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Hudac CM, Naples A, DesChamps TD, Coffman MC, Kresse A, Ward T, Mukerji C, Aaronson B, Faja S, McPartland JC, Bernier R. Modeling temporal dynamics of face processing in youth and adults. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:345-361. [PMID: 33882266 PMCID: PMC8324546 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1920050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
A hierarchical model of temporal dynamics was examined in adults (n = 34) and youth (n = 46) across the stages of face processing during the perception of static and dynamic faces. Three ERP components (P100, N170, N250) and spectral power in the mu range were extracted, corresponding to cognitive stages of face processing: low-level vision processing, structural encoding, higher-order processing, and action understanding. Youth and adults exhibited similar yet distinct patterns of hierarchical temporal dynamics such that earlier cognitive stages predicted later stages, directly and indirectly. However, latent factors indicated unique profiles related to behavioral performance for adults and youth and age as a continuous factor. The application of path analysis to electrophysiological data can yield novel insights into the cortical dynamics of social information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Hudac
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention and Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Trent D DesChamps
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marika C Coffman
- Center for Autism and Brain Development and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anna Kresse
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tracey Ward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,The Seattle Clinic, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cora Mukerji
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Aaronson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Parker TC, Crowley MJ, Naples AJ, Rolison MJ, Wu J, Trapani JA, McPartland JC. The N170 event-related potential reflects delayed neural response to faces when visual attention is directed to the eyes in youths with ASD. Autism Res 2021; 14:1347-1356. [PMID: 33749161 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Atypical neural response to faces is thought to contribute to social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Compared to typically developing (TD) controls, individuals with ASD exhibit delayed brain responses to upright faces at a face-sensitive event-related potential (ERP), the N170. Given observed differences in patterns of visual attention to faces, it is not known whether slowed neural processing may simply reflect atypical looking to faces. The present study manipulated visual attention to facial features to examine whether directed attention to the eyes normalizes N170 latency in ASD. ERPs were recorded in 30 children and adolescents with ASD as well as 26 TD children and adolescents. Results replicated prior findings of shorter N170 latency to the eye region of the face in TD individuals. In contrast, those with ASD did not demonstrate modulation of N170 latency by point of regard to the face. Group differences in latency were most pronounced when attention was directed to the eyes. Results suggest that well-replicated findings of N170 delays in ASD do not simply reflect atypical patterns of visual engagement with experimental stimuli. These findings add to a body of evidence indicating that N170 delays are a promising marker of atypical neural response to social information in ASD. LAY SUMMARY: This study looks at how children's and adolescents' brains respond when looking at different parts of a face. Typically developing children and adolescents processed eyes faster than other parts of the face, whereas this pattern was not seen in ASD. Children and adolescents with ASD processed eyes more slowly than typically developing children. These findings suggest that observed inefficiencies in face processing in ASD are not simply reflective of failure to attend to the eyes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Termara C Parker
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael J Crowley
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Adam J Naples
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Max J Rolison
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jia Wu
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Julie A Trapani
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Tillman R, Gordon I, Naples A, Rolison M, Leckman JF, Feldman R, Pelphrey KA, McPartland JC. Oxytocin Enhances the Neural Efficiency of Social Perception. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:71. [PMID: 30914935 PMCID: PMC6421852 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Face perception is a highly conserved process that directs our attention from infancy and is supported by specialized neural circuitry. Oxytocin (OT) can increase accuracy and detection of emotional faces, but these effects are mediated by valence, individual differences, and context. We investigated the temporal dynamics of OT’s influence on the neural substrates of face perception using event related potentials (ERPs). In a double blind, placebo controlled within-subject design, 21 healthy male adults inhaled OT or placebo and underwent ERP imaging during two face processing tasks. Experiment 1 investigated effects of OT on neural correlates of fearful vs. neutral facial expressions, and Experiment 2 manipulated point-of-gaze to neutral faces. In Experiment 1, we found that OT reduced N170 latency to fearful faces. In Experiment 2, N170 latency was decreased when participant gaze was directed to the eyes of neutral faces; however, there were no OT-associated effects in response to different facial features. Findings suggest OT modulates early stages of social perception for socially complex information such as emotional faces relative to neutral. These results are consistent with models suggesting OT impacts the salience of socially informative cues during processing, which leads to downstream effects in behavior. Future work should examine how OT affects neural processes underlying basic components of social behavior (such as, face perception) while varying emotional expression of stimuli or comparing different characteristics of participants (e.g., gender, personality traits).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Tillman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Ilanit Gordon
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Max Rolison
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - James F Leckman
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Harrison-Wood Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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McPartland JC. Autism's existential crisis: a reflection on Livingston et al. (2018). J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2019; 60:111-113. [PMID: 30556607 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Livingston and colleagues present an empirical investigation of the compensatory framework describing the autism clinical phenotype as the sum of intrinsic neurocognitive deficits and compensatory mechanisms. This commentary highlights several methodologic features of the study that are pertinent to interpretation and reflects on the reduction of social behavior to cognitive processes. Taken together, the notion of compensation calls into question the validity and utility of the current behavioral diagnosis of autism.
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Foss-Feig JH, Stavropoulos KKM, McPartland JC, Wallace MT, Stone WL, Key AP. Electrophysiological response during auditory gap detection: Biomarker for sensory and communication alterations in autism spectrum disorder? Dev Neuropsychol 2018; 43:109-122. [PMID: 29436853 PMCID: PMC5972824 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2017.1365869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Sensory symptoms, including auditory processing deficits, are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Processing of temporal aspects of auditory input is understudied; yet, deficits in this domain could contribute to language-related impairments. In children with ASD and well-matched controls, this study examined electrophysiological response to silent gaps in auditory stimuli. Results revealed attenuated amplitude of the P2 event-related potential (ERP) component in ASD. The P2 amplitude reduction was also associated with sensory, language, and diagnostic features. These results suggest that neural response during auditory gap detection is a promising ASD biomarker that could be useful for stratifying subgroups and evaluating treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Foss-Feig
- a Department of Psychiatry , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital , One Gustave Levy Place, New York , New York
- b Seaver Autism Center , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital , One Gustave Levy Place, New York , New York
| | | | - James C McPartland
- d Child Study Center , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , Connecticut
- e Department of Psychology , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut
| | - Mark T Wallace
- f Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee
- g Kennedy Center , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee
- h Department of Psychology , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee
| | - Wendy L Stone
- i Department of Psychology , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington
| | - Alexandra P Key
- f Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee
- g Kennedy Center , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Despite significant progress in recognizing the biological bases of autism spectrum disorder, diagnosis and treatment rely primarily on subjective evaluation of behavior. This review highlights the challenges unique to neurodevelopmental disorders that have limited biomarker development. RECENT FINDINGS The field of neurodevelopmental disorders requires objective quantification of biological processes to enable designation of subgroups likely to benefit from specific treatments, index diagnostic status/risk, demonstrate engagement of targeted systems, and provide more rapid assessment of change than traditional clinical observation and caregiver report measures. SUMMARY Useful biomarkers for neurodevelopmental disorders must be reliable across development, evident at the individual level, and specific to a unit of analysis, be it diagnostic status or functional process. The ultimate value of biomarkers for neurodevelopmental disorders will relate to their ease of use, cost, scalability, sensitivity, and methodological objectivity.
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Stavropoulos KKM, Viktorinova M, Naples A, Foss-Feig J, McPartland JC. Autistic traits modulate conscious and nonconscious face perception. Soc Neurosci 2016; 13:40-51. [PMID: 27750521 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1248788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Difficulty with emotion perception is a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that is also associated with the broader autism phenotype. The current study explored the neural underpinnings of conscious and nonconscious perceptions of affect in typically developing individuals with varying levels of autistic-like traits, as measured by the Autism Quotient (AQ). We investigated the relationship between autistic traits and face processing efficiency using event-related potentials (ERPs). In 20 typically developing adults, we utilized ERPs (the P100, N170, and P300) to measure differences in face processing for emotional faces that were presented either (a) too quickly to reach conscious awareness (16 ms) or (b) slowly enough to be consciously observed (200 ms). All individuals evidenced increased P100 and P300 amplitude and shorter N170 latencies for nonconscious versus consciously presented faces. Individuals with high AQ scores evidenced delayed ERP components. Nonconsciously perceived emotional faces elicited enhanced neural responses regardless of AQ score. Higher levels of autistic traits were associated with inefficient face perception (i.e., longer latency of ERP components). This delay parallels processing delays observed in ASD. These data suggest that inefficient social perception is present in individuals with subclinical levels of social impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michaela Viktorinova
- b National Institute of Mental Health , Klecany , Czech Republic.,c Third Faculty of Medicine , Charles University , Prague , Czech Republic
| | - Adam Naples
- d Yale School of Medicine , Yale Child Study Center , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Jennifer Foss-Feig
- e Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , NY , USA
| | - James C McPartland
- d Yale School of Medicine , Yale Child Study Center , New Haven , CT , USA
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