1
|
Newman BT, Jacokes Z, Venkadesh S, Webb SJ, Kleinhans NM, McPartland JC, Druzgal TJ, Pelphrey KA, Van Horn JD. Conduction velocity, G-ratio, and extracellular water as microstructural characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301964. [PMID: 38630783 PMCID: PMC11023574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301964] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The neuronal differences contributing to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are still not well defined. Previous studies have suggested that myelin and axons are disrupted during development in ASD. By combining structural and diffusion MRI techniques, myelin and axons can be assessed using extracellular water, aggregate g-ratio, and a new approach to calculating axonal conduction velocity termed aggregate conduction velocity, which is related to the capacity of the axon to carry information. In this study, several innovative cellular microstructural methods, as measured from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are combined to characterize differences between ASD and typically developing adolescent participants in a large cohort. We first examine the relationship between each metric, including microstructural measurements of axonal and intracellular diffusion and the T1w/T2w ratio. We then demonstrate the sensitivity of these metrics by characterizing differences between ASD and neurotypical participants, finding widespread increases in extracellular water in the cortex and decreases in aggregate g-ratio and aggregate conduction velocity throughout the cortex, subcortex, and white matter skeleton. We finally provide evidence that these microstructural differences are associated with higher scores on the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) a commonly used diagnostic tool to assess ASD. This study is the first to reveal that ASD involves MRI-measurable in vivo differences of myelin and axonal development with implications for neuronal and behavioral function. We also introduce a novel formulation for calculating aggregate conduction velocity, that is highly sensitive to these changes. We conclude that ASD may be characterized by otherwise intact structural connectivity but that functional connectivity may be attenuated by network properties affecting neural transmission speed. This effect may explain the putative reliance on local connectivity in contrast to more distal connectivity observed in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T. Newman
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
- UVA School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Zachary Jacokes
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Elson Building, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Siva Venkadesh
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle WA, United States of America
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA, United States of America
| | - Natalia M. Kleinhans
- Department of Radiology, Integrated Brain Imaging Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - James C. McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - T. Jason Druzgal
- UVA School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Kevin A. Pelphrey
- UVA School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - John Darrell Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Elson Building, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Newman BT, Jacokes Z, Venkadesh S, Webb SJ, Kleinhans NM, McPartland JC, Druzgal TJ, Pelphrey KA, Van Horn JD. Conduction Velocity, G-ratio, and Extracellular Water as Microstructural Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder. bioRxiv 2024:2023.07.23.550166. [PMID: 37546913 PMCID: PMC10402058 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.23.550166] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The neuronal differences contributing to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are still not well defined. Previous studies have suggested that myelin and axons are disrupted during development in ASD. By combining structural and diffusion MRI techniques, myelin and axons can be assessed using extracellular water, aggregate g-ratio, and a novel metric termed aggregate conduction velocity, which is related to the capacity of the axon to carry information. In this study, several innovative cellular microstructural methods, as measured from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are combined to characterize differences between ASD and typically developing adolescent participants in a large cohort. We first examine the relationship between each metric, including microstructural measurements of axonal and intracellular diffusion and the T1w/T2w ratio. We then demonstrate the sensitivity of these metrics by characterizing differences between ASD and neurotypical participants, finding widespread increases in extracellular water in the cortex and decreases in aggregate g-ratio and aggregate conduction velocity throughout the cortex, subcortex, and white matter skeleton. We finally provide evidence that these microstructural differences are associated with higher scores on the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) a commonly used diagnostic tool to assess ASD. This study is the first to reveal that ASD involves MRI-measurable in vivo differences of myelin and axonal development with implications for neuronal and behavioral function. We also introduce a novel neuroimaging metric, aggregate conduction velocity, that is highly sensitive to these changes. We conclude that ASD may be characterized by otherwise intact structural connectivity but that functional connectivity may be attenuated by network properties affecting neural transmission speed. This effect may explain the putative reliance on local connectivity in contrast to more distal connectivity observed in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T. Newman
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Gilmer Hall, Charlottesville, VA 22903
- UVA School of Medicine, University of Virginia, 560 Ray Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - Zachary Jacokes
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Elson Building, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - Siva Venkadesh
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Gilmer Hall, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle WA USA 98195
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Building Cure-03, Seattle WA 98101
| | - Natalia M. Kleinhans
- Department of Radiology, Integrated Brain Imaging Center, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St Seattle, WA 98195
| | - James C. McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520
- Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health, 40 Temple Street, Suite 6A, New Haven, CT, 06520
| | - T. Jason Druzgal
- UVA School of Medicine, University of Virginia, 560 Ray Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - Kevin A. Pelphrey
- UVA School of Medicine, University of Virginia, 560 Ray Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - John Darrell Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Gilmer Hall, Charlottesville, VA 22903
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Elson Building, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tsang T, Naples AJ, Barney EC, Xie M, Bernier R, Dawson G, Dziura J, Faja S, Jeste SS, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Murias M, Seow H, Sugar C, Webb SJ, Shic F, Johnson SP. Attention Allocation During Exploration of Visual Arrays in ASD: Results from the ABC-CT Feasibility Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:3220-3229. [PMID: 35657448 PMCID: PMC10980886 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05569-0] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Visual exploration paradigms involving object arrays have been used to examine salience of social stimuli such as faces in ASD. Recent work suggests performance on these paradigms may associate with clinical features of ASD. We evaluate metrics from a visual exploration paradigm in 4-to-11-year-old children with ASD (n = 23; 18 males) and typical development (TD; n = 23; 13 males). Presented with arrays containing faces and nonsocial stimuli, children with ASD looked less at (p = 0.002) and showed fewer fixations to (p = 0.022) faces than TD children, and spent less time looking at each object on average (p = 0.004). Attention to the screen and faces correlated positively with social and cognitive skills in the ASD group (ps < .05). This work furthers our understanding of objective measures of visual exploration in ASD and its potential for quantifying features of ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erin C Barney
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, M/S Cure-3, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Minhang Xie
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, M/S Cure-3, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, M/S Cure-3, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | | | | | - Susan Faja
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Shafali Spurling Jeste
- University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sara J Webb
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, M/S Cure-3, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Frederick Shic
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, M/S Cure-3, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
- University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Shurtz L, Schwartz C, DiStefano C, McPartland JC, Levin AR, Dawson G, Kleinhans NM, Faja S, Webb SJ, Shic F, Naples AJ, Seow H, Bernier RA, Chawarska K, Sugar CA, Dziura J, Senturk D, Santhosh M, Jeste SS. Concomitant medication use in children with autism spectrum disorder: Data from the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials. Autism 2023; 27:952-966. [PMID: 36086805 PMCID: PMC9995606 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221121425] [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: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Children with autism spectrum disorder are prescribed a variety of medications that affect the central nervous system (psychotropic medications) to address behavior and mood. In clinical trials, individuals taking concomitant psychotropic medications often are excluded to maintain homogeneity of the sample and prevent contamination of biomarkers or clinical endpoints. However, this choice may significantly diminish the clinical representativeness of the sample. In a recent multisite study designed to identify biomarkers and behavioral endpoints for clinical trials (the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials), school-age children with autism spectrum disorder were enrolled without excluding for medications, thus providing a unique opportunity to examine characteristics of psychotropic medication use in a research cohort and to guide future decisions on medication-related inclusion criteria. The aims of the current analysis were (1) to quantify the frequency and type of psychotropic medications reported in school-age children enrolled in the ABC-CT and (2) to examine behavioral features of children with autism spectrum disorder based on medication classes. Of the 280 children with autism spectrum disorder in the cohort, 42.5% were taking psychotropic medications, with polypharmacy in half of these children. The most commonly reported psychotropic medications included melatonin, stimulants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, alpha agonists, and antipsychotics. Descriptive analysis showed that children taking antipsychotics displayed a trend toward greater overall impairment. Our findings suggest that exclusion of children taking concomitant psychotropic medications in trials could limit the clinical representativeness of the study population, perhaps even excluding children who may most benefit from new treatment options.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - April R Levin
- Boston Children’s Hospital, USA
- Harvard University, USA
| | | | | | - Susan Faja
- Boston Children’s Hospital, USA
- Harvard University, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- University of Washington, USA
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, USA
| | - Frederick Shic
- University of Washington, USA
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Dong M, Telesca D, Sugar C, Shic F, Naples A, Johnson SP, Li B, Atyabi A, Xie M, Webb SJ, Jeste S, Faja S, Levin AR, Dawson G, McPartland JC, Şentürk D. A functional model for studying common trends across trial time in eye tracking experiments. Stat Biosci 2023; 15:261-287. [PMID: 37077750 PMCID: PMC10112660 DOI: 10.1007/s12561-022-09354-6] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Eye tracking (ET) experiments commonly record the continuous trajectory of a subject's gaze on a two-dimensional screen throughout repeated presentations of stimuli (referred to as trials). Even though the continuous path of gaze is recorded during each trial, commonly derived outcomes for analysis collapse the data into simple summaries, such as looking times in regions of interest, latency to looking at stimuli, number of stimuli viewed, number of fixations or fixation length. In order to retain information in trial time, we utilize functional data analysis (FDA) for the first time in literature in the analysis of ET data. More specifically, novel functional outcomes for ET data, referred to as viewing profiles, are introduced that capture the common gazing trends across trial time which are lost in traditional data summaries. Mean and variation of the proposed functional outcomes across subjects are then modeled using functional principal components analysis. Applications to data from a visual exploration paradigm conducted by the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials showcase the novel insights gained from the proposed FDA approach, including significant group differences between children diagnosed with autism and their typically developing peers in their consistency of looking at faces early on in trial time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingfei Dong
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Donatello Telesca
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Catherine Sugar
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington,Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam Naples
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, CT,USA
| | - Scott P. Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Beibin Li
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Adham Atyabi
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Minhang Xie
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of South California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Faja
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - April R. Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Damla Şentürk
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bazelmans T, Jones EJH, Ghods S, Corrigan S, Toth K, Charman T, Webb SJ. Identifying phenotypic and physiological subgroups of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1592-1602. [PMID: 37010226 PMCID: PMC10009381 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721003172] [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] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand the emergence of symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we need to identify the mechanisms that underpin the development of core social skills. Mounting evidence indicates that young children with later ASD attend less to other people, which could compromise learning opportunities with cascading effects. Passive looking behaviour does not tell us about engagement with visual information, but measures of physiological arousal can provide information on the depth of engagement. In the current study, we use heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) to measure engagement with social dynamic stimuli in ASD. METHODS Sixty-seven preschoolers with ASD and 65 typical developing preschoolers between 2 and 4 years of age participated in a study where HR was measured during viewing of social and non-social videos. Using latent profile analyses, more homogeneous subgroups of children were created based on phenotype and physiology. RESULTS Preschool-aged children with ASD, regardless of their non-verbal, verbal and social competencies, do not differ in overall HR or HRV compared to TD children. However, the ASD group showed a larger increase in HR (more disengagement) than the TD group to later-presented social stimuli. Phenotypic and physiological profiles showed this was primarily the case for children with below average verbal and non-verbal skills, but not necessarily those with more ASD symptoms. CONCLUSION Children with ASD, especially a subgroup showing moderate cognitive delays, show an increase in HR to social stimuli over time; this may reflect difficulties re-engaging with social information when attention is waning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tessel Bazelmans
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Sheila Ghods
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Corrigan
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karen Toth
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tony Charman
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jacokes Z, Jack A, Sullivan CAW, Aylward E, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, Sukhodolsky DG, McPartland JC, Webb SJ, Torgerson CM, Eilbott J, Kenworthy L, Pelphrey KA, Van Horn JD. Linear discriminant analysis of phenotypic data for classifying autism spectrum disorder by diagnosis and sex. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1040085. [DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1040085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by social and communication differences. Recent research suggests ASD affects 1-in-44 children in the United States. ASD is diagnosed more commonly in males, though it is unclear whether this diagnostic disparity is a result of a biological predisposition or limitations in diagnostic tools, or both. One hypothesis centers on the ‘female protective effect,’ which is the theory that females are biologically more resistant to the autism phenotype than males. In this examination, phenotypic data were acquired and combined from four leading research institutions and subjected to multivariate linear discriminant analysis. A linear discriminant model was trained on the training set and then deployed on the test set to predict group membership. Multivariate analyses of variance were performed to confirm the significance of the overall analysis, and individual analyses of variance were performed to confirm the significance of each of the resulting linear discriminant axes. Two discriminant dimensions were identified between the groups: a dimension separating groups by the diagnosis of ASD (LD1: 87% of variance explained); and a dimension reflective of a diagnosis-by-sex interaction (LD2: 11% of variance explained). The strongest discriminant coefficients for the first discriminant axis divided the sample in domains with known differences between ASD and comparison groups, such as social difficulties and restricted repetitive behavior. The discriminant coefficients for the second discriminant axis reveal a more nuanced disparity between boys with ASD and girls with ASD, including executive functioning and high-order behavioral domains as the dominant discriminators. These results indicate that phenotypic differences between males and females with and without ASD are identifiable using parent report measures, which could be utilized to provide additional specificity to the diagnosis of ASD in female patients, potentially leading to more targeted clinical strategies and therapeutic interventions. The study helps to isolate a phenotypic basis for future empirical work on the female protective effect using neuroimaging, EEG, and genomic methodologies.
Collapse
|
8
|
Campos E, Scheffler AW, Telesca D, Sugar C, DiStefano C, Jeste S, Levin AR, Naples A, Webb SJ, Shic F, Dawson G, Faja S, McPartland JC, Şentürk D. Multilevel hybrid principal components analysis for region-referenced functional electroencephalography data. Stat Med 2022; 41:3737-3757. [PMID: 35611602 PMCID: PMC9308678 DOI: 10.1002/sim.9445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Electroencephalography experiments produce region-referenced functional data representing brain signals in the time or the frequency domain collected across the scalp. The data typically also have a multilevel structure with high-dimensional observations collected across multiple experimental conditions or visits. Common analysis approaches reduce the data complexity by collapsing the functional and regional dimensions, where event-related potential (ERP) features or band power are targeted in a pre-specified scalp region. This practice can fail to portray more comprehensive differences in the entire ERP signal or the power spectral density (PSD) across the scalp. Building on the weak separability of the high-dimensional covariance process, the proposed multilevel hybrid principal components analysis (M-HPCA) utilizes dimension reduction tools from both vector and functional principal components analysis to decompose the total variation into between- and within-subject variance. The resulting model components are estimated in a mixed effects modeling framework via a computationally efficient minorization-maximization algorithm coupled with bootstrap. The diverse array of applications of M-HPCA is showcased with two studies of individuals with autism. While ERP responses to match vs mismatch conditions are compared in an audio odd-ball paradigm in the first study, short-term reliability of the PSD across visits is compared in the second. Finite sample properties of the proposed methodology are studied in extensive simulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Campos
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Aaron Wolfe Scheffler
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Donatello Telesca
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Catherine Sugar
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Charlotte DiStefano
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - April R. Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adam Naples
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Washington, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Washington, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan Faja
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Damla Şentürk
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Radoeva PD, Ballinger K, Ho T, Webb SJ, Stobbe GA. Brief Report: Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Autistic Adults. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:2819-2824. [PMID: 34189682 PMCID: PMC10027384 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05085-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Autistic individuals are at risk for developing depression though the risk and protective factors for co-occurring depression in autistic individuals are not yet fully characterized. In this retrospective medical chart review study, we explored factors associated with self-reported depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) in autistic adults (N = 58). For autistic adults, engagement in one or more activities (recreational, educational and/or vocational) was associated with less severe depressive symptoms (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.006); and reported family history of depression/anxiety was associated with increased likelihood of suicidal ideation (Chi-square test, p = 0.027). Promotion of community-based activities and family support systems may be an integral part of creating effective treatment plans for depressive symptoms in autistic adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petya D Radoeva
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Kristen Ballinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Theodore Ho
- Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
| | - Gary A Stobbe
- Seattle Children's Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Adult Autism Clinic, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sridhar A, Kuhn J, Faja S, Sabatos-DeVito M, Nikolaeva JI, Dawson G, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Bernier R, Jeste S, Chawarska K, Sugar CA, Shic F, Naples A, Dziura J, McPartland JC. Patterns of Intervention Utilization Among School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Findings from a Multi-Site Research Consortium. Res Autism Spectr Disord 2022; 94. [PMID: 35444715 PMCID: PMC9015686 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2022.101950] [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] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
When designing and interpreting results from clinical trials evaluating treatments for children on the autism spectrum, a complicating factor is that most children receive a range of concurrent treatments. Thus, it is important to better understand the types and hours of interventions that participants typically receive as part of standard of care, as well as to understand the child, family, and geographic factors that are associated with different patterns of service utilization. In this multi-site study, we interviewed 280 caregivers of 6-to-11-year-old school-aged children on the autism spectrum about the types and amounts of interventions their children received in the prior 6 weeks. Reported interventions were coded as "evidence-based practice" or "other interventions," reflecting the level of empirical support. Results indicated that children received a variety of interventions with varying levels of empirical evidence and a wide range of hours (0 to 79.3 hours/week). Children with higher autism symptom levels, living in particular states, and who identified as non-Hispanic received more evidence-based intervention hours. Higher parental education level related to more hours of other interventions. Children who were younger, had lower cognitive ability, and with higher autism symptom levels received a greater variety of interventions overall. Thus, based on our findings, it would seem prudent when designing clinical trials to take into consideration a variety of factors including autism symptom levels, age, cognitive ability, ethnicity, parent education and geographic location. Future research should continue to investigate the ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic influences on school-aged intervention services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aksheya Sridhar
- Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Susan Faja
- Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maura Sabatos-DeVito
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle WA, USA
| | | | - James Dziura
- Yale Center for Analytical Sciences, New Haven, CT USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Shic F, Naples AJ, Barney EC, Chang SA, Li B, McAllister T, Kim M, Dommer KJ, Hasselmo S, Atyabi A, Wang Q, Helleman G, Levin AR, Seow H, Bernier R, Charwaska K, Dawson G, Dziura J, Faja S, Jeste SS, Johnson SP, Murias M, Nelson CA, Sabatos-DeVito M, Senturk D, Sugar CA, Webb SJ, McPartland JC. The autism biomarkers consortium for clinical trials: evaluation of a battery of candidate eye-tracking biomarkers for use in autism clinical trials. Mol Autism 2022; 13:15. [PMID: 35313957 PMCID: PMC10124777 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00482-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eye tracking (ET) is a powerful methodology for studying attentional processes through quantification of eye movements. The precision, usability, and cost-effectiveness of ET render it a promising platform for developing biomarkers for use in clinical trials for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS The autism biomarkers consortium for clinical trials conducted a multisite, observational study of 6-11-year-old children with ASD (n = 280) and typical development (TD, n = 119). The ET battery included: Activity Monitoring, Social Interactive, Static Social Scenes, Biological Motion Preference, and Pupillary Light Reflex tasks. A priori, gaze to faces in Activity Monitoring, Social Interactive, and Static Social Scenes tasks were aggregated into an Oculomotor Index of Gaze to Human Faces (OMI) as the primary outcome measure. This work reports on fundamental biomarker properties (data acquisition rates, construct validity, six-week stability, group discrimination, and clinical relationships) derived from these assays that serve as a base for subsequent development of clinical trial biomarker applications. RESULTS All tasks exhibited excellent acquisition rates, met expectations for construct validity, had moderate or high six-week stabilities, and highlighted subsets of the ASD group with distinct biomarker performance. Within ASD, higher OMI was associated with increased memory for faces, decreased autism symptom severity, and higher verbal IQ and pragmatic communication skills. LIMITATIONS No specific interventions were administered in this study, limiting information about how ET biomarkers track or predict outcomes in response to treatment. This study did not consider co-occurrence of psychiatric conditions nor specificity in comparison with non-ASD special populations, therefore limiting our understanding of the applicability of outcomes to specific clinical contexts-of-use. Research-grade protocols and equipment were used; further studies are needed to explore deployment in less standardized contexts. CONCLUSIONS All ET tasks met expectations regarding biomarker properties, with strongest performance for tasks associated with attention to human faces and weakest performance associated with biological motion preference. Based on these data, the OMI has been accepted to the FDA's Biomarker Qualification program, providing a path for advancing efforts to develop biomarkers for use in clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
- Department of General Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Adam J Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Erin C Barney
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Shou An Chang
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Beibin Li
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Takumi McAllister
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Minah Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Kelsey J Dommer
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Simone Hasselmo
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Adham Atyabi
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- Department of General Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Quan Wang
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Gerhard Helleman
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - April R Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Helen Seow
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katarzyna Charwaska
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James Dziura
- Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Susan Faja
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shafali Spurling Jeste
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Scott P Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Murias
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Damla Senturk
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Catherine A Sugar
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Fuster E, Padgaonkar NT, Patterson G, Jung J, Okada NJ, Lowe JK, Hoekstra JN, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, McPartland JC, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Geschwind DH, Dapretto M. Impact of autism genetic risk on brain connectivity: a mechanism for the female protective effect. Brain 2021; 145:378-387. [PMID: 34050743 PMCID: PMC8967090 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological mechanisms underlying the greater prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in males than females remain poorly understood. One hypothesis posits that this female protective effect arises from genetic load for autism spectrum disorder differentially impacting male and female brains. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the impact of cumulative genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder on functional brain connectivity in a balanced sample of boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing boys and girls (127 youth, ages 8-17). Brain connectivity analyses focused on the salience network, a core intrinsic functional connectivity network which has previously been implicated in autism spectrum disorder. The effects of polygenic risk on salience network functional connectivity were significantly modulated by participant sex, with genetic load for autism spectrum disorder influencing functional connectivity in boys with and without autism spectrum disorder but not girls. These findings support the hypothesis that autism spectrum disorder risk genes interact with sex differential processes, thereby contributing to the male bias in autism prevalence and proposing an underlying neurobiological mechanism for the female protective effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Correspondence to: Mirella Dapretto Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center 660 Charles E. Young Drive South Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA E-mail:
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Genevieve Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jiwon Jung
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nana J Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer K Lowe
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jackson N Hoekstra
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology and School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jack A, Sullivan CAW, Aylward E, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Eilbott J, Jacokes Z, Torgerson CM, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Gupta AR. A neurogenetic analysis of female autism. Brain 2021; 144:1911-1926. [PMID: 33860292 PMCID: PMC8320285 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab064] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Females versus males are less frequently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and while understanding sex differences is critical to delineating the systems biology of the condition, female ASD is understudied. We integrated functional MRI and genetic data in a sex-balanced sample of ASD and typically developing youth (8–17 years old) to characterize female-specific pathways of ASD risk. Our primary objectives were to: (i) characterize female ASD (n = 45) brain response to human motion, relative to matched typically developing female youth (n = 45); and (ii) evaluate whether genetic data could provide further insight into the potential relevance of these brain functional differences. For our first objective we found that ASD females showed markedly reduced response versus typically developing females, particularly in sensorimotor, striatal, and frontal regions. This difference between ASD and typically developing females does not resemble differences between ASD (n = 47) and typically developing males (n = 47), even though neural response did not significantly differ between female and male ASD. For our second objective, we found that ASD females (n = 61), versus males (n = 66), showed larger median size of rare copy number variants containing gene(s) expressed in early life (10 postconceptual weeks to 2 years) in regions implicated by the typically developing female > female functional MRI contrast. Post hoc analyses suggested this difference was primarily driven by copy number variants containing gene(s) expressed in striatum. This striatal finding was reproducible among n = 2075 probands (291 female) from an independent cohort. Together, our findings suggest that striatal impacts may contribute to pathways of risk in female ASD and advocate caution in drawing conclusions regarding female ASD based on male-predominant cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.,School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Eilbott
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Zachary Jacokes
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Carinna M Torgerson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.,Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Brain Institute, and School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Abha R Gupta
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
McQuaid GA, Pelphrey KA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M, Webb SJ, Bernier RA, McPartland JC, Van Horn JD, Wallace GL. The gap between IQ and adaptive functioning in autism spectrum disorder: Disentangling diagnostic and sex differences. Autism 2021; 25:1565-1579. [PMID: 33715473 DOI: 10.1177/1362361321995620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Adaptive functioning refers to skills that are vital to success in day-to-day life, including daily living (e.g. grocery shopping, food preparation, transportation use), communication (e.g. verbal expression of needs), and socialization skills (e.g. interpersonal skills, including expressing and recognizing emotions, and understanding turn-taking in conversation). Among autistic individuals without intellectual disability, adaptive functioning is not commensurate with intellectual ability (IQ), and instead a gap exists between these individuals' intellectual ability and their adaptive skills. Further, these autistic individuals show a widening of this gap with increasing age. Existing studies of the gap between IQ and adaptive functioning have studied predominantly male samples. Thus, we do not know if the gap also exists in autistic females. We therefore looked at adaptive functioning and the gap between IQ and adaptive functioning in a large sample of autistic girls and boys without intellectual disability. To disentangle effects of group (autistic vs typically developing) from effects of sex (girls vs boys), we compared autistic girls and boys to one another as well as to their same-sex typically developing peers. Analyses took into consideration differences in IQ between autistic and typically developing youth. We found autistic girls, like autistic boys, show lower adaptive functioning than their same-sex typically developing peers. Results underscore the need to evaluate adaptive functioning in autistic individuals without intellectual disability and to provide necessary supports. The large gap between intellectual ability and socialization skills, in particular, may be of critical importance in improving our understanding of outcomes and mental health difficulties among autistic females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Goldie A McQuaid
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville VA, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Neuhaus E, Bernier RA, Webb SJ. Social Motivation Across Multiple Measures: Caregiver-Report of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:369-379. [PMID: 32929890 PMCID: PMC8954038 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Social motivation is a foundational construct with regard to the etiology, neurobiology, and phenotype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Multiple theories suggest that early emerging alterations to social motivation underlie a developmental cascade of social and communication deficits across the lifespan. Despite this significance, methods to measure social motivation vary widely, with little data to date as to how different measures might compare. In this study, we explore three existing caregiver-report measures that have been proposed to quantify social motivation among school-age children with ASD (n = 18; all male) and without ASD (n = 36; 50% female), with the broad goal of characterizing social motivation across measures and specific aims of investigating (a) diagnostic and sex differences in social motivation, (b) correspondence between measures, and (c) relationships between social motivation and broader social outcomes. Across all three measures, individuals with ASD had lower social motivation by caregiver-report. However, they did display individual differences in the degree of social motivation reported. There were no differences in social motivation between males and females without ASD on any of the three measures. For the full sample, measures of social motivation correlated with one another as anticipated, and stronger social motivation was associated with stronger social skills and fewer social difficulties. Our data suggest that social motivation among children with ASD may be best conceptualized as an individual difference that is diminished on average relative to peers but which varies among children and adolescents with ASD, rather than as an absolute absence or uniform deficit. LAY SUMMARY: Several theories suggest that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience less social motivation than their peers without ASD, contributing to difficulties in social skills. Based on multiple caregiver-report questionnaires, social motivation was reduced on average for school-age children with ASD but also varied among children with ASD. Stronger social motivation was related to stronger social skills and fewer social problems. Future work should include more girls with ASD, consider social motivation across age groups, and include first-hand perspectives from people with ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Neuhaus
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development
| | - Raphael A. Bernier
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development,University of Washington Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute; Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development,University of Washington Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Clawson A, Strang JF, Wallace GL, Gomez-Lobo V, Jack A, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA. Parent-Child Concordance on the Pubertal Development Scale in Typically Developing and Autistic Youth. Res Autism Spectr Disord 2020; 77:101610. [PMID: 32863862 PMCID: PMC7449027 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characterizing puberty in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical given the direct impacts of pubertal progression on neural, cognitive, and physical maturation. Limited information is available about the utility and parent-child concordance of the self-report and parent-report Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) in ASD, an economical and easily administered measure. METHOD The primary aim of this study was to examine the concordance between self-report and parent-report PDS ratings in autistic males and females ages 8-17y compared to typically developing (TD) youth, including using the PDS to derive informant-based estimates of adrenal and gonadal development. We hypothesized that there would be greater parent-youth discrepancies in pubertal ratings among autistic males. Our second aim was exploratory; we examined whether individual characteristics impact PDS concordance and hypothesized that lower intellectual and adaptive skills, higher autistic traits, and reduced self-awareness/monitoring would correlate with lower concordance. RESULTS There were no significant diagnostic group differences in parent-youth concordance for overall PDS scores among males and females. Autistic males had significantly lower inter-item agreement with their parents than TD males and had lower agreement for both adrenal and gonadal aspects of pubertal maturation (adrenal κ=.48; gonadal κ=.55). CONCLUSIONS The PDS is a feasible measure in ASD. Greater parent-youth discrepancies in autistic males may be due to reduced parental awareness or reduced insight into pubertal maturation among autistic males. Future research is needed to further elucidate individual and/or environmental characteristics that influence youth- and parent-reported PDS scores, including differences in self-perception and insight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann Clawson
- Department of Neuropsychology, Children’s National
Hospital
| | - John F. Strang
- Department of Neuropsychology, Children’s National
Hospital
| | - Gregory L. Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The
George Washington University
| | | | - Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Jones EJH, Goodwin A, Orekhova E, Charman T, Dawson G, Webb SJ, Johnson MH. Infant EEG theta modulation predicts childhood intelligence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11232. [PMID: 32641754 PMCID: PMC7343785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67687-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Intellectual functioning is a critical determinant of economic and personal productivity. Identifying early neural predictors of cognitive function in infancy will allow us to map the neurodevelopmental pathways that underpin individual differences in intellect. Here, in three different cohorts we investigate the association between a putative neurophysiological indicator of information encoding (change in frontal theta during a novel video) in infancy and later general cognitive outcome. In a discovery cohort of 12-month-old typically developing infants, we recorded EEG during presentation of dynamic movies of people and objects. Frontal theta power (3-6 Hz) significantly increased during the course of viewing each video. Critically, increase in frontal theta during viewing of a video was associated with a differential response to repetition of that specific video, confirming relation to learning. Further, individual differences in the magnitude of change in frontal theta power were related to concurrent nonverbal cognitive level. We then sought to extend this association in two independent samples enriched for variation in cognitive outcome due to the inclusion of infants at familial risk for autism. We observed similar patterns of theta EEG change at 12 months, and found a predictive relation to verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills measured at 2, 3 and 7 years of age. For the subset of high-risk infants later diagnosed with autism, infant theta EEG explained over 80% of the variance in nonverbal skills at age 3 years. We suggest that EEG theta change in infancy is an excellent candidate predictive biomarker that could yield substantial insight into the mechanisms that underlie individual differences in childhood intelligence, particularly in high risk populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - A Goodwin
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - E Orekhova
- MedTech West and the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academ, The University of Gothenburg, Kungsgatan 12, SE 411 19, Gothenburg, Sweden
- MEG Centre, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, 123290, Moscow, Russia
| | - T Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - G Dawson
- Duke Centre for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, 4584 White Zone, Duke South, Durham, 27705, NC, USA
| | - S J Webb
- Center On Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, 1701 NE Columbia Rd, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Washington, 2815 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA, 98102, USA
- Center On Child Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 2001 Eighth Ave, Suite 400, Seattle, WA, 98121, USA
| | - M H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Eilbott J, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Neural responsivity to social rewards in autistic female youth. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:178. [PMID: 32488083 PMCID: PMC7266816 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is hypothesized to be in part driven by a reduced sensitivity to the inherently rewarding nature of social stimuli. Previous neuroimaging studies have indicated that autistic males do indeed display reduced neural activity to social rewards, but it is unknown whether this finding extends to autistic females, particularly as behavioral evidence suggests that affected females may not exhibit the same reduction in social motivation as their male peers. We therefore used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine social reward processing during an instrumental implicit learning task in 154 children and adolescents (ages 8-17): 39 autistic girls, 43 autistic boys, 33 typically developing girls, and 39 typically developing boys. We found that autistic girls displayed increased activity to socially rewarding stimuli, including greater activity in the nucleus accumbens relative to autistic boys, as well as greater activity in lateral frontal cortices and the anterior insula compared with typically developing girls. These results demonstrate for the first time that autistic girls do not exhibit the same reduction in activity within social reward systems as autistic boys. Instead, autistic girls display increased neural activation to such stimuli in areas related to reward processing and salience detection. Our findings indicate that a reduced sensitivity to social rewards, as assessed with a rewarded instrumental implicit learning task, does not generalize to affected female youth and highlight the importance of studying potential sex differences in autism to improve our understanding of the condition and its heterogeneity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jeffrey Eilbott
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington D.C., USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Levin AR, Naples AJ, Scheffler AW, Webb SJ, Shic F, Sugar CA, Murias M, Bernier RA, Chawarska K, Dawson G, Faja S, Jeste S, Nelson CA, McPartland JC, Şentürk D. Day-to-Day Test-Retest Reliability of EEG Profiles in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 14:21. [PMID: 32425762 PMCID: PMC7204836 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomarker development is currently a high priority in neurodevelopmental disorder research. For many types of biomarkers (particularly biomarkers of diagnosis), reliability over short periods is critically important. In the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), resting electroencephalography (EEG) power spectral densities (PSD) are well-studied for their potential as biomarkers. Classically, such data have been decomposed into pre-specified frequency bands (e.g., delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma). Recent technical advances, such as the Fitting Oscillations and One-Over-F (FOOOF) algorithm, allow for targeted characterization of the features that naturally emerge within an EEG PSD, permitting a more detailed characterization of the frequency band-agnostic shape of each individual's EEG PSD. Here, using two resting EEGs collected a median of 6 days apart from 22 children with ASD and 25 typically developing (TD) controls during the Feasibility Visit of the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials, we estimate test-retest reliability based on the characterization of the PSD shape in two ways: (1) Using the FOOOF algorithm we estimate six parameters (offset, slope, number of peaks, and amplitude, center frequency and bandwidth of the largest alpha peak) that characterize the shape of the EEG PSD; and (2) using nonparametric functional data analyses, we decompose the shape of the EEG PSD into a reduced set of basis functions that characterize individual power spectrum shapes. We show that individuals exhibit idiosyncratic PSD signatures that are stable over recording sessions using both characterizations. Our data show that EEG activity from a brief 2-min recording provides an efficient window into characterizing brain activity at the single-subject level with desirable psychometric characteristics that persist across different analytical decomposition methods. This is a necessary step towards analytical validation of biomarkers based on the EEG PSD and provides insights into parameters of the PSD that offer short-term reliability (and thus promise as potential biomarkers of trait or diagnosis) vs. those that are more variable over the short term (and thus may index state or other rapidly dynamic measures of brain function). Future research should address the longer-term stability of the PSD, for purposes such as monitoring development or response to treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- April R. Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Adam J. Naples
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Aaron Wolfe Scheffler
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Catherine A. Sugar
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael Murias
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Raphael A. Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Katarzyna Chawarska
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Susan Faja
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Charles A. Nelson
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - James C. McPartland
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Damla Şentürk
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Bowman HC, Padgaonkar NT, Fuster E, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity of the Salience, Default Mode, and Central Executive Networks in Youth with ASD. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5107-5120. [PMID: 32350530 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [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: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with the altered functional connectivity of 3 neurocognitive networks that are hypothesized to be central to the symptomatology of ASD: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and central executive network (CEN). Due to the considerably higher prevalence of ASD in males, however, previous studies examining these networks in ASD have used primarily male samples. It is thus unknown how these networks may be differentially impacted among females with ASD compared to males with ASD, and how such differences may compare to those observed in neurotypical individuals. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the SN, DMN, and CEN in a large, well-matched sample of girls and boys with and without ASD (169 youth, ages 8-17). Girls with ASD displayed greater functional connectivity between the DMN and CEN than boys with ASD, whereas typically developing girls and boys differed in SN functional connectivity only. Together, these results demonstrate that youth with ASD exhibit altered sex differences in these networks relative to what is observed in typical development, and highlight the importance of considering sex-related biological factors and participant sex when characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hilary C Bowman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.,Dept. of Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
McPartland JC, Bernier RA, Jeste SS, Dawson G, Nelson CA, Chawarska K, Earl R, Faja S, Johnson SP, Sikich L, Brandt CA, Dziura JD, Rozenblit L, Hellemann G, Levin AR, Murias M, Naples AJ, Platt ML, Sabatos-DeVito M, Shic F, Senturk D, Sugar CA, Webb SJ. The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT): Scientific Context, Study Design, and Progress Toward Biomarker Qualification. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 14:16. [PMID: 32346363 PMCID: PMC7173348 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2020.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [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: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical research in neurodevelopmental disorders remains reliant upon clinician and caregiver measures. Limitations of these approaches indicate a need for objective, quantitative, and reliable biomarkers to advance clinical research. Extant research suggests the potential utility of multiple candidate biomarkers; however, effective application of these markers in trials requires additional understanding of replicability, individual differences, and intra-individual stability over time. The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) is a multi-site study designed to investigate a battery of electrophysiological (EEG) and eye-tracking (ET) indices as candidate biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study complements published biomarker research through: inclusion of large, deeply phenotyped cohorts of children with ASD and typical development; a longitudinal design; a focus on well-evidenced candidate biomarkers harmonized with an independent sample; high levels of clinical, regulatory, technical, and statistical rigor; adoption of a governance structure incorporating diverse expertise in the ASD biomarker discovery and qualification process; prioritization of open science, including creation of a repository containing biomarker, clinical, and genetic data; and use of economical and scalable technologies that are applicable in developmental populations and those with special needs. The ABC-CT approach has yielded encouraging results, with one measure accepted into the FDA’s Biomarker Qualification Program to date. Through these advances, the ABC-CT and other biomarker studies in progress hold promise to deliver novel tools to improve clinical trials research in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Shafali S Jeste
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Rachel Earl
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Susan Faja
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Scott P Johnson
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Linmarie Sikich
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | | | | | | | - Gerhard Hellemann
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - April R Levin
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Adam J Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Maura Sabatos-DeVito
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Damla Senturk
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Catherine A Sugar
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sara J Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Hernandez LM, Lawrence KE, Padgaonkar NT, Inada M, Hoekstra JN, Lowe JK, Eilbott J, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, McPartland JC, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Geschwind DH, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Imaging-genetics of sex differences in ASD: distinct effects of OXTR variants on brain connectivity. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:82. [PMID: 32127526 PMCID: PMC7054353 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0750-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [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: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is more prevalent in males than in females, but the neurobiological mechanisms that give rise to this sex-bias are poorly understood. The female protective hypothesis suggests that the manifestation of ASD in females requires higher cumulative genetic and environmental risk relative to males. Here, we test this hypothesis by assessing the additive impact of several ASD-associated OXTR variants on reward network resting-state functional connectivity in males and females with and without ASD, and explore how genotype, sex, and diagnosis relate to heterogeneity in neuroendophenotypes. Females with ASD who carried a greater number of ASD-associated risk alleles in the OXTR gene showed greater functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens (NAcc; hub of the reward network) and subcortical brain areas important for motor learning. Relative to males with ASD, females with ASD and higher OXTR risk-allele-dosage showed increased connectivity between the NAcc, subcortical regions, and prefrontal brain areas involved in mentalizing. This increased connectivity between NAcc and prefrontal cortex mirrored the relationship between genetic risk and brain connectivity observed in neurotypical males showing that, under increased OXTR genetic risk load, females with ASD and neurotypical males displayed increased connectivity between reward-related brain regions and prefrontal cortex. These results indicate that females with ASD differentially modulate the effects of increased genetic risk on brain connectivity relative to males with ASD, providing new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms through which the female protective effect may manifest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leanna M Hernandez
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Katherine E Lawrence
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - N Tanya Padgaonkar
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Marisa Inada
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jackson N Hoekstra
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer K Lowe
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jeffrey Eilbott
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Sabatos-DeVito M, Murias M, Dawson G, Howell T, Yuan A, Marsan S, Bernier RA, Brandt CA, Chawarska K, Dzuira JD, Faja S, Jeste SS, Naples A, Nelson CA, Shic F, Sugar CA, Webb SJ, McPartland JC. Methodological considerations in the use of Noldus EthoVision XT video tracking of children with autism in multi-site studies. Biol Psychol 2019; 146:107712. [PMID: 31163191 PMCID: PMC7334026 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) contribute to understanding of the role of genetics and the biological mechanisms underlying behavioral phenotypes and inform the development of potential treatments. Translational biomarkers are needed that can both validate these models and facilitate behavioral testing paradigms for ASD in humans. Automated video tracking of movement patterns and positions recorded from overhead cameras is routinely applied in behavioral paradigms designed to elicit core behavioral manifestations of ASD in rodent models. In humans, laboratory-based observations are a common semi-naturalistic context for assessing a variety of behaviors relevant to ASD such as social engagement, play, and attention. We present information learned and suggest guidelines for designing, recording, acquiring, and evaluating video tracking data of human movement patterns based on our experience in a multi-site video tracking study of children with ASD in the context of a parent-child, laboratory-based play interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maura Sabatos-DeVito
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Michael Murias
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Toni Howell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Yuan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Samuel Marsan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - James D Dzuira
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale Center for Analytical Sciences, Yale University, CT, USA
| | - Susan Faja
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shafali S Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frederick Shic
- University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute Center for Child Behavior, Health, and Development, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Catherine A Sugar
- Departments of Biostatistics, Statistics and Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute Center for Child Behavior, Health, and Development, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Neuhaus E, Bernier RA, Tham SW, Webb SJ. Gastrointestinal and Psychiatric Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:515. [PMID: 30405456 PMCID: PMC6204460 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at heightened risk of psychiatric comorbidities across the lifespan, including elevated rates of internalizing, externalizing, and self-injurious behaviors. Identification of medical comorbidities that contribute to these concerns may elucidate mechanisms through which psychiatric concerns arise, as well as offer additional avenues for intervention. Gastrointestinal (GI) conditions are of particular interest, as they are prevalent among those with ASD, may share genetic or neurobiological etiologies with the core features of ASD, and are linked with psychiatric difficulties in the general population. In this paper, we draw on data from nearly 2,800 children and adolescents with ASD within the Simons Simplex Collection to characterize the unique contributions of (1) autism symptoms, (2) psychosocial factors (child's age, sex, verbal and nonverbal IQ, adaptive behavior, race, and household income), and (3) GI concerns with respect to multiple psychiatric outcomes. Multiple regression models revealed unique contributions of ASD symptoms and multiple psychosocial factors such as verbal IQ, adaptive behavior, and family income to internalizing, externalizing, and self-injurious behavior. In general, higher levels of psychiatric symptoms were associated with more ASD symptoms, higher verbal IQ, lower adaptive behavior skills, and lower family income. Furthermore, levels of GI symptoms accounted for unique variance in psychiatric outcomes over and above these other factors, linking increased GI problems with increased psychiatric symptoms in children with ASD. Taken together, results indicate that the presence and quantity of GI symptoms should be considered when evaluating psychiatric and behavioral concerns among children with ASD, and that treatment of GI conditions may be an important component in alleviating a broad array of mental health concerns in this group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Neuhaus
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Autism Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Autism Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - See Wan Tham
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sara J Webb
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Chapman NH, Bernier RA, Webb SJ, Munson J, Blue EM, Chen DH, Heigham E, Raskind WH, Wijsman EM. Replication of a rare risk haplotype on 1p36.33 for autism spectrum disorder. Hum Genet 2018; 137:807-815. [PMID: 30276537 PMCID: PMC6309233 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-018-1939-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Hundreds of genes have been implicated in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). In genetically heterogeneous conditions, large families with multiple affected individuals provide strong evidence implicating a rare variant, and replication of the same variant in multiple families is unusual. We previously published linkage analyses and follow-up exome sequencing in seven large families with ASDs, implicating 14 rare exome variants. These included rs200195897, which was transmitted to four affected individuals in one family. We attempted replication of those variants in the MSSNG database. MSSNG is a unique resource for replication of ASD risk loci, containing whole genome sequence (WGS) on thousands of individuals diagnosed with ASDs and family members. For each exome variant, we obtained all carriers and their relatives in MSSNG, using a TDT test to quantify evidence for transmission and association. We replicated the transmission of rs200195897 to four affected individuals in three additional families. rs200195897 was also present in three singleton affected individuals, and no unaffected individuals other than transmitting parents. We identified two additional rare variants (rs566472488 and rs185038034) transmitted with rs200195897 on 1p36.33. Sanger sequencing confirmed the presence of these variants in the original family segregating rs200195897. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a rare haplotype being transmitted with ASD in multiple families. The candidate risk variants include a missense mutation in SAMD11, an intronic variant in NOC2L, and a regulatory region variant close to both genes. NOC2L is a transcription repressor, and several genes involved in transcription regulation have been previously associated with ASDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N H Chapman
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - R A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - S J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - J Munson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - E M Blue
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - D-H Chen
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - E Heigham
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - W H Raskind
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Ellen M Wijsman
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Bazelmans T, Jones EJH, Ghods S, Corrigan S, Toth K, Charman T, Webb SJ. Heart rate mean and variability as a biomarker for phenotypic variation in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2018; 12:39-52. [PMID: 30114343 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Interest in autonomic arousal in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing; however, reliability of these measures in ASD is unknown, and previously reported associations with social and cognitive abilities are inconsistent. This study assesses heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) in preschoolers with ASD or typical development (TD) while they passively watched naturalistic videos. Measurement reliability, group differences, and the relationship with social and cognitive abilities were evaluated. Seventy one ASD and 66 TD children (2-4 years) provided cardiac data from two sessions. Test-retest intraclass correlations of HR and HRV over a 3-week period were moderate to good in both groups. Groups did not differ in mean level of HR or HRV. Intra-individual variability of HR between video segments within a session was higher in the ASD group, but intraclass correlations of this metric were low. Higher HR related to better language skills in TD children, but not after accounting for age and nonverbal ability. Higher HRV related to better expressive and receptive language in ASD children after controlling for age and nonverbal ability. HR/HRV were not related to social or executive functioning skills and did not explain any additional variance in abilities at a 12-month follow-up visit. In summary, variation in language abilities is associated with HR in the TD group and HRV in the ASD group. While preliminary, these results are promising for consideration of autonomic control as a biomarker for individual differences in ASD and may help us understand the mechanisms that contribute to communication skills. Autism Research 2019, 12: 39-52. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Cardiac activity, such as heart rate and heart rate variability, is linked to a wide range of psychological functions. This study shows that there is an association between heart rate and heart rate variability and language skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These results may help us understand what underlies individual differences in developmental abilities in young children with ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tessel Bazelmans
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.,Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sheila Ghods
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Sarah Corrigan
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Karen Toth
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Tony Charman
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sara J Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
McBeath B, Godlewski BJ, Waid J, Kothari BH, Blakeslee J, Webb SJ, Colangelo FE, Bank L. Visualizing and Describing Foster Care Placement Pathways. J Public Child Welf 2018; 12:515-539. [PMID: 30740038 PMCID: PMC6368098 DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2017.1422844] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper introduces a flowchart-based methodology for describing the movement of foster youth in and out of placements of differing types and durations. This longitudinal methodology is designed to be sufficiently simple to appeal to policymakers and administrators seeking to chart the movement of groups of youth over time and the sequencing of their placements, and sufficiently descriptive to be of use to researchers seeking to predict the placement trajectories of subgroups of foster youth. The paper provides an example of the use of the method drawing upon state administrative data from a large study of preadolescent and adolescent youth in foster care situated in Oregon. Implications for the application of the methodology to different issues of interest to researchers, policymakers, and administrators are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bowen McBeath
- Portland State University
- Oregon Social Learning Center
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lew Bank
- Portland State University
- Oregon Social Learning Center
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Jones EJH, Dawson G, Webb SJ. Sensory hypersensitivity predicts enhanced attention capture by faces in the early development of ASD. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 29:11-20. [PMID: 28457745 PMCID: PMC5638681 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory sensitivity is prevalent among young children with ASD, but its relation to social communication impairment is unclear. Recently, increased sensory hypersensitivity has been linked to greater activity of the neural salience network (Green et al., 2016). Increased neural sensitivity to stimuli, especially social stimuli, could provide greater opportunity for social learning and improved outcomes. Consistent with this framework, in Experiment 1 we found that parent report of greater sensory hypersensitivity at 2 years in toddlers with ASD (N=27) was predictive of increased neural responsiveness to social stimuli (larger amplitude event-related potential/ERP responses to faces at P1, P400 and Nc) at 4 years, and this in turn was related to parent report of increased social approach at 4 years. In Experiment 2, parent report of increased perceptual sensitivity at 6 months in infants at low and high familial risk for ASD (N=35) predicted larger ERP P1 amplitude to faces at 18 months. Increased sensory hypersensitivity in early development thus predicted greater attention capture by faces in later development, and this related to more optimal social behavioral development. Sensory hypersensitivity may index a child's ability to benefit from supportive environments during development. Early sensory symptoms may not always be developmentally problematic for individuals with ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK.
| | - G Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States; Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC, United States
| | - S J Webb
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Center on Child Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Neuhaus E, Beauchaine TP, Bernier RA, Webb SJ. Child and family characteristics moderate agreement between caregiver and clinician report of autism symptoms. Autism Res 2017; 11:476-487. [PMID: 29251835 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [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: 03/06/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and age at first diagnosis vary considerably across the United States and are moderated by children's sex, race, ethnicity, and availability of services. We additionally suggest that degree of caregiver-clinician agreement on ASD symptoms may play a role in ASD assessment. Since gold standard ASD assessment integrates caregiver-reported developmental history with clinician observations, differential agreement between reporters across demographic groups may contribute to a host of detrimental outcomes. Here, we investigate whether caregiver-clinician agreement on ASD symptoms varies according to child and family characteristics. Comprehensive data from 2,759 families in the Simons Simplex Collection were analyzed. Linear models were created with caregiver reports predicting clinician reports, and moderating effects of child characteristics and family factors were examined. Poorer reporter correspondence was observed when children had higher IQ scores, stronger adaptive behavior, and more behavioral difficulties. Greater disagreement was also associated with African American racial status (for younger children), lower household income, and paternal social difficulties (for older children). Children's biological sex did not moderate caregiver-clinician agreement. Marked disagreement between caregivers and clinicians could lead to suboptimal or insufficient intervention services and negative experiences for families throughout development. Such families may also be less likely to qualify for research studies, and therefore be underrepresented in the ASD literature. Modified assessment procedures may be required to improve assessment accuracy and family experiences. Autism Res 2018, 11: 476-487. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY Evaluation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) incorporates both caregiver and clinician perspectives of symptoms, and disagreement between these perspectives could lead to poorer outcomes for families. Using data from 2,759 families, we show that caregiver-clinician agreement on ASD symptoms is poorer for children with higher cognitive and adaptive skills, more behavioral difficulties, lower household income, and African American racial status. These children may be at higher risk for misdiagnosis, poorer family experiences during evaluations, and poorer representation in ASD research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Neuhaus
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle, Washington
| | | | - Raphael A Bernier
- University of Washington, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sara J Webb
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle, Washington.,University of Washington, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seattle, Washington
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Navot N, Jorgenson AG, Webb SJ. Maternal experience raising girls with autism spectrum disorder: a qualitative study. Child Care Health Dev 2017; 43:536-545. [PMID: 28464352 PMCID: PMC5993544 DOI: 10.1111/cch.12470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing line of research has sought to characterize the different presentations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among boys and girls. Much less is known about maternal experience and mother-child relationship in children with ASD based on child gender. The present qualitative study aimed to investigate the mother-daughter relationship from the perspective of mothers who are raising girls with ASD with normal intelligence and functional verbal communication. METHODS Eleven in-depth interviews were conducted with mothers of girls with ASD, ages 10-19 years. Data were analysed in an interactive process commonly used in naturalistic inquiry. Results provide insight into the unique maternal experience of raising a daughter with ASD. RESULTS Mothers reported a sense of exclusion from the neurotypical population and male-dominant ASD population and transformation in relationship. Themes identified were skepticism and delayed diagnosis, disbelief from others, lack of information about girls with ASD, higher social demands in adolescence, puberty challenges around hygiene, disappointment about physical appearance, vulnerability in relationships and worries about future functioning. The mother-daughter relationship started with an early expectation of a close and intimate relationship that then underwent a transformation, which challenged maternal competence, reshaped expectations and created a different bond between mother and daughter. CONCLUSIONS The findings in this qualitative study highlight the impact of gender on the maternal experience of raising a daughter with ASD and contribute to a better understanding of the needs of both mothers and daughters. These results can help providers support the mother-daughter dyad by recognizing gender-specific challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Navot
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ziv Medical Center, Safed, Israel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - A G Jorgenson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - S J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a neurodevelopmental disorder, symptoms of ASD likely emerge from a complex interaction between preexisting genetic vulnerabilities and the child's environment. One way to understand causal paths to ASD is to identify dimensional ASD-related traits that vary in the general population and that predispose individuals with other risk factors toward ASD. Moving beyond behavioral traits to explore underlying neurocognitive processes may further constrain the underlying genetics. Endophenotypes are quantitative, heritable, trait-related differences that are generally assessed with laboratory-based methods, can be identified in the general population, and may be more closely tied to particular causal chains that have a more restricted set of genetic roots. The most fruitful endophenotypes may be those observed in infancy, prior to the emergence of behavioral symptoms that they are hypothesized to cause. Social motivation is an ASD-related trait that is highly heritable. In this study, we investigate whether infant endophenotypes of social attention relate to familial risk for lower social motivation in the general population. METHODS We examined whether infant social attention (measured using habituation, EEG power, and event-related potential tasks previously used in infants/toddlers with ASD) varies quantitatively with parental social motivation in 117 six-month-old and 106 twelve-month-old typically developing infants assessed cross-sectionally. To assess heritable aspects of social motivation, primary caregiver biological parents completed two self-report measures of social avoidance and discomfort that have shown high heritability in previous work. RESULTS Parents with higher social discomfort and avoidance had infants who showed shorter looks to faces but not objects; reduced theta power during naturalistic social attention; and smaller P400 responses to faces versus objects. CONCLUSIONS Early reductions in social attention are continuously related to lower parental social motivation. Alterations in social attention may be infant endophenotypes of social motivation traits related to ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily J.H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Kaitlin Venema
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Rachel K. Earl
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,Department of School Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Rachel Lowy
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,Center for Child Health, Behavior & Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Jones EJH, Venema K, Earl R, Lowy R, Barnes K, Estes A, Dawson G, Webb SJ. Reduced engagement with social stimuli in 6-month-old infants with later autism spectrum disorder: a longitudinal prospective study of infants at high familial risk. J Neurodev Disord 2016; 8:7. [PMID: 26981158 PMCID: PMC4791854 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-016-9139-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects more than 1 % of the population and close to 20 % of prospectively studied infants with an older sibling with ASD. Although significant progress has been made in characterizing the emergence of behavioral symptoms of ASD, far less is known about the underlying disruptions to early learning. Recent models suggest that core aspects of the causal path to ASD may only be apparent in early infancy. Here, we investigated social attention in 6- and 12-month-old infants who did and did not meet criteria for ASD at 24 months using both cognitive and electrophysiological methods. We hypothesized that a reduction in attention engagement to faces would be associated with later ASD. Methods In a prospective longitudinal design, we used measures of both visual attention (habituation) and brain function (event-related potentials to faces and objects) at 6 and 12 months and investigated the relationship to ASD outcome at 24 months. Results High-risk infants who met criteria for ASD at 24 months showed shorter epochs of visual attention, faster but less prolonged neural activation to faces, and delayed sensitization responses (increases in looking) to faces at 6 months; these differences were less apparent at 12 months. These findings are consistent with disrupted engagement of sustained attention to social stimuli. Conclusions These findings suggest that there may be fundamental early disruptions to attention engagement that may have cascading consequences for later social functioning. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11689-016-9139-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - K Venema
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - R Earl
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - R Lowy
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - K Barnes
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA USA
| | - A Estes
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - G Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - S J Webb
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ; Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder encompasses a range of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by early deficits in social communication in addition to restricted and repetitive behaviors. Symptoms are increasingly understood to be associated with abnormalities in the coordination of neuronal assemblies responsible for processing information essential for early adaptive behaviors. Pharmacologic treatments carry evidence for clinically significant benefit of multiple impairing symptoms of ASD, yet these benefits are limited and range across a broad spectrum of medication classes, making it difficult to characterize associated neurochemical impairments. Increasing prevalence of both ASD and its pharmacologic management calls for greater understanding of the neurophysiologic basis of the disorder. This paper reviews underlying alterations in local brain regions and coordination of brain activation patterns during both resting state and task-related processes. We propose that new pharmacologic treatments may focus on realigning trajectories of network specialization across development by working in combination with behavioral treatments to enhance social and emotional learning by bolstering the impact of experience-induced plasticity on neuronal network connectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Kodish
- University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, United States of America
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
McClintic AM, King BH, Webb SJ, Mourad PD. Mice exposed to diagnostic ultrasound in utero are less social and more active in social situations relative to controls. Autism Res 2013; 7:295-304. [PMID: 24249575 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Clinical use of diagnostic ultrasound imaging during pregnancy has a long history of safety and diagnostic utility, as supported by numerous human case reports and epidemiological studies. However, there exist in vivo studies linking large but clinically relevant doses of ultrasound applied to mouse fetuses in utero to altered learning, memory, and neuroanatomy of those mice. Also, there exists a well-documented significant increase in the likelihood of non-right-handedness in boys exposed to diagnostic ultrasound in utero, potentially relevant given the increased prevalence of autism in males, and reports of excess non-right-handedness in this population. Motivated by these observations, we applied 30 minutes of diagnostic ultrasound to pregnant mice at embryonic day 14.5 and assayed the social behavior of their male pups 3 weeks after their birth. The ultrasound-exposed pups were significantly (P < 0.01) less interested in social interaction than sham-exposed pups in a three-chamber sociability test. In addition, they demonstrated significantly (P < 0.05) more activity relative to the sham-exposed pups, but only in the presence of an unfamiliar mouse. These results suggest that fetal exposure to diagnostic ultrasound applied in utero can alter typical social behaviors in young mice that may be relevant for autism. There exist meaningful differences between the exposure of diagnostic ultrasound to mice versus humans that require further exploration before this work can usefully inform clinical practice. Future work should address these differences as well as clarify the extent, mechanisms, and functional effects of diagnostic ultrasound's interaction with the developing brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abbi M McClintic
- Department Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Abstract
Learning abstract rules is central to social and cognitive development. Across two experiments, we used Delayed Non-Matching to Sample tasks to characterize the longitudinal development and nature of rule-learning impairments in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Results showed that children with ASD consistently experienced more difficulty learning an abstract rule from a discrete physical reward than children with DD. Rule learning was facilitated by the provision of more concrete reinforcement, suggesting an underlying difficulty in forming conceptual connections. Learning abstract rules about social stimuli remained challenging through late childhood, indicating the importance of testing executive functions in both social and non-social contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E J H Jones
- Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Dawson G, Jones EJ, Merkle K, Venema K, Lowy R, Faja S, Kamara D, Murias M, Greenson J, Winter J, Smith M, Rogers SJ, Webb SJ. Early behavioral intervention is associated with normalized brain activity in young children with autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2012; 51:1150-9. [PMID: 23101741 PMCID: PMC3607427 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2012.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 351] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A previously published randomized clinical trial indicated that a developmental behavioral intervention, the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), resulted in gains in IQ, language, and adaptive behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder. This report describes a secondary outcome measurement from this trial, EEG activity. METHOD Forty-eight 18- to 30-month-old children with autism spectrum disorder were randomized to receive the ESDM or referral to community intervention for 2 years. After the intervention (age 48 to 77 months), EEG activity (event-related potentials and spectral power) was measured during the presentation of faces versus objects. Age-matched typical children were also assessed. RESULTS The ESDM group exhibited greater improvements in autism symptoms, IQ, language, and adaptive and social behaviors than the community intervention group. The ESDM group and typical children showed a shorter Nc latency and increased cortical activation (decreased α power and increased θ power) when viewing faces, whereas the community intervention group showed the opposite pattern (shorter latency event-related potential [ERP] and greater cortical activation when viewing objects). Greater cortical activation while viewing faces was associated with improved social behavior. CONCLUSIONS This was the first trial to demonstrate that early behavioral intervention is associated with normalized patterns of brain activity, which is associated with improvements in social behavior, in young children with autism spectrum disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Dawson
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Washington (UW), and Autism Speaks.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Fatemi SH, Aldinger KA, Ashwood P, Bauman ML, Blaha CD, Blatt GJ, Chauhan A, Chauhan V, Dager SR, Dickson PE, Estes AM, Goldowitz D, Heck DH, Kemper TL, King BH, Martin LA, Millen KJ, Mittleman G, Mosconi MW, Persico AM, Sweeney JA, Webb SJ, Welsh JP. Consensus paper: pathological role of the cerebellum in autism. Cerebellum 2012; 11:777-807. [PMID: 22370873 PMCID: PMC3677555 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-012-0355-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 444] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
There has been significant advancement in various aspects of scientific knowledge concerning the role of cerebellum in the etiopathogenesis of autism. In the current consensus paper, we will observe the diversity of opinions regarding the involvement of this important site in the pathology of autism. Recent emergent findings in literature related to cerebellar involvement in autism are discussed, including: cerebellar pathology, cerebellar imaging and symptom expression in autism, cerebellar genetics, cerebellar immune function, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, GABAergic and glutamatergic systems, cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and oxytocin-related changes in autism, motor control and cognitive deficits, cerebellar coordination of movements and cognition, gene-environment interactions, therapeutics in autism, and relevant animal models of autism. Points of consensus include presence of abnormal cerebellar anatomy, abnormal neurotransmitter systems, oxidative stress, cerebellar motor and cognitive deficits, and neuroinflammation in subjects with autism. Undefined areas or areas requiring further investigation include lack of treatment options for core symptoms of autism, vermal hypoplasia, and other vermal abnormalities as a consistent feature of autism, mechanisms underlying cerebellar contributions to cognition, and unknown mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Hossein Fatemi
- University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Chapman NH, Estes A, Munson J, Bernier R, Webb SJ, Rothstein JH, Minshew NJ, Dawson G, Schellenberg GD, Wijsman EM. Genome-scan for IQ discrepancy in autism: evidence for loci on chromosomes 10 and 16. Hum Genet 2011; 129:59-70. [PMID: 20963441 PMCID: PMC3082447 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-010-0899-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 08/26/2010] [Accepted: 09/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Performance IQ (PIQ) greater than verbal IQ (VIQ) is often observed in studies of the cognitive abilities of autistic individuals. This characteristic is correlated with social and communication impairments, key parts of the autism diagnosis. We present the first genetic analyses of IQ discrepancy (PIQ-VIQ) as an autism-related phenotype. We performed genome-wide joint linkage and segregation analyses on 287 multiplex families, using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. Genetic data included a genome-scan of 387 micro-satellite markers in 210 families augmented with additional markers added in a subset of families. Empirical P values were calculated for five interesting regions. Linkage analysis identified five chromosomal regions with substantial regional evidence of linkage; 10p12 [P = 0.001; genome-wide (gw) P = 0.05], 16q23 (P = .015; gw P = 0.53), 2p21 (P = 0.03, gw P = 0.78), 6q25 (P = 0.047, gw P = 0.91) and 15q23-25 (P = 0.053, gw P = 0.93). The location of the chromosome 10 linkage signal coincides with a region noted in a much earlier genome-scan for autism, and the chromosome 16 signal coincides exactly with a linkage signal for non-word repetition in specific language impairment. This study provides strong evidence for a QTL influencing IQ discrepancy in families with autistic individuals on chromosome 10, and suggestive evidence for a QTL on chromosome 16. The location of the chromosome 16 signal suggests a candidate gene, CDH13, a T-cadherin expressed in the brain, which has been implicated in previous SNP studies of autism and ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Annette Estes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jeff Munson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Nancy J. Minshew
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Autism Speaks, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gerard D. Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ellen M. Wijsman
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Statistical Genetics Lab, T15, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195-9460, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Webb SJ, Jones EJH, Merkle K, Murias M, Greenson J, Richards T, Aylward E, Dawson G. Response to familiar faces, newly familiar faces, and novel faces as assessed by ERPs is intact in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Int J Psychophysiol 2010; 77:106-17. [PMID: 20452382 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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: 04/24/2009] [Revised: 04/23/2010] [Accepted: 04/28/2010] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have pervasive impairments in social functioning, which may include problems with processing and remembering faces. In this study, we examined whether posterior ERP components associated with identity processing (P2, N250 and face-N400) and components associated with early-stage face processing (P1 and N170) are atypical in ASD. We collected ERP responses to a familiar repeated face (Familiar), an unfamiliar repeated face (Other) and novel faces (Novels) in 29 high-functioning adults with ASD and matched controls. For both groups, the P2 and N250 were sensitive to repetition (Other vs. Novels) and personal familiarity (Familiar vs. Other), and the face-N400 was sensitive to repetition. Adults with ASD did not show significantly atypical processing of facial familiarity and repetition in an ERP paradigm, despite showing significantly poorer performance than controls on a behavioral test of face memory. This study found no evidence that early-stage facial identity processing is a primary contributor to the face recognition deficit in high-functioning ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Webb
- University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Murias M, Webb SJ, Greenson J, Dawson G. Resting state cortical connectivity reflected in EEG coherence in individuals with autism. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 62:270-3. [PMID: 17336944 PMCID: PMC2001237 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 344] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [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] [Received: 07/26/2006] [Revised: 11/01/2006] [Accepted: 11/11/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Theoretical conceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and experimental studies of cerebral blood flow suggest abnormalities in connections among distributed neural systems in ASD. METHODS Functional connectivity was assessed with electroencephalographic coherence between pairs of electrodes in a high-density electrode array in narrow frequency bands among 18 adults with ASD and 18 control adults in an eyes closed resting state. RESULTS In the theta (3-6 Hz) frequency range, locally elevated coherence was evident for the ASD group, especially within left hemisphere frontal and temporal regions. In the lower alpha range (8-10 Hz), globally reduced coherence was evident for the ASD group within frontal regions and between frontal and all other scalp regions. The ASD group exhibited significantly greater relative power between 3 and 6 Hz and 13-17 Hz and significantly less relative power between 9 and 10 Hz. CONCLUSIONS Robust patterns of over- and under-connectivity are apparent at distinct spatial and temporal scales in ASD subjects in the eyes closed resting state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Murias
- University of Washington Autism Center, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
Autism involves a basic impairment in social cognition. This study investigated early stage face processing in young children with autism by examining the face-sensitive early negative event-related brain potential component in 3-4 year old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), typical development, and developmental delay. Results indicated that children with ASD showed a slower electrical brain response to faces and a larger amplitude response to objects compared to children with typical development and developmental delay. These findings indicate that children with ASD have a disordered pattern of brain responses to faces and objects at an early age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Webb
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Box 357920 CHDD, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
The goal of the current study was to assess general maturational changes in the ERP in the same sample of infants from 4 to 12 months of age. All participants were tested in two experimental manipulations at each age: a test of facial recognition and one of object recognition. Two sets of analyses were undertaken. First, growth curve modeling with mixed models was used to examine trajectories of development and possible differences in trajectories based on recognition memory (novel versus familiar) and/or stimulus-specific memory (face versus object recognition). Our results suggest that the Pb, Nc and Slow Wave components change significantly in terms of amplitude and latency over the first year of life. Pb amplitude showed a significant non-linear increase over time, whereas Pb latency showed a significant linear decrease over time with a plateau beginning at 10 months. Nc amplitude showed a significant linear decrease over time (i.e. a stronger negative value), whereas Nc latency showed a significant linear decrease over time, with a plateau beginning at 8 months. Second, to relate our findings to those reported in the literature, we examined the effects of memory and stimulus and their combination. Differences between recognition memory and stimulus specific memory were found in the responses to familiar and novel faces and objects for all three components, although the pattern differed across the five ages. These results have implications for future studies that involve the recording of the visual ERP, and point to the advantages of growth curve modeling in examining longitudinal data to account for non-linear development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Dawson G, Webb SJ, Carver L, Panagiotides H, McPartland J. Young children with autism show atypical brain responses to fearful versus neutral facial expressions of emotion. Dev Sci 2005; 7:340-59. [PMID: 15595374 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2004.00352.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [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] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that autism is associated with impaired emotion perception, but it is unknown how early such impairments are evident. Furthermore, most studies that have assessed emotion perception in children with autism have required verbal responses, making results difficult to interpret. This study utilized high-density event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate whether 3-4-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show differential brain activity to fear versus neutral facial expressions. It has been shown that normal infants as young as 7 months of age show differential brain responses to faces expressing different emotions. ERPs were recorded while children passively viewed photos of an unfamiliar woman posing a neutral and a prototypic fear expression. The sample consisted of 29 3-4-year-old children with ASD and 22 chronological age-matched children with typical development. Typically developing children exhibited a larger early negative component (N300) to the fear than to the neutral face. In contrast, children with ASD did not show the difference in amplitude of this early ERP component to the fear versus neutral face. For a later component, typically developing children exhibited a larger negative slow wave (NSW) to the fear than to the neutral face, whereas children with autism did not show a differential NSW to the two stimuli. In children with ASD, faster speed of early processing (i. e. N300 latency) of the fear face was associated with better performance on tasks assessing social attention (social orienting, joint attention and attention to distress). These data suggest that children with ASD, as young as 3 years of age, show a disordered pattern of neural responses to emotional stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Belmonte MK, Allen G, Beckel-Mitchener A, Boulanger LM, Carper RA, Webb SJ. Autism and abnormal development of brain connectivity. J Neurosci 2004; 24:9228-31. [PMID: 15496656 PMCID: PMC6730085 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3340-04.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 773] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2004] [Revised: 09/01/2004] [Accepted: 09/02/2004] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew K Belmonte
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2AH, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
McPartland J, Dawson G, Webb SJ, Panagiotides H, Carver LJ. Event-related brain potentials reveal anomalies in temporal processing of faces in autism spectrum disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2004; 45:1235-45. [PMID: 15335344 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00318.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [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] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism exhibit impairments in face recognition, and neuroimaging studies have shown that individuals with autism exhibit abnormal patterns of brain activity during face processing. The current study examined the temporal characteristics of face processing in autism and their relation to behavior. METHOD High-density event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded to images of faces, inverted faces, and objects from 9 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (15-42 years old) and 14 typical individuals (16-37 years old). RESULTS With respect to a face-sensitive ERP component (N170), individuals with autism exhibited longer N170 latencies to faces than typical individuals but comparable latencies to objects. Typical individuals exhibited longer N170 latencies to inverted as compared to upright faces, whereas individuals with autism did not show differences in N170 latency to upright versus inverted faces. Neural speed of face processing, as reflected in N170 latency, correlated with performance on a face recognition task for individuals with autism. CONCLUSIONS These data provide evidence for slowed neural speed of face processing in autism and highlight the role of speed of processing in face processing impairments in autism.
Collapse
|
47
|
McPartland J, Dawson G, Webb SJ, Panagiotides H, Carver LJ. Event-related brain potentials reveal anomalies in temporal processing of faces in autism spectrum disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2004. [PMID: 15335344 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469‐7610.2004.00318.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism exhibit impairments in face recognition, and neuroimaging studies have shown that individuals with autism exhibit abnormal patterns of brain activity during face processing. The current study examined the temporal characteristics of face processing in autism and their relation to behavior. METHOD High-density event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded to images of faces, inverted faces, and objects from 9 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (15-42 years old) and 14 typical individuals (16-37 years old). RESULTS With respect to a face-sensitive ERP component (N170), individuals with autism exhibited longer N170 latencies to faces than typical individuals but comparable latencies to objects. Typical individuals exhibited longer N170 latencies to inverted as compared to upright faces, whereas individuals with autism did not show differences in N170 latency to upright versus inverted faces. Neural speed of face processing, as reflected in N170 latency, correlated with performance on a face recognition task for individuals with autism. CONCLUSIONS These data provide evidence for slowed neural speed of face processing in autism and highlight the role of speed of processing in face processing impairments in autism.
Collapse
|
48
|
Stolarova M, Whitney H, Webb SJ, Regnier RA, Georgieff MK, Nelson CA. Electrophysiological Brain Responses of Six-Month-Old Low Risk Premature Infants. Infancy 2003. [DOI: 10.1207/s15327078in0403_07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
|
49
|
Dawson G, Carver L, Meltzoff AN, Panagiotides H, McPartland J, Webb SJ. Neural correlates of face and object recognition in young children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and typical development. Child Dev 2002; 73:700-17. [PMID: 12038546 PMCID: PMC3651041 DOI: 10.1111/1467-8624.00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study utilized electroencephalographic recordings to examine whether young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have impaired face recognition ability. High-density brain event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to photos of the child's mother's face versus an unfamiliar female face and photos of a favorite versus an unfamiliar toy from children with ASD, children with typical development, and children with developmental delay, all 3 to 4 years of age (N = 118). Typically developing children showed ERP amplitude differences in two components, P400 and Nc, to a familiar versus an unfamiliar face, and to a familiar versus an unfamiliar object. In contrast, children with ASD failed to show differences in ERPs to a familiar versus an unfamiliar face, but they did show P400 and Nc amplitude differences to a familiar versus an unfamiliar object. Developmentally delayed children showed significant ERP amplitude differences for the positive slow wave for both faces and objects. These data suggest that autism is associated with face recognition impairment that is manifest early in life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Dawson
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
This review focuses on the postnatal neuroanatomical changes that arise during the first years of human life. Development is characterized by 2 major organizational periods. The first period begins at conception and includes the major histogenetic events such as neurulation, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. It has been proposed that these events may be controlled by genetic and epigenetic events, which give rise to neural structures that are amenable to external influence. The second period is a time of reorganization in the human cortex. These events occur during gestation and continue postnatally, possibly through the 2nd decade of life. This stage is characterized by dendritic and axonal growth, synapse production, neuronal and synaptic pruning, and changes in neurotransmitter sensitivity. Although the initiation of these events is influenced by endogenous signals, further neural maturation is primarily influenced by exogenous signals. To illustrate both the progressive and regressive events during the postnatal period, we use examples from the development of the human cortex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S J Webb
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|