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Cao Y, Zhang J, He X, Wu C, Liu Z, Zhu B, Miao L. Empathic pain: Exploring the multidimensional impacts of biological and social aspects in pain. Neuropharmacology 2024; 258:110091. [PMID: 39059575 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Empathic pain refers to an individual's perception, judgment, and emotional response to others' pain. This complex social cognitive ability is crucial for healthy interactions in human society. In recent years, with the development of multidisciplinary research in neuroscience, psychology and sociology, empathic pain has become a focal point of widespread attention in these fields. However, the neural mechanism underlying empathic pain remain a controversial and unresolved area. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the history, influencing factors, neural mechanisms and pharmacological interventions of empathic pain. We hope to provide a comprehensive scientific perspective on how humans perceive and respond to others' pain experiences and to provide guidance for future research directions and clinical applications. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Empathic Pain".
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchun Cao
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213000, China
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China
| | - Xiaofang He
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213000, China
| | - Chenye Wu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Changshu, 215500, China
| | - Zeyuan Liu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213000, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213000, China.
| | - Liying Miao
- Department of Blood Purification Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, 213000, Jiangsu, China.
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Reisi-Vanani V, Lorigooini Z, Bijad E, Amini-Khoei H. Maternal separation stress through triggering of the neuro-immune response in the hippocampus induces autistic-like behaviors in male mice. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024; 84:87-98. [PMID: 38110192 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the fastest-growing neurodevelopmental disease throughout the world. Neuro-immune responses from prenatal to adulthood stages of life induce developmental defects in synaptic signaling, neurotransmitter imbalance, and even structural changes in the brain. In this study, we aimed to focus on the possible role of neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus in development of the autistic-like behaviors following maternal separation (MS) stress in mice. To do this, mice neonates daily separated from their mothers from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 14 for 3 h. During PND45-60, behavioral tests related to autistic-like behaviors including three-chamber sociability, Morris water maze (MWM), shuttle box, resident-intruder, and marble burying tests were performed. Then, hippocampi were dissected out, and the gene expression of inflammatory mediators including TNF-α, IL-1β, TLR4, HMGB1, and NLRP3 was assessed in the hippocampus using RT-PCR. Results showed that MS mice exerted impaired sociability preference, repetitive behaviors, impaired passive avoidance, and spatial memories. The gene expression of inflammatory mediators significantly increased in the hippocampi of MS mice. We concluded that MS stress probably via activating of the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling cascade in the hippocampus induced autistic-like behaviors in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Reisi-Vanani
- Student Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Zahra Lorigooini
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Elham Bijad
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Hossein Amini-Khoei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
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Gentile AE, Rinella S, Desogus E, Verrelli CM, Iosa M, Perciavalle V, Ruggieri M, Polizzi A. Motor imagery for paediatric neurorehabilitation: how much do we know? Perspectives from a systematic review. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1245707. [PMID: 38571523 PMCID: PMC10987782 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1245707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Motor Imagery (MI) is a cognitive process consisting in mental simulation of body movements without executing physical actions: its clinical use has been investigated prevalently in adults with neurological disorders. Objectives Review of the best-available evidence on the use and efficacy of MI interventions for neurorehabilitation purposes in common and rare childhood neurological disorders. Methods systematic literature search conducted according to PRISMA by using the Scopus, PsycArticles, Cinahl, PUBMED, Web of Science (Clarivate), EMBASE, PsychINFO, and COCHRANE databases, with levels of evidence scored by OCEBM and PEDro Scales. Results Twenty-two original studies were retrieved and included for the analysis; MI was the unique or complementary rehabilitative treatment in 476 individuals (aged 5 to 18 years) with 10 different neurological conditions including, cerebral palsies, stroke, coordination disorders, intellectual disabilities, brain and/or spinal cord injuries, autism, pain syndromes, and hyperactivity. The sample size ranged from single case reports to cohorts and control groups. Treatment lasted 2 days to 6 months with 1 to 24 sessions. MI tasks were conventional, graded or ad-hoc. MI measurement tools included movement assessment batteries, mental chronometry tests, scales, and questionnaires, EEG, and EMG. Overall, the use of MI was stated as effective in 19/22, and uncertain in the remnant studies. Conclusion MI could be a reliable supportive/add-on (home-based) rehabilitative tool for pediatric neurorehabilitation; its clinical use, in children, is highly dependent on the complexity of MI mechanisms, which are related to the underlying neurodevelopmental disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Egle Gentile
- National Centre for Rare Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Rinella
- Department of Educational Science, Chair of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Eleonora Desogus
- National Centre for Rare Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marco Iosa
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | | | - Martino Ruggieri
- Unit of Clinical Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Agata Polizzi
- Department of Educational Science, Chair of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Moffat R, Cross ES. Evaluations of dyadic synchrony: observers' traits influence estimation and enjoyment of synchrony in mirror-game movements. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2904. [PMID: 38316911 PMCID: PMC10844651 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53191-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
While evidence abounds that motor synchrony is a powerful form of 'social glue' for those involved, we have yet to understand how observers perceive motor synchrony: can observers estimate the degree of synchrony accurately? Is synchrony aesthetically pleasing? In two preregistered experiments (n = 161 each), we assess how accurately observers can estimate the degree of synchrony in dyads playing the mirror game, and how much observers enjoy watching these movements. We further assess whether accuracy and enjoyment are influenced by individual differences in self-reported embodied expertise (ability to reproduce movements, body awareness, body competence), psychosocial resources (extraversion, self-esteem), or social competencies (empathy, autistic traits), while objectively controlling for the degree of measured synchrony and complexity. The data revealed that observers' estimated synchrony with poor accuracy, showing a tendency to underestimate the level of synchrony. Accuracy for low synchrony improved with increasing body competence, while accuracy for high synchrony improved with increasing autistic traits. Observers' enjoyment of dyadic movements correlated positively with the degree of measured synchrony, the predictability of the movements, and the observer's empathy. Furthermore, very low enjoyment was associated with increased body perception. Our findings indicate that accuracy in perceiving synchrony is closely linked to embodiment, while aesthetic evaluations of action hinge on individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryssa Moffat
- Professorship for Social Brain Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Emily S Cross
- Professorship for Social Brain Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Martínez A, Gaspar PA, Bermudez DH, Belen Aburto-Ponce M, Beggel O, Javitt DC. Disrupted third visual pathway function in schizophrenia: Evidence from real and implied motion processing. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 41:103570. [PMID: 38309185 PMCID: PMC10847789 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Impaired motion perception in schizophrenia has been associated with deficits in social-cognitive processes and with reduced activation of visual sensory regions, including the middle temporal area (MT+) and posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS). These findings are consistent with the recent proposal of the existence of a specific 'third visual pathway' specialized for social perception in which motion is a fundamental component. The third visual pathway transmits visual information from early sensory visual processing areas to the STS, with MT+ acting as a critical intermediary. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate functioning of this pathway during processing of naturalistic videos with explicit (real) motion and static images with implied motion cues. These measures were related to face emotion recognition and motion-perception, as measured behaviorally. Participants were 28 individuals with schizophrenia (Sz) and 20 neurotypical controls. Compared to controls, individuals with Sz showed reduced activation of third visual pathway regions (MT+, pSTS) in response to both real- and implied-motion stimuli. Dysfunction of early visual cortex and pulvinar were also associated with aberrant real-motion processing. Implied-motion stimuli additionally engaged a wide network of brain areas including parietal, motor and frontal nodes of the human mirror neuron system. The findings support concepts of MT+ as a mediator between visual sensory areas and higher-order brain and argue for greater focus on MT+ contributions to social-cognitive processing, in addition to its well-documented role in visual motion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antígona Martínez
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.
| | - Pablo A Gaspar
- Department of Psychiatry, Biomedical Neurosciences Institute, IMHAY, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Dalton H Bermudez
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - M Belen Aburto-Ponce
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Odeta Beggel
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA.
| | - Daniel C Javitt
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Mei T, Llera A, Forde NJ, van Rooij D, Floris DL, Beckmann CF, Buitelaar JK. Gray matter covariations in autism: out-of-sample replication using the ENIGMA autism cohort. Mol Autism 2024; 15:3. [PMID: 38229192 PMCID: PMC10792893 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00583-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (henceforth autism) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition associated with differences in gray matter (GM) volume covariations, as reported in our previous study of the Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) data. To make progress on the identification of potential neural markers and to validate the robustness of our previous findings, we aimed to replicate our results using data from the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics Through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) autism working group. METHODS We studied 781 autistic and 927 non-autistic individuals (6-30 years, IQ ≥ 50), across 37 sites. Voxel-based morphometry was used to quantify GM volume as before. Subsequently, we used spatial maps of the two autism-related independent components (ICs) previously identified in the LEAP sample as templates for regression analyses to separately estimate the ENIGMA-participant loadings to each of these two ICs. Between-group differences in participants' loadings on each component were examined, and we additionally investigated the relation between participant loadings and autistic behaviors within the autism group. RESULTS The two components of interest, previously identified in the LEAP dataset, showed significant between-group differences upon regressions into the ENIGMA cohort. The associated brain patterns were consistent with those found in the initial identification study. The first IC was primarily associated with increased volumes of bilateral insula, inferior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, and caudate in the autism group relative to the control group (β = 0.129, p = 0.013). The second IC was related to increased volumes of the bilateral amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus in the autism group relative to non-autistic individuals (β = 0.116, p = 0.024). However, when accounting for the site-by-group interaction effect, no significant main effect of the group can be identified (p > 0.590). We did not find significant univariate association between the brain measures and behavior in autism (p > 0.085). LIMITATIONS The distributions of age, IQ, and sex between LEAP and ENIGMA are statistically different from each other. Owing to limited access to the behavioral data of the autism group, we were unable to further our understanding of the neural basis of behavioral dimensions of the sample. CONCLUSIONS The current study is unable to fully replicate the autism-related brain patterns from LEAP in the ENIGMA cohort. The diverse group effects across ENIGMA sites demonstrate the challenges of generalizing the average findings of the GM covariation patterns to a large-scale cohort integrated retrospectively from multiple studies. Further analyses need to be conducted to gain additional insights into the generalizability of these two GM covariation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Mei
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Alberto Llera
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Natalie J Forde
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Daan van Rooij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dorothea L Floris
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525EN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Zhao W, Liu Q, Zhang X, Song X, Zhang Z, Qing P, Liu X, Zhu S, Yang W, Kendrick KM. Differential responses in the mirror neuron system during imitation of individual emotional facial expressions and association with autistic traits. Neuroimage 2023; 277:120263. [PMID: 37399932 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The mirror neuron system (MNS), including the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and superior temporal sulcus (STS) plays an important role in action representation and imitation and may be dysfunctional in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it's not clear how these three regions respond and interact during the imitation of different basic facial expressions and whether the pattern of responses is influenced by autistic traits. Thus, we conducted a natural facial expression (happiness, angry, sadness and fear) imitation task in 100 healthy male subjects where expression intensity was measured using facial emotion recognition software (FaceReader) and MNS responses were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Autistic traits were measured using the Autism Spectrum Quotient questionnaire. Results showed that imitation of happy expressions produced the highest expression intensity but a small deactivation in MNS responses, suggesting a lower processing requirement compared to other expressions. A cosine similarity analysis indicated a distinct pattern of MNS responses during imitation of each facial expression with functional intra-hemispheric connectivity between the left IPL and left STS being significantly higher during happy compared to other expressions, while inter-hemispheric connectivity between the left and right IPL differed between imitation of fearful and sad expressions. Furthermore, functional connectivity changes during imitation of each different expression could reliably predict autistic trait scores. Overall, the results provide evidence for distinct patterns of functional connectivity changes between MNS regions during imitation of different emotions which are also associated with autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Zhao
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China; Institute of Electronic and Information Engineering of UESTC in Guangdong, Dongguan, 523808, China
| | - Qi Liu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Xiaolu Zhang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Xinwei Song
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Peng Qing
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Wenxu Yang
- Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
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Hudson M, Santavirta S, Putkinen V, Seppälä K, Sun L, Karjalainen T, Karlsson HK, Hirvonen J, Nummenmaa L. Neural responses to biological motion distinguish autistic and schizotypal traits. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad011. [PMID: 36847146 PMCID: PMC10032360 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Difficulties in social interactions characterize both autism and schizophrenia and are correlated in the neurotypical population. It is unknown whether this represents a shared etiology or superficial phenotypic overlap. Both conditions exhibit atypical neural activity in response to the perception of social stimuli and decreased neural synchronization between individuals. This study investigated if neural activity and neural synchronization associated with biological motion perception are differentially associated with autistic and schizotypal traits in the neurotypical population. Participants viewed naturalistic social interactions while hemodynamic brain activity was measured with fMRI, which was modeled against a continuous measure of the extent of biological motion. General linear model analysis revealed that biological motion perception was associated with neural activity across the action observation network. However, intersubject phase synchronization analysis revealed neural activity to be synchronized between individuals in occipital and parietal areas but desynchronized in temporal and frontal regions. Autistic traits were associated with decreased neural activity (precuneus and middle cingulate gyrus), and schizotypal traits were associated with decreased neural synchronization (middle and inferior frontal gyri). Biological motion perception elicits divergent patterns of neural activity and synchronization, which dissociate autistic and schizotypal traits in the general population, suggesting that they originate from different neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Hudson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
- Brain Research & Imaging Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Research Way, Plymouth PL6 8BU, UK
| | - Severi Santavirta
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Vesa Putkinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Kerttu Seppälä
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Lihua Sun
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Tomi Karjalainen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Henry K Karlsson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Jussi Hirvonen
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- Medical Imaging Centre, Department of Radiology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere 33100, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
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Meta-analytic connectivity modelling of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Imaging Behav 2023; 17:257-269. [PMID: 36633738 PMCID: PMC10049951 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00754-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Social and non-social deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) persist into adulthood and may share common regions of aberrant neural activations. The current meta-analysis investigated activation differences between ASD and neurotypical controls irrespective of task type. Activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses were performed to examine consistent hypo-activated and/or hyper-activated regions for all tasks combined, and for social and non-social tasks separately; meta-analytic connectivity modelling and behavioral/paradigm analyses were performed to examine co-activated regions and associated behaviors. One hundred studies (mean age range = 18-41 years) were included. For all tasks combined, the ASD group showed significant (p < .05) hypo-activation in one cluster around the left amygdala (peak - 26, -2, -20, volume = 1336 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.0327), and this cluster co-activated with two other clusters around the right cerebellum (peak 42, -56, -22, volume = 2560mm3, maximum ALE = 0.049) Lobule VI/Crus I and the left fusiform gyrus (BA47) (peak - 42, -46, -18, volume = 1616 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.046) and left cerebellum (peak - 42, -58, -20, volume = 1616mm3, maximum ALE = 0.033) Lobule VI/Crus I. While the left amygdala was associated with negative emotion (fear) (z = 3.047), the left fusiform gyrus/cerebellum Lobule VI/Crus I cluster was associated with language semantics (z = 3.724) and action observation (z = 3.077). These findings highlight the left amygdala as a region consistently hypo-activated in ASD and suggest the potential involvement of fusiform gyrus and cerebellum in social cognition in ASD. Future research should further elucidate if and how amygdala-fusiform/cerebellar connectivity relates to social and non-social cognition in adults with ASD.
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10
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Wu WY, Cheng Y, Liang KC, Lee RX, Yen CT. Affective mirror and anti-mirror neurons relate to prosocial help in rats. iScience 2022; 26:105865. [PMID: 36632059 PMCID: PMC9826941 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although empathic emotion is closely related to prosocial behavior, neuronal substrate that accounts for empathy-associated prosocial action remains poorly understood. We recorded neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insular cortex (InC) in rats when they observed another rat in pain. We discovered neurons with anti-mirror properties in the ACC and InC, in addition to those with mirror properties. ACC neurons show higher coupling between activation of self-in-pain and others-in-pain, whereas the InC has a higher ratio of neurons with anti-mirror properties. During others-in-pain, ACC neurons activated more when actively nose-poking toward others and InC neurons activated more when freezing. To further illustrate prosocial function, we examined neuronal activities in the helping behavior test. Both ACC and InC neurons showed specific activation to rat rescuing which is contributed by mirror, but not anti-mirror neurons. Our work indicates the functional involvement of mirror neuron system in prosocial behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yi Wu
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Yawei Cheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Chen Liang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ray X. Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Program in Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Chen-Tung Yen
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road Sec. 4, Taipei 10617, Taiwan,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan,Corresponding author
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11
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Krishnamurthy K, Chan MMY, Han YMY. Neural substrates underlying effortful control deficit in autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20603. [PMID: 36446840 PMCID: PMC9708641 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25051-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Effortful control comprises attentional control, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility subprocesses. Effortful control is impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder, yet its neural underpinnings remain elusive. By conducting a coordinate-based meta-analysis, this study compared the brain activation patterns between autism and typically developing individuals and examined the effect of age on brain activation in each effortful control subprocesses. Meta-analytic results from 22 studies revealed that, individuals with autism showed hypoactivation in the default mode network for tasks tapping inhibitory control functioning (threshold-free cluster enhancement p < 0.001). When these individuals perform tasks tapping attentional control and cognitive flexibility, they exhibited aberrant activation in various brain networks including default mode network, dorsal attention, frontoparietal, visual and somatomotor networks (uncorrected ps < 0.005). Meta-regression analyses revealed that brain regions within the default mode network showed a significant decreasing trend in activation with increasing age (uncorrected p < 0.05). In summary, individuals with autism showed aberrant activation patterns across multiple brain functional networks during all cognitive tasks supporting effortful control, with some regions showing a decrease in activation with increasing age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthikeyan Krishnamurthy
- grid.16890.360000 0004 1764 6123Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China ,Brain & Cognitive Behaviour Research Foundation, Chennai, India
| | - Melody M. Y. Chan
- grid.16890.360000 0004 1764 6123Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yvonne M. Y. Han
- grid.16890.360000 0004 1764 6123Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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12
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Sultan S. Translating neuroimaging changes to neuro-endophenotypes of autistic spectrum disorder: a narrative review. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-022-00578-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Autism-spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with heterogeneity in etiopathogenesis and clinical presentation. Neuroanatomical and neurophysiological abnormalities may represent neural endophenotypes for autism spectrum disorders which may help identify subgroups of patients seemingly similar in clinical presentation yet different in their pathophysiological underpinnings. Furthermore, a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of disease can pave the way to effective treatments, prevention, and prognostic predictions. The aim of this review is to identify the predominant neural endophenotypes in autism-spectrum disorder. The evidence was researched at the following electronic databases: Pubmed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE.
Results
Enlarged brain, especially frontotemporal cortices have been consistently reported by structural neuroimaging, whereas functional neuroimaging has revealed frontotemporal dysconnectivity.
Conclusions
Regrettably, many of these findings have not been consistent. Therefore, translating these findings into neural endophenotype is by far an attempt in its budding stage. The structural and functional neuroimaging changes may represent neural endophenotypes unique to autism-spectrum disorder. Despite inconsistent results, a clinically meaningful finding may require combined efforts of autism-spectrum-disorder researchers focused on different aspects of basic, genetic, neuroimaging, and clinical research.
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13
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Talesh Jafadideh A, Mohammadzadeh Asl B. Topological analysis of brain dynamics in autism based on graph and persistent homology. Comput Biol Med 2022; 150:106202. [PMID: 37859293 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106202] [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: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous disorder with a rapidly growing prevalence. In recent years, the dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) technique has been used to reveal the transient connectivity behavior of ASDs' brains by clustering connectivity matrices in different states. However, the states of DFC have not been yet studied from a topological point of view. In this paper, this study was performed using global metrics of the graph and persistent homology (PH) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. The PH has been recently developed in topological data analysis and deals with persistent structures of data. The structural connectivity (SC) and static FC (SFC) were also studied to know which one of the SC, SFC, and DFC could provide more discriminative topological features when comparing ASDs with typical controls (TCs). Significant discriminative features were only found in states of DFC. Moreover, the best classification performance was offered by persistent homology-based metrics and in two out of four states. In these two states, some networks of ASDs compared to TCs were more segregated and isolated (showing the disruption of network integration in ASDs). The results of this study demonstrated that topological analysis of DFC states could offer discriminative features which were not discriminative in SFC and SC. Also, PH metrics can provide a promising perspective for studying ASD and finding candidate biomarkers.
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14
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Tang WYF. Application of Eye Tracker to Detect Visual Processing of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. CURRENT DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40474-022-00252-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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15
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Human Brain Organoid: A Versatile Tool for Modeling Neurodegeneration Diseases and for Drug Screening. Stem Cells Int 2022; 2022:2150680. [PMID: 36061149 PMCID: PMC9436613 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2150680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical trials serve as the fundamental prerequisite for clinical therapy of human disease, which is primarily based on biomedical studies in animal models. Undoubtedly, animal models have made a significant contribution to gaining insight into the developmental and pathophysiological understanding of human diseases. However, none of the existing animal models could efficiently simulate the development of human organs and systems due to a lack of spatial information; the discrepancy in genetic, anatomic, and physiological basis between animals and humans limits detailed investigation. Therefore, the translational efficiency of the research outcomes in clinical applications was significantly weakened, especially for some complex, chronic, and intractable diseases. For example, the clinical trials for human fragile X syndrome (FXS) solely based on animal models have failed such as mGluR5 antagonists. To mimic the development of human organs more faithfully and efficiently translate in vitro biomedical studies to clinical trials, extensive attention to organoids derived from stem cells contributes to a deeper understanding of this research. The organoids are a miniaturized version of an organ generated in vitro, partially recapitulating key features of human organ development. As such, the organoids open a novel avenue for in vitro models of human disease, advantageous over the existing animal models. The invention of organoids has brought an innovative breakthrough in regeneration medicine. The organoid-derived human tissues or organs could potentially function as invaluable platforms for biomedical studies, pathological investigation of human diseases, and drug screening. Importantly, the study of regeneration medicine and the development of therapeutic strategies for human diseases could be conducted in a dish, facilitating in vitro analysis and experimentation. Thus far, the pilot breakthrough has been made in the generation of numerous types of organoids representing different human organs. Most of these human organoids have been employed for in vitro biomedical study and drug screening. However, the efficiency and quality of the organoids in recapitulating the development of human organs have been hindered by engineering and conceptual challenges. The efficiency and quality of the organoids are essential for downstream applications. In this article, we highlight the application in the modeling of human neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as FXS, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), and organoid-based drug screening. Additionally, challenges and weaknesses especially for limits of the brain organoid models in modeling late onset NDDs such as AD and PD., and future perspectives regarding human brain organoids are addressed.
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16
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Sabag M, Geva R. Hyper and hypo attention networks activations affect social development in children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:902041. [PMID: 36034110 PMCID: PMC9403843 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.902041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience a range of social and non-social attention deficits. To date, most studies assessed the neurological framework or discrete behavioral traits related to one attention network, leaving a gap in the understanding of the developmental cascade affecting the inter-relations among attention networks in ASD in a pervasive manner. We propose a theoretical framework that integrates the behavioral deficits and neurological manifestations through a cohesive developmental prism of attention networks’ activations while assessing their impact on social deficits in children with ASD. Insights arising from the model suggest hyper-and-hypoactivation of posterior attention networks leads to an altered prefrontal anterior attention network weight in ways that conjointly impact social performance in ASD. This perspective on how attention networks develop and interact in ASD may inform future research directions regarding ASD and attention development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Sabag
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- The Developmental Neuropsychology Lab, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ronny Geva
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- The Developmental Neuropsychology Lab, The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- *Correspondence: Ronny Geva,
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17
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Hao Z, Shi Y, Huang L, Sun J, Li M, Gao Y, Li J, Wang Q, Zhan L, Ding Q, Jia X, Li H. The Atypical Effective Connectivity of Right Temporoparietal Junction in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multi-Site Study. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:927556. [PMID: 35924226 PMCID: PMC9340667 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.927556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social function impairment is the core deficit of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although many studies have investigated ASD through a variety of neuroimaging tools, its brain mechanism of social function remains unclear due to its complex and heterogeneous symptoms. The present study aimed to use resting-state functional magnetic imaging data to explore effective connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ), one of the key brain regions associated with social impairment of individuals with ASD, and the whole brain to further deepen our understanding of the neuropathological mechanism of ASD. This study involved 1,454 participants from 23 sites from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) public dataset, which included 618 individuals with ASD and 836 with typical development (TD). First, a voxel-wise Granger causality analysis (GCA) was conducted with the RTPJ selected as the region of interest (ROI) to investigate the differences in effective connectivity between the ASD and TD groups in every site. Next, to obtain further accurate and representative results, an image-based meta-analysis was implemented to further analyze the GCA results of each site. Our results demonstrated abnormal causal connectivity between the RTPJ and the widely distributed brain regions and that the connectivity has been associated with social impairment in individuals with ASD. The current study could help to further elucidate the pathological mechanisms of ASD and provides a new perspective for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeqi Hao
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yuyu Shi
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Lina Huang
- Department of Radiology, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, China
| | - Jiawei Sun
- School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Mengting Li
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yanyan Gao
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Linlin Zhan
- School of Western Languages, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China
| | - Qingguo Ding
- Department of Radiology, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, China
- Qingguo Ding
| | - Xize Jia
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Xize Jia
| | - Huayun Li
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- *Correspondence: Huayun Li
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18
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Knight EJ, Krakowski AI, Freedman EG, Butler JS, Molholm S, Foxe JJ. Attentional influences on neural processing of biological motion in typically developing children and those on the autism spectrum. Mol Autism 2022; 13:33. [PMID: 35850696 PMCID: PMC9290301 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00512-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biological motion imparts rich information related to the movement, actions, intentions and affective state of others, which can provide foundational support for various aspects of social cognition and behavior. Given that atypical social communication and cognition are hallmark symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many have theorized that a potential source of this deficit may lie in dysfunctional neural mechanisms of biological motion processing. Synthesis of existing literature provides some support for biological motion processing deficits in autism spectrum disorder, although high study heterogeneity and inconsistent findings complicate interpretation. Here, we attempted to reconcile some of this residual controversy by investigating a possible modulating role for attention in biological motion processing in ASD. METHODS We employed high-density electroencephalographic recordings while participants observed point-light displays of upright, inverted and scrambled biological motion under two task conditions to explore spatiotemporal dynamics of intentional and unintentional biological motion processing in children and adolescents with ASD (n = 27), comparing them to a control cohort of neurotypical (NT) participants (n = 35). RESULTS Behaviorally, ASD participants were able to discriminate biological motion with similar accuracy to NT controls. However, electrophysiologic investigation revealed reduced automatic selective processing of upright biologic versus scrambled motion stimuli in ASD relative to NT individuals, which was ameliorated when task demands required explicit attention to biological motion. Additionally, we observed distinctive patterns of covariance between visual potentials evoked by biological motion and functional social ability, such that Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-Socialization domain scores were differentially associated with biological motion processing in the N1 period in the ASD but not the NT group. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional design of this study does not allow us to definitively answer the question of whether developmental differences in attention to biological motion cause disruption in social communication, and the sample was limited to children with average or above cognitive ability. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data suggest that individuals with ASD are able to discriminate, with explicit attention, biological from non-biological motion but demonstrate diminished automatic neural specificity for biological motion processing, which may have cascading implications for the development of higher-order social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Knight
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA. .,Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 671, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Aaron I Krakowski
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Edward G Freedman
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - John S Butler
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,School of Mathematical Sciences, Technological University Dublin, Kevin Street, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.,The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - John J Foxe
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 603, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA. .,The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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19
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Jackson EE, McGlone FP, Haggarty CJ. The social brain has a nerve: insights from attachment and autistic phenotypes. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Matsuki T, Ebara T, Tamada H, Kato S, Kaneko K, Kano H, Matsuzaki K, Sato H, Minato K, Sugiura-Ogasawara M, Saitoh S, Kamijima M. Repeated maternal non-responsiveness to baby's crying during postpartum and infant neuropsychological development: The Japan Environment and Children's Study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 127:105581. [PMID: 35259689 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Longitudinal adverse effects of neglect-related behaviors during postpartum, especially repeated maternal non-responsiveness to the crying baby on their neuropsychological developmental trajectory, have not been fully clarified. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the association between postpartum maternal neglect-related behaviors and infant neuropsychological outcomes using the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING JECS data on 100,286 mother-child pairs were analyzed. Explanatory variables were "frequency of leaving the baby alone at home" (i.e., leaving the baby alone at home) and "frequency of ignoring the baby when he or she cries" (i.e., ignoring the crying baby) at one month postpartum. The outcomes were measured using the Japanese version of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Third Edition (J-ASQ-3). METHODS After multiple imputations, logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between neglect-related behaviors and the J-ASQ-3 domains at each age. RESULTS The "sometimes or more" group of "ignoring the crying baby" from six months to three years reported relatively consistent significant associations with developmental delay in communication (maximum adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.456, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.261-1.682), gross motor (maximum aOR: 1.279, 95% CI: 1.159-1.411), fine motor (maximum aOR: 1.274, 95% CI: 1.113-1.457), problem-solving (maximum aOR: 1.178, 95% CI: 1.104-1.256), and personal-social domains (maximum aOR: 1.326, 95% CI: 1.255-1.402). The adverse effects of "leaving the baby alone at home" disappeared in many domains by the age of one. CONCLUSIONS Repeated maternal non-responsiveness to baby's crying during postpartum may suppress multiple neuropsychological development during early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taro Matsuki
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Ebara
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Hazuki Tamada
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Sayaka Kato
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Kayo Kaneko
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Kano
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan; School of Health and Sport Sciences, Chukyo University, Japan
| | - Kazuki Matsuzaki
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sato
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Kyoko Minato
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Mayumi Sugiura-Ogasawara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Shinji Saitoh
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
| | - Michihiro Kamijima
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan
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21
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Saporta N, Scheele D, Lieberz J, Nevat M, Kanterman A, Hurlemann R, Shamay-Tsoory SG. Altered activation in the action observation system during synchronization in high loneliness individuals. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:385-402. [PMID: 35220424 PMCID: PMC9837608 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Lonely people tend to evaluate social exchanges negatively and to display difficulties in interactions. Interpersonal synchronization is crucial for achieving positive interactions, promoting affinity, closeness, and satisfaction. However, little is known about lonely individuals' ability to synchronize and about their brain activity while synchronizing. Following the screening of 303 participants, we recruited 32 low and 32 high loneliness participants. They were scanned while engaged in movement synchronization, using a novel dyadic interaction paradigm. Results showed that high loneliness individuals exhibited a reduced ability to adapt their movement to their partner's movement. Intriguingly, during movement adaptation periods, high loneliness individuals showed increased activation in the action observation (AO) system, specifically in the inferior frontal gyrus and the inferior parietal lobule. They did not show increased activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, which in the context of synchronization was suggested to be related to gap-monitoring. Based on these findings, we propose a model according to which lonely people may require stronger activation of their AO system for alignment, to compensate for some deficiency in their synchronization ability. Despite this hyperactivation, they still suffer from reduced synchronization capacity. Consequently, synchronization may be a relevant intervention area for the amelioration of loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nira Saporta
- Corresponding author: School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel.
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Research Section Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstrasse 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jana Lieberz
- Research Section Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Nevat
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Alisa Kanterman
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstrasse 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany,Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstrasse 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Simone G Shamay-Tsoory
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
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22
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Xu L, Zheng X, Yao S, Li J, Fu M, Li K, Zhao W, Li H, Becker B, Kendrick KM. The mirror neuron system compensates for amygdala dysfunction - associated social deficits in individuals with higher autistic traits. Neuroimage 2022; 251:119010. [PMID: 35182751 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is a core node in the social brain which exhibits structural and functional abnormalities in Autism spectrum disorder and there is evidence that the mirror neuron system (MNS) can functionally compensate for impaired emotion processing following amygdala lesions. In the current study, we employed an fMRI paradigm in 241 subjects investigating MNS and amygdala responses to observation, imagination and imitation of dynamic facial expressions and whether these differed in individuals with higher (n = 77) as opposed to lower (n = 79) autistic traits. Results indicated that individuals with higher compared to lower autistic traits showed worse recognition memory for fearful faces, smaller real-life social networks, and decreased left basolateral amygdala (BLA) responses to imitation. Additionally, functional connectivity between the left BLA and the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) as well as some other MNS regions was increased in individuals with higher autistic traits, especially during imitation of fearful expressions. The left BLA-IFG connectivity significantly moderated the autistic group differences on recognition memory for fearful faces, indicating that increased amygdala-MNS connectivity could diminish the social behavioral differences between higher and lower autistic trait groups. Overall, findings demonstrate decreased imitation-related amygdala activity in individuals with higher autistic traits in the context of increased amygdala-MNS connectivity which may functionally compensate for amygdala dysfunction and social deficits. Training targeting the MNS may capitalize on this compensatory mechanism for therapeutic benefits in Autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jialin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Meina Fu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keshuang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Li
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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23
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Valizadeh A, Mbwogge M, Rasouli Yazdi A, Hedayati Amlashi N, Haadi A, Shayestefar M, Moassefi M. The mirror mechanism in schizophrenia: A systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:884828. [PMID: 36213922 PMCID: PMC9532849 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.884828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mirror neuron system (MNS) consists of visuomotor neurons that are responsible for the mirror neuron activity (MNA), meaning that each time an individual observes another individual performing an action, these neurons encode that action, and are activated in the observer's cortical motor system. Previous studies report its malfunction in autism, opening doors to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder in a more elaborate way and coming up with new rehabilitation methods. The study of MNA function in schizophrenia patients has not been as frequent and conclusive as in autism. In this research, we aimed to evaluate the functional integrity of MNA and the microstructural integrity of MNS in schizophrenia patients. METHODS We included case-control studies that have evaluated MNA in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls using a variety of objective assessment tools. In August 2022, we searched Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science for eligible studies. We used an adapted version of the NIH Quality Assessment of Case-Control Studies tool to assess the quality of the included studies. Evidence was analyzed using vote counting methods of the direction of the effect and was tested statistically using the Sign test. Certainty of evidence was assessed using CERQual. RESULTS We included 32 studies for the analysis. Statistical tests revealed decreased MNA (p = 0.002) in schizophrenia patients. The certainty of the evidence was judged to be moderate. Investigations of heterogeneity revealed a possible relationship between the age and the positive symptoms of participants in the included studies and the direction of the observed effect. DISCUSSION This finding contributes to gaining a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of the disorder by revealing its possible relation to some of the symptoms in schizophrenia patients, while also highlighting a new commonality with autism. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO identifier: CRD42021236453.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Valizadeh
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | | | - Ainaaz Haadi
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Monir Shayestefar
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mana Moassefi
- Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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24
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Zarka D, Cebolla AM, Cheron G. [Mirror neurons, neural substrate of action understanding?]. Encephale 2021; 48:83-91. [PMID: 34625217 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In 1992, the Laboratory of Human Physiology at the University of Parma (Italy) publish a study describing "mirror" neurons in the macaque that activate both when the monkey performs an action and when it observes an experimenter performing the same action. The research team behind this discovery postulates that the mirror neurons system is the neural basis of our ability to understand the actions of others, through the motor mapping of the observed action on the observer's motor repertory (direct-matching hypothesis). Nevertheless, this conception met serious criticism. These critics attempt to relativize their function by placing them within a network of neurocognitive and sensory interdependencies. In short, the essential characteristic of these neurons is to combine the processing of sensory information, especially visual, with that of motor information. Their elementary function would be to provide a motor simulation of the observed action, based on visual information from it. They can contribute, with other non-mirror areas, to the identification/prediction of the action goal and to the interpretation of the intention of the actor performing it. Studying the connectivity and high frequency synchronizations of the different brain areas involved in action observation would likely provide important information about the dynamic contribution of mirror neurons to "action understanding". The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date analysis of the scientific evidence related to mirror neurons and their elementary functions, as well as to shed light on the contribution of these neurons to our ability to interpret and understand others' actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Zarka
- Faculté des Sciences de la Motricité, laboratoire de neurophysiologie et de biomécanique du mouvement, université Libre de Bruxelles, CP640, 808, route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgique; Unité de Recherche en Sciences de l'Ostéopathie, faculté des Sciences de la Motricité, université Libre de Bruxelles, CP640, 808, route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgique.
| | - A M Cebolla
- Faculté des Sciences de la Motricité, laboratoire de neurophysiologie et de biomécanique du mouvement, université Libre de Bruxelles, CP640, 808, route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgique
| | - G Cheron
- Faculté des Sciences de la Motricité, laboratoire de neurophysiologie et de biomécanique du mouvement, université Libre de Bruxelles, CP640, 808, route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgique; Laboratoire d'électrophysiologie, université de Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgique
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25
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Bieńkiewicz MMN, Smykovskyi AP, Olugbade T, Janaqi S, Camurri A, Bianchi-Berthouze N, Björkman M, Bardy BG. Bridging the gap between emotion and joint action. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:806-833. [PMID: 34418437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Our daily human life is filled with a myriad of joint action moments, be it children playing, adults working together (i.e., team sports), or strangers navigating through a crowd. Joint action brings individuals (and embodiment of their emotions) together, in space and in time. Yet little is known about how individual emotions propagate through embodied presence in a group, and how joint action changes individual emotion. In fact, the multi-agent component is largely missing from neuroscience-based approaches to emotion, and reversely joint action research has not found a way yet to include emotion as one of the key parameters to model socio-motor interaction. In this review, we first identify the gap and then stockpile evidence showing strong entanglement between emotion and acting together from various branches of sciences. We propose an integrative approach to bridge the gap, highlight five research avenues to do so in behavioral neuroscience and digital sciences, and address some of the key challenges in the area faced by modern societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta M N Bieńkiewicz
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France.
| | - Andrii P Smykovskyi
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Stefan Janaqi
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | - Benoît G Bardy
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ. Montpellier IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France.
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26
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Zapała D, Mikołajewski D. Computational model of decreased suppression of mu rhythms in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders during movement observation—preliminary findings. BIO-ALGORITHMS AND MED-SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/bams-2020-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) represent developmental conditions with deficits in the cognitive, motor, communication and social domains. It is thought that imitative behaviour may be impaired in children with ASD. The Mirror Neural System (MNS) concept plays an important role in theories explaining the link between action perception, imitation and social decision-making in ASD.
Methods
In this study, Emergent 7.0.1 software was used to build a computational model of the phenomenon of MNS influence on motion imitation. Seven point populations of Hodgkin–Huxley artificial neurons were used to create a simplified model.
Results
The model shows pathologically altered processing in the neural network, which may reflect processes observed in ASD due to reduced stimulus attenuation. The model is considered preliminary—further research should test for a minimally significant difference between the states: normal processing and pathological processing.
Conclusions
The study shows that even a simple computational model can provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the phenomena observed in experimental studies, including in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz Zapała
- Department of Experimental Psychology , The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Lublin , Poland
| | - Dariusz Mikołajewski
- Institute of Computer Science, Kazimierz Wielki University , Bydgoszcz , Poland
- Neurocognitive Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Center for Modern Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University , Toruń , Poland
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27
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Kilroy E, Harrison L, Butera C, Jayashankar A, Cermak S, Kaplan J, Williams M, Haranin E, Bookheimer S, Dapretto M, Aziz-Zadeh L. Unique deficit in embodied simulation in autism: An fMRI study comparing autism and developmental coordination disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:1532-1546. [PMID: 33320398 PMCID: PMC7927289 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A deficit in pre‐cognitively mirroring other people's actions and experiences may be related to the social impairments observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is unclear whether such embodied simulation deficits are unique to ASD or instead are related to motor impairment, which is commonly comorbid with ASD. Here we aim to disentangle how, neurologically, motor impairments contribute to simulation deficits and identify unique neural signatures of ASD. We compare children with ASD (N = 30) to children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD; N = 23) as well as a typically developing group (N = 33) during fMRI tasks in which children observe, imitate, and mentalize about other people's actions. Results indicate a unique neural signature in ASD: during action observation, only the ASD group shows hypoactivity in a region important for simulation (inferior frontal gyrus, pars opercularis, IFGop). However, during a motor production task (imitation), the IFGop is hypoactive for both ASD and DCD groups. For all tasks, we find correlations across groups with motor ability, even after controlling for age, IQ, and social impairment. Conversely, across groups, mentalizing ability is correlated with activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex when controlling for motor ability. These findings help identify the unique neurobiological basis of ASD for aspects of social processing. Furthermore, as no previous fMRI studies correlated brain activity with motor impairment in ASD, these findings help explain prior conflicting reports in these simulation networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Kilroy
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Laura Harrison
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christiana Butera
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Aditya Jayashankar
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sharon Cermak
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jonas Kaplan
- Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Marian Williams
- USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Emily Haranin
- USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Susan Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
- USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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