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Rhodes N, Sato J, Safar K, Amorim K, Taylor MJ, Brookes MJ. Paediatric magnetoencephalography and its role in neurodevelopmental disorders. Br J Radiol 2024; 97:1591-1601. [PMID: 38976633 PMCID: PMC11417392 DOI: 10.1093/bjr/tqae123] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that assesses neurophysiology through the detection of the magnetic fields generated by neural currents. In this way, it is sensitive to brain activity, both in individual regions and brain-wide networks. Conventional MEG systems employ an array of sensors that must be cryogenically cooled to low temperature, in a rigid one-size-fits-all helmet. Systems are typically designed to fit adults and are therefore challenging to use for paediatric measurements. Despite this, MEG has been employed successfully in research to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders, and clinically for presurgical planning for paediatric epilepsy. Here, we review the applications of MEG in children, specifically focussing on autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Our review demonstrates the significance of MEG in furthering our understanding of these neurodevelopmental disorders, while also highlighting the limitations of current instrumentation. We also consider the future of paediatric MEG, with a focus on newly developed instrumentation based on optically pumped magnetometers (OPM-MEG). We provide a brief overview of the development of OPM-MEG systems, and how this new technology might enable investigation of brain function in very young children and infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Rhodes
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2QX, United Kingdom
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Julie Sato
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Kristina Safar
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Kaela Amorim
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 2E5, Canada
- Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1W7, Canada
| | - Matthew J Brookes
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2QX, United Kingdom
- Cerca Magnetics Limited, Nottingham NG7 1LD, United Kingdom
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2
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Shan J, Gu Y, Zhang J, Hu X, Wu H, Yuan T, Zhao D. A scoping review of physiological biomarkers in autism. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1269880. [PMID: 37746140 PMCID: PMC10512710 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1269880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by pervasive deficits in social interaction, communication impairments, and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors. This complex disorder is a significant public health concern due to its escalating incidence and detrimental impact on quality of life. Currently, extensive investigations are underway to identify prospective susceptibility or predictive biomarkers, employing a physiological biomarker-based framework. However, knowledge regarding physiological biomarkers in relation to Autism is sparse. We performed a scoping review to explore putative changes in physiological activities associated with behaviors in individuals with Autism. We identified studies published between January 2000 and June 2023 from online databases, and searched keywords included electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), electrodermal activity markers (EDA), eye-tracking markers. We specifically detected social-related symptoms such as impaired social communication in ASD patients. Our results indicated that the EEG/ERP N170 signal has undergone the most rigorous testing as a potential biomarker, showing promise in identifying subgroups within ASD and displaying potential as an indicator of treatment response. By gathering current data from various physiological biomarkers, we can obtain a comprehensive understanding of the physiological profiles of individuals with ASD, offering potential for subgrouping and targeted intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiatong Shan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Brain Health Institute, National Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Arts and Sciences, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunhao Gu
- Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- HKU, Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haiyan Wu
- Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology, Macau, China
| | - Tifei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Brain Health Institute, National Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Brain Health Institute, National Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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3
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Hasegawa C, Ikeda T, Yoshimura Y, Kumazaki H, Saito DN, Yaoi K, An K, Takahashi T, Hirata M, Asada M, Kikuchi M. Reduced gamma oscillation during visual processing of the mother's face in children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study. PCN REPORTS : PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES 2023; 2:e68. [PMID: 38868414 PMCID: PMC11114405 DOI: 10.1002/pcn5.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Aim This study aimed to investigate gamma oscillations related to face processing of children with autism spectrum disorders and typically developed children using magnetoencephalography. Methods We developed stimuli that included naturalistic real-time eye-gaze situations between participants and their mothers. Eighteen young children with autism spectrum disorders (62-97 months) and 24 typically developed children (61-79 months) were included. The magnetoencephalography data were analyzed in the bilateral banks of the superior temporal sulcus, fusiform gyrus, and pericalcarine cortex for frequency ranges 30-59 and 61-90 Hz. The gamma oscillation normalized values were calculated to compare the face condition (children gazing at mother's face) and control measurements (baseline) using the following formula: (face - control)/(face + control). Results The results revealed significant differences in gamma oscillation normalized values in the low gamma band (30-59 Hz) in the right banks of the superior temporal sulcus, right fusiform gyrus, and right pericalcarine cortex between children with autism spectrum disorders and typically developed children. Furthermore, there were significant differences in gamma oscillation normalized values in the high gamma band (61-90 Hz) in the right banks of the superior temporal sulcus, bilateral fusiform gyrus, and bilateral pericalcarine cortex between the groups. Conclusion This report is the first magnetoencephalography study revealing atypical face processing in young children with autism spectrum disorders using relevant stimuli between participants and their mothers. Our naturalistic paradigm provides a useful assessment of social communication traits and a valuable insight into the underlying neural mechanisms in children with autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of ScienceChiyoda‐kuTokyoJapan
- School of Psychological SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyAustralia
| | - Takashi Ikeda
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of MedicineChiba University, and University of FukuiOsaka/Kanazawa/Hamamatsu/Chiba/FukuiJapan
- University of FukuiFukuiJapan
| | - Yuko Yoshimura
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of MedicineChiba University, and University of FukuiOsaka/Kanazawa/Hamamatsu/Chiba/FukuiJapan
- Institute of Human and Social SciencesKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
| | - Hirokazu Kumazaki
- Department of Future Psychiatric Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
| | - Daisuke N. Saito
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of MedicineChiba University, and University of FukuiOsaka/Kanazawa/Hamamatsu/Chiba/FukuiJapan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of PsychologyYasuda Woman's UniversityHiroshimaJapan
| | - Ken Yaoi
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of MedicineChiba University, and University of FukuiOsaka/Kanazawa/Hamamatsu/Chiba/FukuiJapan
| | - Kyung‐Min An
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of MedicineChiba University, and University of FukuiOsaka/Kanazawa/Hamamatsu/Chiba/FukuiJapan
- School of PsychologyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of PsychologyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Tetsuya Takahashi
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- Uozu Shinkei SanatoriumUozuJapan
- Department of NeuropsychiatryUniversity of FukuiFukuiJapan
| | - Masayuki Hirata
- Department of Neurological Diagnosis and Restoration, Graduate School of MedicineOsaka UniversitySuitaJapan
- Department of Neurosurgery Osaka University Medical SchoolSuitaJapan
- Center for Information and Neural NetworksNational Institute of Information and Communications TechnologySuitaJapan
- Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Symbiotic Intelligent System Research CenterOsaka UniversitySuitaJapan
| | - Minoru Asada
- Center for Information and Neural NetworksNational Institute of Information and Communications TechnologySuitaJapan
- Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Symbiotic Intelligent System Research CenterOsaka UniversitySuitaJapan
- International Professional University of Technology in OsakaOsakaJapan
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging SciencesKasugaiJapan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental DevelopmentKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of MedicineChiba University, and University of FukuiOsaka/Kanazawa/Hamamatsu/Chiba/FukuiJapan
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurobiologyKanazawa UniversityKanazawaJapan
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4
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Mossad SI, Young JM, Wong SM, Dunkley BT, Hunt BAE, Pang EW, Taylor MJ. The Very Preterm Brain at Rest: Longitudinal Social-Cognitive Network Connectivity During Childhood. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:377-386. [PMID: 34654932 PMCID: PMC8972272 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab110] [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: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Very preterm (VPT: ≤32 weeks of gestational age) birth poses an increased risk for social and cognitive morbidities that persist throughout life. Resting-state functional network connectivity studies provide information about the intrinsic capacity for cognitive processing. We studied the following four social–cognitive resting-state networks: the default mode, salience, frontal-parietal and language networks. We examined functional connectivity using magnetoencephalography with individual head localization using each participant’s MRI at 6 (n = 40) and 8 (n = 40) years of age compared to age- and sex-matched full-term (FT) born children (n = 38 at 6 years and n = 43 at 8 years). VPT children showed increased connectivity compared to FT children in the gamma band (30–80 Hz) at 6 years within the default mode network (DMN), and between the DMN and the salience, frontal-parietal and language networks, pointing to more diffuse, less segregated processing across networks at this age. At 8 years, VPT children had more social and academic difficulties. Increased DMN connectivity at 6 years was associated with social and working memory difficulties at 8 years. Therefore, we suggest that increased DMN connectivity contributes to the observed emerging social and cognitive morbidities in school age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah I Mossad
- Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Julia M Young
- Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Simeon M Wong
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin A E Hunt
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
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5
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Nagy E, Prentice L, Wakeling T. Atypical Facial Emotion Recognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Exploratory Analysis on the Role of Task Demands. Perception 2021; 50:819-833. [PMID: 34428977 PMCID: PMC8438782 DOI: 10.1177/03010066211038154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
People with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have difficulty with socio-emotional functioning; however, research on facial emotion recognition (FER) remains inconclusive. Individuals with ASD might be using atypical compensatory mechanisms that are exhausted in more complex tasks. This study compared response accuracy and speed on a forced-choice FER task using neutral, happy, sad, disgust, anger, fear and surprise expressions under both timed and non-timed conditions in children with and without ASD (n = 18). The results showed that emotion recognition accuracy was comparable in the two groups in the non-timed condition. However, in the timed condition, children with ASD were less accurate in identifying anger and surprise compared to children without ASD. This suggests that people with ASD have atypical processing of anger and surprise that might become challenged under time pressure. Understanding these atypical processes, and the environmental factors that challenge them, could be beneficial in supporting socio-emotional functioning in people ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emese Nagy
- 3042Psychology, School of Social Sciences, The University of Dundee, UK
| | - Louise Prentice
- 3042Psychology, School of Social Sciences, The University of Dundee, UK
| | - Tess Wakeling
- 3042Psychology, School of Social Sciences, The University of Dundee, UK
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6
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Atypical development of emotional face processing networks in autism spectrum disorder from childhood through to adulthood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 51:101003. [PMID: 34416703 PMCID: PMC8377538 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MEG connectivity to emotional faces in ASD and typical controls 6–39 years of age was investigated. Distinct age-related changes in connectivity were observed in the groups to happy and angry faces. Age-related between-group differences in functional connectivity were found in gamma band. Emotion-specific age-related between-group differences were seen in beta. Findings highlight specific neurodevelopmental trajectories to emotional faces in ASD vs. TD.
Impairments in social functioning are hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and atypical functional connectivity may underlie these difficulties. Emotion processing networks typically undergo protracted maturational changes, however, those with ASD show either hyper- or hypo-connectivity with little consensus on the functional connectivity underpinning emotion processing. Magnetoencephalography was used to investigate age-related changes in whole-brain functional connectivity of eight regions of interest during happy and angry face processing in 190 children, adolescents and adults (6–39 years) with and without ASD. Findings revealed age-related changes from child- through to mid-adulthood in functional connectivity in controls and in ASD in theta, as well as age-related between-group differences across emotions, with connectivity decreasing in ASD, but increasing for controls, in gamma. Greater connectivity to angry faces was observed across groups in gamma. Emotion-specific age-related between-group differences in beta were also found, that showed opposite trends with age for happy and angry in ASD. Our results establish altered, frequency-specific developmental trajectories of functional connectivity in ASD, across distributed networks and a broad age range, which may finally help explain the heterogeneity in the literature.
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7
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Mamashli F, Kozhemiako N, Khan S, Nunes AS, McGuiggan NM, Losh A, Joseph RM, Ahveninen J, Doesburg SM, Hämäläinen MS, Kenet T. Children with autism spectrum disorder show altered functional connectivity and abnormal maturation trajectories in response to inverted faces. Autism Res 2021; 14:1101-1114. [PMID: 33709531 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The processing of information conveyed by faces is a critical component of social communication. While the neurophysiology of processing upright faces has been studied extensively in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), less is known about the neurophysiological abnormalities associated with processing inverted faces in ASD. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study both long-range and local functional connectivity, with the latter assessed using local cross-frequency coupling, in response to inverted faces stimuli, in 7-18 years old individuals with ASD and age and IQ matched typically developing (TD) individuals. We found abnormally reduced coupling between the phase of the alpha rhythm and the amplitude of the gamma rhythm in the fusiform face area (FFA) in response to inverted faces, as well as reduced long-range functional connectivity between the FFA and the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in response to inverted faces in the ASD group. These group differences were absent in response to upright faces. The magnitude of functional connectivity between the FFA and the IFG was significantly correlated with the severity of ASD, and FFA-IFG long-range functional connectivity increased with age in TD group, but not in the ASD group. Our findings suggest that both local and long-range functional connectivity are abnormally reduced in children with ASD when processing inverted faces, and that the pattern of abnormalities associated with the processing of inverted faces differs from the pattern of upright faces in ASD, likely due to the presumed greater reliance on top-down regulations necessary for efficient processing of inverted faces. LAY SUMMARY: We found alterations in the neurophysiological responses to inverted faces in children with ASD, that were not reflected in the evoked responses, and were not observed in the responses to upright faces. These alterations included reduced local functional connectivity in the fusiform face area (FFA), and decreased long-range alpha-band modulated functional connectivity between the FFA and the left IFG. The magnitude of long-range functional connectivity between the FFA and the inferior frontal gyrus was correlated with the severity of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Mamashli
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nataliia Kozhemiako
- Department of Neurology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sheraz Khan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adonay S Nunes
- Department of Neurology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole M McGuiggan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ainsley Losh
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert M Joseph
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jyrki Ahveninen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sam M Doesburg
- Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Institute, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matti S Hämäläinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Radiology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tal Kenet
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH/HST, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Neurology, MGH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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Styliadis C, Leung R, Özcan S, Moulton EA, Pang E, Taylor MJ, Papadelis C. Atypical spatiotemporal activation of cerebellar lobules during emotional face processing in adolescents with autism. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:2099-2114. [PMID: 33528852 PMCID: PMC8046060 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social deficits and atypical facial processing of emotional expressions. The underlying neuropathology of these abnormalities is still unclear. Recent studies implicate cerebellum in emotional processing; other studies show cerebellar abnormalities in ASD. Here, we elucidate the spatiotemporal activation of cerebellar lobules in ASD during emotional processing of happy and angry faces in adolescents with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls. Using magnetoencephalography, we calculated dynamic statistical parametric maps across a period of 500 ms after emotional stimuli onset and determined differences between group activity to happy and angry emotions. Following happy face presentation, adolescents with ASD exhibited only left‐hemispheric cerebellar activation in a cluster extending from lobule VI to lobule V (compared to TD controls). Following angry face presentation, adolescents with ASD exhibited only midline cerebellar activation (posterior IX vermis). Our findings indicate an early (125–175 ms) overactivation in cerebellar activity only for happy faces and a later overactivation for both happy (250–450 ms) and angry (250–350 ms) faces in adolescents with ASD. The prioritized hemispheric activity (happy faces) could reflect the promotion of a more flexible and adaptive social behavior, while the latter midline activity (angry faces) may guide conforming behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charis Styliadis
- Laboratory of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Selin Özcan
- Laboratory of Children's Brain Dynamics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric A Moulton
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elizabeth Pang
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Autism Research Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christos Papadelis
- Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center, Cook Children's Health Care System, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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9
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Seymour RA, Rippon G, Gooding-Williams G, Sowman PF, Kessler K. Reduced auditory steady state responses in autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2020; 11:56. [PMID: 32611372 PMCID: PMC7329477 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00357-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Auditory steady state responses (ASSRs) are elicited by clicktrains or amplitude-modulated tones, which entrain auditory cortex at their specific modulation rate. Previous research has reported reductions in ASSRs at 40 Hz for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participants and first-degree relatives of people diagnosed with ASD (Mol Autism. 2011;2:11, Biol Psychiatry. 2007;62:192-197). METHODS Using a 1.5 s-long auditory clicktrain stimulus, designed to elicit an ASSR at 40 Hz, this study attempted to replicate and extend these findings. Magnetencephalography (MEG) data were collected from 18 adolescent ASD participants and 18 typically developing controls. RESULTS The ASSR localised to bilateral primary auditory regions. Regions of interest were thus defined in left and right primary auditory cortex (A1). While the transient gamma-band response (tGBR) from 0-0.1 s following presentation of the clicktrain stimulus was not different between groups, for either left or right A1, the ASD group had reduced oscillatory power at 40 Hz from 0.5 to 1.5 s post-stimulus onset, for both left and right A1. Additionally, the ASD group had reduced inter-trial coherence (phase consistency over trials) at 40 Hz from 0.64-0.82 s for right A1 and 1.04-1.22 s for left A1. LIMITATIONS In this study, we did not conduct a clinical autism assessment (e.g. the ADOS), and therefore, it remains unclear whether ASSR power and/or ITC are associated with the clinical symptoms of ASD. CONCLUSION Overall, our results support a specific reduction in ASSR oscillatory power and inter-trial coherence in ASD, rather than a generalised deficit in gamma-band responses. We argue that this could reflect a developmentally relevant reduction in non-linear neural processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Seymour
- Aston Neuroscience Institute, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
| | - G Rippon
- Aston Neuroscience Institute, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - G Gooding-Williams
- Aston Neuroscience Institute, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - P F Sowman
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - K Kessler
- Aston Neuroscience Institute, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
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10
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Should Autism Spectrum Conditions Be Characterised in a More Positive Way in Our Modern World? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 56:medicina56050233. [PMID: 32413984 PMCID: PMC7279498 DOI: 10.3390/medicina56050233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In a special issue that focuses on complex presentations related to Autism, we ask the question in this editorial whether an Autism Spectrum Condition without complexity is a disorder, or whether it represents human diversity? Much research into Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) over the years has focused on comparisons between neuro-typical people and people with Autism Spectrum Conditions. These comparisons have tended to draw attention to ‘deficits’ in cognitive abilities and descriptions of behaviours that are characterised as unwanted. Not surprisingly, this is reflected in the classification systems from the World Health Organisation and the American Psychiatric Association. Public opinion about ASC may be influenced by presentations in the media of those with ASC who also have intellectual disability. Given that diagnostic systems are intended to help us better understand conditions in order to seek improved outcomes, we propose a more constructive approach to descriptions that uses more positive language, and balances descriptions of deficits with research finding of strengths and differences. We propose that this will be more helpful to individuals on the Autism Spectrum, both in terms of individual self-view, but also in terms of how society views Autism Spectrum Conditions more positively. Commentary has also been made on guidance that has been adjusted for people with ASC in relation to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
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Leung RC, Pang EW, Brian JA, Taylor MJ. Happy and Angry Faces Elicit Atypical Neural Activation in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:1021-1030. [PMID: 31171500 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant impairments in social interactions and communication. The ability to accurately perceive and interpret emotional faces is critical to successful social interactions. However, few studies have investigated the spatiotemporal profile of the neural mechanisms underlying emotional face processing in ASD, particularly in children. The current study fills this important gap. METHODS Participants were 55 children: 28 children with ASD (mean age = 9.5 ± 1.3 years) and 27 control children (mean age = 8.5 ± 1.3 years). All children completed an implicit emotional face task while magnetoencephalography was recorded. We examined spatiotemporal differences between the groups in neural activation during implicit processing of emotional faces. RESULTS Within-group analyses demonstrated greater right middle temporal (300-375 ms) and superior temporal (300-400 ms) activation to angry faces than to happy faces in control children, while children with ASD showed greater activation from 250 to 500 ms to happy faces than to angry faces across frontal and temporal regions. Between-group analyses demonstrated that children with ASD showed similar patterns of late (425-500 ms) posterior cingulate and thalamic underactivity to both angry and happy faces relative to control children, suggesting general atypical processing of emotional information. CONCLUSIONS Atypical posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus recruitment in children with ASD to emotional faces suggests poor modulation of toggling between the default mode network and task-based processing. Increased neural activity to happy faces compared with angry faces in children with ASD suggests reduced salience or immature response to anger, which in turn could contribute to deficits in social cognition in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Leung
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica A Brian
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Autism Research Centre, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Bonaiuto JJ, Meyer SS, Little S, Rossiter H, Callaghan MF, Dick F, Barnes GR, Bestmann S. Lamina-specific cortical dynamics in human visual and sensorimotor cortices. eLife 2018; 7:e33977. [PMID: 30346274 PMCID: PMC6197856 DOI: 10.7554/elife.33977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinct anatomical and spectral channels are thought to play specialized roles in the communication within cortical networks. While activity in the alpha and beta frequency range (7 - 40 Hz) is thought to predominantly originate from infragranular cortical layers conveying feedback-related information, activity in the gamma range (>40 Hz) dominates in supragranular layers communicating feedforward signals. We leveraged high precision MEG to test this proposal, directly and non-invasively, in human participants performing visually cued actions. We found that visual alpha mapped onto deep cortical laminae, whereas visual gamma predominantly occurred more superficially. This lamina-specificity was echoed in movement-related sensorimotor beta and gamma activity. These lamina-specific pre- and post- movement changes in sensorimotor beta and gamma activity suggest a more complex functional role than the proposed feedback and feedforward communication in sensory cortex. Distinct frequency channels thus operate in a lamina-specific manner across cortex, but may fulfill distinct functional roles in sensory and motor processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Bonaiuto
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department for Movement and Clinical Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sofie S Meyer
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- UCL Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Simon Little
- Department for Movement and Clinical Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Holly Rossiter
- CUBRIC, School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUnited Kingdom
| | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Frederic Dick
- Department of Psychological SciencesBirkbeck College, University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Gareth R Barnes
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sven Bestmann
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department for Movement and Clinical Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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Neurophysiological correlates of holistic face processing in adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:27. [PMID: 30165814 PMCID: PMC6118009 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9244-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Face processing has been found to be impaired in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One hypothesis is that individuals with ASD engage in piecemeal compared to holistic face processing strategies. To investigate the role of possible impairments in holistic face processing in individuals with autism, the current study investigated behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) correlates of face processing (P1/N170 and gamma-band activity) in adolescents with ASD and sex-, age-, and IQ-matched neurotypical controls. Methods Participants were presented with upright and inverted Mooney stimuli; black and white low information faces that are only perceived as faces when processed holistically. Participants indicated behaviorally the detection of a face. EEG was collected time-locked to the presentation of the stimuli. Results Adolescents with ASD perceived Mooney stimuli as faces suggesting ability to use holistic processing but displayed a lower face detection rate and slower response times. ERP components suggest slowed temporal processing of Mooney stimuli in the ASD compared to control group for P1 latency but no differences between groups for P1 amplitude and at the N170. Increases in gamma-band activity was similar during the perception of the Mooney images by group, but the ASD group showed prolonged temporal elevation in activity. Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that adolescents with ASD were able to utilize holistic processing to perceive a face within the Mooney stimuli. Delays in early processing, marked by the P1, and elongated elevation in gamma activity indicate that the neural systems supporting holistic processing are slightly altered suggesting a less automatic and less efficient facial processing system. Trial registration Non-applicable. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s11689-018-9244-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Leung RC, Pang EW, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Show Early Atypical Neural Activity during Emotional Face Processing. Front Hum Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29520224 PMCID: PMC5826960 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social cognition is impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ability to perceive and interpret affect is integral to successful social functioning and has an extended developmental course. However, the neural mechanisms underlying emotional face processing in ASD are unclear. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), the present study explored neural activation during implicit emotional face processing in young adults with and without ASD. Twenty-six young adults with ASD and 26 healthy controls were recruited. Participants indicated the location of a scrambled pattern (target) that was presented alongside a happy or angry face. Emotion-related activation sources for each emotion were estimated using the Empirical Bayes Beamformer (pcorr ≤ 0.001) in Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 (SPM12). Emotional faces elicited elevated fusiform, amygdala and anterior insula and reduced anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in adults with ASD relative to controls. Within group comparisons revealed that angry vs. happy faces elicited distinct neural activity in typically developing adults; there was no distinction in young adults with ASD. Our data suggest difficulties in affect processing in ASD reflect atypical recruitment of traditional emotional processing areas. These early differences may contribute to difficulties in deriving social reward from faces, ascribing salience to faces, and an immature threat processing system, which collectively could result in deficits in emotional face processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Leung
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Bloorview Research Institute, Holland-Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Castelhano J, Tavares P, Mouga S, Oliveira G, Castelo-Branco M. Stimulus dependent neural oscillatory patterns show reliable statistical identification of autism spectrum disorder in a face perceptual decision task. Clin Neurophysiol 2018; 129:981-989. [PMID: 29554581 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2018.01.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Electroencephalographic biomarkers have been widely investigated in autism, in the search for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic outcome measures. Here we took advantage of the information available in temporal oscillatory patterns evoked by simple perceptual decisions to investigate whether stimulus dependent oscillatory signatures can be used as potential biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS We studied an extensive set of stimuli (9 categories of faces) and performed data driven classification (Support vector machine, SVM) of ASD vs. Controls with features based on the EEG power responses. We carried out an extensive time-frequency and synchrony analysis of distinct face categories requiring different processing mechanisms in terms of non-holistic vs. holistic processing. RESULTS We found that the neuronal oscillatory responses of low gamma frequency band, locked to photographic and abstract two-tone (Mooney) face stimulus presentation are decreased in ASD vs. the control group. We also found decreased time-frequency (TF) responses in the beta band in ASD after 350 ms, possibly related to motor preparation. On the other hand, synchrony in the 30-45 Hz band showed a distinct spatial pattern in ASD. These power changes enabled accurate classification of ASD with an SVM approach. SVM accuracy was approximately 85%. ROC curves showed about 94% AUC (area under the curve). Combination of Mooney and Photographic face stimuli evoked features enabled a better separation between groups, reaching an AUC of 98.6%. CONCLUSION We identified a relative decrease in EEG responses to face stimuli in ASD in the beta (15-30 Hz; >350 ms) and gamma (30-45 Hz; 55-80 Hz; 50-350 ms) frequency ranges. These can be used as input of a machine learning approach to separate between groups with high accuracy. SIGNIFICANCE Future studies can use EEG time-frequency patterns evoked by particular types of faces as a diagnostic biomarker and potentially as outcome measures in therapeutic trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Castelhano
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paula Tavares
- Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Susana Mouga
- Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo do Serviço do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Pediatric Hospital, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo do Serviço do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Pediatric Hospital, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal; University Clinic of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Pediatric Hospital, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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Sinclair D, Oranje B, Razak KA, Siegel SJ, Schmid S. Sensory processing in autism spectrum disorders and Fragile X syndrome-From the clinic to animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:235-253. [PMID: 27235081 PMCID: PMC5465967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Brains are constantly flooded with sensory information that needs to be filtered at the pre-attentional level and integrated into endogenous activity in order to allow for detection of salient information and an appropriate behavioral response. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) are often over- or under-reactive to stimulation, leading to a wide range of behavioral symptoms. This altered sensitivity may be caused by disrupted sensory processing, signal integration and/or gating, and is often being neglected. Here, we review translational experimental approaches that are used to investigate sensory processing in humans with ASD and FXS, and in relevant rodent models. This includes electroencephalographic measurement of event related potentials, neural oscillations and mismatch negativity, as well as habituation and pre-pulse inhibition of startle. We outline robust evidence of disrupted sensory processing in individuals with ASD and FXS, and in respective animal models, focusing on the auditory sensory domain. Animal models provide an excellent opportunity to examine common mechanisms of sensory pathophysiology in order to develop therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sinclair
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - B Oranje
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, HP A 01.126 Heidelberglaan 100, CX Utrecht, 3584, The Netherlands; Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Ndr. Ringvej 29-67, Glostrup, 2600, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Sensory Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - K A Razak
- Psychology Department, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - S J Siegel
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - S Schmid
- Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, MSB 470, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
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Mennella R, Leung RC, Taylor MJ, Dunkley BT. Disconnection from others in autism is more than just a feeling: whole-brain neural synchrony in adults during implicit processing of emotional faces. Mol Autism 2017; 8:7. [PMID: 28316771 PMCID: PMC5351200 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0123-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Socio-emotional difficulties in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to reflect impaired functional connectivity within the “social brain”. Nonetheless, a whole-brain characterization of the fast responses in functional connectivity during implicit processing of emotional faces in adults with ASD is lacking. Methods The present study used magnetoencephalography to investigate early responses in functional connectivity, as measured by interregional phase synchronization, during implicit processing of angry, neutral and happy faces. The sample (n = 44) consisted of 22 young adults with ASD and 22 age- and sex-matched typically developed (TD) controls. Results Reduced phase-synchrony in the beta band around 300 ms emerged during processing of angry faces in the ASD compared to TD group, involving key areas of the social brain. In the same time window, de-synchronization in the beta band in the amygdala was reduced in the ASD group across conditions. Conclusions This is the first demonstration of atypical global and local synchrony patterns in the social brain in adults with ASD during implicit processing of emotional faces. The present results replicate and substantially extend previous findings on adolescents, highlighting that atypical brain synchrony during processing of socio-emotional stimuli is a hallmark of clinical sequelae in autism. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13229-017-0123-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocco Mennella
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada.,Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Rachel C Leung
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4th Floor, Sidney Smith Hall, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3 Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 263 McCaul Street - 4th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1W7 Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4th Floor, Sidney Smith Hall, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3 Canada
| | - Benjamin T Dunkley
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada.,Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada.,Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 263 McCaul Street - 4th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1W7 Canada
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Abstract
Focusing on visual perceptual organization, this article contrasts the free-energy (FE) version of predictive coding (a recent Bayesian approach) to structural coding (a long-standing representational approach). Both use free-energy minimization as metaphor for processing in the brain, but their formal elaborations of this metaphor are fundamentally different. FE predictive coding formalizes it by minimization of prediction errors, whereas structural coding formalizes it by minimization of the descriptive complexity of predictions. Here, both sides are evaluated. A conclusion regarding competence is that FE predictive coding uses a powerful modeling technique, but that structural coding has more explanatory power. A conclusion regarding performance is that FE predictive coding-though more detailed in its account of neurophysiological data-provides a less compelling cognitive architecture than that of structural coding, which, for instance, supplies formal support for the computationally powerful role it attributes to neuronal synchronization.
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Schoch H, Kreibich AS, Ferri SL, White RS, Bohorquez D, Banerjee A, Port RG, Dow HC, Cordero L, Pallathra AA, Kim H, Li H, Bilker WB, Hirano S, Schultz RT, Borgmann-Winter K, Hahn CG, Feldmeyer D, Carlson GC, Abel T, Brodkin ES. Sociability Deficits and Altered Amygdala Circuits in Mice Lacking Pcdh10, an Autism Associated Gene. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:193-202. [PMID: 27567313 PMCID: PMC5161717 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been attributed to abnormal neuronal connectivity, but the molecular bases of these behavioral and brain phenotypes are largely unknown. Human genetic studies have implicated PCDH10, a member of the δ2 subfamily of nonclustered protocadherin genes, in ASD. PCDH10 expression is enriched in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region implicated in the social deficits of ASD. Previous reports indicate that Pcdh10 plays a role in axon outgrowth and glutamatergic synapse elimination, but its roles in social behaviors and amygdala neuronal connectivity are unknown. We hypothesized that haploinsufficiency of Pcdh10 would reduce social approach behavior and alter the structure and function of amygdala circuits. METHODS Mice lacking one copy of Pcdh10 (Pcdh10+/-) and wild-type littermates were assessed for social approach and other behaviors. The lateral/basolateral amygdala was assessed for dendritic spine number and morphology, and amygdala circuit function was studied using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. Expression of Pcdh10 and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunits was assessed in postsynaptic density fractions of the amygdala. RESULTS Male Pcdh10+/- mice have reduced social approach behavior, as well as impaired gamma synchronization, abnormal spine morphology, and reduced levels of NMDAR subunits in the amygdala. Social approach deficits in Pcdh10+/- male mice were rescued with acute treatment with the NMDAR partial agonist d-cycloserine. CONCLUSIONS Our studies reveal that male Pcdh10+/- mice have synaptic and behavioral deficits, and establish Pcdh10+/- mice as a novel genetic model for investigating neural circuitry and behavioral changes relevant to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Schoch
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 10-170, Building 421, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Arati S. Kreibich
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Sarah L. Ferri
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 10-133, Building 421, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Rachel S. White
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Dominique Bohorquez
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Anamika Banerjee
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Russell G. Port
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Holly C. Dow
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Lucero Cordero
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Ashley A. Pallathra
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Hyong Kim
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Honghze Li
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA
| | - Warren B. Bilker
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA
| | - Shinji Hirano
- Department of Cell Biology, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata City, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
| | - Robert T. Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karin Borgmann-Winter
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chang-Gyu Hahn
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Forschungzentrum Julich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, D-52425, Julich, Germany,RWTH Aachen University, Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Gregory C. Carlson
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 10-133, Building 421, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
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David N, Schneider TR, Peiker I, Al-Jawahiri R, Engel AK, Milne E. Variability of cortical oscillation patterns: A possible endophenotype in autism spectrum disorders? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:590-600. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Brain oscillations and connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD): new approaches to methodology, measurement and modelling. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:601-620. [PMID: 27720724 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Although atypical social behaviour remains a key characterisation of ASD, the presence of sensory and perceptual abnormalities has been given a more central role in recent classification changes. An understanding of the origins of such aberrations could thus prove a fruitful focus for ASD research. Early neurocognitive models of ASD suggested that the study of high frequency activity in the brain as a measure of cortical connectivity might provide the key to understanding the neural correlates of sensory and perceptual deviations in ASD. As our review shows, the findings from subsequent research have been inconsistent, with a lack of agreement about the nature of any high frequency disturbances in ASD brains. Based on the application of new techniques using more sophisticated measures of brain synchronisation, direction of information flow, and invoking the coupling between high and low frequency bands, we propose a framework which could reconcile apparently conflicting findings in this area and would be consistent both with emerging neurocognitive models of autism and with the heterogeneity of the condition.
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22
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A cognitive architecture account of the visual local advantage phenomenon in autism spectrum disorders. Vision Res 2016; 126:278-290. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dickinson A, Jones M, Milne E. Measuring neural excitation and inhibition in autism: Different approaches, different findings and different interpretations. Brain Res 2016; 1648:277-289. [PMID: 27421181 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The balance of neural excitation and inhibition (E/I balance) is often hypothesised to be altered in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One widely held view is that excitation levels are elevated relative to inhibition in ASD. Understanding whether, and how, E/I balance may be altered in ASD is important given the recent interest in trialling pharmacological interventions for ASD which target inhibitory neurotransmitter function. Here we provide a critical review of evidence for E/I balance in ASD. We conclude that data from a number of domains provides support for alteration in excitation and inhibitory neurotransmission in ASD, but when considered collectively, the available literature provide little evidence to support claims for either a net increase in excitation or a net increase in inhibition. Strengths and limitations of available techniques are considered, and directions for future research discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Dickinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP, UK.
| | - Myles Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP, UK
| | - Elizabeth Milne
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TP, UK.
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Uzunova G, Pallanti S, Hollander E. Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in autism spectrum disorders: Implications for interventions and therapeutics. World J Biol Psychiatry 2016; 17:174-86. [PMID: 26469219 DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2015.1085597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Imbalance between excitation and inhibition and increased excitatory-inhibitory (E-I) ratio is a common mechanism in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that is responsible for the learning and memory, cognitive, sensory, motor deficits, and seizures occurring in these disorders. ASD are very heterogeneous and better understanding of E-I imbalance in brain will lead to better diagnosis and treatments. METHODS We perform a critical literature review of the causes and presentations of E-I imbalance in ASD. RESULTS E-I imbalance in ASD is due primarily to abnormal glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission in key brain regions such as neocortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebellum. Other causes are due to dysfunction of neuropeptides (oxytocin), synaptic proteins (neuroligins), and immune system molecules (cytokines). At the neuropathological level E-I imbalance in ASD is presented as a "minicolumnopathy". E-I imbalance alters the manner by which the brain processes information and regulates behaviour. New developments for investigating E-I imbalance such as optogenetics and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are presented. Non-invasive brain stimulation methods such as TMS for treatment of the core symptoms of ASD are discussed. CONCLUSIONS Understanding E-I imbalance has important implications for developing better pharmacological and behavioural treatments for ASD, including TMS, new drugs, biomarkers and patient stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genoveva Uzunova
- a Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center , Bronx , NY , USA
| | - Stefano Pallanti
- a Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center , Bronx , NY , USA.,b Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, UC Davis Health System , CA , USA.,c Department Psychiatry , University of Florence , Florence , Italy.,d Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - Eric Hollander
- a Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center , Bronx , NY , USA
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Kikuchi M, Yoshimura Y, Mutou K, Minabe Y. Magnetoencephalography in the study of children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2016; 70:74-88. [PMID: 26256564 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that provides a measure of cortical neural activity on a millisecond timescale with high spatial resolution. MEG has been clinically applied to various neurological diseases, including epilepsy and cognitive dysfunction. In the past decade, MEG has also emerged as an important investigatory tool in neurodevelopmental studies. It is therefore an opportune time to review how MEG is able to contribute to the study of atypical brain development. We limit this review to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The relevant published work for children was accessed using PubMed on 5 January 2015. Case reports, case series, and papers on epilepsy were excluded. Owing to their accurate separation of brain activity in the right and left hemispheres and the higher accuracy of source localization, MEG studies have added new information related to auditory-evoked brain responses to findings from previous electroencephalography studies of children with ASD. In addition, evidence of atypical brain connectivity in children with ASD has accumulated over the past decade. MEG is well suited for the study of neural activity with high time resolution even in young children. Although further studies are still necessary, the detailed findings provided by neuroimaging methods may aid clinical diagnosis and even contribute to the refinement of diagnostic categories for neurodevelopmental disorders in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yuko Yoshimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kouhei Mutou
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yoshio Minabe
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Multi-frequency localization of aberrant brain activity in autism spectrum disorder. Brain Dev 2016; 38:82-90. [PMID: 25937458 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The abnormality of intrinsic brain activity in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is still inconclusive. Contradictory results have been found pointing towards hyper-activity or hypo-activity in various brain regions. The present research aims to investigate the spatial and spectral signatures of aberrant brain activity in an unprecedented frequency range of 1-2884 Hz at source levels in ASD using newly developed methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven ASD subjects and age- and gender-matched controls were studied using a high-sampling rate magnetoencephalography (MEG) system. Brain activity in delta (1-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (12-30 Hz), low gamma (30-55 Hz), high gamma (65-90 Hz), ripples (90-200 Hz), high-frequency oscillations (HFOs, 200-1000 Hz), and very high-frequency oscillations (VHFOs, 1000-2884 Hz) was volumetrically localized and measured using wavelet and beamforming. RESULTS In comparison to controls, ASD subjects had significantly higher odds of alpha activity (8-12 Hz) in the sensorimotor cortex (mu rhythm), and generally high-frequency activity (90-2884 Hz) in the frontal cortex. The source power of HFOs (200-1000 Hz) in the frontal cortex in ASD was significantly elevated as compared with controls. CONCLUSION The results suggest that ASD has significantly altered intrinsic brain activity in both low- and high-frequency ranges. Increased intrinsic high-frequency activity in the frontal cortex may play a key role in ASD.
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Enhancing Anger Perception With Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Induced Gamma Oscillations. Brain Stimul 2015; 8:1138-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2015.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Veltz R, Sejnowski TJ. Periodic Forcing of Inhibition-Stabilized Networks: Nonlinear Resonances and Phase-Amplitude Coupling. Neural Comput 2015; 27:2477-509. [PMID: 26496044 PMCID: PMC4763930 DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_00786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition-stabilized networks (ISNs) are neural architectures with strong positive feedback among pyramidal neurons balanced by strong negative feedback from inhibitory interneurons, a circuit element found in the hippocampus and the primary visual cortex. In their working regime, ISNs produce damped oscillations in the [Formula: see text]-range in response to inputs to the inhibitory population. In order to understand the properties of interconnected ISNs, we investigated periodic forcing of ISNs. We show that ISNs can be excited over a range of frequencies and derive properties of the resonance peaks. In particular, we studied the phase-locked solutions, the torus solutions, and the resonance peaks. Periodically forced ISNs respond with (possibly multistable) phase-locked activity, whereas networks with sustained intrinsic oscillations respond more dynamically to periodic inputs with tori. Hence, the dynamics are surprisingly rich, and phase effects alone do not adequately describe the network response. This strengthens the importance of phase-amplitude coupling as opposed to phase-phase coupling in providing multiple frequencies for multiplexing and routing information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Veltz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, and INRIA, Sophia Antipolis Mediterrane, 06902 France
| | - Terrence J Sejnowski
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, U.S.A., and Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 U.S.A.
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Cheaha D, Bumrungsri S, Chatpun S, Kumarnsit E. Characterization of in utero valproic acid mouse model of autism by local field potential in the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb. Neurosci Res 2015; 98:28-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Altered modulation of gamma oscillation frequency by speed of visual motion in children with autism spectrum disorders. J Neurodev Disord 2015; 7:21. [PMID: 26261460 PMCID: PMC4530485 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-015-9121-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies link autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with an altered balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I balance) in cortical networks. The brain oscillations in high gamma-band (50-120 Hz) are sensitive to the E/I balance and may appear useful biomarkers of certain ASD subtypes. The frequency of gamma oscillations is mediated by level of excitation of the fast-spiking inhibitory basket cells recruited by increasing strength of excitatory input. Therefore, the experimental manipulations affecting gamma frequency may throw light on inhibitory networks dysfunction in ASD. METHODS Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate modulation of visual gamma oscillation frequency by speed of drifting annular gratings (1.2, 3.6, 6.0 °/s) in 21 boys with ASD and 26 typically developing boys aged 7-15 years. Multitaper method was used for analysis of spectra of gamma power change upon stimulus presentation and permutation test was applied for statistical comparisons. We also assessed in our participants visual orientation discrimination thresholds, which are thought to depend on excitability of inhibitory networks in the visual cortex. RESULTS Although frequency of the oscillatory gamma response increased with increasing velocity of visual motion in both groups of participants, the velocity effect was reduced in a substantial proportion of children with ASD. The range of velocity-related gamma frequency modulation correlated inversely with the ability to discriminate oblique line orientation in the ASD group, while no such correlation has been observed in the group of typically developing participants. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that abnormal velocity-related gamma frequency modulation in ASD may constitute a potential biomarker for reduced excitability of fast-spiking inhibitory neurons in a subset of children with ASD.
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Devitt NM, Gallagher L, Reilly RB. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS): Two Overlapping Disorders Reviewed through Electroencephalography-What Can be Interpreted from the Available Information? Brain Sci 2015; 5:92-117. [PMID: 25826237 PMCID: PMC4493458 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci5020092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS) are neurodevelopmental disorders with different but potentially related neurobiological underpinnings, which exhibit significant overlap in their behavioural symptoms. FXS is a neurogenetic disorder of known cause whereas ASD is a complex genetic disorder, with both rare and common genetic risk factors and likely genetic and environmental interaction effects. A comparison of the phenotypic presentation of the two disorders may highlight those symptoms that are more likely to be under direct genetic control, for example in FXS as opposed to shared symptoms that are likely to be under the control of multiple mechanisms. This review is focused on the application and analysis of electroencephalography data (EEG) in ASD and FXS. Specifically, Event Related Potentials (ERP) and resting state studies (rEEG) studies investigating ASD and FXS cohorts are compared. This review explores the electrophysiological similarities and differences between the two disorders in addition to the potentially associated neurobiological mechanisms at play. A series of pertinent research questions which are suggested in the literature are also posed within the review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Mc Devitt
- School of Medicine, Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Louise Gallagher
- School of Medicine, Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St James' Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
- Linn Dara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Cherry Orchard Hospital Dublin 10, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Richard B Reilly
- School of Medicine, Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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32
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Rojas DC, Wilson LB. γ-band abnormalities as markers of autism spectrum disorders. Biomark Med 2014; 8:353-68. [PMID: 24712425 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.14.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is a behaviorally diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder with no current biomarkers with high specificity and sensitivity. γ-band abnormalities have been reported in many studies of autism spectrum disorders. γ-band activity is associated with perceptual and cognitive functions that are compromised in autism. Some γ-band deficits have also been seen in unaffected first-degree relatives, suggesting heritability of these findings. This review covers the published literature on γ abnormalities in autism, the proposed mechanisms underlying the deficits and the potential for translation into new treatments. Although the utility of γ-band metrics as diagnostic biomarkers is currently limited, such changes in autism are also useful as endophenotypes, for evaluating potential neural mechanisms, and for use as surrogate markers of treatment response to interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald C Rojas
- Department of Psychology, Campus Delivery 1876, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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Leung RC, Pang EW, Cassel D, Brian JA, Smith ML, Taylor MJ. Early neural activation during facial affect processing in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2014; 7:203-12. [PMID: 25610782 PMCID: PMC4300004 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Impaired social interaction is one of the hallmarks of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Emotional faces are arguably the most critical visual social stimuli and the ability to perceive, recognize, and interpret emotions is central to social interaction and communication, and subsequently healthy social development. However, our understanding of the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying emotional face processing in adolescents with ASD is limited. We recruited 48 adolescents, 24 with high functioning ASD and 24 typically developing controls. Participants completed an implicit emotional face processing task in the MEG. We examined spatiotemporal differences in neural activation between the groups during implicit angry and happy face processing. While there were no differences in response latencies between groups across emotions, adolescents with ASD had lower accuracy on the implicit emotional face processing task when the trials included angry faces. MEG data showed atypical neural activity in adolescents with ASD during angry and happy face processing, which included atypical activity in the insula, anterior and posterior cingulate and temporal and orbitofrontal regions. Our findings demonstrate differences in neural activity during happy and angry face processing between adolescents with and without ASD. These differences in activation in social cognitive regions may index the difficulties in face processing and in comprehension of social reward and punishment in the ASD group. Thus, our results suggest that atypical neural activation contributes to impaired affect processing, and thus social cognition, in adolescents with ASD. The ability to recognize and interpret emotions is central to social interaction. Deficits in social interactions are hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adolescents with and without ASD completed an emotional face task in MEG. MEG data showed atypical neural activity in ASD to both angry and happy faces. Insula, cingulate, temporal and orbitofrontal activities were particularly affected in the ASD group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Leung
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada ; University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Elizabeth W Pang
- University of Toronto, Canada ; Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada ; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Daniel Cassel
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Jessica A Brian
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Road, Toronto, Canada ; Autism Research Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Mary Lou Smith
- University of Toronto, Canada ; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada ; University of Toronto, Canada ; Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada ; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
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Abstract
Prior studies have shown that performance on standardized measures of memory in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is substantially reduced in comparison to matched typically developing controls (TDC). Given reported deficits in face processing in autism, the current study compared performance on an immediate and delayed facial memory task for individuals with ASD and TDC. In addition, we examined volumetric differences in classic facial memory regions of interest (ROI) between the two groups, including the fusiform, amygdala, and hippocampus. We then explored the relationship between ROI volume and facial memory performance. We found larger volumes in the autism group in the left amygdala and left hippocampus compared to TDC. In contrast, TDC had larger left fusiform gyrus volumes when compared with ASD. Interestingly, we also found significant negative correlations between delayed facial memory performance and volume of the left and right fusiform and the left hippocampus for the ASD group but not for TDC. The possibility of larger fusiform volume as a marker of abnormal connectivity and decreased facial memory is discussed.
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Leung RC, Ye AX, Wong SM, Taylor MJ, Doesburg SM. Reduced beta connectivity during emotional face processing in adolescents with autism. Mol Autism 2014; 5:51. [PMID: 25371811 PMCID: PMC4218990 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social cognition. The biological basis of deficits in social cognition in ASD, and their difficulty in processing emotional face information in particular, remains unclear. Atypical communication within and between brain regions has been reported in ASD. Interregional phase-locking is a neurophysiological mechanism mediating communication among brain areas and is understood to support cognitive functions. In the present study we investigated interregional magnetoencephalographic phase synchronization during the perception of emotional faces in adolescents with ASD. Methods A total of 22 adolescents with ASD (18 males, mean age =14.2 ± 1.15 years, 22 right-handed) with mild to no cognitive delay and 17 healthy controls (14 males, mean age =14.4 ± 0.33 years, 16 right-handed) performed an implicit emotional processing task requiring perception of happy, angry and neutral faces while we recorded neuromagnetic signals. The faces were presented rapidly (80 ms duration) to the left or right of a central fixation cross and participants responded to a scrambled pattern that was presented concurrently on the opposite side of the fixation point. Task-dependent interregional phase-locking was calculated among source-resolved brain regions. Results Task-dependent increases in interregional beta synchronization were observed. Beta-band interregional phase-locking in adolescents with ASD was reduced, relative to controls, during the perception of angry faces in a distributed network involving the right fusiform gyrus and insula. No significant group differences were found for happy or neutral faces, or other analyzed frequency ranges. Significant reductions in task-dependent beta connectivity strength, clustering and eigenvector centrality (all P <0.001) in the right insula were found in adolescents with ASD, relative to controls. Conclusions Reduced beta synchronization may reflect inadequate recruitment of task-relevant networks during emotional face processing in ASD. The right insula, specifically, was a hub of reduced functional connectivity and may play a prominent role in the inability to effectively extract emotional information from faces. These findings suggest that functional disconnection in brain networks mediating emotional processes may contribute to deficits in social cognition in this population. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2040-2392-5-51) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Leung
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4th Floor, Sidney Smith Hall, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3 Canada ; Neuroscience & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada
| | - Annette X Ye
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada ; Neuroscience & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada ; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Simeon M Wong
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4th Floor, Sidney Smith Hall, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3 Canada ; Neuroscience & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada ; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Canada ; Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 263 McCaul Street - 4th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1 W7 Canada
| | - Sam M Doesburg
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, 4th Floor, Sidney Smith Hall, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3 Canada ; Neuroscience & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 Canada ; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Canada ; Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 263 McCaul Street - 4th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1 W7 Canada
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White SW, Richey JA, Gracanin D, Bell MA, LaConte S, Coffman M, Trubanova A, Kim I. The Promise of Neurotechnology in Clinical Translational Science. Clin Psychol Sci 2014; 3:797-815. [PMID: 26504676 DOI: 10.1177/2167702614549801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurotechnology is broadly defined as a set of devices used to understand neural processes and applications that can potentially facilitate the brain's ability to repair itself. In the past decade, an increasingly explicit understanding of basic biological mechanisms of brain-related illnesses has produced applications that allow a direct yet noninvasive method to index and manipulate the functioning of the human nervous system. Clinical scientists are poised to apply this technology to assess, treat, and better understand complex socioemotional processes that underlie many forms of psychopathology. In this review, we describe the potential benefits and hurdles, both technical and methodological, of neurotechnology in the context of clinical dysfunction. We also offer a framework for developing and evaluating neurotechnologies that is intended to expedite progress at the nexus of clinical science and neural interface designs by providing a comprehensive vocabulary to describe the necessary features of neurotechnology in the clinic.
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Nuske HJ, Vivanti G, Hudry K, Dissanayake C. Pupillometry reveals reduced unconscious emotional reactivity in autism. Biol Psychol 2014; 101:24-35. [PMID: 25017502 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2013] [Revised: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Lajiness-O’Neill R, Richard AE, Moran JE, Olszewski A, Pawluk L, Jacobson D, Mansour A, Vogt K, Erdodi LA, Moore AM, Bowyer SM. Neural synchrony examined with magnetoencephalography (MEG) during eye gaze processing in autism spectrum disorders: preliminary findings. J Neurodev Disord 2014; 6:15. [PMID: 24976870 PMCID: PMC4072845 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-6-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gaze processing deficits are a seminal, early, and enduring behavioral deficit in autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, a comprehensive characterization of the neural processes mediating abnormal gaze processing in ASD has yet to be conducted. METHODS This study investigated whole-brain patterns of neural synchrony during passive viewing of direct and averted eye gaze in ASD adolescents and young adults (M Age = 16.6) compared to neurotypicals (NT) (M Age = 17.5) while undergoing magnetoencephalography. Coherence between each pair of 54 brain regions within each of three frequency bands (low frequency (0 to 15 Hz), beta (15 to 30 Hz), and low gamma (30 to 45 Hz)) was calculated. RESULTS Significantly higher coherence and synchronization in posterior brain regions (temporo-parietal-occipital) across all frequencies was evident in ASD, particularly within the low 0 to 15 Hz frequency range. Higher coherence in fronto-temporo-parietal regions was noted in NT. A significantly higher number of low frequency cross-hemispheric synchronous connections and a near absence of right intra-hemispheric coherence in the beta frequency band were noted in ASD. Significantly higher low frequency coherent activity in bilateral temporo-parieto-occipital cortical regions and higher gamma band coherence in right temporo-parieto-occipital brain regions during averted gaze was related to more severe symptomology as reported on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). CONCLUSIONS The preliminary results suggest a pattern of aberrant connectivity that includes higher low frequency synchronization in posterior cortical regions, lack of long-range right hemispheric beta and gamma coherence, and decreased coherence in fronto-temporo-parietal regions necessary for orienting to shifts in eye gaze in ASD; a critical behavior essential for social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée Lajiness-O’Neill
- Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychology Section, University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Amy Olszewski
- Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Lesley Pawluk
- Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
- Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | | | - Kelly Vogt
- Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Laszlo A Erdodi
- Dartmouth, Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | | | - Susan M Bowyer
- Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
- Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
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Lajiness-O’Neill R, Bowyer SM, Moran JE, Zillgitt A, Richard AE, Boutros NN. Neurophysiological findings from magnetoencephalography in autism spectrum disorder: a comprehensive review. FUTURE NEUROLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.2217/fnl.14.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an etiologically and clinically heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, diagnosed exclusively by the behavioral phenotype. The neural basis of altered social, communicative, somatosensory, and restricted and repetitive behaviors remains largely unknown. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) provides a vital method of inquiry to identify the neurophysiological mechanisms of ASD, better illuminate etiologically distinct subgroups, understand the developmental trajectories of aberrant connectivity and track outcome. MEG is a neuroimaging methodology that can localize sources of electrical activity within the brain with millisecond resolution by noninvasively measuring the magnetic fields arising from such activity. This review addresses the central MEG findings exploring auditory, visual and somatosensory processing, higher-order/executive functioning, and resting state in individuals with ASD over the past decade and a half. We offer a summary of emerging trends related to neurophysiological alterations, aberrant hemispheric specialization and connectivity, as well as limitations in the literature and recommendations for future MEG investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan M Bowyer
- Henry Ford Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neuromagnetism Laboratory, Detroit, MI, USA
- Wayne State University, Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Detroit, MI, USA
- Oakland University, Department of Physics, Rochester, MI, USA
| | - John E Moran
- Cleveland Clinic, Epilepsy Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Andrew Zillgitt
- Henry Ford Hospital, Department of Neurology, Neuromagnetism Laboratory, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Annette E Richard
- Eastern Michigan University, Department of Psychology, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
| | - Nash N Boutros
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychiatry & Neurosciences, Kansas City, MI, USA
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Perry G, Singh KD. Localizing evoked and induced responses to faces using magnetoencephalography. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:1517-27. [PMID: 24617643 PMCID: PMC4232859 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A rich pattern of responses in frequency, time and space are known to be generated in the visual cortex in response to faces. Recently, a number of studies have used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to try to record these responses non-invasively – in many cases using source analysis techniques based on the beamforming method. Here we sought both to characterize best practice for measuring face-specific responses using MEG beamforming, and to determine whether the results produced by the beamformer match evidence from other modalities. We measured activity to visual presentation of face stimuli and phase-scrambled control stimuli, and performed source analyses of both induced and evoked responses using Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry. We localized the gamma-band response to bilateral lateral occipital cortex, and both the gamma-band response and the M170-evoked response to the right fusiform gyrus. Differences in the gamma-band response between faces and scrambled stimuli were confined to the frequency range 50–90 Hz; gamma-band activity at higher frequencies did not differ between the two stimulus categories. We additionally identified a component of the M220-evoked response – localized to the parieto-occipital sulcus – which was enhanced for scrambled vs. unscrambled faces. These findings help to establish that MEG beamforming can localize face-specific responses in time, frequency and space with good accuracy (when validated against established findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging and intracranial recordings), as well as contributing to the establishment of best methodological practice for the use of the beamformer method to measure face-specific responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Perry
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, Wales, UK
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41
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Konstantoudaki X, Papoutsi A, Chalkiadaki K, Poirazi P, Sidiropoulou K. Modulatory effects of inhibition on persistent activity in a cortical microcircuit model. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:7. [PMID: 24550786 PMCID: PMC3907788 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical network activity is generated through a dynamic balance between excitation, provided by pyramidal neurons, and inhibition, provided by interneurons. Imbalance of the excitation/inhibition ratio has been identified in several neuropsychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy, which also present with other cognitive deficits and symptoms associated with prefrontal cortical (PFC) dysfunction. We undertook a computational approach to study how changes in the excitation/inhibition balance in a PFC microcircuit model affect the properties of persistent activity, considered the cellular correlate of working memory function in PFC. To this end, we constructed a PFC microcircuit, consisting of pyramidal neuron models and all three different interneuron types: fast-spiking (FS), regular-spiking (RS), and irregular-spiking (IS) interneurons. Persistent activity was induced in the microcircuit model with a stimulus to the proximal apical dendrites of the pyramidal neuron models, and its properties were analyzed, such as the induction profile, the interspike intervals (ISIs) and neuronal synchronicity. Our simulations showed that (a) the induction but not the firing frequency or neuronal synchronicity is modulated by changes in the NMDA-to-AMPA ratio on FS interneuron model, (b) removing or decreasing the FS model input to the pyramidal neuron models greatly limited the biophysical modulation of persistent activity induction, decreased the ISIs and neuronal synchronicity during persistent activity, (c) the induction and firing properties could not be altered by the addition of other inhibitory inputs to the soma (from RS or IS models), and (d) the synchronicity change could be reversed by the addition of other inhibitory inputs to the soma, but beyond the levels of the control network. Thus, generic somatic inhibition acts as a pacemaker of persistent activity and FS specific inhibition modulates the output of the pacemaker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xanthippi Konstantoudaki
- Department of Biology, University of Crete Heraklion, Greece ; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas Heraklion, Greece
| | - Athanasia Papoutsi
- Department of Biology, University of Crete Heraklion, Greece ; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas Heraklion, Greece
| | - Kleanthi Chalkiadaki
- Department of Biology, University of Crete Heraklion, Greece ; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas Heraklion, Greece
| | - Panayiota Poirazi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas Heraklion, Greece
| | - Kyriaki Sidiropoulou
- Department of Biology, University of Crete Heraklion, Greece ; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas Heraklion, Greece
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Pelphrey KA, Yang DYJ, McPartland JC. Building a social neuroscience of autism spectrum disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 16:215-233. [PMID: 24481546 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-45758-0_253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early onset neurodevelopmental disorder marked by impairments in reciprocal social interaction, communication, and the presence of repetitive or restricted interests and behaviors. Despite great phenotypic heterogeneity and etiologic diversity in ASD, social dysfunction is the unifying feature of ASD. This chapter focuses on understanding the neural systems involved in the processing of social information and its disruption in ASD by reviewing the conceptual background and highlighting some recent advances. In addition, work investigating an alternative interpretation of autistic dysfunction, problems with interconnectivity, and consequent difficulties with complex information processing are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Pelphrey
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA,
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Wright B, Alderson-Day B, Prendergast G, Kennedy J, Bennett S, Docherty M, Whitton C, Manea L, Gouws A, Tomlinson H, Green G. Neural correlation of successful cognitive behaviour therapy for spider phobia: a magnetoencephalography study. Psychiatry Res 2013; 214:444-51. [PMID: 24139305 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Revised: 07/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be an effective treatment for spider phobia, but the underlying neural correlates of therapeutic change are yet to be specified. The present study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study responses within the first half second, to phobogenic stimuli in a group of individuals with spider phobia prior to treatment (n=12) and then in nine of them following successful CBT (where they could touch and manage live large common house spiders) at least 9 months later. We also compared responses to a group of age-matched healthy control participants (n=11). Participants viewed static photographs of real spiders, other fear-inducing images (e.g. snakes, sharks) and neutral stimuli (e.g. kittens). Beamforming methods were used to localise sources of significant power changes in response to stimuli. Prior to treatment, participants with spider phobia showed a significant maximum response in the right frontal pole when viewing images of real spiders specifically. No significant frontal response was observed for either control participants or participants with spider phobia post-treatment. In addition, participants' subjective ratings of spider stimuli significantly predicted peak responses in right frontal regions. The implications for understanding brain-based effects of cognitive therapies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry Wright
- Lime Trees Child, Family & Adolescent Unit, North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust, York, United Kingdom.
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Doesburg SM, Vidal J, Taylor MJ. Reduced Theta Connectivity during Set-Shifting in Children with Autism. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:785. [PMID: 24294201 PMCID: PMC3827625 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a characterized by deficits in social cognition and executive function. An area of particular difficulty for children with ASD is cognitive flexibility, such as the ability to shift between attentional or response sets. The biological basis of such deficits remains poorly understood, although atypical development of structural and functional brain connectivity have been reported in ASD, suggesting that disruptions of normal patterns of inter-regional communication may contribute to cognitive problems in this group. The present magnetoencephalography study measured inter-regional phase synchronization while children with ASD and typically developing matched controls (6–14 years of age) performed a set-shifting task. Reduced theta-band phase synchronization was observed in children with ASD during extradimensional set-shifting. This reduction in task-dependent inter-regional connectivity encompassed numerous areas including multiple frontal lobe regions, and indicates that problems with communication among brain areas may contribute to difficulties with executive function in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam M Doesburg
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
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45
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Buard I, Rogers SJ, Hepburn S, Kronberg E, Rojas DC. Altered oscillation patterns and connectivity during picture naming in autism. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:742. [PMID: 24265611 PMCID: PMC3821038 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Similar behavioral deficits are shared between individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their first-degree relatives, such as impaired face memory, object recognition, and some language aspects. Functional neuroimaging studies have reported abnormalities in ASD in at least one brain area implicated in those functions, the fusiform gyrus (FG). High frequency oscillations have also been described as abnormal in ASD in a separate line of research. The present study examined whether low- and high-frequency oscillatory power, localized in part to FG and other language-related regions, differs in ASD subjects and first-degree relatives. Twelve individuals with ASD, 16 parents of children with ASD, and 35 healthy controls participated in a picture-naming task using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to assess oscillatory power and connectivity. Relative to controls, we observed reduced evoked high-gamma activity in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) and reduced high-beta/low-gamma evoked power in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in the ASD group. Finally, reductions in phase-locked beta-band were also seen in the ASD group relative to controls, especially in the occipital lobes (OCC). First degree relatives, in contrast, exhibited higher high-gamma band power in the left STG compared with controls, as well as increased high-beta/low-gamma evoked power in the left FG. In the left hemisphere, beta- and gamma-band functional connectivity between the IFG and FG and between STG and OCC were higher in the autism group than in controls. This suggests that, contrary to what has been previously described, reduced connectivity is not observed across all scales of observation in autism. The lack of behavioral correlation for the findings warrants some caution in interpreting the relevance of such changes for language function in ASD. Our findings in parents implicates the gamma- and beta-band ranges as potential compensatory phenomena in autism relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Buard
- UCD Magnetoencephalography Lab, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado at Denver - Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora, CO, USA
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Atypical excitation-inhibition balance in autism captured by the gamma response to contextual modulation. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2013; 3:65-72. [PMID: 24179850 PMCID: PMC3791282 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Revised: 06/02/2013] [Accepted: 06/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Atypical visual perception in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is hypothesized to stem from an imbalance in excitatory and inhibitory processes in the brain. We used neuronal oscillations in the gamma frequency range (30–90 Hz), which emerge from a balanced interaction of excitation and inhibition in the brain, to assess contextual modulation processes in early visual perception. Electroencephalography was recorded in 12 high-functioning adults with ASD and 12 age- and IQ-matched control participants. Oscillations in the gamma frequency range were analyzed in response to stimuli consisting of small line-like elements. Orientation-specific contextual modulation was manipulated by parametrically increasing the amount of homogeneously oriented elements in the stimuli. The stimuli elicited a strong steady-state gamma response around the refresh-rate of 60 Hz, which was larger for controls than for participants with ASD. The amount of orientation homogeneity (contextual modulation) influenced the gamma response in control subjects, while for subjects with ASD this was not the case. The atypical steady-state gamma response to contextual modulation in subjects with ASD may capture the link between an imbalance in excitatory and inhibitory neuronal processing and atypical visual processing in ASD. EEG was recorded in adults with autism spectrum disorders and matched controls. Stimuli were presented varying in orientation-specific contextual modulation. Contextual modulation affected power of gamma oscillations for control subjects. No such effect of contextual modulation was identified for subjects with autism. Atypical gamma response reflects inhibition–excitation imbalance.
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Kikuchi M, Shitamichi K, Yoshimura Y, Ueno S, Hiraishi H, Hirosawa T, Munesue T, Nakatani H, Tsubokawa T, Haruta Y, Oi M, Niida Y, Remijn GB, Takahashi T, Suzuki M, Higashida H, Minabe Y. Altered brain connectivity in 3-to 7-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder. Neuroimage Clin 2013; 2:394-401. [PMID: 24179793 PMCID: PMC3777701 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often described as a disorder of aberrant neural connectivity and/or aberrant hemispheric lateralization. Although it is important to study the pathophysiology of the developing ASD cortex, the physiological connectivity of the brain in young children with ASD under conscious conditions has not yet been described. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a noninvasive brain imaging technique that is practical for use in young children. MEG produces a reference-free signal and is, therefore, an ideal tool for computing the coherence between two distant cortical rhythms. Using a custom child-sized MEG, we recently reported that 5- to 7-year-old children with ASD (n = 26) have inherently different neural pathways than typically developing (TD) children that contribute to their relatively preserved performance of visual tasks. In this study, we performed non-invasive measurements of the brain activity of 70 young children (3-7 years old, of which 18 were aged 3-4 years), a sample consisting of 35 ASD children and 35 TD children. Physiological connectivity and the laterality of physiological connectivity were assessed using intrahemispheric coherence for 9 frequency bands. As a result, significant rightward connectivity between the parietotemporal areas, via gamma band oscillations, was found in the ASD group. As we obtained the non-invasive measurements using a custom child-sized MEG, this is the first study to demonstrate a rightward-lateralized neurophysiological network in conscious young children (including children aged 3-4 years) with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan ; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan ; Higher Brain Functions & Autism Research, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University and Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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