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Molins F, Ben-Hassen Jemni N, Garrote-Petisco D, Serrano MÁ. Highly logical and non-emotional decisions in both risky and social contexts: understanding decision making in autism spectrum disorder through computational modeling. Cogn Process 2024:10.1007/s10339-024-01182-4. [PMID: 38526667 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-024-01182-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
In risky contexts, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals exhibit more logical consistency and non-emotional decisions than do typical adults (TAs). This way of deciding could be also prevailing in social contexts, leading to maladaptive decisions. This evidence is scarce and inconsistent, and further research is needed. Recent developments in computational modeling allow analysis of decisional subcomponents that could provide valuable information to understand the decision-making and help address inconsistencies. Twenty-seven individuals with ASD and 25 TAs were submitted to a framing-task and the ultimatum game (UG). The Rescorla-Wagner computational model was used to analyze UG decisions. Results showed that in the UG, the ASD group exhibited a higher utilitarianism, characterized by lower aversion to unfairness and higher acceptance of offers. Moreover, this way of deciding was predicted by the higher economic rationality found in the framing task, where people with ASD did not manifest emotional biases such as framing effect. These results could suggest an atypical decision making, highly logical and non-emotional, as a robust feature of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Molins
- Department of Psychobiology, Universitat de València, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Nour Ben-Hassen Jemni
- Department of Psychobiology, Universitat de València, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Dolores Garrote-Petisco
- Department of Psychobiology, Universitat de València, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Serrano
- Department of Psychobiology, Universitat de València, Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
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2
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Faustmann LL, Altgassen M. A matter of precision? Scene imagery in individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2024; 17:529-542. [PMID: 38470059 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
The ability to create mental representations of scenes is essential for remembering, predicting, and imagining. In individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) this ability may be impaired. Considering that autistic characteristics such as weak central coherence or reduced communication abilities may disadvantage autistic participants in traditional imagery tasks, this study attempted to use a novel task design to measure the ability of scene imagery. Thirty high-functioning adults with ASD and 27 non-autistic matched control adults were asked to describe imagined fictitious scenes using two types of scene imagery tasks. In a free imagery task, participants were asked to imagine a scene based on a given keyword. In a guided imagery task, participants had to imagine a scene based on a detailed description of the scene. Additionally, narrative abilities were assessed using the Narrative Scoring Scheme. Statistical analyses revealed no group effects in the free and guided imagery of fictional scenes. Participants with ASD performed worse than control participants in the narrative task. Narrative abilities correlated positively with performance in both imagery tasks in the ASD group only. Hence, individuals with ASD seem to show as good imagery abilities as non-autistic individuals. The results are discussed in the light of the differences between imagery and imagination and possible gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa L Faustmann
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mareike Altgassen
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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3
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van der Plas E, Mason D, Happé F. Decision-making in autism: A narrative review. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023:13623613221148010. [PMID: 36794463 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221148010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
LAY SUMMARY Many autistic people report difficulties with real-life decision-making. However, when doing decision-making tests in laboratory experiments, autistic people often perform as well or better than non-autistic people. We review previously published studies on autistic people's decision-making, across different types of tests, to understand what type of decision-making is more challenging. To do this, we searched four databases of research papers. We found 104 studies that tested, in total, 2712 autistic and 3189 comparison participants on different decision-making tasks. We found that there were four categories of decision-making tests that were used in these experiments: perceptual (e.g. deciding which image has the most dots); reward learning (e.g. learning which deck of cards gives the best reward); metacognition (e.g. knowing how well you perform or what you want); and value-based (e.g. making a decision based on a choice between two outcomes that differ in value to you). Overall, these studies suggest that autistic and comparison participants tend to perform similarly well at perceptual and reward-learning decisions. However, autistic participants tended to decide differently from comparison participants on metacognition and value-based paradigms. This suggests that autistic people might differ from typically developing controls in how they evaluate their own performance and in how they make decisions based on weighing up the subjective value of two different options. We suggest these reflect more general differences in metacognition, thinking about thinking, in autism.
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4
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O’Hearn K, Lynn A. Age differences and brain maturation provide insight into heterogeneous results in autism spectrum disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 16:957375. [PMID: 36819297 PMCID: PMC9934814 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.957375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies comparing individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to typically developing (TD) individuals have yielded inconsistent results. These inconsistencies reflect, in part, atypical trajectories of development in children and young adults with ASD compared to TD peers. These different trajectories alter group differences between children with and without ASD as they age. This paper first summarizes the disparate trajectories evident in our studies and, upon further investigation, laboratories using the same recruiting source. These studies indicated that cognition improves into adulthood typically, and is associated with the maturation of striatal, frontal, and temporal lobes, but these age-related improvements did not emerge in the young adults with ASD. This pattern - of improvement into adulthood in the TD group but not in the group with ASD - occurred in both social and non-social tasks. However, the difference between TD and ASD trajectories was most robust on a social task, face recognition. While tempting to ascribe this uneven deficit to the social differences in ASD, it may also reflect the prolonged typical development of social cognitive tasks such as face recognition into adulthood. This paper then reviews the evidence on age-related and developmental changes from other studies on ASD. The broader literature also suggests that individuals with ASD do not exhibit the typical improvements during adolescence on skills important for navigating the transition to adulthood. These skills include execution function, social cognition and communication, and emotional recognition and self-awareness. Relatedly, neuroimaging studies indicate arrested or atypical brain maturation in striatal, frontal, and temporal regions during adolescence in ASD. This review not only highlights the importance of a developmental framework and explicit consideration of age and/or stage when studying ASD, but also the potential importance of adolescence on outcomes in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten O’Hearn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Kirsten O’Hearn,
| | - Andrew Lynn
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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5
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Meta-analytic connectivity modelling of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Imaging Behav 2023; 17:257-269. [PMID: 36633738 PMCID: PMC10049951 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00754-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Social and non-social deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) persist into adulthood and may share common regions of aberrant neural activations. The current meta-analysis investigated activation differences between ASD and neurotypical controls irrespective of task type. Activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses were performed to examine consistent hypo-activated and/or hyper-activated regions for all tasks combined, and for social and non-social tasks separately; meta-analytic connectivity modelling and behavioral/paradigm analyses were performed to examine co-activated regions and associated behaviors. One hundred studies (mean age range = 18-41 years) were included. For all tasks combined, the ASD group showed significant (p < .05) hypo-activation in one cluster around the left amygdala (peak - 26, -2, -20, volume = 1336 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.0327), and this cluster co-activated with two other clusters around the right cerebellum (peak 42, -56, -22, volume = 2560mm3, maximum ALE = 0.049) Lobule VI/Crus I and the left fusiform gyrus (BA47) (peak - 42, -46, -18, volume = 1616 mm3, maximum ALE = 0.046) and left cerebellum (peak - 42, -58, -20, volume = 1616mm3, maximum ALE = 0.033) Lobule VI/Crus I. While the left amygdala was associated with negative emotion (fear) (z = 3.047), the left fusiform gyrus/cerebellum Lobule VI/Crus I cluster was associated with language semantics (z = 3.724) and action observation (z = 3.077). These findings highlight the left amygdala as a region consistently hypo-activated in ASD and suggest the potential involvement of fusiform gyrus and cerebellum in social cognition in ASD. Future research should further elucidate if and how amygdala-fusiform/cerebellar connectivity relates to social and non-social cognition in adults with ASD.
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Zhao L, Sun YK, Xue SW, Luo H, Lu XD, Zhang LH. Identifying Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Whole-Brain Resting-State Interregional Functional Connections Using a Boruta-Based Support Vector Machine Approach. Front Neuroinform 2022; 16:761942. [PMID: 35273487 PMCID: PMC8901599 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2022.761942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of resting-state functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging (R-fMRI) studies have used functional connections as discriminative features for machine learning to identify patients with brain diseases. However, it remains unclear which functional connections could serve as highly discriminative features to realize the classification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this study was to find ASD-related functional connectivity patterns and examine whether these patterns had the potential to provide neuroimaging-based information to clinically assist with the diagnosis of ASD by means of machine learning. We investigated the whole-brain interregional functional connections derived from R-fMRI. Data were acquired from 48 boys with ASD and 50 typically developing age-matched controls at NYU Langone Medical Center from the publicly available Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I (ABIDE I) dataset; the ASD-related functional connections identified by the Boruta algorithm were used as the features of support vector machine (SVM) to distinguish patients with ASD from typically developing controls (TDC); a permutation test was performed to assess the classification performance. Approximately, 92.9% of participants were correctly classified by a combined SVM and leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) approach, wherein 95.8% of patients with ASD were correctly identified. The default mode network (DMN) exhibited a relatively high network degree and discriminative power. Eight important brain regions showed a high discriminative power, including the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC). Significant correlations were found between the classification scores of several functional connections and ASD symptoms (p < 0.05). This study highlights the important role of DMN in ASD identification. Interregional functional connections might provide useful information for the clinical diagnosis of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhao
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Kai Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shao-Wei Xue
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shao-Wei Xue
| | - Hong Luo
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Lu
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Psychological Science, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lan-Hua Zhang
- College of Medical Information and Engineering, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China
- Lan-Hua Zhang
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7
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Girardi G, Fernandez LG, Leboyer M, Latimier A, Chokron S, Zalla T. Temporal preparation in adults with autistic spectrum disorder: The variable foreperiod effect. Autism Res 2021; 14:2393-2404. [PMID: 34223712 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Research suggested the possibility that temporal cognition may be different in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Although there are some empirical studies examining timing ability in these individuals, to our knowledge, no one directly assessed the ability to predict when an event will occur. Here, we report a study on implicit temporal preparation in individuals with ASD as indexed by the variable foreperiod (FP) effect. We compared a group of adult ASD participants to a group of typically-developed (TD) controls, for their respective abilities to utilize implicit temporal information in a simple detection task with three different preparatory intervals (FP, short, middle and long). Participants were given a warning tone to signal an imminent stimulus, and asked to press a key as quickly as they could upon detection of the stimulus. Both groups were able to use implicit temporal information, as revealed by both the variable-FP effect (i.e., faster response for targets appearing after a long FP) and asymmetric sequential effects (i.e., slower response in short-FP trials following a previous long-FP trial). The TD group exhibited a faster response in a long-FP trial that was preceded by short-FP one, whereas the ASD group did not, as reflected in their higher percentage of response omissions for a target that appeared later than in the previous trial. The reduced ability of ASD participants to modulate their responses under these conditions might reflect a difficulty in time-based monitoring of stimulus occurrence. LAY SUMMARY: Time-processing may be different in autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). This study addressed the ability to anticipate a relevant stimulus's onset according to predictable interstimulus intervals comparing adults with ASD and typically developed controls. We found that ASD participants did not benefit from temporal preparation when stimulus appeared later than previously attended. This suggests a reduced ability in detecting implicit temporal regularities between events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Girardi
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Département d'études cognitives, Institut Jean Nicod, CNRS UMR 8129, Paris, France.,Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Gabriela Fernandez
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Département d'études cognitives, Institut Jean Nicod, CNRS UMR 8129, Paris, France
| | - Marion Leboyer
- Department of Psychiatry, INSERM U 955, IMRB & University Paris Est Creteil, AP-HP, Henri Mondor-Albert Chenevier Hospitals, Creteil, France.,Fondation FondaMental, French National Science Foundation, Créteil, France
| | - Alice Latimier
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Département d'études cognitives, Institut Jean Nicod, CNRS UMR 8129, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Chokron
- Institut de Neuropsychologie, Neurovision et Neurocognition, Fondation Ophtalmologique Rothschild & INCC, Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, CNRS UMR 8002 Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Tiziana Zalla
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Département d'études cognitives, Institut Jean Nicod, CNRS UMR 8129, Paris, France
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8
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Altered Cerebellum Spontaneous Activity in Juvenile Autism Spectrum Disorders Associated with Clinical Traits. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2497-2504. [PMID: 34184142 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05167-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The associations between the cerebellum and clinical traits remain unclear. We performed amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis to explore the associations between spontaneous brain activity and clinical traits. 361 juvenile ASD patients were included from the ABIDEII database. In the ASD group, the mean ALFF values of cerebellum 4 5 were correlated with SRS awareness and communication. The mean ALFF values of cerebellum 6 and vermis 4 5 were both positively correlated with SRS total, awareness, communication, and motivation. In contrast, the mean ALFF values of vermis 1 2 were negatively correlated with SRS total, awareness, and mannerisms. Our study suggests a role of the cerebellum in functional impairments in ASD.
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9
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Janouschek H, Chase HW, Sharkey RJ, Peterson ZJ, Camilleri JA, Abel T, Eickhoff SB, Nickl-Jockschat T. The functional neural architecture of dysfunctional reward processing in autism. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 31:102700. [PMID: 34161918 PMCID: PMC8239466 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Functional imaging studies have found differential neural activation patterns during reward-paradigms in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to neurotypical controls. However, publications report conflicting results on the directionality and location of these aberrant activations. We here quantitatively summarized relevant fMRI papers in the field using the anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) algorithm. Patients with ASD consistently showed hypoactivations in the striatum across studies, mainly in the right putamen and accumbens. These regions are functionally involved in the processing of rewards and are enrolled in extensive neural networks involving limbic, cortical, thalamic and mesencephalic regions. The striatal hypo-activations found in our ALE meta-analysis, which pooled over contrasts derived from the included studies on reward-processing in ASD, highlight the role of the striatum as a key neural correlate of impaired reward processing in autism. These changes were present for studies using social and non-social stimuli alike. The involvement of these regions in extensive networks associated with the processing of both positive and negative emotion alike might hint at broader impairments of emotion processing in the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hildegard Janouschek
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Henry W Chase
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Rachel J Sharkey
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Zeru J Peterson
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Julia A Camilleri
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ted Abel
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Nickl-Jockschat
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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10
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Tschida JE, Yerys BE. A Systematic Review of the Positive Valence System in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuropsychol Rev 2020; 31:58-88. [PMID: 33174110 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09459-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
This review synthesized current literature of behavioral and cognitive studies targeting reward processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Positive Valence System (PVS) domain was used as an overarching framework. The objectives were to determine which component operations of reward processing may be atypical in ASD and consequently postulate a heuristic model of reward processing in ASD that could be evaluated with future research. 34 studies were identified from the Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases and included in the review using guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (also known as PRISMA guidelines). The extant literature suggested potential relationships between social symptoms of ASD and PVS sub-constructs of reward anticipation, probabilistic and reinforcement learning, reward prediction error, reward (probability), delay, and effort as well as between restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBIs) and PVS-sub constructs of initial response to reward, reward anticipation, reward (probability), delay, and effort. However, these findings are limited by a sparse and mixed literature for some sub-constructs. We put forward a developmentally informed heuristic model that posits how these component reward processes may be implicated in early ASD behaviors as well as later emerging and more intransigent symptoms. Future research is needed to comprehensively evaluate the proposed model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Tschida
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research Building, Center for Autism Research, 2716 South Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA.
| | - Benjamin E Yerys
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research Building, Center for Autism Research, 2716 South Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA.,Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Wynn SC, Driessen JMA, Glennon JC, Brazil IA, Schutter DJLG. Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Reactive Response Inhibition in Healthy Volunteers. THE CEREBELLUM 2020; 18:983-988. [PMID: 31177388 PMCID: PMC6867976 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-019-01047-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Involvement of the cerebellum to non-motor related aspects of behavior is becoming increasingly clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the cerebellum in reactive and proactive behavioral control and interference. In a double-blind controlled within-subject design, 26 healthy volunteers underwent real and sham cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while performing a go/no-go task and a delay discounting task. Results showed that the number of go/no-go commission errors was significantly lower during real as compared with sham cerebellar tDCS. No effects of tDCS were observed on delay discounting. Our findings provide further behavioral support for the involvement of the cerebellum in fast neural processes associated with response inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syanah C Wynn
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Josi M A Driessen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jeffrey C Glennon
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Inti A Brazil
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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12
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Che X, Fang Y, You M, Xu Y, Wang Y. Exposure to nonylphenol in early life increases pro-inflammatory cytokines in the prefrontal cortex: Involvement of gut-brain communication. Chem Biol Interact 2020; 323:109076. [PMID: 32240654 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.109076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence indicates that exposure to nonylphenol (NP), a typical persistent organic pollutant (POP), in early life results in the impairment of the central nervous system (CNS), but the underlying mechanism still remains to be elucidated. High levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain have been implicated in the CNS damages. The animal model of exposure to NP in early life was established by maternal gavage during the pregnancy and lactation in the present study. We found that exposure to NP in early life increased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the rat prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the intestine as well as in the serum were also increased by NP exposure. Furthermore, the increased permeability of intestinal barrier and blood-brain barrier (BBB), two critical barriers in the gut to brain communication, was observed in the rats exposed to NP in early lives. The decreased expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and claudin-1 (CLDN-1), tight junction proteins (TJs) that responsible for maintaining the permeability of intestinal barrier and BBB, was found, which may underlie these increases in permeability. Taken together, these results suggested that the disturbed gut-brain communication may contribute to the increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the prefrontal cortex caused by NP exposure in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Che
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yawen Fang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingdan You
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Xu
- Program of Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
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13
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Pinato L, Galina Spilla CS, Markus RP, da Silveira Cruz-Machado S. Dysregulation of Circadian Rhythms in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 25:4379-4393. [DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666191102170450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background:
The alterations in neurological and neuroendocrine functions observed in the autism
spectrum disorder (ASD) involves environmentally dependent dysregulation of neurodevelopment, in interaction
with multiple coding gene defects. Disturbed sleep-wake patterns, as well as abnormal melatonin and glucocorticoid
secretion, show the relevance of an underlying impairment of the circadian timing system to the behavioral
phenotype of ASD. Thus, understanding the mechanisms involved in the circadian dysregulation in ASD could
help to identify early biomarkers to improve the diagnosis and therapeutics as well as providing a significant
impact on the lifelong prognosis.
Objective:
In this review, we discuss the organization of the circadian timing system and explore the connection
between neuroanatomic, molecular, and neuroendocrine responses of ASD and its clinical manifestations. Here
we propose interconnections between circadian dysregulation, inflammatory baseline and behavioral changes in
ASD. Taking into account, the high relevancy of melatonin in orchestrating both circadian timing and the maintenance
of physiological immune quiescence, we raise the hypothesis that melatonin or analogs should be considered
as a pharmacological approach to suppress inflammation and circadian misalignment in ASD patients.
Strategy:
This review provides a comprehensive update on the state-of-art of studies related to inflammatory
states and ASD with a special focus on the relationship with melatonin and clock genes. The hypothesis raised
above was analyzed according to the published data.
Conclusion:
Current evidence supports the existence of associations between ASD to circadian dysregulation,
behavior problems, increased inflammatory levels of cytokines, sleep disorders, as well as reduced circadian
neuroendocrine responses. Indeed, major effects may be related to a low melatonin rhythm. We propose that
maintaining the proper rhythm of the circadian timing system may be helpful to improve the health and to cope
with several behavioral changes observed in ASD subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Pinato
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 17525-900, Marilia, SP, Brazil
| | - Caio Sergio Galina Spilla
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 17525-900, Marilia, SP, Brazil
| | - Regina Pekelmann Markus
- Laboratory of Chronopharmacology, Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo (USP), 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sanseray da Silveira Cruz-Machado
- Laboratory of Chronopharmacology, Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo (USP), 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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14
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Sex differences in brain structure: a twin study on restricted and repetitive behaviors in twin pairs with and without autism. Mol Autism 2019; 11:1. [PMID: 31893022 PMCID: PMC6937723 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0309-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Females with autism spectrum disorder have been reported to exhibit fewer and less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests compared to males. This difference might indicate sex-specific alterations of brain networks involved in autism symptom domains, especially within cortico-striatal and sensory integration networks. This study used a well-controlled twin design to examine sex differences in brain anatomy in relation to repetitive behaviors. Methods In 75 twin pairs (n = 150, 62 females, 88 males) enriched for autism spectrum disorder (n = 32), and other neurodevelopmental disorders (n = 32), we explored the association of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests—operationalized by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (C domain) and the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior subscale)—with cortical volume, surface area and thickness of neocortical, sub-cortical, and cerebellar networks. Results Co-twin control analyses revealed within-pair associations between RRBI symptoms and increased thickness of the right intraparietal sulcus and reduced volume of the right orbital gyrus in females only, even though the mean number of RRBIs did not differ between the sexes. In a sub-sample of ASD-discordant pairs, increased thickness in association with RRBIs was found exclusively in females in the orbitofrontal regions, superior frontal gyrus, and intraparietal sulcus, while in males RRBIs tended to be associated with increased volume of the bilateral pallidum. Limitations However, due to a small sample size and the small difference in RRBI symptoms within pairs, the results of this exploratory study need to be interpreted with caution. Conclusions Our findings suggest that structural alterations of fronto-parietal networks in association with RRBIs are found mostly in females, while striatal networks are more affected in males. These results endorse the importance of investigating sex differences in the neurobiology of autism symptoms, and indicate different etiological pathways underlying restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in females and males.
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15
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Oron O, Getselter D, Shohat S, Reuveni E, Lukic I, Shifman S, Elliott E. Gene network analysis reveals a role for striatal glutamatergic receptors in dysregulated risk-assessment behavior of autism mouse models. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:257. [PMID: 31624228 PMCID: PMC6797764 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0584-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents a wide, and often varied, behavioral phenotype. Improper assessment of risks has been reported among individuals diagnosed with ASD. Improper assessment of risks may lead to increased accidents and self-injury, also reported among individuals diagnosed with ASD. However, there is little knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of the impaired risk-assessment phenotype. In this study, we have identified impaired risk-assessment activity in multiple male ASD mouse models. By performing network-based analysis of striatal whole transcriptome data from each of these ASD models, we have identified a cluster of glutamate receptor-associated genes that correlate with the risk-assessment phenotype. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of striatal glutamatergic receptors was able to mimic the dysregulation in risk-assessment. Therefore, this study has identified a molecular mechanism that may underlie risk-assessment dysregulation in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oded Oron
- 0000 0004 1937 0503grid.22098.31Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Lab, Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine, 1311502 Safed, Israel
| | - Dmitriy Getselter
- 0000 0004 1937 0503grid.22098.31Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Lab, Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine, 1311502 Safed, Israel
| | - Shahar Shohat
- 0000 0004 1937 0538grid.9619.7Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190501 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eli Reuveni
- 0000 0004 1937 0503grid.22098.31Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Lab, Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine, 1311502 Safed, Israel
| | - Iva Lukic
- 0000 0004 1937 0503grid.22098.31Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Lab, Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine, 1311502 Safed, Israel
| | - Sagiv Shifman
- 0000 0004 1937 0538grid.9619.7Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190501 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Evan Elliott
- Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences Lab, Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine, 1311502, Safed, Israel.
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16
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Reframing schizophrenia and autism as bodily self-consciousness disorders leading to a deficit of theory of mind and empathy with social communication impairments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:401-413. [PMID: 31029711 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Prior observations and studies suggest self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), two neurodevelopmental disorders sharing social communication impairments. First, the relationships between schizophrenia and autism are explored regarding social communication impairments. Then, self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and autism are described and discussed in relation with impairments of body self leading to impairments of self-other differentiation, a deficit of theory of mind and empathy, and their consequences on social communication. Also, neurological dysfunction involved possibly in self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and autism is presented. In conclusion, a new model is proposed integrating results of studies presented here and stating the existence of bodily self-consciousness disorders in schizophrenia and autism associated with altered/absent intermodal sensory integration (especially visual-kinesthetic-tactile integration). This would result in problems of self-other differentiation, leading in turn to a deficit of theory of mind and empathy as well as social communication impairments. This model opens new perspectives to understand better self-consciousness disorders and social communication impairments in schizophrenia and ASD and to develop therapeutic strategies.
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17
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Warnell KR, Maniscalco S, Baker S, Yi R, Redcay E. Social and delay discounting in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2019; 12:870-877. [PMID: 30816644 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Current literature is divided over whether and how processes such as perspective taking and reward sensitivity differ between individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) versus neurotypical individuals. Discounting tasks may provide novel insight into how these processes operate. In delay discounting tasks, participants choose between smaller immediate rewards and larger delayed rewards, and in social discounting tasks, participants choose between a smaller monetary rewards for themselves versus a larger reward for partners of varied social distance (e.g., a close friend vs. an acquaintance). Delay and social discounting tasks thus implicitly measure the subjective value of rewards given to one's future self and to others, capturing constructs such as perspective taking, reward processing, and social closeness, all of which have been discussed as core cognitive mechanisms underlying ASD. Despite extensive research on discounting in other clinical populations, few studies have examined delay discounting in ASD and no research has examined social discounting in ASD. The goal of the current study was to assess delay and social discounting for monetary rewards in a single sample of adolescents and adults with ASD compared to a matched neurotypical sample. Overall, adults and adolescents with ASD valued both future rewards and rewards given to others less than their typical counterparts did, but rates of discounting were not significantly correlated across temporal and social domains. These results extend an important behavioral paradigm for understanding both perspective taking and reward processing to autism. Autism Res 2019, 12: 870-877. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Discounting tasks-which experimentally measure the subjective value of different rewards-have been used with a variety of clinical populations, but are underexplored in ASD. We found that compared to neurotypical individuals, individuals with ASD showed diminished subjective value for future rewards (compared to immediate rewards) and rewards for others (compared to rewards for self). This finding has implications for understanding perspective taking, reward processing, and social closeness in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sydney Maniscalco
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742
| | - Sydney Baker
- Department of Psychology, John Jay College, New York, NY, 10019
| | - Richard Yi
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045
| | - Elizabeth Redcay
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742
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18
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Yamagata B, Itahashi T, Fujino J, Ohta H, Nakamura M, Kato N, Mimura M, Hashimoto RI, Aoki Y. Machine learning approach to identify a resting-state functional connectivity pattern serving as an endophenotype of autism spectrum disorder. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 13:1689-1698. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9973-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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19
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Nakamura S, Shimazawa M, Hara H. Physiological Roles of Metallothioneins in Central Nervous System Diseases. Biol Pharm Bull 2018; 41:1006-1013. [DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b17-00856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University
| | - Masamitsu Shimazawa
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University
| | - Hideaki Hara
- Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University
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