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Peisch V, Li V, Arnett AB. Effortful Control Protects Against Familial Liability for ADHD: Longitudinal Results from the ABCD Study in the United States. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:595-604. [PMID: 37750998 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01131-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Effortful control, the ability to regulate complex and goal-directed behavior, may protect individuals from developing mental health symptoms. This study tested the potential for child effortful control and executive functioning to buffer the effects of familial liability for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problems across a one-year timeframe. Data from the prospectively-collected Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD)® study were used to examine whether caregiver-rated child effortful control and executive functioning moderated the association between familial ADHD risk and later ADHD symptoms in a sample of children (N = 6,133; ages 9-10 years at baseline). Two independent variables were considered to compare the predictive powers of specific (family ADHD) and broad (family psychopathology) risk factors. Two additional moderating variables (surgency, negative affect) were tested to examine specificity of effortful control and executive functioning as moderators. All variables of interest were measured on a continuum and via caregiver report. At high levels of effortful control and executive functioning, there was no association between familial liability for ADHD or broad psychopathology and later child ADHD problems. The moderator effects were specific to effortful control and executive functioning domains. Etiological models of heritable psychiatric disorders, such as ADHD, should consider the risk and protective contributions of individual traits, such as effortful control and executive functioning. Clinical prevention and intervention efforts may target self-regulation skills in children to buffer against familial liability for ADHD problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Peisch
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Vivian Li
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Arnett AB, Guiney H, Bakir-Demir T, Trudgen A, Schierding W, Reid V, O'Sullivan J, Gluckman P, Reese E, Poulton R. Resting EEG correlates of neurodevelopment in a socioeconomically and linguistically diverse sample of toddlers: Wave 1 of the Kia Tīmata Pai best start New Zealand study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101336. [PMID: 38157733 PMCID: PMC10790011 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Development of communication and self-regulation skills is fundamental to psychosocial maturation in childhood. The Kia Tīmata Pai Best Start (KTP) longitudinal study aims to promote these skills through interventions delivered at early childcare centers across New Zealand. In addition to evaluating effects of the interventions on behavioral and cognitive outcomes, the study utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) to characterize cortical development in a subsample of participating children. Here, we present results of the baseline resting EEG assessment with 193 children aged 15 to 33 months. We identified EEG correlates of individual differences in demographics, communication abilities, and temperament. We obtained communication and behavior ratings from multiple informants, and we applied contemporary analytic methods to the EEG data. Periodic spectral power adjusted for aperiodic activity was most closely associated with demographic, language, and behavioral measures. As in previous studies, gamma power was positively associated with verbal language. Alpha power was positively associated with effortful control. Nonverbal and verbal language measures showed distinct associations with EEG indices, as did the three temperament domains. Our results identified a number of candidate EEG measurements for use as longitudinal markers of optimal cortical development and response to interventions in the KTP cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Hayley Guiney
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Anita Trudgen
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - William Schierding
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Vincent Reid
- School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | | | - Peter Gluckman
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Elaine Reese
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Richie Poulton
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Peisch V, Rutter TM, Sargent C, Oommen R, Stein MA, Arnett AB. Longitudinal Stability of Neural Correlates of Pediatric Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study of Event Related Potentials and Electroencephalography. J Atten Disord 2024; 28:493-511. [PMID: 38152891 PMCID: PMC10874625 DOI: 10.1177/10870547231214983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Stability and developmental effects of electroencephalography (EEG) and event related potential (ERP) correlates of ADHD are understudied. This pilot study examined stability and developmental changes in ERP and EEG metrics of interest. METHODS Thirty-seven 7 to 11-year-old children with ADHD and 15 typically developing (TD) children completed EEG twice, 11 to 36 months apart. A series of mixed effects linear models were run to examine stability and developmental effects of EEG and ERP metrics. RESULTS Stability and developmental effects of EEG and ERP correlates of ADHD varied considerably across metrics. P3 amplitude was stable over time and showed diverging developmental trajectories across groups. Developmental differences were apparent in error related ERPs and resting aperiodic exponent. Theta-beta ratio was stable over time among all children. CONCLUSIONS Developmental trajectories of EEG and ERP correlates of ADHD are candidate diagnostic markers. Replication with larger samples is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Peisch
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | | | | | | | - Anne B. Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Peisch V, Arnett AB. Neural activation, cognitive control, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Evaluating three competing etiological models. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:255-265. [PMID: 36345654 PMCID: PMC10164838 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942200116x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive control impairments are observed across several psychiatric conditions, highlighting their role as a transdiagnostic marker. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties with inhibition, working memory, processing speed, and attention regulation. These cognitive control impairments may either mediate or moderate the association between neurobiological vulnerabilities and phenotypic presentation in neurodevelopmental disorders. Alternately, neurocognitive vulnerabilities in ADHD may be additive, akin to a multiple deficit model. We tested the mediation, moderation, and additive models using neurocognitive data in youth with ADHD. METHODS 7-11 year-old children diagnosed with ADHD (n = 75) and control children (n = 29) completed EEG recordings and neuropsychological testing (full scale IQ; cognitive control). Caregivers provided ADHD symptom ratings. Correlations and linear regression analyses were completed to examine the associations among cortical functioning (aperiodic slope), cognitive control, and ADHD symptoms. RESULTS We found support for an additive model wherein vulnerabilities in aperiodic slope, event-related potentials, and cognitive control each explained unique variance in ADHD symptoms. There was some evidence that cognitive control moderates the effect of atypical cortical development on ADHD symptoms. There was no support for the mediation model. CONCLUSIONS The etiology of ADHD symptoms is multifaceted and involves multiple "hits" across neurological and cognitive-behavioral factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Peisch
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Anne B. Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Arnett AB, Harstad E, O’Connell M, Hayes K, Brewster S, Barbaresi W, Doan RN. Rare De Novo and Inherited Genes in Familial and Nonfamilial Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. JAMA Pediatr 2024; 178:81-84. [PMID: 37983059 PMCID: PMC10660237 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.4952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
This case-control study examines the prevalence of rare de novo and inherited sequence variations among children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and siblings and parents without ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B. Arnett
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Elizabeth Harstad
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mia O’Connell
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Genetics & Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Katheryn Hayes
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Genetics & Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stephanie Brewster
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Genetics & Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - William Barbaresi
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ryan N. Doan
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Genetics & Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Pranjić M, Rahman N, Kamenetskiy A, Mulligan K, Pihl S, Arnett AB. A systematic review of behavioral and neurobiological profiles associated with coexisting attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and developmental coordination disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105389. [PMID: 37704094 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD) co-occur in approximately 50% of cases. This study aimed to characterize the behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological profiles of co-occurring ADHD and DCD diagnoses by mapping, synthesizing, and providing a critical appraisal of the existing literature. A systematic search was conducted across four databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and Scopus) to identify studies comparing a coexisting ADHD+DCD diagnosis to ADHD and DCD alone. From 2353 screened articles, 15 behavioral and 10 neuroimaging studies were included. Collectively, these studies suggest that the comorbid ADHD+DCD presentation constitutes a more severe phenotype characterized by neurocognitive differences associated with both conditions. Despite sharing some common neural features, our findings support the separate etiology hypothesis indicating that neural network alterations in individuals with ADHD+DCD represent a unique neural pattern rather than a sum of ADHD and DCD characteristics. Considering the heterogeneity inherent to both ADHD and DCD, future studies should involve rigorous and comprehensive assessment procedures to delineate how different subtypes of each diagnosis relate to distinct performance characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Pranjić
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Navin Rahman
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adelia Kamenetskiy
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaitlin Mulligan
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen Pihl
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Miller M, Arnett AB, Shephard E, Charman T, Gustafsson HC, Joseph HM, Karalunas S, Nigg JT, Polanczyk GV, Sullivan EL, Jones EJH. Delineating early developmental pathways to ADHD: Setting an international research agenda. JCPP Adv 2023; 3:e12144. [PMID: 37753147 PMCID: PMC10519745 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent, impairing, and highly heritable condition typically diagnosed in middle childhood. However, it is now recognized that symptoms emerge much earlier in development. Research focused on understanding-using multiple units of analysis-the cascade of early-life (i.e., prenatal-infant-toddler) developmental changes that will later emerge as ADHD has the potential to transform early identification, prevention, and intervention. To this end, we introduce the recently established Early ADHD Consortium, an international network of investigators engaged in prospective, longitudinal studies of risk for ADHD beginning early in life, conducted within a developmental framework, and which incorporate multimethod approaches. This network seeks to harmonize measures and methodological approaches to increase the potential for data sharing and subsequent impact. Methods This perspective paper highlights the importance of investigating pre-diagnostic markers of ADHD, and potential models and mechanisms of ADHD risk and development, with the long-term objective of facilitating development of preemptive interventions that will minimize the impact of ADHD symptoms on everyday functioning and maximize health and developmental outcomes. Results We selectively describe key challenges and questions for this field related to theoretical models and developmental mechanisms in ADHD and recommend next steps for the science, including methodological, measurement, and study design considerations. We then describe potential implications for preemptive intervention development. We conclude by considering other issues including ethical concerns and the critical value of incorporating stakeholder input. Conclusions It is hoped that this perspective puts forth a research agenda that will enhance collaborative efforts and accelerate progress in understanding developmental mechanisms and the early ADHD phenotype, with implications for early intervention enhancement of healthy development for infants, young children, and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Miller
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and MIND InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - Anne B. Arnett
- Division of Developmental MedicineBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of PediatricsHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Elizabeth Shephard
- Department of PsychiatryFaculdade de Medicina FMUSPUniversidade de São PauloSao PauloBrasil
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN)King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN)King's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Heather M. Joseph
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sarah Karalunas
- Department of Psychological SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Joel T. Nigg
- Department of PsychiatryOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Guilherme V. Polanczyk
- Department of PsychiatryFaculdade de Medicina FMUSPUniversidade de São PauloSao PauloBrasil
| | - Elinor L. Sullivan
- Department of PsychiatryOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
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Arnett AB, Gourdet G, Peisch V, Spaulding K, Ferrara E, Li V. The role of single trial variability in event related potentials in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 149:1-8. [PMID: 36841009 PMCID: PMC10101921 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show attenuated mean P3 component amplitudes compared to typically developing (TD) children. This finding may be the result of individual differences in P3 amplitudes, P3 latencies, and/or greater single trial variability (STV) in amplitude or latency, suggesting neural "noise." METHODS Event related potentials (ERPs) from 75 children with ADHD and 29 TD children were recorded with electroencephalography (EEG). Caregivers provided ratings on child ADHD symptoms. Single-trial ERP amplitudes and latencies were extracted from the P3 component time window during a visual oddball task. Additionally, we computed individual-centered and trial-centered P3 amplitudes to account for inter-individual and inter-trial variability in the timing of the P3 peak. RESULTS In line with prior research, greater ADHD symptom severity was associated with reduced mean P3 amplitude. This correlation was no longer significant after correcting for inter-trial differences in P3 latency. In contrast, greater ADHD symptom severity was associated with reduced STV in P3 amplitude. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that attenuated average P3 amplitude in ADHD samples is due to a consistent reduction in strength of the neurophysiological signal at the single trial level, as well as increased inter-trial variability in the timing of P3 peak amplitudes. The traditional method of extracting P3 amplitudes based on a single time window for all trials may not adequately capture variability in P3 latencies associated with ADHD. SIGNIFICANCE Inter- and intra-individual differences in brain signatures should be considered in models of neurobiological differences in neurodevelopmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Gaelle Gourdet
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Virginia Peisch
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Spaulding
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erica Ferrara
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vivian Li
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Pranjić M, Hashemi N, Arnett AB, Thaut MH. Auditory-Perceptual and Auditory-Motor Timing Abilities in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Scoping Review. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050729. [PMID: 37239201 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) remains largely underdiagnosed and masked by other co-occurring conditions. The aim of this study was to (1) provide the first review of research regarding auditory-motor timing and synchronization abilities in children with DCD and (2) examine whether reduced motor performance may be associated with difficulties in auditory perceptual timing. The scoping review was carried out across five major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus) in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Studies were screened by two independent reviewers against the inclusion criteria, without publication date restrictions. From an initial return of 1673 records, 16 articles were included in the final review and synthesized based on the timing modality studied (i.e., auditory-perceptual, motor, or auditory-motor). Results suggest that children with DCD have difficulties with rhythmic movements both with and without external auditory cues and further indicate that variability in and slowness of motor response are key characteristics of DCD, regardless of the experimental task. Importantly, our review highlights a significant gap in the literature regarding auditory perceptual abilities in DCD. In addition to testing auditory perception, future studies should compare the performance of children with DCD on paced and unpaced tasks to determine whether auditory stimuli contribute to a more or less stable performance. This knowledge may inform future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Pranjić
- Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1C5, Canada
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
| | - Niloufaralsadat Hashemi
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael H Thaut
- Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1C5, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Science and Rehabilitation Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
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Arnett AB, Peisch V, Levin AR. The role of aperiodic spectral slope in event-related potentials and cognition among children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:1546-1554. [PMID: 36382902 PMCID: PMC9902214 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00295.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aperiodic spectral slope is a measure of spontaneous neural oscillatory activity that is believed to support regulation of brain responses to environmental stimuli. Compared to typically developing (TD) control participants, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been shown to have flatter aperiodic spectral slope at rest as well as attenuated event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes in response to environmental stimuli. A small body of research suggests that aperiodic slope may also explain differences in behavioral responses. In this study, we examine associations between prestimulus aperiodic slope, stimulus characteristics, environmental demands, and neural as well as behavioral responses to these stimuli. Furthermore, we evaluate whether ADHD diagnostic status moderates these associations. Seventy-nine children with ADHD and 27 TD school-age children completed two visual ERP experiments with predictable alternating presentations of task-relevant and task-irrelevant stimuli. Aperiodic slope was extracted from prestimulus time windows. Prestimulus aperiodic slope was steeper for the TD relative to ADHD group, driven by task-relevant rather than task-irrelevant stimuli. For both groups, the aperiodic slope was steeper during a task with lower cognitive demand and before trials in which they responded correctly. Aperiodic slope did not mediate the association between ADHD diagnosis and attenuated P300 amplitude. The aperiodic spectral slope is dynamic and changes in anticipation of varying stimulus categories to support performance. The aperiodic slope and P300 amplitude reflect distinct cognitive processes. Background neural oscillations, captured via aperiodic slope, support cognitive behavioral control and should be included in etiological models of ADHD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study constitutes the first investigation of associations between aperiodic spectral slope and three aspects of neurocognition: event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes, cognitive load, and task performance. We find that background oscillatory activity is dynamic, shifting in anticipation of varying levels of task relevance and in response to increasing cognitive load. Moreover, we report that aperiodic activity and ERPs constitute distinct neurophysiological processes. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show reduced aperiodic dynamics in addition to attenuated ERP amplitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Virginia Peisch
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - April R Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Arnett AB, Fearey M, Peisch V, Levin AR. Absence of dynamic neural oscillatory response to environmental conditions marks childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1615-1621. [PMID: 35620850 PMCID: PMC9691533 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior research suggests that symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders may derive from alterations in the brain's ability to flexibly tune the balance between information integration and segregation and global versus local processing. This balance allows the brain to optimally filter salient stimuli in the environment and can be measured with electroencephalography (EEG) via calculation of the aperiodic spectral slope. A steeper aperiodic slope increases the capacity of global neural networks to process low-salience stimuli, while a flatter aperiodic slope reflects an emphasis on local neural networks that respond preferentially to high-salience input. Although aperiodic slope differences have been reported in ADHD, prior studies have not accounted for differing levels of stimulus input in experimental paradigms. There is evidence to suggest that dynamic shifts in neural oscillation patterns in response to changing environmental conditions could be critical for attention regulation. METHODS Using high-density resting EEG, we measured aperiodic spectral slope during low contrast (lights off) and high contrast (lights on) environmental conditions in a sample of 88 7-11-year-old children diagnosed with ADHD and 29 controls (30% female). RESULTS While controls showed a flatter aperiodic slope during the high contrast (lights on) as compared to low contrast (lights off) environmental condition, children with ADHD did not show any change in aperiodic slope across conditions. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a novel etiological model of biological mechanisms associated with ADHD. Children with ADHD show suboptimal modulation of intrinsic neural activity in response to changing environmental input. The dynamic spectral slope is a promising candidate biomarker for ADHD. The possibility that dynamic spectral slope is associated with cognitive-behavioral regulation more broadly merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Margaret Fearey
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Virginia Peisch
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - April R Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Arnett AB, McGrath LM, Flaherty BP, Pennington BF, Willcutt E. Heritability and Clinical Characteristics of Neuropsychological Profiles in Youth With and Without Elevated ADHD Symptoms. J Atten Disord 2022; 26:1422-1436. [PMID: 35102766 PMCID: PMC9283222 DOI: 10.1177/10870547221075842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the last decade, there has been an increase in research that aims to parse heterogeneity in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study tests heritability of latent class neuropsychological subtypes. METHOD Latent class analysis was used to derive subtypes in a sample of school-age twins (N = 2,564) enriched for elevated ADHD symptoms. RESULTS Five neuropsychological profiles replicated across twin 1 and twin 2 datasets. Latent class membership was heritable overall, but heritability varied by profile and was lower than heritability of ADHD status. Variability in neuropsychological performance across domains was the strongest predictor of elevated ADHD symptoms. Neuropsychological profiles showed distinct associations with age, psychiatric symptoms and reading ability. CONCLUSION Neuropsychological profiles are associated with unique neurocognitive presentations, but are not strong candidate endophenotypes for ADHD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B. Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Brookline, MA
| | | | | | | | - Erik Willcutt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
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Arnett AB, Flaherty BP. A framework for characterizing heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental data using latent profile analysis in a sample of children with ADHD. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:45. [PMID: 35922762 PMCID: PMC9351075 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09454-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in particular, is increasingly identified as a barrier to identifying biomarkers and developing standards for clinical care. Clustering analytic methods have previously been used across a variety of data types with the goal of identifying meaningful subgroups of individuals with ADHD. However, these analyses have often relied on algorithmic approaches which assume no error in group membership and have not made associations between patterns of behavioral, neurocognitive, and genetic indicators. More sophisticated latent classification models are often not utilized in neurodevelopmental research due to the difficulty of working with these models in small sample sizes. METHODS In the current study, we propose a framework for evaluating mixture models in sample sizes typical of neurodevelopmental research. We describe a combination of qualitative and quantitative model fit evaluation procedures. We test our framework using latent profile analysis (LPA) in a case study of 120 children with and without ADHD, starting with well-understood neuropsychological indicators, and building toward integration of electroencephalogram (EEG) measures. RESULTS We identified a stable five-class LPA model using seven neuropsychological indicators. Although we were not able to identify a stable multimethod indicator model, we did successfully extrapolate results of the neuropsychological model to identify distinct patterns of resting EEG power across five frequency bands. CONCLUSIONS Our approach, which emphasizes theoretical as well as empirical evaluation of mixture models, could make these models more accessible to clinical researchers and may be a useful approach to parsing heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Brian P Flaherty
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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14
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Arnett AB, Rutter TM, Stein MA. Neural Markers of Methylphenidate Response in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:887622. [PMID: 35600991 PMCID: PMC9121006 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.887622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite widespread use of stimulants to treat ADHD, individual responses vary considerably and few predictors of response have been identified. The identification of reliable and clinically feasible biomarkers would facilitate a precision medicine approach to pharmacological treatment of ADHD. We test the hypothesis that two electroencephalography (EEG) based neural signatures of ADHD, resting aperiodic slope exponent and novelty P3 amplitude, are markers of methylphenidate response in children. We hypothesize that positive response to methylphenidate treatment will be associated with greater abnormality of both neural markers. Methods Twenty-nine 7-11 year-old children with ADHD and a history of methylphenidate treatment, and 30 controls completed resting EEG and visual oddball event related potential (ERP) paradigms. ADHD participants were characterized as methylphenidate responders (n = 16) or non-responders (n = 13) using the clinical global improvement (CGI-I) scale during blinded retrospective interview. All participants abstained from prescribed medications for at least 48 hours prior to the EEG. Results As expected, methylphenidate responders (CGI-I rating < 3) demonstrated attenuated P3 amplitude relative to controls. Unexpectedly, methylphenidate non-responders showed atypically flat aperiodic spectral slope relative to controls, while responders did not differ on this measure. Conclusion ADHD symptoms associated with atypical patterns of intrinsic neural activity may be less responsive to methylphenidate. In contrast, ADHD symptoms associated with abnormal frontal-striatal neural network excitation may be correctable with methylphenidate. Altogether, EEG is a feasible and promising candidate methodology for identifying biomarkers of stimulant response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Tara M Rutter
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Mark A Stein
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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15
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Abstract
Objective: Among children with ADHD, coexisting psychiatric disorders are common and associated with greater impairment and symptom persistence. Given that temperament traits are easily measured, developmentally stable, and variable among youth with ADHD, temperament profiles may be clinically useful for predicting liability for coexisting psychiatric symptoms in this population. Methods: Eighty-three children with ADHD symptoms participated. Caregivers rated their child's surgency, negative emotionality, and effortful control, as well as severity of internalizing and externalizing psychiatric symptoms. Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted to estimate associations between temperament traits and psychiatric symptoms, controlling for severity of ADHD. Results: Temperament ratings explained significant variance in psychiatric symptoms above and beyond ADHD symptoms alone. Symptoms of each coexisting psychiatric disorder was associated with a distinct temperament and ADHD symptom profile. Conclusion: Temperament ratings appear to have clinical utility for predicting coexisting psychiatric symptoms in children with elevated ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Rutter
- Seattle Pacific University, WA, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Seattle Children's Hospital, WA, USA
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16
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Arnett AB, Wang T, Eichler EE, Bernier RA. Reflections on the genetics-first approach to advancements in molecular genetic and neurobiological research on neurodevelopmental disorders. J Neurodev Disord 2021; 13:24. [PMID: 34148555 PMCID: PMC8215789 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-021-09371-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), are common diagnoses with highly heterogeneous phenotypes and etiology. The genetics-first approach to research on NDDs has led to the identification of hundreds of genes conferring risk for ASD, ID, and related symptoms. MAIN BODY Although relatively few individuals with NDDs share likely gene-disruptive (LGD) mutations in the same gene, characterization of overlapping functions, protein networks, and temporospatial expression patterns among these genes has led to increased understanding of the neurobiological etiology of NDDs. This shift in focus away from single genes and toward broader gene-brain-behavior pathways has been accelerated by the development of publicly available transcriptomic databases, cell type-specific research methods, and sequencing of non-coding genomic regions. CONCLUSIONS The genetics-first approach to research on NDDs has advanced the identification of critical protein function pathways and temporospatial expression patterns, expanding the impact of this research beyond individuals with single-gene mutations to the broader population of patients with NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD, Box 357920, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD, Box 357920, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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17
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Peisch V, Rutter T, Wilkinson CL, Arnett AB. Sensory processing and P300 event-related potential correlates of stimulant response in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A critical review. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 132:953-966. [PMID: 33677205 PMCID: PMC7981253 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with considerable impairment in psychiatric and functional domains. Although stimulant medication can reduce core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, a subgroup of patients does not respond to this intervention. A precision medicine approach has been proposed, whereby biomarkers are used to identify an effective treatment approach for a given individual. This review synthesizes the existing literature on event-related potential (ERP) correlates of stimulant response in children diagnosed with ADHD, with the goal of evaluating the potential for ERP to inform precision medicine care in this population. Forty-three articles were examined and results tentatively suggest that stimulant medications normalize the amplitude of the P300 component, and this is also associated with behavioral improvement. In contrast, results generally indicate that stimulants do not significantly alter early processing components, although there are some exceptions to this finding. Implications for research, theory, and clinical work are considered and concrete recommendations for future directions are provided. While recognizing limitations of existing literature (e.g., homogenous samples, variable methodologies), we conclude that ERP methods represent a promising approach for precision medicine care of patients with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Peisch
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tara Rutter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Clinical Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carol L Wilkinson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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18
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Mamiya PC, Arnett AB, Stein MA. Precision Medicine Care in ADHD: The Case for Neural Excitation and Inhibition. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11010091. [PMID: 33450814 PMCID: PMC7828220 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has become increasingly prevalent worldwide. Its core symptoms, including difficulties regulating attention, activity level, and impulses, appear in early childhood and can persist throughout the lifespan. Current pharmacological options targeting catecholamine neurotransmissions have effectively alleviated symptoms in some, but not all affected individuals, leaving clinicians to implement trial-and-error approach to treatment. In this review, we discuss recent experimental evidence from both preclinical and human studies that suggest imbalance of excitation/inhibition (E/I) in the fronto-striatal circuitry during early development may lead to enduring neuroanatomical abnormality of the circuitry, causing persistence of ADHD symptoms in adulthood. We propose a model of precision medicine care that includes E/I balance as a candidate biomarker for ADHD, development of GABA-modulating medications, and use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and scalp electrophysiology methods to monitor the effects of treatments on shifting E/I balance throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping C. Mamiya
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Anne B. Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (A.B.A.); (M.A.S.)
| | - Mark A. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (A.B.A.); (M.A.S.)
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19
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Arnett AB, Beighley JS, Kurtz-Nelson EC, Hoekzema K, Wang T, Bernier RA, Eichler EE. Developmental Predictors of Cognitive and Adaptive Outcomes in Genetic Subtypes of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:1659-1669. [PMID: 32918531 PMCID: PMC7861657 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Approximately one-fourth of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases are associated with a disruptive genetic variant. Many of these ASD genotypes have been described previously, and are characterized by unique constellations of medical, psychiatric, developmental, and behavioral features. Development of precision medicine care for affected individuals has been challenging due to the phenotypic heterogeneity that exists even within each genetic subtype. In the present study, we identify developmental milestones that predict cognitive and adaptive outcomes for five of the most common ASD genotypes. Sixty-five youth with a known pathogenic variant involving ADNP, CHD8, DYRK1A, GRIN2B, or SCN2A genes participated in cognitive and adaptive testing. Exploratory linear regressions were used to identify developmental milestones that predicted cognitive and adaptive outcomes within each gene group. We hypothesized that the earliest and most predictive milestones would vary across gene groups, but would be consistent across outcomes within each genetic subtype. Within the ADNP group, age of walking predicted cognitive outcomes, while age of first words predicted adaptive behaviors. Age of phrases predicted adaptive functioning in the CHD8 group, but cognitive outcomes were not clearly associated with early developmental milestones. Verbal milestones were the strongest predictors of cognitive and adaptive outcomes for individuals with mutations to DYRK1A, GRIN2B, or SCN2A. These trends inform decisions about treatment planning and long-term expectations for affected individuals, and they add to the growing body of research linking molecular genetic function to brain development and phenotypic outcomes. LAY SUMMARY: Researchers have found many genetic causes of autism including mutations to ADNP, CHD8, DYRK1A, GRIN2B, and SCN2A genes. We found that each genetic cause had different early developmental milestones that explained the overall functioning of the children when they were older. Depending on the genetic cause, the age that a child first starts walking and/or talking may help to better understand and support a child's development who has a mutation to one of the above genes. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1659-1669. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer S Beighley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Evangeline C Kurtz-Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kendra Hoekzema
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Raphe A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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20
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Breen MS, Garg P, Tang L, Mendonca D, Levy T, Barbosa M, Arnett AB, Kurtz-Nelson E, Agolini E, Battaglia A, Chiocchetti AG, Freitag CM, Garcia-Alcon A, Grammatico P, Hertz-Picciotto I, Ludena-Rodriguez Y, Moreno C, Novelli A, Parellada M, Pascolini G, Tassone F, Grice DE, Di Marino D, Bernier RA, Kolevzon A, Sharp AJ, Buxbaum JD, Siper PM, De Rubeis S. Episignatures Stratifying Helsmoortel-Van Der Aa Syndrome Show Modest Correlation with Phenotype. Am J Hum Genet 2020; 107:555-563. [PMID: 32758449 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome (HVDAS) is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with intellectual disability/developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, and multiple medical comorbidities. HVDAS is caused by mutations in activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP). A recent study identified genome-wide DNA methylation changes in 22 individuals with HVDAS, adding to the group of neurodevelopmental disorders with an epigenetic signature. This methylation signature segregated those with HVDAS into two groups based on the location of the mutations. Here, we conducted an independent study on 24 individuals with HVDAS and replicated the existence of the two mutation-dependent episignatures. To probe whether the two distinct episignatures correlate with clinical outcomes, we used deep behavioral and neurobiological data from two prospective cohorts of individuals with a genetic diagnosis of HVDAS. We found limited phenotypic differences between the two HVDAS-affected groups and no evidence that individuals with more widespread methylation changes are more severely affected. Moreover, in spite of the methylation changes, we observed no profound alterations in the blood transcriptome of individuals with HVDAS. Our data warrant caution in harnessing methylation signatures in HVDAS as a tool for clinical stratification, at least with regard to behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Breen
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Paras Garg
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Lara Tang
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Danielle Mendonca
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Tess Levy
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mafalda Barbosa
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Evangeline Kurtz-Nelson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Emanuele Agolini
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, 00145 Rome, Italy
| | - Agatino Battaglia
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS "Stella Maris Foundation," 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Andreas G Chiocchetti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt Goethe University, Deutschordenstr. 50, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Alicia Garcia-Alcon
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid 28007, Spain
| | - Paola Grammatico
- Medical Genetics, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, 00152 Rome, Italy
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Yunin Ludena-Rodriguez
- Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Carmen Moreno
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid 28007, Spain
| | - Antonio Novelli
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, 00145 Rome, Italy
| | - Mara Parellada
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid 28007, Spain
| | - Giulia Pascolini
- Medical Genetics, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, 00152 Rome, Italy
| | - Flora Tassone
- MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Dorothy E Grice
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Daniele Di Marino
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, New York-Marche Structural Biology Center (NY-MaSBiC), Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Andrew J Sharp
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Paige M Siper
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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21
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Beighley JS, Hudac CM, Arnett AB, Peterson JL, Gerdts J, Wallace AS, Mefford HC, Hoekzema K, Turner TN, O'Roak BJ, Eichler EE, Bernier RA. Clinical Phenotypes of Carriers of Mutations in CHD8 or Its Conserved Target Genes. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:123-131. [PMID: 31526516 PMCID: PMC6925323 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Variants disruptive to CHD8 (which codes for the protein CHD8 [chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 8]) are among the most common mutations revealed by exome sequencing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent work has indicated that CHD8 plays a role in the regulation of other ASD-risk genes. However, it is unclear whether a possible shared genetic ontology extends to the phenotype. METHODS This study (N = 143; 42.7% female participants) investigated clinical and behavioral features of individuals ascertained for the presence of a known disruptive ASD-risk mutation that is 1) CHD8 (CHD8 group) (n = 15), 2) a gene targeted by CHD8 (target group) (n = 22), or 3) a gene without confirmed evidence of being targeted by CHD8 (other gene group) (n = 106). RESULTS Results indicated shared features between the CHD8 and target groups that included less severe adaptive deficits in communication skills, similar functional language, more social motivation challenges in those with ASD, larger head circumference, higher weight, and lower seizure prevalence relative to the other gene group. CONCLUSIONS These similarities suggest broader genetic ontology accounts for aspects of phenotypic heterogeneity. Improved understanding of the relationships between related disruptive gene events may lead us to improved understanding of shared mechanisms and lead to more focused treatments for individuals with known genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Beighley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
| | - Caitlin M Hudac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jessica L Peterson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jennifer Gerdts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Arianne S Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Heather C Mefford
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kendra Hoekzema
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Tychele N Turner
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Brian J O'Roak
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, Washington.
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22
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Arnett AB, Hudac CM, DesChamps TD, Cairney BE, Gerdts J, Wallace AS, Bernier RA, Webb SJ. Auditory perception is associated with implicit language learning and receptive language ability in autism spectrum disorder. Brain Lang 2018; 187:1-8. [PMID: 30312833 PMCID: PMC7970711 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with language impairment as well as atypical auditory sensory processing. The current study investigated associations among auditory perception, implicit language learning and receptive language ability in youth with ASD. METHODS We measured auditory event related potentials (ERP) during an artificial language statistical learning task in 76 youth with ASD and 27 neurotypical (NT) controls. Participants with ASD had a broad range of cognitive and language abilities. RESULTS NT youth showed evidence of implicit learning via attenuated P1 amplitude in the left hemisphere. In contrast, among youth with ASD, implicit learning elicited bilateral attenuation that was increasingly evident with greater receptive language skill. CONCLUSIONS Efficient early auditory perception reflects language learning and is a marker of language ability among youth with ASD. Atypical lateralization of word learning is evident in ASD across a broad range of receptive language abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States.
| | - Caitlin M Hudac
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States
| | | | - Brianna E Cairney
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States
| | - Jennifer Gerdts
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States
| | - Arianne S Wallace
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States
| | - Sara J Webb
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United States; Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute, United States
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Arnett AB, Rhoads CL, Hoekzema K, Turner TN, Gerdts J, Wallace AS, Bedrosian-Sermone S, Eichler EE, Bernier RA. The autism spectrum phenotype in ADNP syndrome. Autism Res 2018; 11:1300-1310. [PMID: 30107084 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic disruptions to the activity-dependent neuroprotector homeobox (ADNP) gene are among the most common heterozygous genetic mutations associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Individuals with ADNP disruptions share a constellation of medical and psychiatric features, including ASD, intellectual disability (ID), dysmorphic features, and hypotonia. However, the profile of ASD symptoms associated with ADNP may differ from that of individuals with another ASD-associated single gene disruption or with ASD without a known genetic cause. The current study examined the ASD phenotype in a sample of representative youth with ADNP disruptions. Participants (N = 116, ages 4-22 years) included a cohort with ADNP mutations (n = 11) and three comparison groups with either a mutation to CHD8 (n = 11), a mutation to another ASD-associated gene (other mutation; n = 53), or ASD with no known genetic etiology (idiopathic ASD; n = 41). As expected, individuals with ADNP disruptions had higher rates of ID but less severe social affect symptoms compared to the CHD8 and Idiopathic ASD groups. In addition, verbal intelligence explained more variance in social impairment in the ADNP group compared to CHD8, other mutation, and idiopathic ASD comparison groups. Restricted and repetitive behaviors in the ADNP group were characterized by high levels of stereotyped motor behaviors, whereas the idiopathic ASD group showed high levels of restricted interests. Taken together, these results underscore the role of ADNP in cognitive functioning and suggest that social impairments in ADNP syndrome are consistent with severity of verbal deficits. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1300-1310. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Disruptions to the ADNP gene (i.e., ADNP syndrome) have been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This article describes intellectual disability, mild social difficulties, and severe repetitive motor movements in a group of 11 youth with ADNP Syndrome. We found lower rates of ASD than previously reported. Verbal skills explained individual variability in social impairment. This pattern suggests that the ADNP gene is primarily associated with learning and memory, and level of social difficulties is consistent with level of verbal impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Candace L Rhoads
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kendra Hoekzema
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Tychele N Turner
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jennifer Gerdts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Arianne S Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.,ADNP KIDS Research Foundation, Brush Prairie, WA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Arnett AB, Trinh S, Bernier RA. The state of research on the genetics of autism spectrum disorder: methodological, clinical and conceptual progress. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 27:1-5. [PMID: 30059871 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally heterogeneous disorder with a strong genetic component, as evidenced by decades of twin and family studies. In recent years, enhanced methods of genomic sequencing have revealed that structural variation and mutations to both coding and non-coding regions of single, candidate genes may account for more than 30% of ASD cases. The current review highlights a genotype-first approach that builds upon these molecular findings to parse the heterogeneity of ASD. Advantages of this approach include strong potential for precision medicine diagnosis and treatment, as well as opportunity to advance basic science research on neurodevelopmental disorders. Psychosocial benefits of identifying genetic subtypes of ASD have already been realized through social networking, comprehensive clinical phenotyping, and increased awareness among providers of rare genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B Arnett
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Center on Human Development and Disability, Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sandy Trinh
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Center on Human Development and Disability, Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Center on Human Development and Disability, Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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25
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Hudac CM, DesChamps TD, Arnett AB, Cairney BE, Ma R, Webb SJ, Bernier RA. Early enhanced processing and delayed habituation to deviance sounds in autism spectrum disorder. Brain Cogn 2018; 123:110-119. [PMID: 29550506 PMCID: PMC5893357 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit difficulties processing and encoding sensory information in daily life. Cognitive response to environmental change in control individuals is naturally dynamic, meaning it habituates or reduces over time as one becomes accustomed to the deviance. The origin of atypical response to deviance in ASD may relate to differences in this dynamic habituation. The current study of 133 children and young adults with and without ASD examined classic electrophysiological responses (MMN and P3a), as well as temporal patterns of habituation (i.e., N1 and P3a change over time) in response to a passive auditory oddball task. Individuals with ASD showed an overall heightened sensitivity to change as exhibited by greater P3a amplitude to novel sounds. Moreover, youth with ASD showed dynamic ERP differences, including slower attenuation of the N1 response to infrequent tones and the P3a response to novel sounds. Dynamic ERP responses were related to parent ratings of auditory sensory-seeking behaviors, but not general cognition. As the first large-scale study to characterize temporal dynamics of auditory ERPs in ASD, our results provide compelling evidence that heightened response to auditory deviance in ASD is largely driven by early sensitivity and prolonged processing of auditory deviance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Hudac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Trent D DesChamps
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Brianna E Cairney
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Ruqian Ma
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Disabilities, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 2001 8th Ave #400, Seattle, WA 98121, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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26
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Arnett AB, Cairney BE, Wallace AS, Gerdts J, Turner TN, Eichler EE, Bernier RA. Comorbid symptoms of inattention, autism, and executive cognition in youth with putative genetic risk. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2018; 59:268-276. [PMID: 28921525 PMCID: PMC5812799 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and inattention (IA) are highly comorbid and associated with deficits in executive cognition. Cognitive deficits have been posited as candidate endophenotypes of psychiatric traits, but few studies have conceptualized cognitive deficits as psychiatric comorbidities. The latter model is consistent with a latent factor reflecting broader liability to neuropsychological dysfunction, and explains heterogeneity in the cognitive profile of individuals with ASD and IA. METHODS We tested competing models of covariance among symptoms of ASD, IA, and cognition in a sample of 73 youth with a known genetic mutation. RESULTS A common executive factor fit best as a cognitive comorbidity, rather than endophenotype, of the shared variance between measures of IA and ASD symptoms. Known genetic risk explained a third of the shared variance among psychiatric and cognitive measures. CONCLUSIONS Comorbid symptoms of ASD, IA, and cognitive deficits are likely influenced by common neurogenetic factors. Known genetic risk in ASD may inform future investigation of putative genetic causes of IA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Evan E. Eichler
- University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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27
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Peterson RL, Arnett AB, Pennington BF, Byrne B, Samuelsson S, Olson RK. Literacy acquisition influences children's rapid automatized naming. Dev Sci 2017; 21:e12589. [PMID: 28812316 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has established that learning to read improves children's performance on reading-related phonological tasks, including phoneme awareness (PA) and nonword repetition. Few studies have investigated whether literacy acquisition also promotes children's rapid automatized naming (RAN). We tested the hypothesis that literacy acquisition should influence RAN in an international, longitudinal population sample of twins. Cross-lagged path models evaluated the relationships among literacy, PA, and RAN across four time points from pre-kindergarten through grade 4. Consistent with previous research, literacy showed bidirectional relationships with reading-related oral language skills. We found novel evidence for an effect of earlier literacy on later RAN, which was most evident in children at early phases of literacy development. In contrast, the influence of earlier RAN on later literacy was predominant among older children. These findings imply that the association between these two related skills is moderated by development. Implications for models of reading development and for dyslexia research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin L Peterson
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, USA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, CO, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Brian Byrne
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,School of Cognitive, Behavioural, and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Twin Research, Australia
| | - Stefan Samuelsson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Richard K Olson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Psychology, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, USA
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28
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Males are diagnosed with dyslexia more frequently than females, even in epidemiological samples. This may be explained by greater variance in males' reading performance. METHODS We expand on previous research by rigorously testing the variance difference theory, and testing for mediation of the sex difference by cognitive correlates. We developed an analytic framework that can be applied to group differences in any psychiatric disorder. RESULTS Males' overrepresentation in the low performance tail of the reading distribution was accounted for by mean and variance differences across sex. There was no sex difference at the high performance tail. Processing speed (PS) and inhibitory control partially mediated the sex difference. Verbal reasoning emerged as a strength in males. CONCLUSIONS Our results complement a previous finding that PS partially mediates the sex difference in symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and helps explain the sex difference in both dyslexia and ADHD and their comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robin L. Peterson
- Children’s Hospital Colorado,University of Colorado School of Medicine
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29
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Arnett AB, Pennington BF, Young JF, Hankin BL. Links between within-person fluctuations in hyperactivity/attention problems and subsequent conduct problems. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:502-9. [PMID: 26412124 PMCID: PMC4789088 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The onset of hyperactivity/impulsivity and attention problems (HAP) is typically younger than that of conduct problems (CP), and some research supports a directional relation wherein HAP precedes CP. Studies have tested this theory using between-person and between-group comparisons, with conflicting results. In contrast, prior research has not examined the effects of within-person fluctuations in HAP on CP. METHOD This study tested the hypothesis that within-person variation in HAP would positively predict subsequent within-person variation in CP, in two population samples of youth (N = 620) who participated in identical methods of assessment over the course of 30 months. Three-level, hierarchical models were used to test for within-person, longitudinal associations between HAP and CP, as well as moderating effects of between-person and between-family demographics. RESULTS We found a small but significant association in the expected direction for older youth, but the opposite effect in younger and non-Caucasian youth. These results were replicated across both samples. CONCLUSIONS The process by which early HAP relates to later CP may vary by age and racial identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B. Arnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | - Jami F. Young
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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30
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Chang YS, Gratiot M, Owen JP, Brandes-Aitken A, Desai SS, Hill SS, Arnett AB, Harris J, Marco EJ, Mukherjee P. White Matter Microstructure is Associated with Auditory and Tactile Processing in Children with and without Sensory Processing Disorder. Front Neuroanat 2016; 9:169. [PMID: 26858611 PMCID: PMC4726807 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory processing disorders (SPDs) affect up to 16% of school-aged children, and contribute to cognitive and behavioral deficits impacting affected individuals and their families. While sensory processing differences are now widely recognized in children with autism, children with sensory-based dysfunction who do not meet autism criteria based on social communication deficits remain virtually unstudied. In a previous pilot diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study, we demonstrated that boys with SPD have altered white matter microstructure primarily affecting the posterior cerebral tracts, which subserve sensory processing and integration. This disrupted microstructural integrity, measured as reduced white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), correlated with parent report measures of atypical sensory behavior. In this present study, we investigate white matter microstructure as it relates to tactile and auditory function in depth with a larger, mixed-gender cohort of children 8–12 years of age. We continue to find robust alterations of posterior white matter microstructure in children with SPD relative to typically developing children (TDC), along with more spatially distributed alterations. We find strong correlations of FA with both parent report and direct measures of tactile and auditory processing across children, with the direct assessment measures of tactile and auditory processing showing a stronger and more continuous mapping to the underlying white matter integrity than the corresponding parent report measures. Based on these findings of microstructure as a neural correlate of sensory processing ability, diffusion MRI merits further investigation as a tool to find biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response in children with SPD. To our knowledge, this work is the first to demonstrate associations of directly measured tactile and non-linguistic auditory function with white matter microstructural integrity – not just in children with SPD, but also in TDC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Shin Chang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mathilde Gratiot
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris, France
| | - Julia P Owen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anne Brandes-Aitken
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shivani S Desai
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Susanna S Hill
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anne B Arnett
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julia Harris
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elysa J Marco
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Males show higher rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than do females. Potential explanations include genuine etiological differences or artifact. METHODS 2,332 twin and sibling youth participated in behavioral and cognitive testing. Partially competing models of symptom severity distribution differences, the mean difference, and variance difference models, were tested within a randomly selected subsample. The Delta method was used to test for mediation of sex differences in ADHD symptom severity by processing speed, inhibition and working memory. RESULTS The combined mean difference and variance difference models fully explained the sex difference in ADHD symptom severity. Cognitive endophenotypes mediated 14% of the sex difference effect. CONCLUSIONS The sex difference in ADHD symptom severity is valid and may be due to differing genetic and cognitive liabilities between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne B. Arnett
- Department of Psychology; University of Denver; Denver CO USA
| | | | - Erik G. Willcutt
- Psychology and Neuroscience; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO USA
| | - John C. DeFries
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO USA
| | - Richard K. Olson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO USA
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Chang YS, Owen JP, Desai SS, Hill SS, Arnett AB, Harris J, Marco EJ, Mukherjee P. Autism and sensory processing disorders: shared white matter disruption in sensory pathways but divergent connectivity in social-emotional pathways. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103038. [PMID: 25075609 PMCID: PMC4116166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 90% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) demonstrate atypical sensory behaviors. In fact, hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment is now included in the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. However, there are children with sensory processing differences who do not meet an ASD diagnosis but do show atypical sensory behaviors to the same or greater degree as ASD children. We previously demonstrated that children with Sensory Processing Disorders (SPD) have impaired white matter microstructure, and that this white matter microstructural pathology correlates with atypical sensory behavior. In this study, we use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) fiber tractography to evaluate the structural connectivity of specific white matter tracts in boys with ASD (n = 15) and boys with SPD (n = 16), relative to typically developing children (n = 23). We define white matter tracts using probabilistic streamline tractography and assess the strength of tract connectivity using mean fractional anisotropy. Both the SPD and ASD cohorts demonstrate decreased connectivity relative to controls in parieto-occipital tracts involved in sensory perception and multisensory integration. However, the ASD group alone shows impaired connectivity, relative to controls, in temporal tracts thought to subserve social-emotional processing. In addition to these group difference analyses, we take a dimensional approach to assessing the relationship between white matter connectivity and participant function. These correlational analyses reveal significant associations of white matter connectivity with auditory processing, working memory, social skills, and inattention across our three study groups. These findings help elucidate the roles of specific neural circuits in neurodevelopmental disorders, and begin to explore the dimensional relationship between critical cognitive functions and structural connectivity across affected and unaffected children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Shin Chang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Julia P. Owen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Shivani S. Desai
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Susanna S. Hill
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Anne B. Arnett
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Julia Harris
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elysa J. Marco
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Owen JP, Marco EJ, Desai S, Fourie E, Harris J, Hill SS, Arnett AB, Mukherjee P. Abnormal white matter microstructure in children with sensory processing disorders. Neuroimage Clin 2013; 2:844-53. [PMID: 24179836 PMCID: PMC3778265 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 06/02/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sensory processing disorders (SPD) affect 5–16% of school-aged children and can cause long-term deficits in intellectual and social development. Current theories of SPD implicate primary sensory cortical areas and higher-order multisensory integration (MSI) cortical regions. We investigate the role of white matter microstructural abnormalities in SPD using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI was acquired in 16 boys, 8–11 years old, with SPD and 24 age-, gender-, handedness- and IQ-matched neurotypical controls. Behavior was characterized using a parent report sensory behavior measure, the Sensory Profile. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) were calculated. Tract-based spatial statistics were used to detect significant group differences in white matter integrity and to determine if microstructural parameters were significantly correlated with behavioral measures. Significant decreases in FA and increases in MD and RD were found in the SPD cohort compared to controls, primarily involving posterior white matter including the posterior corpus callosum, posterior corona radiata and posterior thalamic radiations. Strong positive correlations were observed between FA of these posterior tracts and auditory, multisensory, and inattention scores (r = 0.51–0.78; p < 0.001) with strong negative correlations between RD and multisensory and inattention scores (r = − 0.61–0.71; p < 0.001). To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate reduced white matter microstructural integrity in children with SPD. We find that the disrupted white matter microstructure predominantly involves posterior cerebral tracts and correlates strongly with atypical unimodal and multisensory integration behavior. These findings suggest abnormal white matter as a biological basis for SPD and may also distinguish SPD from overlapping clinical conditions such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Abnormal posterior white matter microstructure in sensory processing disorders (SPD) Posterior cerebral white matter microstructure correlates with sensory behavior. DTI may help distinguish SPD from autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. DTI may yield prognostic and predictive biomarkers of SPD for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia P. Owen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
- Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 4th St., San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elysa J. Marco
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Shivani Desai
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Emily Fourie
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
| | - Julia Harris
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Susanna S. Hill
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Anne B. Arnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Frontier Hall, 2155 S. Race Street, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
- Program in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 4th St., San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Corresponding author at: Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, UCSF Box 0946, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. Tel.: + 1 415 514 8186; fax: + 1 415 353 8593.
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34
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Arnett AB, Pennington BF, Friend A, Willcutt E, Byrne B, Samuelsson S, Olson RK. The SWAN captures variance at the negative and positive ends of the ADHD symptom dimension. J Atten Disord 2013; 17:152-62. [PMID: 22173148 PMCID: PMC3330134 DOI: 10.1177/1087054711427399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN) Rating Scale differs from previous parent reports of ADHD in that it was designed to also measure variability at the positive end of the symptom spectrum. METHOD The psychometric properties of the SWAN were tested and compared with an established measure of ADHD, the Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale (DBRS). RESULTS The SWAN demonstrates comparable validity, reliability, and heritability to the DBRS. Furthermore, plots of the SWAN and DBRS reveal heteroscedasticity, which supports the SWAN as a preferred measure of positive attention and impulse regulation behaviors. CONCLUSION The ability of the SWAN to measure additional variance at the adaptive end of the ADHD symptom dimensions makes it a promising tool for behavioral genetic studies of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Brian Byrne
- University of New England, Australia, and the University of Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Richard K. Olson
- University of Colorado, Boulder and the University of Linköping, Sweden
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