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Soghomonian JJ. The cortico-striatal circuitry in autism-spectrum disorders: a balancing act. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1329095. [PMID: 38273975 PMCID: PMC10808402 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1329095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The basal ganglia are major targets of cortical inputs and, in turn, modulate cortical function via their projections to the motor and prefrontal cortices. The role of the basal ganglia in motor control and reward is well documented and there is also extensive evidence that they play a key role in social and repetitive behaviors. The basal ganglia influence the activity of the cerebral cortex via two major projections from the striatum to the output nuclei, the globus pallidus internus and the substantia nigra, pars reticulata. This modulation involves a direct projection known as the direct pathway and an indirect projection via the globus pallidus externus and the subthalamic nucleus, known as the indirect pathway. This review discusses the respective contribution of the direct and indirect pathways to social and repetitive behaviors in neurotypical conditions and in autism spectrum disorders.
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Mundy P. Research on social attention in autism and the challenges of the research domain criteria (RDoC) framework. Autism Res 2023; 16:697-712. [PMID: 36932883 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The fuzzy nature of categories of psychopathology, such as autism, leads to significant research challenges. Alternatively, focusing research on the study of a common set of important and well-defined psychological constructs across psychiatric conditions may make the fundamental etiological processes of psychopathology easier to discern and treat (Cuthbert, 2022). The development of the research domain criteria (RDoC) framework is designed to guide this new research approach (Insel et al., 2010). However, progress in research may be expected to continually refine and reorganize the understanding of the specifics of these mental processes (Cuthbert & Insel, 2013). Moreover, knowledge gleaned from the study of both normative and atypical development can be mutually informative in the evolution of our understanding of these fundamental processes. A case in point is the study of social attention. This Autism 101 commentary provides an educational summary of research over the last few decades indicates that social attention is major construct in the study of human social-cognitive development, autism and other forms of psychopathology. The commentary also describes how this research can inform the Social Process dimension of the RDoC framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mundy
- School of Education, Department of Psychiatry and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA
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3
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Thurman AJ, Dimachkie Nunnally A. Joint attention performance in preschool-aged boys with autism or fragile X syndrome. Front Psychol 2022; 13:918181. [PMID: 36003114 PMCID: PMC9393518 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.918181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Early development marks a period of rapid learning facilitated by children's natural curiosity about the people around them. In children with typical development, these early social attentional preferences set the foundation for learning about and from the surrounding world of people. Much of this learning happens using joint attention, the ability to coordinate attention between people and objects of mutual interest. It is well documented that decreased gaze use is commonly observed in individuals with autism and individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Despite the growing body of research comparing phenotypic similarities between individuals with autism and individuals with FXS, no studies have directly compared joint attention performance between these groups. In the present study, we considered the similarities and differences in joint attention between preschool-aged boys with autism or FXS, and the relation between joint attention, language, and other phenotypic characteristics known to differ between boys with autism and boys with FXS. Although joint attention appeared similar, between-group differences emerged when controlling for the influence of age, non-verbal IQ, and autism symptom severity. Differences were also observed when considering how joint attention performance related to other aspects of the phenotype. For example, strong positive associations were observed between joint attention and language performance in boys with autism but not boys with FXS, even after controlling for non-verbal IQ. In contrast, the negative association between joint attention and anxiety symptom severity was significant and stronger in boys with FXS than in autism. These data offer preliminary insights into the similarities and differences between the autism and FXS phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela John Thurman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States,Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Angela John Thurman,
| | - Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States,Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
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Extrastriatal dopamine D2/3 receptor binding, functional connectivity, and autism socio-communicational deficits: a PET and fMRI study. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2106-2113. [PMID: 35181754 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01464-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The social motivation hypothesis of autism proposes that social communication symptoms in autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) stem from atypical social attention and reward networks, where dopamine acts as a crucial mediator. However, despite evidence indicating that individuals with ASD show atypical activation in extrastriatal regions while processing reward and social stimuli, no previous studies have measured extrastriatal dopamine D2/3 receptor (D2/3R) availability in ASD. Here, we investigated extrastriatal D2/3R availability in individuals with ASD and its association with ASD social communication symptoms using positron emission tomography (PET). Moreover, we employed a whole-brain multivariate pattern analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify regions where functional connectivity atypically correlates with D2/3R availability depending on ASD diagnosis. Twenty-two psychotropic-free males with ASD and 24 age- and intelligence quotient-matched typically developing males underwent [11C]FLB457 PET, fMRI, and clinical symptom assessment. Participants with ASD showed lower D2/3R availability throughout the D2/3R-rich extrastriatal regions of the dopaminergic pathways. Among these, the posterior region of the thalamus, which primarily comprises the pulvinar, displayed the largest effect size for the lower D2/3R availability, which correlated with a higher score on the Social Affect domain of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 in participants with ASD. Moreover, lower D2/3R availability was correlated with lower functional connectivity of the thalamus-superior temporal sulcus and cerebellum-medial occipital cortex, specifically in individuals with ASD. The current findings provide novel molecular evidence for the social motivation theory of autism and offer a novel therapeutic target.
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Ramos-Cabo S, Acha J, Vulchanov V, Vulchanova M. You may point, but do not touch: Impact of gesture-types and cognition on language in typical and atypical development. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2022; 57:324-339. [PMID: 34997804 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence shows that the relation with the referent (object manipulation, contact/no contact pointing) and the different hand features (index finger/open palm) when pointing indicate different levels of cognitive and linguistic attainment in typical development (TD). This evidences the close link between pointing, cognition and language in TD, but this relation is understudied in autism. Moreover, the longitudinal pathway these abilities follow remains unexplored and it is unclear what specific role (predictor or mediator) pointing and cognition have in both typical and atypical language development. AIMS The first aim was to investigate whether pointing hand features (index finger/open palm) and relation with the referent (manipulation, contact and no contact pointing) similarly predict language in children with and without autism. The second aim was to explore whether cognition mediates the longitudinal relationship between pointing and language development. METHODS & PROCEDURES Sixteen children with autism, 13 children at high risk (HR) for autism and 18 TD children participated in an interactive gesture-elicitation task and were tested on standardised cognitive and expressive language batteries in a longitudinal design. A two-step analysis consisted of a stepwise linear regression and mediation analyses. First, the linear regression identified which hand features and types of relation with the referent predicted expressive language in all groups. Second, three mediation analyses (one per group) assessed the predictor/mediator role of the variables that met significance in the regression analysis. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Both cognition and index finger pointing were direct longitudinal predictors of further expressive language skills in the autism group. In TD and HR groups this relation was mediated by age. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Findings highlight the role of age in communicative development, but suggest a key role of cognition and index finger use in the longitudinal relationship between pointing gestures and expressive language development in children with autism. This has important clinical implications and supports the view that index finger pointing production might be a useful tool in the intervention for communicative and language abilities in autism. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject There is evidence that no contact pointing is associated with complex socio-cognitive abilities that underpin communication in TD. Similarly, studies in TD show that index finger pointing is closely linked with language acquisition. However, it is unclear whether these associations are present in autism. In addition, the mediating (or predictive) role of cognition in the pointing-language relation has not yet been explored neither in typical nor in atypical development. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This paper shows that index finger pointing and cognition are direct longitudinal predictors of expressive language in the autism group. In the other groups this relation is mediated by age. This suggests that there is a window of opportunity for pointing to predict expressive language whereas the predictive value of cognition expands in development. Based on this, children with autism would share the same language predictors as TD children, but with delays. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study reveals that index finger, age and cognition reliably predict spoken language in autism, which may indicate that early prelinguistic intervention based on pointing production and the improvement of cognitive skills might have a positive impact on spoken language in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ramos-Cabo
- Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab, Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Joana Acha
- Department of Basic Cognitive Processes and their Development, Faculty of Psychology, University of The Basque Country, Donostia, Spain
| | - Valentin Vulchanov
- Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab, Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Mila Vulchanova
- Language Acquisition and Language Processing Lab, Department of Language and Literature, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Mundy P, Bullen J. The Bidirectional Social-Cognitive Mechanisms of the Social-Attention Symptoms of Autism. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:752274. [PMID: 35173636 PMCID: PMC8841840 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.752274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in social attention development begin to be apparent in the 6th to 12th month of development in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and theoretically reflect important elements of its neurodevelopmental endophenotype. This paper examines alternative conceptual views of these early social attention symptoms and hypotheses about the mechanisms involved in their development. One model emphasizes mechanism involved in the spontaneous allocation of attention to faces, or social orienting. Alternatively, another model emphasizes mechanisms involved in the coordination of attention with other people, or joint attention, and the socially bi-directional nature of its development. This model raises the possibility that atypical responses of children to the attention or the gaze of a social partner directed toward themselves may be as important in the development of social attention symptoms as differences in the development of social orienting. Another model holds that symptoms of social attention may be important to early development, but may not impact older individuals with ASD. The alterative model is that the social attention symptoms in infancy (social orienting and joint attention), and social cognitive symptoms in childhood and adulthood share common neurodevelopmental substrates. Therefore, differences in early social attention and later social cognition constitute a developmentally continuous axis of symptom presentation in ASD. However, symptoms in older individuals may be best measured with in vivo measures of efficiency of social attention and social cognition in social interactions rather than the accuracy of response on analog tests used in measures with younger children. Finally, a third model suggests that the social attention symptoms may not truly be a symptom of ASD. Rather, they may be best conceptualized as stemming from differences domain general attention and motivation mechanisms. The alternative argued for here that infant social attention symptoms meet all the criteria of a unique dimension of the phenotype of ASD and the bi-directional phenomena involved in social attention cannot be fully explained in terms of domain general aspects of attention development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mundy
- Department of Learning and Mind Sciences, School of Education, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science and The MIND Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Jenifer Bullen
- Department of Human Development, School of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Alymov AA, Kapitsa IG, Voronina TA. Neurochemical Mechanisms of Pathogenesis and Pharmacological Correction of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Concepts and Prospects. NEUROCHEM J+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712421020033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Duan X, Wang R, Xiao J, Li Y, Huang X, Guo X, Cao J, He L, He C, Ling Z, Shan X, Chen H, Kang X, Chen H. Subcortical structural covariance in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 99:109874. [PMID: 31981719 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abnormalities in the structure of subcortical regions are central to numerous behaviors affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and these regions may undergo atypical coordinated neurodevelopment. However, relatively little is known about morphological correlations among subcortical structures in young children with ASD. In this study, using volumetric-based methodology and structural covariance approach, we investigated structural covariance of subcortical brain volume in 40 young children with ASD (<7.5 years old) and 38 age-, gender-, and handedness-matched typically developing (TD) children. Results showed that compared with TD children, children with ASD exhibited decreased structural covariation between the left and right cerebral hemispheres, specifically between the left and right thalami, right globus pallidus and left nucleus accumbens, and left globus pallidus and right nucleus accumbens. Compared with TD children, children with ASD exhibited increased structural covariation between adjacent regions, such as between the right globus pallidus and right putamen. Additionally, abnormalities in subcortical structural covariance can predict social communication and repetitive and stereotypic behavior in young children with ASD. Overall, these results suggest decreased long-range structural covariation and enhanced local covariation in subcortical structures in children with ASD, highlighting aberrant developmental coordination or synchronized maturation between subcortical regions that play crucial roles in social cognition and behavior in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujun Duan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Runshi Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Jinming Xiao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Ya Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xinyue Huang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xiaonan Guo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Jing Cao
- Affiliated Sichuan Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Sichuan Bayi Rehabilitation Center, Chengdu 611135, China
| | - Liyao He
- Affiliated Sichuan Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Sichuan Bayi Rehabilitation Center, Chengdu 611135, China
| | - Changchun He
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Zihan Ling
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xiaolong Shan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Heng Chen
- Medical College of Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, PR China
| | - Xiaodong Kang
- Affiliated Sichuan Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Sichuan Bayi Rehabilitation Center, Chengdu 611135, China.
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.
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Hornung T, Chan WH, Müller RA, Townsend J, Keehn B. Dopaminergic hypo-activity and reduced theta-band power in autism spectrum disorder: A resting-state EEG study. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 146:101-106. [PMID: 31669326 PMCID: PMC6933439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies using a variety of methodologies have reported inconsistent dopamine (DA) findings in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ranging from dopaminergic hypo- to hyper-activity. Theta-band power derived from scalp-recorded electroencephalography (EEG), which may be associated with dopamine levels in frontal cortex, has also been shown to be atypical in ASD. The present study examined spontaneous eye-blink rate (EBR), an indirect, non-invasive measure of central dopaminergic activity, and theta power in children with ASD to determine: 1) whether ASD may be associated with atypical DA levels, and 2) whether dopaminergic dysfunction may be associated with aberrant theta-band activation. METHOD Participants included thirty-two children with ASD and thirty-two age-, IQ-, and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. Electroencephalography and eye-tracking data were acquired while participants completed an eyes-open resting-state session. Blinks were counted and EBR was determined by dividing blink frequency by session duration and theta power (4-7.5 Hz) was extracted from midline leads. RESULTS Eye-blink rate and theta-band activity were significantly reduced in children with ASD as compared to their TD peers. For all participants, greater midline theta power was associated with increased EBR (related to higher DA levels). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that ASD may be associated with dopaminergic hypo-activity, and that this may contribute to atypical theta-band power. Lastly, EBR may be a useful tool to non-invasively index dopamine levels in ASD and could potentially have many clinical applications, including selecting treatment options and monitoring treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hornung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Wen-Hsuan Chan
- Research on Autism and Development Lab, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Jeanne Townsend
- Research on Autism and Development Lab, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Brandon Keehn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America; Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America.
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Elhawary NA, Tayeb MT, Sindi IA, Qutub N, Rashad M, Mufti A, Arab AH, Khogeer A, Elhawary EN, Dannoun A, Bogari N. Genetic biomarkers predict susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder through interactive models of inheritance in a Saudi community. COGENT BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/23312025.2019.1606555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nasser A. Elhawary
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca 21955, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Medical Genetics Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Mohammed T. Tayeb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Medical Genetics Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Ikhlas A. Sindi
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nermeen Qutub
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona Rashad
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Ahmad Mufti
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Medical Genetics Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Arwa H. Arab
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asim Khogeer
- Department of Plan and Research, General Directorate of Health Affairs, Mecca Region, Ministry of Health, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ezzeldin N. Elhawary
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Modern Sciences and Arts University, 6th October City, Giza, Egypt
| | - Anas Dannoun
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Medical Genetics Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Neda Bogari
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Medical Genetics Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
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Abstract
After been exposed to the visual input, in the first year of life, the brain experiences subtle but massive changes apparently crucial for communicative/emotional and social human development. Its lack could be the explanation of the very high prevalence of autism in children with total congenital blindness. The present theory postulates that the superior colliculus is the key structure for such changes for several reasons: it dominates visual behavior during the first months of life; it is ready at birth for complex visual tasks; it has a significant influence on several hemispheric regions; it is the main brain hub that permanently integrates visual and non-visual, external and internal information (bottom-up and top-down respectively); and it owns the enigmatic ability to take non-conscious decisions about where to focus attention. It is also a sentinel that triggers the subcortical mechanisms which drive social motivation to follow faces from birth and to react automatically to emotional stimuli. Through indirect connections it also activates simultaneously several cortical structures necessary to develop social cognition and to accomplish the multiattentional task required for conscious social interaction in real life settings. Genetic or non-genetic prenatal or early postnatal factors could disrupt the SC functions resulting in autism. The timing of postnatal biological disruption matches the timing of clinical autism manifestations. Astonishing coincidences between etiologies, clinical manifestations, cognitive and pathogenic autism theories on one side and SC functions on the other are disclosed in this review. Although the visual system dependent of the SC is usually considered as accessory of the LGN canonical pathway, its imprinting gives the brain a qualitatively specific functions not supplied by any other brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubin Jure
- Centro Privado de Neurología y Neuropsicología Infanto Juvenil WERNICKE, Córdoba, Argentina
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12
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Millenet SK, Nees F, Heintz S, Bach C, Frank J, Vollstädt-Klein S, Bokde A, Bromberg U, Büchel C, Quinlan EB, Desrivières S, Fröhner J, Flor H, Frouin V, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Ittermann B, Lemaire H, Martinot JL, Martinot MLP, Papadoulos DO, Paus T, Poustka L, Rietschel M, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Banaschewski T, Hohmann S. COMT Val158Met Polymorphism and Social Impairment Interactively Affect Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Symptoms in Healthy Adolescents. Front Genet 2018; 9:284. [PMID: 30108607 PMCID: PMC6079264 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The dopaminergic system has been shown to have substantial effects on the etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, while some studies found a significant direct effect, others did not. In this context, social behavior might play an important role as a factor that is related both to the dopaminergic system and ADHD. In a large epidemiological sample of adolescents (N = 462; 16-17 years), we assessed the level of ADHD symptoms using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, social behavior using the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the allelic distribution of the dopaminergic catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism. We found a significant association between COMT and social impairment, insofar as Met-allele carriers showed increased levels of social impairment. Moreover, social impairment significantly determined an association between COMT and ADHD (explained variance: 19.09%). This effect did not significantly differ between males and females. COMT and social impairment might interactively affect ADHD symptomatology, and could thus represent significant gene-phenotypic risk factors for ADHD symptomatology. This might have interesting implications for prevention and intervention strategies with a focus on social behavior in genetically at-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina K. Millenet
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Heintz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Bach
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Josef Frank
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Uli Bromberg
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Erin B. Quinlan
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juliane Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Vincent Frouin
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig Institute Berlin, Germany
| | - Herve Lemaire
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry,” Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry,” University Paris Sud – Paris Saclay, University Paris Descartes; Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Orsay; and Maison de Solenn, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Laure P. Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry,” University Paris Sud – Paris Saclay, University Paris Descartes; and AP-HP, Department of Adolescent Psychopathology and Medicine, Maison de Solenn, Cochin Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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13
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Franchini M, Armstrong VL, Schaer M, Smith IM. Initiation of joint attention and related visual attention processes in infants with autism spectrum disorder: Literature review. Child Neuropsychol 2018; 25:287-317. [PMID: 30041581 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2018.1490706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represents a group of neurodevelopmental disabilities that can be difficult to identify before the age of 2 or 3 years, the age when the full range of behavioral symptoms has emerged in most cases. Initiation of joint attention is an important developmental function in which impairments are already observable before the second birthday and can predict children's ASD symptomatology. In the first part of this review, we summarize results pertaining to retrospective studies of initiation of joint attention in children with ASD and prospective studies of infants at high risk for ASD during the first 2 years, when this behavior is becoming more complex in terms of frequency, quality, and variety. We will also discuss the implications of impairments in dyadic engagement, a precursor of joint attention behavior, for the early development of joint attention. Finally, the early development of initiation of joint attention has been related to specific visual attention mechanisms such as social orienting and visual disengagement. In the second part of this review, we provide an overview of the relationship between those visual attention mechanisms and subsequent social-communication impairments. Clinical and research implications of these findings for both early detection and early intervention will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Franchini
- a Autism Research Centre , IWK Health Centre , Halifax , NS , Canada.,b Department of Pediatrics , Dalhousie University , Halifax , NS , Canada
| | - Vickie L Armstrong
- a Autism Research Centre , IWK Health Centre , Halifax , NS , Canada.,b Department of Pediatrics , Dalhousie University , Halifax , NS , Canada
| | - Marie Schaer
- c Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Lab , University of Geneva , Geneva , Switzerland
| | - Isabel M Smith
- a Autism Research Centre , IWK Health Centre , Halifax , NS , Canada.,b Department of Pediatrics , Dalhousie University , Halifax , NS , Canada.,d Department of Psychology & Neuroscience , Dalhousie University , Halifax , NS , Canada
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14
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Mundy P. A review of joint attention and social-cognitive brain systems in typical development and autism spectrum disorder. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 47:497-514. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mundy
- Lisa Capps Professor of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Education; School of Education & MIND Institute; University of California at Davis; One Shields Ave. Davis CA 95616 USA
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15
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An exploration of common dopaminergic variants and behavior problems in siblings at high risk for autism spectrum disorder. Infant Behav Dev 2017; 49:267-271. [PMID: 29054034 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Younger siblings of children with ASD often exhibit elevated internalizing and externalizing problems. We investigated common dopaminergic variants (DRD4 and DRD2) in relation to behavior problems at 36 months. Genotypes linked to less efficient dopaminergic functioning were associated with higher internalizing problems in high-risk siblings.
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16
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Subramanian K, Brandenburg C, Orsati F, Soghomonian JJ, Hussman JP, Blatt GJ. Basal ganglia and autism - a translational perspective. Autism Res 2017; 10:1751-1775. [PMID: 28730641 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The basal ganglia are a collection of nuclei below the cortical surface that are involved in both motor and non-motor functions, including higher order cognition, social interactions, speech, and repetitive behaviors. Motor development milestones that are delayed in autism such as gross motor, fine motor and walking can aid in early diagnosis of autism. Neuropathology and neuroimaging findings in autism cases revealed volumetric changes and altered cell density in select basal ganglia nuclei. Interestingly, in autism, both the basal ganglia and the cerebellum are impacted both in their motor and non-motor domains and recently, found to be connected via the pons through a short disynaptic pathway. In typically developing individuals, the basal ganglia plays an important role in: eye movement, movement coordination, sensory modulation and processing, eye-hand coordination, action chaining, and inhibition control. Genetic models have proved to be useful toward understanding cellular and molecular changes at the synaptic level in the basal ganglia that may in part contribute to these autism-related behaviors. In autism, basal ganglia functions in motor skill acquisition and development are altered, thus disrupting the normal flow of feedback to the cortex. Taken together, there is an abundance of emerging evidence that the basal ganglia likely plays critical roles in maintaining an inhibitory balance between cortical and subcortical structures, critical for normal motor actions and cognitive functions. In autism, this inhibitory balance is disturbed thus impacting key pathways that affect normal cortical network activity. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1751-1775. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY Habit learning, action selection and performance are modulated by the basal ganglia, a collection of groups of neurons located below the cerebral cortex in the brain. In autism, there is emerging evidence that parts of the basal ganglia are structurally and functionally altered disrupting normal information flow. The basal ganglia through its interconnected circuits with the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum can potentially impact various motor and cognitive functions in the autism brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cheryl Brandenburg
- Program on Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201
| | - Fernanda Orsati
- Program on Supports, Hussman Institute for Autism, Catonsville, MD, 21228
| | | | - John P Hussman
- Program on Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201.,Program on Supports, Hussman Institute for Autism, Catonsville, MD, 21228
| | - Gene J Blatt
- Program on Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD, 21201
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17
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Meyza KZ, Blanchard DC. The BTBR mouse model of idiopathic autism - Current view on mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:99-110. [PMID: 28167097 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 12/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder, with current estimates of more than 1% of affected children across nations. The patients form a highly heterogeneous group with only the behavioral phenotype in common. The genetic heterogeneity is reflected in a plethora of animal models representing multiple mutations found in families of affected children. Despite many years of scientific effort, for the majority of cases the genetic cause remains elusive. It is therefore crucial to include well-validated models of idiopathic autism in studies searching for potential therapeutic agents. One of these models is the BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J mouse. The current review summarizes data gathered in recent research on potential molecular mechanisms responsible for the autism-like behavioral phenotype of this strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Z Meyza
- Laboratory of Emotions' Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur Street, Warsaw, 02-093, Poland.
| | - D C Blanchard
- Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa,1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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18
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Calabrese V, Giordano J, Ruggieri M, Berritta D, Trovato A, Ontario M, Bianchini R, Calabrese E. Hormesis, cellular stress response, and redox homeostasis in autism spectrum disorders. J Neurosci Res 2016; 94:1488-1498. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Calabrese
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine; University of Catania; Catania Italy
| | - J. Giordano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine; University of Catania; Catania Italy
| | - M. Ruggieri
- Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry and Neuroethics Studies Program, Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics; Georgetown University Medical Center; Washington DC
| | - D. Berritta
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine; University of Catania; Catania Italy
| | - A. Trovato
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine; University of Catania; Catania Italy
| | - M.L. Ontario
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, School of Medicine; University of Catania; Catania Italy
| | - R. Bianchini
- Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry and Neuroethics Studies Program, Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics; Georgetown University Medical Center; Washington DC
- Service of Child Neuropsychiatry, ASP Siracusa, Italy
| | - E.J. Calabrese
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health; University of Massachusetts; Amherst Massachusetts
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