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Perdikaris P, Prouska P, Dermon CR. Social withdrawal and anxiety-like behavior have an impact on zebrafish adult neurogenesis. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1244075. [PMID: 37908201 PMCID: PMC10614005 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1244075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Accumulating evidence highlights the key role of adult neurogenesis events in environmental challenges, cognitive functions and mood regulation. Abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis has been implicated in anxiety-like behaviors and social impairments, but the possible mechanisms remain elusive. Methods The present study questioned the contribution of altered excitation/inhibition as well as excessive neuroinflammation in regulating the neurogenic processes within the Social Decision-Making (SDM) network, using an adult zebrafish model displaying NMDA receptor hypofunction after sub-chronic MK-801 administration. For this, the alterations in cell proliferation and newborn cell densities were evaluated using quantitative 5-Bromo-2'-Deoxyuridine (BrdU) methodology. Results In short-term survival experiments. MK-801-treated zebrafish displayed decreased cell proliferation pattern within distinct neurogenic zones of telencephalic and preoptic SDM nodes, in parallel to the social withdrawal and anxiety-like comorbidity. BrdU+ cells co-expressed the pro-inflammatory marker IL-1β solely in MK-801-treated zebrafish, indicating a role of inflammation. Following the cessation of drug treatment, significant increases in the BrdU+ cell densities were accompanied by the normalization of the social and anxiety-like phenotype. Importantly, most labeled cells in neurogenic zones showed a radial glial phenotype while a population of newborn cells expressed the early neuronal marker TOAD or mGLuR5, the latter suggesting the possible involvement of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 in neurogenic events. Discussion Overall, our results indicate the role of radial glial cell proliferation in the overlapping pathologies of anxiety and social disorders, observed in many neuropsychiatric disorders and possibly represent potential novel targets for amelioration of these symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Catherine R. Dermon
- Laboratory of Human and Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
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2
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Koceski A, Smith CJ, Syed YA, Trajkovski V. Understanding the Relationship between Distress Behaviour and Health Status of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11111565. [PMID: 37297706 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11111565] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with complex distress and challenging behaviours that have a negative impact on the everyday life of those with ASD, as well as their parents and carers. These challenging behaviours include negative emotional behaviours, motor behaviours, and changes in routines. Even though challenging behaviours occur in most subjects with ASD, the cause of these largely remains unknown. It has been implicated that these challenging behaviours are associated with a change in the health of those with ASD. More research needs to be conducted that can establish a direct association. Towards this goal, the present study aimed to explore whether health status had an impact on the distressing behaviour in the subjects diagnosed with ASD. We analysed the response from the parents/carers in a Macedonian population of those with ASD, to determine which challenging behaviours were most likely to be observed during a change in health. Based on a scoring system, the manifestation of challenging behaviour was evaluated and compared with the changes in health. Changes in appetite or dietary preferences, irritability and low mood, and loss of previously acquired skills had the greatest association with a change in health. These findings provide early insight into types of challenging behaviours that are directly associated with a change in health. Our results demonstrate a relationship between health status and challenging behaviour in the subject with autism, suggesting that caregivers may need to consider this when choosing strategies for managing challenging behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Koceski
- Primary School "Blaze Koneski", 7500 Prilep, North Macedonia
| | - Callum J Smith
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
- School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave., Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Yasir Ahmed Syed
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
- School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave., Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Vladimir Trajkovski
- Macedonian Scientific Society for Autism, Institute of Special Education and Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Philosophy, University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius", 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
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Perdikaris P, Dermon CR. Altered GABAergic, glutamatergic and endocannabinoid signaling is accompanied by neuroinflammatory response in a zebrafish model of social withdrawal behavior. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1120993. [PMID: 37284463 PMCID: PMC10239971 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1120993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Deficits in social communication are in the core of clinical symptoms characterizing many neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. The occurrence of anxiety-related behavior, a common co-morbid condition in individuals with impairments in social domain, suggests the presence of overlapping neurobiological mechanisms between these two pathologies. Dysregulated excitation/inhibition balance and excessive neuroinflammation, in specific neural circuits, are proposed as common etiological mechanisms implicated in both pathologies. Methods and Results In the present study we evaluated changes in glutamatergic/GABAergic neurotransmission as well as the presence of neuroinflammation within the regions of the Social Decision-Making Network (SDMN) using a zebrafish model of NMDA receptor hypofunction, following sub-chronic MK-801 administration. MK-801-treated zebrafish are characterized by impaired social communication together with increased anxiety levels. At the molecular level, the behavioral phenotype was accompanied by increased mGluR5 and GAD67 but decreased PSD-95 protein expression levels in telencephalon and midbrain. In parallel, MK-801-treated zebrafish exhibited altered endocannabinoid signaling as indicated by the upregulation of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) in the telencephalon. Interestingly, glutamatergic dysfunction was positively correlated with social withdrawal behavior whereas defective GABAergic and endocannabinoid activity were positively associated with anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, neuronal and astrocytic IL-1β expression was increased in regions of the SDMN, supporting the role of neuroinflammatory responses in the manifestation of MK-801 behavioral phenotype. Colocalization of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) with β2-adrenergic receptors (β2-ARs) underlies the possible influence of noradrenergic neurotransmission to increased IL-1β expression in comorbidity between social deficits and elevated anxiety comorbidity. Discussion Overall, our results indicate the contribution of altered excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission as well as excessive neuroinflammatory responses in the manifestation of social deficits and anxiety-like behavior of MK-801-treated fish, identifying possible novel targets for amelioration of these symptoms.
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Wei J, Zheng H, Li G, Chen Z, Fang G, Yan J. Involvement of oxytocin receptor deficiency in psychiatric disorders and behavioral abnormalities. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1164796. [PMID: 37153633 PMCID: PMC10159063 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1164796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin and its target receptor (oxytocin receptor, OXTR) exert important roles in the regulation of complex social behaviors and cognition. The oxytocin/OXTR system in the brain could activate and transduce several intracellular signaling pathways to affect neuronal functions or responses and then mediate physiological activities. The persistence and outcome of the oxytocin activity in the brain are closely linked to the regulation, state, and expression of OXTR. Increasing evidence has shown that genetic variations, epigenetic modification states, and the expression of OXTR have been implicated in psychiatric disorders characterized by social deficits, especially in autism. Among these variations and modifications, OXTR gene methylation and polymorphism have been found in many patients with psychiatric disorders and have been considered to be associated with those psychiatric disorders, behavioral abnormalities, and individual differences in response to social stimuli or others. Given the significance of these new findings, in this review, we focus on the progress of OXTR's functions, intrinsic mechanisms, and its correlations with psychiatric disorders or deficits in behaviors. We hope that this review can provide a deep insight into the study of OXTR-involved psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbao Wei
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Ningde Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Ningde Normal University, Ningde, Fujian, China
| | - Huanrui Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Guokai Li
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Zichun Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Ningde Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Ningde Normal University, Ningde, Fujian, China
| | - Gengjing Fang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Technical Evaluation of Fertility Regulation for Non-human Primate (Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital), Fuzhou, Fujia, China
- Gengjing Fang
| | - Jianying Yan
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Women and Children's Critical Diseases Research, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Obstetrics, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- *Correspondence: Jianying Yan
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Huang X, Li Y, Liu H, Xu J, Tan Z, Dong H, Tian B, Wu S, Wang W. Activation of basolateral amygdala to anterior cingulate cortex circuit alleviates MK-801 induced social and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1070015. [PMID: 36619672 PMCID: PMC9813383 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1070015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with a high prevalence worldwide, however, its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Methods and results In this study, we used the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 to induce schizophrenia-like behaviors and confirmed that mice exhibited stereotypic rotational behavior and hyperlocomotion, social interaction defects and cognitive dysfunction, similar to the clinical symptoms in patients. Here, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) were involved in the schizophrenia-like behaviors induced by MK-801. Furthermore, we confirmed BLA sent glutamatergic projection to the ACC. Chemogenetic and optogenetic regulation of BLA-ACC projecting neurons affected social and cognitive deficits but not stereotypic rotational behavior in MK-801-treated mice. Discussion Overall, our study revealed that the BLA-ACC circuit plays a major role and may be a potential target for treating schizophrenia-related symptoms.
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Cao W, Li JH, Lin S, Xia QQ, Du YL, Yang Q, Ye YZ, Zeng LH, Li XY, Xu J, Luo JH. NMDA receptor hypofunction underlies deficits in parvalbumin interneurons and social behavior in neuroligin 3 R451C knockin mice. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111771. [PMID: 36476879 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroligins (NLs), a family of postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules, have been associated with autism spectrum disorder. We have reported that dysfunction of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) leads to social deficits in an NL3 R451C knockin (KI) mouse model of autism. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we find that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function and parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneuron number and expression are reduced in the mPFC of the KI mice. Selective knockdown of NMDAR subunit GluN1 in the mPFC PV+ interneuron decreases its intrinsic excitability. Restoring NMDAR function by its partial agonist D-cycloserine rescues the PV+ interneuron dysfunction and social deficits in the KI mice. Interestingly, early D-cycloserine administration at adolescence prevents adult KI mice from social deficits. Together, our results suggest that NMDAR hypofunction and the resultant PV+ interneuron dysfunction in the mPFC may constitute a central node in the pathogenesis of social deficits in the KI mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cao
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Hui Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shen Lin
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang-Qiang Xia
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Lan Du
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying-Zhi Ye
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Hui Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiang-Yao Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junyu Xu
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Department of Rehabilitation of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Jian-Hong Luo
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China.
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Zhao T, Shi Z, Ling N, Qin J, Zhou Q, Wu L, Wang Y, Lin C, Ma D, Song X. Sevoflurane Ameliorates Schizophrenia in a Mouse Model and Patients: A Pre-Clinical and Clinical Feasibility Study. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:2369-2380. [PMID: 35272593 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220310115846] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND GABAergic deficits have been considered to be associated with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and hence, GABA receptors subtype A (GABAARs) modulators, such as commonly used volatile anesthetic sevoflurane, may have therapeutic values for schizophrenia. The present study investigates the therapeutic effectiveness of low-concentration sevoflurane in MK801-induced schizophrenia-like mice and schizophrenia patients. METHODS Three weeks after MK801 administration (0.5 mg kg-1, i.p. twice a day for 5 days), mice were exposed to 1% sevoflurane 1hr/day for 5 days. Behavioral tests, immunohistochemical analysis, western blot assay, and electrophysiology assessments were performed 1-week post-exposure. Ten schizophrenia patients received 1% sevoflurane 5 hrs per day for 6 days and were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS-18) at week 1 and week 2. RESULTS MK801 induced hypolocomotion and social deficits, downregulated expression of NMDARs subunits and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), reduced parvalbumin - and GAD67-positive neurons, altered amplitude and frequency of mEPSCs and mIPSCs, and increased the excitation/inhibition ratio. All these changes induced by MK-801 were attenuated by sevoflurane administration. Six and eight patients achieved a response defined as a reduction of at least 30% in the PANSS total score at 1st and 2nd week after treatments. The BPRS-18 total score was found to be significantly decreased by 38% at the 2nd week (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION Low-concentration sevoflurane effectively reversed MK801-induced schizophrenialike disease in mice and alleviated schizophrenia patients' symptoms. Our work suggests sevoflurane to be a valuable therapeutic strategy for treating schizophrenia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyun Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziwen Shi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nongxi Ling
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People\'s Hospital of Xinhui District, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingwen Qin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Quancai Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People\'s Hospital of Xinhui District, Guangdong, China
| | - Lingzhi Wu
- Division of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine & Intensive Care, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
| | - Yuansheng Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Affiliated Jiangmen Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong, China
| | - Chuansong Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, The Third People\'s Hospital of Xinhui District, Guangdong, China
| | - Daqing Ma
- Division of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine & Intensive Care, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK
| | - Xingrong Song
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Hazani R, Lavidor M, Weller A. Treatments for Social Interaction Impairment in Animal Models of Schizophrenia: A Critical Review and Meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull 2022; 48:1179-1193. [PMID: 35925025 PMCID: PMC9673263 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While pharmacological treatments for positive symptoms of schizophrenia are widely used, their beneficial effect on negative symptoms, particularly social impairment, is insufficiently studied. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in preclinical research of potentially beneficial treatments, with mixed results. The current review aims to evaluate the efficacy of available treatments for social deficits in different animal models of schizophrenia. STUDY DESIGN A systematic literature search generated 145 outcomes for the measures "total time" and "number" of social interactions. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated, and heterogeneity was tested using Q statistics in a random-effect meta-analytic model. Given the vast heterogeneity in effect sizes, the animal model, treatment group, and sample size were all examined as potential moderators. STUDY RESULTS The results showed that in almost all models, treatment significantly improved social deficit (total time: SMD = 1.24; number: SMD = 1.1). The moderator analyses discovered significant subgroup differences across models and treatment subgroups. Perinatal and adult pharmacological models showed the most substantial influence of treatments on social deficits, reflecting relative pharmacological validity. Furthermore, atypical antipsychotic drugs had the highest SMD within each model subgroup. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that the improvement in social interaction behaviors is dependent on the animal model and treatment family used. Implications for the preclinical and clinical fields are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reut Hazani
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel; tel: 972-3-531-8548, fax: 972-3-738-4173, e-mail:
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Psychology Department and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Aron Weller
- Psychology Department and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Eissa N, Venkatachalam K, Jayaprakash P, Yuvaraju P, Falkenstein M, Stark H, Sadek B. Experimental Studies Indicate That ST-2223, the Antagonist of Histamine H3 and Dopamine D2/D3 Receptors, Restores Social Deficits and Neurotransmission Dysregulation in Mouse Model of Autism. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15. [PMID: 36015079 DOI: 10.3390/ph15080929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered regulation of neurotransmitters may lead to many pathophysiological changes in brain disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given the fact that there are no FDA-approved effective treatments for the social deficits in ASD, the present study determined the effects of chronic systemic treatment of the novel multiple-active H3R/D2R/D3R receptor antagonist ST-2223 on ASD-related social deficits in a male Black and Tan Brachyury (BTBR) mice. ST-2223 (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly and dose-dependently mitigated social deficits and disturbed anxiety levels of BTBR mice (p < 0.05) in comparison to the effects of aripiprazole (1 mg/kg, i.p.). Moreover, levels of monoaminergic neurotransmitters quantified by LC-MS/MS in four brain regions including the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, striatum, and hippocampus unveiled significant elevation of histamine (HA) in the cerebellum and striatum; dopamine (DA) in the prefrontal cortex and striatum; as well as acetylcholine (ACh) in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus following ST-2223 (5 mg/kg) administration (all p < 0.05). These in vivo findings demonstrate the mitigating effects of a multiple-active H3R/D2R/D3R antagonist on social deficits of assessed BTBR mice, signifying its pharmacological potential to rescue core ASD-related behaviors and altered monoaminergic neurotransmitters. Further studies on neurochemical alterations in ASD are crucial to elucidate the early neurodevelopmental variations behind the core symptoms and heterogeneity of ASD, leading to new approaches for the future therapeutic management of ASD.
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Huang S, Zeng J, Sun R, Yu H, Zhang H, Su X, Yao P. Prenatal Progestin Exposure-Mediated Oxytocin Suppression Contributes to Social Deficits in Mouse Offspring. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:840398. [PMID: 35370982 PMCID: PMC8964973 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.840398] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown that maternal hormone exposure is associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The hormone oxytocin (OXT) is a central nervous neuropeptide that plays an important role in social behaviors as well as ASD etiology, although the detailed mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential role and contribution of OXT to prenatal progestin exposure-mediated mouse offspring. Our in vitro study in the hypothalamic neurons that isolated from paraventricular nuclei area of mice showed that transient progestin exposure causes persistent epigenetic changes on the OXT promoter, resulting in dissociation of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) and retinoic acid-related orphan receptor α (RORA) from the OXT promoter with subsequent persistent OXT suppression. Our in vivo study showed that prenatal exposure of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) triggers social deficits in mouse offspring; prenatal OXT deficiency in OXT knockdown mouse partly mimics, while postnatal ERβ expression or postnatal OXT peptide injection partly ameliorates, prenatal MPA exposure-mediated social deficits, which include impaired social interaction and social abilities. On the other hand, OXT had no effect on prenatal MPA exposure-mediated anxiety-like behaviors. We conclude that prenatal MPA exposure-mediated oxytocin suppression contributes to social deficits in mouse offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saijun Huang
- Department of Child Healthcare, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The Second School of Clinical Medicine of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
| | - Jiaying Zeng
- Department of Child Healthcare, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The Second School of Clinical Medicine of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
| | - Ruoyu Sun
- Department of Child Healthcare, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The Second School of Clinical Medicine of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Department of Child Healthcare, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The Second School of Clinical Medicine of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
| | - Haimou Zhang
- State Key Lab of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Su
- Department of Child Healthcare, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The Second School of Clinical Medicine of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
- *Correspondence: Xi Su, ; Paul Yao,
| | - Paul Yao
- Department of Child Healthcare, Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The Second School of Clinical Medicine of Southern Medical University, Foshan, China
- *Correspondence: Xi Su, ; Paul Yao,
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11
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Sabe M, Zhao N, Crippa A, Strauss GP, Kaiser S. Intranasal Oxytocin for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:601-614. [PMID: 33890987 PMCID: PMC8378078 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative symptoms are a core aspect of psychopathology in schizophrenia. Currently available pharmacological agents have proven minimally efficacious for remediating negative symptoms. A promising treatment avenue is the intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin. However, there have been inconsistencies in effects of oxytocin on negative symptoms throughout the literature, and factors leading to inconsistent effects are unclear. METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to compare the effectiveness of oxytocin with placebo for the treatment of negative symptoms and determine moderators of treatment effect. Random effects meta-analyses and dose-response meta-analysis were performed on mean changes in negative symptoms. RESULTS In an initial analysis of all 9 identified randomized clinical trials, intranasal oxytocin showed no significant effect on negative symptoms. For higher doses (>40-80 IU), a beneficial effect on negative symptoms was found with a moderate effect size, but this effect disappeared after exclusion of 1 outlier study. The dose-response meta-analysis predicted that higher doses of oxytocin may be more efficacious for negative symptoms. For positive symptoms, no beneficial effect of oxytocin was found in the main meta-analysis, but the dose-response meta-analysis suggested a potential advantage of higher doses. CONCLUSIONS The present results show no consistent beneficial effect of intranasal oxytocin for the treatment of negative and positive symptoms. The dose-response meta-analysis does not allow drawing any firm conclusions but suggests that high doses of intranasal oxytocin may be more efficacious. If future studies are conducted, an effort to reach adequate CNS concentrations for a sufficient duration is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Sabe
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nan Zhao
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alessio Crippa
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm,Sweden
| | - Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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12
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Webster PJ, Wang S, Li X. Review: Posed vs. Genuine Facial Emotion Recognition and Expression in Autism and Implications for Intervention. Front Psychol 2021; 12:653112. [PMID: 34305720 PMCID: PMC8300960 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.653112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Different styles of social interaction are one of the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social differences among individuals with ASD often include difficulty in discerning the emotions of neurotypical people based on their facial expressions. This review first covers the rich body of literature studying differences in facial emotion recognition (FER) in those with ASD, including behavioral studies and neurological findings. In particular, we highlight subtle emotion recognition and various factors related to inconsistent findings in behavioral studies of FER in ASD. Then, we discuss the dual problem of FER – namely facial emotion expression (FEE) or the production of facial expressions of emotion. Despite being less studied, social interaction involves both the ability to recognize emotions and to produce appropriate facial expressions. How others perceive facial expressions of emotion in those with ASD has remained an under-researched area. Finally, we propose a method for teaching FER [FER teaching hierarchy (FERTH)] based on recent research investigating FER in ASD, considering the use of posed vs. genuine emotions and static vs. dynamic stimuli. We also propose two possible teaching approaches: (1) a standard method of teaching progressively from simple drawings and cartoon characters to more complex audio-visual video clips of genuine human expressions of emotion with context clues or (2) teaching in a field of images that includes posed and genuine emotions to improve generalizability before progressing to more complex audio-visual stimuli. Lastly, we advocate for autism interventionists to use FER stimuli developed primarily for research purposes to facilitate the incorporation of well-controlled stimuli to teach FER and bridge the gap between intervention and research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula J Webster
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Xin Li
- Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
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13
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Quiñones-Camacho LE, Fishburn FA, Belardi K, Williams DL, Huppert TJ, Perlman SB. Dysfunction in interpersonal neural synchronization as a mechanism for social impairment in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:1585-1596. [PMID: 33847461 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been linked to atypical activation of the mentalizing network. This work, however, has been limited by a focus on the brain activity of a single person during computerized social tasks rather than exploring brain activity during in vivo interactions. The current study assessed neural synchronization during a conversation as a mechanism for social impairment in adults with ASD (n = 24) and matched controls (n = 26). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data were collected from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and tempoparietal junction (TPJ). Participants self-reported on their social communication and videos of the interaction were coded for utterances and conversational turns. As expected, controls showed more neural synchrony than participants with ASD in the TPJ. Also as expected, controls showed less social communication impairment than participants with ASD. However, participants with ASD did not have fewer utterances compared with control subjects. Overall, less neural synchrony in the TPJ was associated with higher social impairment and marginally fewer utterances. Our findings advance our understanding of social difficulties in ASD by linking them to decreased neural synchronization of the TPJ. LAY SUMMARY: The coordination of brain responses is important for efficient social interactions. The current study explored the coordination of brain responses in neurotypical adults and adults with ASD to investigate if difficulties in social interactions are related to difficulties coordinating brain responses in ASD. We found that participants with ASD had more difficulties coordinating brain responses during a conversation with an interacting partner. Additionally, we found that the level of coordination in brain responses was linked to problems with social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Frank A Fishburn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Katherine Belardi
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Diane L Williams
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Theodore J Huppert
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Susan B Perlman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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14
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Yao S, Becker B, Kendrick KM. Reduced Inter-hemispheric Resting State Functional Connectivity and Its Association With Social Deficits in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:629870. [PMID: 33746796 PMCID: PMC7969641 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.629870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [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: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early onset developmental disorder which persists throughout life and is increasing in prevalence over the last few decades. Given its early onset and variable cognitive and emotional functional impairments, it is generally challenging to assess ASD individuals using task-based behavioral and functional MRI paradigms. Consequently, resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) has become a key approach for examining ASD-associated neural alterations and revealed functional alterations in large-scale brain networks relative to typically developing (TD) individuals, particularly those involved in social-cognitive and affective processes. Recent progress suggests that alterations in inter-hemispheric resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between regions in the 2 brain hemispheres, particularly homotopic ones, may be of great importance. Here we have reviewed neuroimaging studies examining inter-hemispheric rsFC abnormities in ASD and its associations with symptom severity. As an index of inter-hemispheric functional connectivity, we have additionally reviewed previous studies on corpus callosum (CC) volumetric and fiber changes in ASD. There are converging findings on reduced inter-hemispheric (including homotopic) rsFC in large-scale brain networks particularly in posterior hubs of the default mode network, reduced volumes in the anterior and posterior CC, and on decreased FA and increased MD or RD across CC subregions. Associations between the strength of inter-hemispheric rsFC and social impairments in ASD together with their classification performance in distinguishing ASD subjects from TD controls across ages suggest that the strength of inter-hemispheric rsFC may be a more promising biomarker for assisting in ASD diagnosis than abnormalities in either brain wide rsFC or brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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15
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Uljarević M, Billingham W, Cooper MN, Condron P, Hardan AY. Examining Effectiveness and Predictors of Treatment Response of Pivotal Response Treatment in Autism: An Umbrella Review and a Meta-Analysis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:766150. [PMID: 35153850 PMCID: PMC8830537 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.766150] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study aimed to provide a comprehensive appraisal of the current evidence on the effectiveness of Pivotal Response Training (PRT) for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to explore predictors of treatment response. We conducted a systematic review of the following electronic databases and registers: PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ERIC, Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts. Six systematic reviews were identified, two with meta-analytic component. Identified reviews varied widely in terms of their aims, outcomes, and designs which precluded a unified and consistent set of conclusions and recommendations. Ten RCTs were identified. Eight of identified RCTs reported at least one language and communication-related outcome. Statistically significant effects of PRT were identified across a majority of identified RCTs for a range of language and communication skills. However, evidence for positive treatment effects of PRT on outcome measures assessing other domains was less robust and/or specific. Overall, both previous systematic reviews and new meta-analysis of the RCTs suggest that PRT shows promise for improving language and communication. Only four RCTs examined the association between baseline child characteristics and treatment outcomes, however, no consistent pattern emerged. This review has identified several key methodological and design improvements that are needed to enable our field to fully capitalize on the potential of RCT designs and characterize detailed profiles of treatment responders. These findings are essential for informing the development of evidence-based guidelines for clinicians on what works for whom and why.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Uljarević
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,La Trobe University, Bundora, VIC, Australia
| | - Wesley Billingham
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew N Cooper
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Patrick Condron
- University Library, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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16
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Chen Y, Fang H, Li C, Wu G, Xu T, Yang X, Zhao L, Ke X, Zhang C. Gut Bacteria Shared by Children and Their Mothers Associate with Developmental Level and Social Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder. mSphere 2020; 5:e01044-20. [PMID: 33268567 DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.01044-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota may contribute to the pathogenesis and development of autism spectrum disorder. The maternal gut microbiota influences offspring gut microbial structure and composition. The gut microbiota of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children differs from that of children without ASD. The maternal gut microbiota impacts offspring gut microbiota. However, the relationship between the development of ASD and gut bacteria shared between children and their mothers remains elusive. Our study recruited 76 children with ASD and 47 age- and gender-matched children with typical development (TD), as well as the mothers of both groups, and investigated their gut microbiota using amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). The gut microbiota of ASD children was altered compared with that of children with TD, while no significant alterations were found in their mothers. We established 30 gut bacterial coabundance groups (CAGs) and found the relative abundances of CAG15 and CAG16 significantly decreased in ASD children. CAG15 showed a positive correlation with developmental level. The proportion of ASD children who shared either one of the two Lachnospiraceae ASVs from CAG15 with their mothers was significantly lower than that of children with TD. Moreover, we found that CAG12, CAG13, and CAG18 negatively correlated with the severity of social deficits in ASD children. ASD children who shared any one of the four (two Ruminococcaceae, one Lachnospiraceae, and one Collinsella) ASVs in CAG13 and CAG18 with their mothers showed a lower level of social deficits than ASD children that did not share those with their mothers. These data demonstrate that these shared gut bacteria in ASD children are associated with their developmental level and social deficits. This work provides a new direction toward understanding the role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis and development of ASD. (This study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under number ChiCTR-RPC-16008139.) IMPORTANCE Gut microbiota may contribute to the pathogenesis and development of autism spectrum disorder. The maternal gut microbiota influences offspring gut microbial structure and composition. However, the relationship between the clinical symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and the gut bacteria shared between children and their mothers is not yet known. In our study, the gut microbiota of children with autism spectrum disorder differed from that of children with typical development, but there were no differences in the gut microbiota of their mothers. More importantly, gut bacteria shared between children with autism spectrum disorder and their mothers were related to developmental disabilities and social deficits. Thus, our study suggests that these shared gut bacteria may play an important role in the development of autism spectrum disorder. This provides a new direction for future studies aiming to explore the role of the gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorder.
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17
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Arakawa H. From Multisensory Assessment to Functional Interpretation of Social Behavioral Phenotype in Transgenic Mouse Models for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:592408. [PMID: 33329141 PMCID: PMC7717939 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.592408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common heterogeneous disorder, defined solely by the core behavioral characteristics, including impaired social interaction and restricted and repeated behavior. Although an increasing number of studies have been performed extensively, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the core symptoms of ASD remain largely unknown. Transgenic mouse models provide a useful tool for evaluating genetic and neuronal mechanisms underlying ASD pathology, which are prerequisites for validating behavioral phenotypes that mimic the core symptoms of human ASD. The purpose of this review is to propose a better strategy for analyzing and interpreting social investigatory behaviors in transgenic mouse models of ASD. Mice are nocturnal, and employ multimodal processing mechanisms for social communicative behaviors, including those that involve olfactory and tactile senses. Most behavioral paradigms that have been developed for measuring a particular ASD-like behavior in mouse models, such as social recognition, preference, and discrimination tests, are based on the evaluation of distance-based investigatory behavior in response to social stimuli. This investigatory behavior in mice is regulated by multimodal processing involving with two different motives: first, an olfactory-based novelty assessment, and second, tactile-based social contact, in a temporally sequential manner. Accurate interpretation of investigatory behavior exhibited by test mice can be achieved by functional analysis of these multimodal, sequential behaviors, which will lead to a better understanding of the specific features of social deficits associated with ASD in transgenic mouse models, at high temporal and spatial resolutions.
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18
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Talbot CF, Garner JP, Maness AC, McCowan B, Capitanio JP, Parker KJ. A Psychometrically Robust Screening Tool To Rapidly Identify Socially Impaired Monkeys In The General Population. Autism Res 2020; 13:1465-1475. [PMID: 32677285 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Naturally low-social rhesus macaques exhibit social impairments with direct relevance to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To more efficiently identify low-social individuals in a large colony, we exploited, refined, and psychometrically assessed the macaque Social Responsiveness Scale (mSRS), an instrument previously derived from the human ASD screening tool. We performed quantitative social behavior assessments and mSRS ratings on a total of N = 349 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) housed in large, outdoor corrals. In one cohort (N = 116), we conducted inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities, and in a second cohort (N = 233), we evaluated the convergent construct and predictive validity of the mSRS-Revised (mSRS-R). Only 17 of the original 36 items demonstrated inter-rater and test-retest reliability, resulting in the 17-item mSRS-R. The mSRS-R showed strong validity: mSRS-R scores robustly predicted monkeys' social behavior frequencies in home corrals. Monkeys that scored 1.5 standard deviations from the mean on nonsocial behavior likewise exhibited significantly more autistic-like traits, and mSRS-R scores predicted individuals' social classification (low-social vs. high-social) with 96% accuracy (likelihood ratio chi-square = 25.07; P < 0.0001). These findings indicate that the mSRS-R is a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure of social functioning, and like the human SRS, can be used as a high-throughput screening tool to identify socially impaired individuals in the general population. LAY SUMMARY: Variation in autistic traits can be measured in humans using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Here, we revised this scale for rhesus macaques (i.e., the mSRS-R), and showed that macaques exhibit individual differences in mSRS-R scores, and at the behavioral extremes, low-social vs. high-social monkeys exhibit more autistic-like traits. These results suggest that the mSRS-R can be used as a screening tool to rapidly and accurately identify low-social monkeys in the general population. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1465-1475. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine F Talbot
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Joseph P Garner
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Alyssa C Maness
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Brenda McCowan
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - John P Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Karen J Parker
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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19
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Abstract
Introduction: Pharmacologic interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have historically focused on symptom-based approaches. However, a treatment for the core social deficits has remained unidentified. While a definitive theory for the cause of ASD is not yet known, recent advances in our understanding of ASD pathophysiology have opened the door for research on new pharmaceutical methods to target core symptomology. Areas covered: Herein, we review the novel pharmacologic therapies undergoing early-stage clinical trials for the treatment of the social symptoms associated with ASD. Specifically, these strategies center on altering neurologic excitatory and inhibitory imbalance, neuropeptide abnormalities, immunologic dysfunction, and biochemical deficiencies in ASD. Expert opinion: Utilizing the growing field of knowledge regarding the pathological mechanisms and altered neurobiology of individuals with ASD has led to the development of many innovative pharmaceutical interventions. Clinical trials for neurobiologic and immunologic targets show promise in impacting the social behavior and processing deficits in ASD but need evaluation in larger clinical trials and continued biomarker development to more effectively and consistently assess pharmacologic effects. Additionally, evaluating patient-specific drug responsivity and integrating behavioral intervention in conjunction with pharmacologic treatment is crucial to developing a successful approach to ASD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Hong
- a Division of Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA.,b College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati , Oh , USA
| | - Craig A Erickson
- a Division of Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA.,b College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati , Cincinnati , Oh , USA
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20
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Lin YS, Lin YF, Chen KC, Yang YK, Hsiao YH. Collapsin response mediator protein 5 (CRMP5) causes social deficits and accelerates memory loss in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease. Neuropharmacology 2019; 157:107673. [PMID: 31233825 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by several behavioral disturbances, especially cognitive decline and deficits in social competence. Previous studies revealed that decreased social activity would accelerate AD progression, whereas enhanced social interaction could rescue AD-induced memory impairment. Collapsin response mediator protein 5 (CRMP5), which belongs to a family of cytosolic proteins, is abundantly expressed in the brain and is involved in the regulation of neurodevelopment and the pathology of several neuropsychiatric diseases. However, the functions of CRMP5 in AD are still unclear. Here, we demonstrated that 9-month-old 3xTg-AD mice exhibited social behavioral deficits and increased hippocampal CRMP5 levels compared to control (B6129S) mice. Knockdown of CRMP5 reversed the social deficits in 9-month-old 3xTg-AD mice, whereas CRMP5 overexpression decreased social interaction in both 3xTg-AD and control mice at 6 months of age. Interestingly, decreased expression of CRMP5 rescued AD-induced memory impairment, but overexpression of CRMP5 accelerated memory loss only in 3xTg-AD mice. In addition, we found that CRMP5 could regulate surface GluA2 and GluA2 S880 phosphorylation. These results suggest that CRMP5 regulates social behavior via modulation of surface GluA2 trafficking and affects memory performance in 3xTg-AD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Shuen Lin
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Fen Lin
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kao Chin Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yen Kuang Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsin Hsiao
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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21
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He C, Chen Y, Jian T, Chen H, Guo X, Wang J, Wu L, Chen H, Duan X. Dynamic functional connectivity analysis reveals decreased variability of the default-mode network in developing autistic brain. Autism Res 2018; 11:1479-1493. [PMID: 30270547 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [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: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating neuroimaging evidence suggests that abnormal functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) contributes to the social-cognitive deficits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although most previous studies relied on conventional functional connectivity methods, which assume that connectivity patterns remain constant over time, understanding the temporal dynamics of functional connectivity during rest may provide new insights into the dysfunction of the DMN in ASD. In this work, dynamic functional connectivity analysis based on sliding time window correlation was applied to the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 28 young children with ASD (age range: 3-7 years) and 29 matched typically developing controls (TD group). In addition, k-means cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct temporal states based on the spatial similarity of each functional connectivity pattern. Compared with the TD group, young children with ASD showed decreased dynamic functional connectivity variance between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the right precentral gyrus, which is negatively correlated with social motivation and social relating. Cluster analysis revealed significant differences in functional connectivity patterns between the ASD and TD groups in discrete temporal states. Our findings reveal that atypical dynamic interactions between the PCC and sensorimotor cortex are associated with social deficits in ASD. Results also highlight the critical role of PCC in the social-cognitive deficits of ASD and support the concept that understanding the dynamic neural interactions among brain regions can provide insights into functional abnormalities in ASD. Autism Research 2018, 11: 1479-1493. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Social cognitive dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with dysfunction of the default mode network (DMN), a set of brain areas involved in various domains of social processing. We found that decreases in the dynamic functional connectivity variance between the posterior cingulate cortex and the sensorimotor cortex are associated with deficits in social motivation and social relating in young children with ASD. This result suggests that aberrations in the DMN and its dynamic interactions with other networks contribute to atypical integration of information with respect to self and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changchun He
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformaiton, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Yanchi Chen
- Chengdu Shishi High School, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Taorong Jian
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformaiton, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Heng Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformaiton, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Xiaonan Guo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformaiton, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Lijie Wu
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformaiton, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Xujun Duan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformaiton, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
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22
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Yang S, Dong X, Guo X, Han Y, Song H, Gao L, Dai W, Su Y, Zhang X. Serum Oxytocin Levels and an Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism (rs2254298) Indicate Social Deficits in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:221. [PMID: 28484366 PMCID: PMC5399030 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) and its receptor (OXTR) have been predicted to be involved in the regulation of social functioning in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Objective of the study was to investigate serum OT levels and the OXTR rs2254298 polymorphism in Chinese Han children and adolescents with ASD as well as to identify their social deficits relevant to the oxytocinergic system. We tested serum OT levels using ELISA in 55 ASD subjects and 110 typically developing (TD) controls as well as genotyped the OXTR rs2254298 polymorphism using PCR-RFLP in 100 ASD subjects and 232 TD controls. Autistic symptoms were assessed by the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). There were no significant associations between OXTR rs2254298 polymorphism and ASD, serum OT levels and age, as well as serum OT levels and intelligent quotient (IQ) in both ASD and TD groups. However, ASD subjects exhibited elevated serum OT levels compared to TD controls and positive correlations between serum OT levels and “adaptation to change score” in the CARS and CARS total scores. Moreover, in the ASD group, significant relationships were revealed between the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2254298 and serum OT levels, the category “stereotypes and object use” in the ABC and the category “adaptation to change” in the CARS. These findings indicated that individuals with ASD may exhibit a dysregulation in OT on the basis of changes in OXTR gene expression as well as environmentally induced alterations of the oxytocinergic system to determine their social deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhan Yang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Xiaopeng Dong
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Xuan Guo
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Yu Han
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Hanbing Song
- Department of Applied Science, The College of William and MaryWilliamsburg, VA, USA
| | - Lei Gao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Yuanyuan Su
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin, China
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23
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Grecucci A, Rubicondo D, Siugzdaite R, Surian L, Job R. Uncovering the Social Deficits in the Autistic Brain. A Source-Based Morphometric Study. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:388. [PMID: 27630538 PMCID: PMC5005369 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that mainly affects social interaction and communication. Evidence from behavioral and functional MRI studies supports the hypothesis that dysfunctional mechanisms involving social brain structures play a major role in autistic symptomatology. However, the investigation of anatomical abnormalities in the brain of people with autism has led to inconsistent results. We investigated whether specific brain regions, known to display functional abnormalities in autism, may exhibit mutual and peculiar patterns of covariance in their gray-matter concentrations. We analyzed structural MRI images of 32 young men affected by autistic disorder (AD) and 50 healthy controls. Controls were matched for sex, age, handedness. IQ scores were also monitored to avoid confounding. A multivariate Source-Based Morphometry (SBM) was applied for the first time on AD and controls to detect maximally independent networks of gray matter. Group comparison revealed a gray-matter source that showed differences in AD compared to controls. This network includes broad temporal regions involved in social cognition and high-level visual processing, but also motor and executive areas of the frontal lobe. Notably, we found that gray matter differences, as reflected by SBM, significantly correlated with social and behavioral deficits displayed by AD individuals and encoded via the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores. These findings provide support for current hypotheses about the neural basis of atypical social and mental states information processing in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Grecucci
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento Trento, Italy
| | - Danilo Rubicondo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Roma Siugzdaite
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychological and Pedagogical Sciences, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luca Surian
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento Trento, Italy
| | - Remo Job
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento Trento, Italy
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24
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Breau LM, Clark B, Scott O, Wilkes C, Reynolds S, Ricci F, Sonnenberg L, Zwaigenbaum L, Rashid M, Goez HR. Social communication features in children following moderate to severe acquired brain injury: a cross-sectional pilot study. J Child Neurol 2015; 30:588-94. [PMID: 24659736 DOI: 10.1177/0883073814528282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We compared the social communication deficits of children with moderate to severe acquired brain injury or autism spectrum disorder, while accounting for the role of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Parents of 20 children aged 6 to 10 years (10 acquired brain injury; 10 autism spectrum disorder) completed the Social Communication Questionnaire, and Conners 3 Parent Short. A multivariate analysis of covariance revealed significant differences between groups in Social Communication Questionnaire restricted repetitive behavior scores, but not reciprocal social interaction or social communication. Multiple linear regressions indicated diagnosis did not predict reciprocal social interaction or social communication scores and that Conners 3 Parent Short Form hyperactivity scores were the strongest predictor of Social Communication Questionnaire reciprocal social interaction scores after accounting for age and Intelligence Quotient. The lack of difference in social communication deficits between groups may help in understanding the pathophysiology underlying the behavioral consequences of acquired brain injury. The link between hyperactivity and reciprocal interaction suggests that targeting hyperactivity may improve social outcomes in children following acquired brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn M Breau
- Pediatric Brain Injury Program, Department of Pediatrics, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brenda Clark
- Pediatric Brain Injury Program, Department of Pediatrics, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ori Scott
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Shawn Reynolds
- Pediatric Autism Clinic, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Florencia Ricci
- Pediatric Brain Injury Program, Department of Pediatrics, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lyn Sonnenberg
- Pediatric Brain Injury Program, Department of Pediatrics, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Pediatric Autism Clinic, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marghalara Rashid
- Pediatric Brain Injury Program, Department of Pediatrics, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Helly R Goez
- Pediatric Brain Injury Program, Department of Pediatrics, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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25
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Allsop SA, Vander Weele CM, Wichmann R, Tye KM. Optogenetic insights on the relationship between anxiety-related behaviors and social deficits. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:241. [PMID: 25076878 PMCID: PMC4099964 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [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: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many psychiatric illnesses are characterized by deficits in the social domain. For example, there is a high rate of co-morbidity between autism spectrum disorders and anxiety disorders. However, the common neural circuit mechanisms by which social deficits and other psychiatric disease states, such as anxiety, are co-expressed remains unclear. Here, we review optogenetic investigations of neural circuits in animal models of anxiety-related behaviors and social behaviors and discuss the important role of the amygdala in mediating aspects of these behaviors. In particular, we focus on recent evidence that projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) modulate anxiety-related behaviors and also alter social interaction. Understanding how this circuit influences both social behavior and anxiety may provide a mechanistic explanation for the pathogenesis of social anxiety disorder, as well as the prevalence of patients co-diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, elucidating how circuits that modulate social behavior also mediate other complex emotional states will lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which social deficits are expressed in psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen A. Allsop
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard UniversityBoston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin M. Vander Weele
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
| | - Romy Wichmann
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kay M. Tye
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
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26
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Urbano M, Okwara L, Manser P, Hartmann K, Herndon A, Deutsch SI. A trial of D-cycloserine to treat stereotypies in older adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Clin Neuropharmacol 2014; 37:69-72. [PMID: 24824660 PMCID: PMC4354861 DOI: 10.1097/wnf.0000000000000033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have core impairments in social communication as well as the presence of repetitive, stereotypic behaviors and restricted interests. Older adolescents and young adults are particularly impacted by these deficits. Preclinical data implicate glutamatergic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of ASDs. D-Cycloserine (DCS), a partial glycineB agonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor site, has been shown to improve sociability in mouse models and a small human study. The sensitivity of the obligatory glycineB co-agonist binding site may change with daily administration of DCS as a result of agonist-induced desensitization. The efficacy of a "pulsed" once-weekly administration versus "daily" administration of DCS was compared. METHODS Males and females, ages 14 to 25 years, with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision diagnosis of an ASD were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized 10-week trial consisting of 8 weeks of active drug with either weekly or daily administration of 50 mg of DCS followed by a 2-week follow-up visit. RESULTS For the purposes of this study, no statistical or clinical differences existed between the 2 dosage groups on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist subscale 3, which measures stereotypies/repetitive movements. When combining groups, a statistically significant decrease of 37% was found from baseline to week 8 when study drug was completed using a linear mixed effects model (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS D-Cycloserine was shown to be effective in improving stereotypic symptoms in older adolescents and young adults with ASDs measured by the Aberrant Behavior Checklist subscale 3. In addition, DCS was safe and well tolerated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Urbano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
| | - Leonore Okwara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
| | - Paul Manser
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Kathrin Hartmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
| | - Amy Herndon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
| | - Stephen I. Deutsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk
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27
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Locke J, Rotheram-Fuller E, Xie M, Harker C, Mandell D. Correlation of cognitive and social outcomes among children with autism spectrum disorder in a randomized trial of behavioral intervention. Autism 2013; 18:370-5. [PMID: 24104511 DOI: 10.1177/1362361313479181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [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] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Although social impairments are considered the hallmark deficit of autism, many behavioral intervention studies rely on cognitive functioning as a primary outcome. Fewer studies have examined whether changes in cognition are associated with changes in social functioning. This study examined whether cognitive gains among 192 students from 47 kindergarten-through-second-grade autism support classrooms participating in a year-long behavioral intervention study were associated with gains in social functioning. Children's gains in cognitive ability were modestly associated with independent assessors' and teachers' evaluations of social functioning but were not associated with changes in parent ratings. Observed social gains were not commensurate with gains in cognition, suggesting the need both for interventions that directly target social functioning and relevant field measures of social functioning.
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28
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Cordeiro L, Tartaglia N, Roeltgen D, Ross J. Social deficits in male children and adolescents with sex chromosome aneuploidy: a comparison of XXY, XYY, and XXYY syndromes. Res Dev Disabil 2012; 33:1254-63. [PMID: 22502852 PMCID: PMC3328784 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [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] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2012] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We compare social skills in three groups of males with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Participants included males with XXY (N=102, M=10.08 years), XYY (N=40, M=9.93 years), and XXYY (N=32, M=11.57 years). XXY had lower (better) SRS scores compared to XYY and XXYY. Scores were not significantly different between XYY and XXYY. In all groups, there were significantly more with SRS scores in the severe range compared to the SRS normative sample. All groups scored lowest (better) on Social Motivation. Relationships between SRS scores and demographic and clinical variables were examined. Results describe the social skills in males with SCA, and suggest that an additional Y chromosome may contribute to increased risk of autistic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Cordeiro
- University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics, 13123 East 16th Ave, B155, Aurora, CO 80045,
| | - Nicole Tartaglia
- University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics, 13123 East 16th Ave, B155, Aurora, CO 80045,
- Children’s Hospital Colorado, Child Development Unit, 13123 East 16th Ave, B140, Aurora, CO 80045,
| | - David Roeltgen
- Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia- Department of Pediatrics, 1025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, United States, ,
| | - Judith Ross
- Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia- Department of Pediatrics, 1025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, United States, ,
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29
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Hardan AY, Libove RA, Keshavan MS, Melhem NM, Minshew NJ. A preliminary longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study of brain volume and cortical thickness in autism. Biol Psychiatry 2009; 66:320-6. [PMID: 19520362 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2008] [Revised: 04/08/2009] [Accepted: 04/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is a developmental neurobiologic disorder associated with structural and functional abnormalities in several brain regions including the cerebral cortex. This longitudinal study examined developmental changes in brain volume and cortical thickness (CT) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with autism. METHODS MRI scans and behavioral measures were obtained at baseline and after a 30-month interval in a sample of male subjects with autism (n = 18) and healthy age-, and sex-matched control subjects (n = 16) between ages 8 and 12 years at baseline. RESULTS No differences in brain volumes were observed between the autism and control subjects at baseline or follow-up. However, differences in total gray matter volumes were observed over time with significantly greater decreases in the autism group compared with control subjects. Differences in CT were observed over time with greater decreases in the autism group compared with control subjects in several brain regions including the frontal lobe. When accounting for multiple comparisons, differences between the two groups became nonsignificant except for changes in occipital CT. Furthermore, associations were observed between several clinical features and changes in CT with greater thinning of the cortex being correlated with more severe symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study provide preliminary evidence for age-related changes in gray matter volume and CT in children with autism that are associated with symptoms severity. Future longitudinal studies of larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate developmental changes and examine the relationships between structural abnormalities and clinical expressions of the disorder.
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30
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Girgis RR, Minshew NJ, Melhem NM, Nutche JJ, Keshavan MS, Hardan AY. Volumetric alterations of the orbitofrontal cortex in autism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2007; 31:41-5. [PMID: 16863674 PMCID: PMC2888006 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2006.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 01/23/2006] [Revised: 05/26/2006] [Accepted: 06/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has implicated the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in the pathophysiology of social deficits in autism. An MRI-based morphometric study of the OFC was conducted involving 11 children with autism (age range 8.1-12.7 years) and 18 healthy, age-matched controls (age range 8.9-12.8 years). Decreased grey matter volume in the right lateral OFC in the patient group was found, and correlations were observed between social deficits and white, but not grey, matter structures of the OFC. These findings support the role of OFC in autism and warrant further investigations of this structure using structural and functional methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragy R. Girgis
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Nancy J. Minshew
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Nadine M. Melhem
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Jeffrey J. Nutche
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Matcheri S. Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Wayne State School of Medicine, Detroit, MI
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Corresponding Author: Antonio Y. Hardan, M.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305, Phone: (650) 724-8919, Fax: (650) 724-7389,
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