right-handed male, age and IQ matched controls (17.15 ± 3.64 years) took part in the study. Resting state functional connectivity was carried out on 21 ASD and control participants, and tractography was carried out on 22 ASD and 24 control participants, after excluding subjects for excessive motion and poor data quality. Functional connectivity analysis was carried out between the frontal cortex and striatum after which tractography was performed between regions that showed significant group differences in functional connectivity. The ASD group showed increased functional connectivity between regions in the frontal cortex [anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), paracingulate gyrus (Pcg) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)], and striatum [nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and caudate]. Increased functional connectivity between ACC and caudate was associated with deactivation to social rewards in the caudate, as previously reported in the same participants. Greater connectivity between the right MFG and caudate was associated with higher restricted interests and repetitive behaviors and connectivity between the bilateral Pcg and NAcc, and the right OFC and NAcc, was negatively associated with social and communicative deficits. Although tracts were reliably constructed for each subject, there were no group differences in structural connectivity. Results are in keeping with previously reported increased corticostriatal functional connectivity in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Delmonte
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland ; Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland
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Mazefsky CA, Herrington J, Siegel M, Scarpa A, Maddox BB, Scahill L, White SW. The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2013; 52:679-88. [PMID: 23800481 PMCID: PMC3719386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 393] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with amplified emotional responses and poor emotional control, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. This article provides a conceptual and methodologic framework for understanding compromised emotion regulation (ER) in ASD. METHOD After defining ER and related constructs, methods to study ER were reviewed with special consideration on how to apply these approaches to ASD. Against the backdrop of cognitive characteristics in ASD and existing ER theories, available research was examined to identify likely contributors to emotional dysregulation in ASD. RESULTS Little is currently known about ER in youth with ASD. Some mechanisms that contribute to poor ER in ASD may be shared with other clinical populations (e.g., physiologic arousal, degree of negative and positive affect, alterations in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex), whereas other mechanisms may be more unique to ASD (e.g., differences in information processing/perception, cognitive factors [e.g., rigidity], less goal-directed behavior and more disorganized emotion in ASD). CONCLUSIONS Although assignment of concomitant psychiatric diagnoses is warranted in some cases, poor ER may be inherent in ASD and may provide a more parsimonious conceptualization for the many associated socioemotional and behavioral problems in this population. Further study of ER in youth with ASD may identify meaningful subgroups of patients and lead to more effective individualized treatments.
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Self-injurious behaviours are associated with alterations in the somatosensory system in children with autism spectrum disorder. Brain Struct Funct 2013; 219:1251-61. [PMID: 23644587 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-013-0562-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently engage in self-injurious behaviours, often in the absence of reporting pain. Previous research suggests that altered pain sensitivity and repeated exposure to noxious stimuli are associated with morphological changes in somatosensory and limbic cortices. Further evidence from postmortem studies with self-injurious adults has indicated alterations in the structure and organization of the temporal lobes; however, the effect of self-injurious behaviour on cortical development in children with ASD has not yet been determined. Thirty children and adolescents (mean age = 10.6 ± 2.5 years; range 7-15 years; 29 males) with a clinical diagnosis of ASD and 30 typically developing children (N = 30, mean age = 10.7 ± 2.5 years; range 7-15 years, 26 males) underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging. No between-group differences were seen in cerebral volume, surface area or cortical thickness. Within the ASD group, self-injury scores negatively correlated with thickness in the right superior parietal lobule t = 6.3, p < 0.0001, bilateral primary somatosensory cortices (SI) (right: t = 4.4, p = 0.02; left: t = 4.48, p = 0.004) and the volume of the left ventroposterior (VP) nucleus of the thalamus (r = -0.52, p = 0.008). Based on these findings, we performed an atlas-based region-of-interest diffusion tensor imaging analysis between SI and the VP nucleus and found that children who engaged in self-injury had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (r = -0.4, p = 0.04) and higher mean diffusivity (r = 0.5, p = 0.03) values in the territory of the left posterior limb of the internal capsule. Additionally, greater incidence of self-injury was associated with increased radial diffusivity values in bilateral posterior limbs of the internal capsule (left: r = 0.5, p = 0.02; right: r = 0.5, p = 0.009) and corona radiata (left: r = 0.6, p = 0.005; right: r = 0.5, p = 0.009). Results indicate that self-injury is related to alterations in somatosensory cortical and subcortical regions and their supporting white-matter pathways. Findings could reflect use-dependent plasticity in the somatosensory system or disrupted brain development that could serve as a risk marker for self-injury.
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