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Ampollini S, Ardizzi M, Ferroni F, Cigala A. Synchrony perception across senses: A systematic review of temporal binding window changes from infancy to adolescence in typical and atypical development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105711. [PMID: 38729280 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105711] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Sensory integration is increasingly acknowledged as being crucial for the development of cognitive and social abilities. However, its developmental trajectory is still little understood. This systematic review delves into the topic by investigating the literature about the developmental changes from infancy through adolescence of the Temporal Binding Window (TBW) - the epoch of time within which sensory inputs are perceived as simultaneous and therefore integrated. Following comprehensive searches across PubMed, Elsevier, and PsycInfo databases, only experimental, behavioral, English-language, peer-reviewed studies on multisensory temporal processing in 0-17-year-olds have been included. Non-behavioral, non-multisensory, and non-human studies have been excluded as those that did not directly focus on the TBW. The selection process was independently performed by two Authors. The 39 selected studies involved 2859 participants in total. Findings indicate a predisposition towards cross-modal asynchrony sensitivity and a composite, still unclear, developmental trajectory, with atypical development associated to increased asynchrony tolerance. These results highlight the need for consistent and thorough research into TBW development to inform potential interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ampollini
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Borgo Carissimi, 10, Parma 43121, Italy.
| | - Martina Ardizzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39E, Parma 43121, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferroni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Unit of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Via Volturno 39E, Parma 43121, Italy
| | - Ada Cigala
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Borgo Carissimi, 10, Parma 43121, Italy
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2
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Jertberg RM, Begeer S, Geurts HM, Chakrabarti B, Van der Burg E. Age, not autism, influences multisensory integration of speech stimuli among adults in a McGurk/MacDonald paradigm. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2979-2994. [PMID: 38570828 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals in perception of the temporal relationships between sights and sounds are theorized to underlie difficulties in integrating relevant sensory information. These, in turn, are thought to contribute to problems with speech perception and higher level social behaviour. However, the literature establishing this connection often involves limited sample sizes and focuses almost entirely on children. To determine whether these differences persist into adulthood, we compared 496 autistic and 373 non-autistic adults (aged 17 to 75 years). Participants completed an online version of the McGurk/MacDonald paradigm, a multisensory illusion indicative of the ability to integrate audiovisual speech stimuli. Audiovisual asynchrony was manipulated, and participants responded both to the syllable they perceived (revealing their susceptibility to the illusion) and to whether or not the audio and video were synchronized (allowing insight into temporal processing). In contrast with prior research with smaller, younger samples, we detected no evidence of impaired temporal or multisensory processing in autistic adults. Instead, we found that in both groups, multisensory integration correlated strongly with age. This contradicts prior presumptions that differences in multisensory perception persist and even increase in magnitude over the lifespan of autistic individuals. It also suggests that the compensatory role multisensory integration may play as the individual senses decline with age is intact. These findings challenge existing theories and provide an optimistic perspective on autistic development. They also underline the importance of expanding autism research to better reflect the age range of the autistic population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Jertberg
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sander Begeer
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hilde M Geurts
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center (d'Arc), Brain & Cognition, Department of Psychology, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Leo Kannerhuis (Youz/Parnassiagroup), Den Haag, The Netherlands
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
- India Autism Center, Kolkata, India
- Department of Psychology, Ashoka University, Sonipat, India
| | - Erik Van der Burg
- Dutch Autism and ADHD Research Center (d'Arc), Brain & Cognition, Department of Psychology, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Purpura G, Petri S, Tancredi R, Tinelli F, Calderoni S. Haptic and visuo-haptic impairments for object recognition in children with autism spectrum disorder: focus on the sensory and multisensory processing dysfunctions. Exp Brain Res 2024:10.1007/s00221-024-06855-2. [PMID: 38819648 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06855-2] [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: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Dysfunctions in sensory processing are widely described in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although little is known about the developmental course and the impact of these difficulties on the learning processes during the preschool and school ages of ASD children. Specifically, as regards the interplay between visual and haptic information in ASD during developmental age, knowledge is very scarce and controversial. In this study, we investigated unimodal (visual and haptic) and cross-modal (visuo-haptic) processing skills aimed at object recognition through a behavioural paradigm already used in children with typical development (TD), with cerebral palsy and with peripheral visual impairments. Thirty-five children with ASD (age range: 5-11 years) and thirty-five age-matched and gender-matched typically developing peers were recruited. The procedure required participants to perform an object-recognition task relying on only the visual modality (black-and-white photographs), only the haptic modality (manipulation of real objects) and visuo-haptic transfer of these two types of information. Results are consistent with the idea that visuo-haptic transfer may be significantly worse in ASD children than in TD peers, leading to significant impairment in multisensory interactions for object recognition facilitation. Furthermore, ASD children tended to show a specific deficit in haptic information processing, while a similar trend of maturation of visual modality between the two groups is reported. This study adds to the current literature by suggesting that ASD differences in multisensory processes also regard visuo-haptic abilities necessary to identify and recognise objects of daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Purpura
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - S Petri
- Unit for Visually Impaired People, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - R Tancredi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Tinelli
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - S Calderoni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy.
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Surgent O, Guerrero-Gonzalez J, Dean DC, Adluru N, Kirk GR, Kecskemeti SR, Alexander AL, Li JJ, Travers BG. Microstructural neural correlates of maximal grip strength in autistic children: the role of the cortico-cerebellar network and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder features. Front Integr Neurosci 2024; 18:1359099. [PMID: 38808069 PMCID: PMC11130426 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2024.1359099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Maximal grip strength, a measure of how much force a person's hand can generate when squeezing an object, may be an effective method for understanding potential neurobiological differences during motor tasks. Grip strength in autistic individuals may be of particular interest due to its unique developmental trajectory. While autism-specific differences in grip-brain relationships have been found in adult populations, it is possible that such differences in grip-brain relationships may be present at earlier ages when grip strength is behaviorally similar in autistic and non-autistic groups. Further, such neural differences may lead to the later emergence of diagnostic-group grip differences in adolescence. The present study sought to examine this possibility, while also examining if grip strength could elucidate the neuro-motor sources of phenotypic heterogeneity commonly observed within autism. Methods Using high resolution, multi-shell diffusion, and quantitative R1 relaxometry imaging, this study examined how variations in key sensorimotor-related white matter pathways of the proprioception input, lateral grasping, cortico-cerebellar, and corticospinal networks were associated with individual variations in grip strength in 68 autistic children and 70 non-autistic (neurotypical) children (6-11 years-old). Results In both groups, results indicated that stronger grip strength was associated with higher proprioceptive input, lateral grasping, and corticospinal (but not cortico-cerebellar modification) fractional anisotropy and R1, indirect measures concordant with stronger microstructural coherence and increased myelination. Diagnostic group differences in these grip-brain relationships were not observed, but the autistic group exhibited more variability particularly in the cortico-cerebellar modification indices. An examination into the variability within the autistic group revealed that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) features moderated the relationships between grip strength and both fractional anisotropy and R1 relaxometry in the premotor-primary motor tract of the lateral grasping network and the cortico-cerebellar network tracts. Specifically, in autistic children with elevated ADHD features (60% of the autistic group) stronger grip strength was related to higher fractional anisotropy and R1 of the cerebellar modification network (stronger microstructural coherence and more myelin), whereas the opposite relationship was observed in autistic children with reduced ADHD features. Discussion Together, this work suggests that while the foundational elements of grip strength are similar across school-aged autistic and non-autistic children, neural mechanisms of grip strength within autistic children may additionally depend on the presence of ADHD features. Specifically, stronger, more coherent connections of the cerebellar modification network, which is thought to play a role in refining and optimizing motor commands, may lead to stronger grip in children with more ADHD features, weaker grip in children with fewer ADHD features, and no difference in grip in non-autistic children. While future research is needed to understand if these findings extend to other motor tasks beyond grip strength, these results have implications for understanding the biological basis of neuromotor control in autistic children and emphasize the importance of assessing co-occurring conditions when evaluating brain-behavior relationships in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Surgent
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jose Guerrero-Gonzalez
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Douglas C. Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Gregory R. Kirk
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | | | - Andrew L. Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - James J. Li
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Psychology Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Brittany G. Travers
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Occupational Therapy Program in the Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Croom K, Rumschlag JA, Erickson MA, Binder D, Razak KA. Sex differences during development in cortical temporal processing and event related potentials in wild-type and fragile X syndrome model mice. J Neurodev Disord 2024; 16:24. [PMID: 38720271 PMCID: PMC11077726 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-024-09539-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently diagnosed in approximately 1 in 44 children in the United States, based on a wide array of symptoms, including sensory dysfunction and abnormal language development. Boys are diagnosed ~ 3.8 times more frequently than girls. Auditory temporal processing is crucial for speech recognition and language development. Abnormal development of temporal processing may account for ASD language impairments. Sex differences in the development of temporal processing may underlie the differences in language outcomes in male and female children with ASD. To understand mechanisms of potential sex differences in temporal processing requires a preclinical model. However, there are no studies that have addressed sex differences in temporal processing across development in any animal model of ASD. METHODS To fill this major gap, we compared the development of auditory temporal processing in male and female wildtype (WT) and Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mice, a model of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), a leading genetic cause of ASD-associated behaviors. Using epidural screw electrodes, we recorded auditory event related potentials (ERP) and auditory temporal processing with a gap-in-noise auditory steady state response (ASSR) paradigm at young (postnatal (p)21 and p30) and adult (p60) ages from both auditory and frontal cortices of awake, freely moving mice. RESULTS The results show that ERP amplitudes were enhanced in both sexes of Fmr1 KO mice across development compared to WT counterparts, with greater enhancement in adult female than adult male KO mice. Gap-ASSR deficits were seen in the frontal, but not auditory, cortex in early development (p21) in female KO mice. Unlike male KO mice, female KO mice show WT-like temporal processing at p30. There were no temporal processing deficits in the adult mice of both sexes. CONCLUSIONS These results show a sex difference in the developmental trajectories of temporal processing and hypersensitive responses in Fmr1 KO mice. Male KO mice show slower maturation of temporal processing than females. Female KO mice show stronger hypersensitive responses than males later in development. The differences in maturation rates of temporal processing and hypersensitive responses during various critical periods of development may lead to sex differences in language function, arousal and anxiety in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katilynne Croom
- Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Rumschlag
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
| | - Michael A Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, USA
| | - Devin Binder
- Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, USA
- Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, USA
| | - Khaleel A Razak
- Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, USA.
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6
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La Chioma A, Schneider DM. Auditory neuroscience: Sounds make the face move. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R346-R348. [PMID: 38714161 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Animals including humans often react to sounds by involuntarily moving their face and body. A new study shows that facial movements provide a simple and reliable readout of a mouse's hearing ability that is more sensitive than traditional measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David M Schneider
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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Yildiz A, Yildiz R, Burak M, Zorlular R, Akkaya KU, Elbasan B. An investigation of sensory processing skills in toddlers with joint hypermobility. Early Hum Dev 2024; 192:105997. [PMID: 38614033 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2024.105997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH) may have a motor developmental delay in the early period and subluxation, fatigue, autonomic dysfunction, and pain arising from ligaments and other soft tissues in advanced ages. Additionally, there is a loss of proprioceptive sensation in children and adults with GJH. AIMS This study aimed to evaluate sensory processing skills in toddlers with GJH. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS Fifty-eight children aged between 12 and 14 months were included in the study. These children were divided into two groups: with and without GJH (31 with GJH and 27 without GJH). OUTCOME MEASURES The sensory processing skills of the children in the study were evaluated with the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants (TSFI). RESULTS The scores in the subtests of TSFI in response to tactile deep pressure, adaptive motor functions, visual-tactile integration, and response to vestibular stimuli were higher in favor of children without GJH (p < 0.05). The total TSFI score was higher in the group without GJH (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Sensory processing problems were found in toddlers with GJH. Sensory motor development should be evaluated in children with GJH, and an appropriate early intervention program should be planned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayse Yildiz
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum, Turkey.
| | - Ramazan Yildiz
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erzurum Technical University, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Burak
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fırat University, Elazig, Turkey
| | - Rabia Zorlular
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Bor Faculty of Health Sciences, Nigde Omer Halis Demir University, Niğde, Turkey
| | - Kamile Uzun Akkaya
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Bulent Elbasan
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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Böing S, Van der Stigchel S, Van der Stoep N. The impact of acute asymmetric hearing loss on multisensory integration. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2373-2390. [PMID: 38303554 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Humans have the remarkable ability to integrate information from different senses, which greatly facilitates the detection, localization and identification of events in the environment. About 466 million people worldwide suffer from hearing loss. Yet, the impact of hearing loss on how the senses work together is rarely investigated. Here, we investigate how a common sensory impairment, asymmetric conductive hearing loss (AHL), alters the way our senses interact by examining human orienting behaviour with normal hearing (NH) and acute AHL. This type of hearing loss disrupts auditory localization. We hypothesized that this creates a conflict between auditory and visual spatial estimates and alters how auditory and visual inputs are integrated to facilitate multisensory spatial perception. We analysed the spatial and temporal properties of saccades to auditory, visual and audiovisual stimuli before and after plugging the right ear of participants. Both spatial and temporal aspects of multisensory integration were affected by AHL. Compared with NH, AHL caused participants to make slow, inaccurate and unprecise saccades towards auditory targets. Surprisingly, increased weight on visual input resulted in accurate audiovisual localization with AHL. This came at a cost: saccade latencies for audiovisual targets increased significantly. The larger the auditory localization errors, the less participants were able to benefit from audiovisual integration in terms of saccade latency. Our results indicate that observers immediately change sensory weights to effectively deal with acute AHL and preserve audiovisual accuracy in a way that cannot be fully explained by statistical models of optimal cue integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Böing
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Van der Stigchel
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Nathan Van der Stoep
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Ahlfors SP, Graham S, Bharadwaj H, Mamashli F, Khan S, Joseph RM, Losh A, Pawlyszyn S, McGuiggan NM, Vangel M, Hämäläinen MS, Kenet T. No Differences in Auditory Steady-State Responses in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1947-1960. [PMID: 36932270 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05907-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Auditory steady-state response (ASSR) has been studied as a potential biomarker for abnormal auditory sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with mixed results. Motivated by prior somatosensory findings of group differences in inter-trial coherence (ITC) between ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals at twice the steady-state stimulation frequency, we examined ASSR at 25 and 50 as well as 43 and 86 Hz in response to 25-Hz and 43-Hz auditory stimuli, respectively, using magnetoencephalography. Data were recorded from 22 ASD and 31 TD children, ages 6-17 years. ITC measures showed prominent ASSRs at the stimulation and double frequencies, without significant group differences. These results do not support ASSR as a robust ASD biomarker of abnormal auditory processing in ASD. Furthermore, the previously observed atypical double-frequency somatosensory response in ASD did not generalize to the auditory modality. Thus, the hypothesis about modality-independent abnormal local connectivity in ASD was not supported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppo P Ahlfors
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Rm. 2301, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
| | - Steven Graham
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hari Bharadwaj
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Fahimeh Mamashli
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sheraz Khan
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert M Joseph
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ainsley Losh
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephanie Pawlyszyn
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole M McGuiggan
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark Vangel
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matti S Hämäläinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tal Kenet
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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Hu A, Kozloff V, Owen Van Horne A, Chugani D, Qi Z. Dissociation Between Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Statistical Learning in Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1912-1927. [PMID: 36749457 PMCID: PMC10404646 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05902-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Statistical learning (SL), the ability to detect and extract regularities from inputs, is considered a domain-general building block for typical language development. We compared 55 verbal children with autism (ASD, 6-12 years) and 50 typically-developing children in four SL tasks. The ASD group exhibited reduced learning in the linguistic SL tasks (syllable and letter), but showed intact learning for the nonlinguistic SL tasks (tone and image). In the ASD group, better linguistic SL was associated with higher language skills measured by parental report and sentence recall. Therefore, the atypicality of SL in autism is not domain-general but tied to specific processing constraints related to verbal stimuli. Our findings provide a novel perspective for understanding language heterogeneity in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Hu
- Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware, 125 E Main St., Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
| | - Violet Kozloff
- Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware, 125 E Main St., Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Amanda Owen Van Horne
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Diane Chugani
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Zhenghan Qi
- Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware, 125 E Main St., Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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11
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Arkesteyn A, Cornelissen V, Steyaert J, Claes J, Michielsen M, Van Damme T. The concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of a submaximal exercise test in adolescents with autism. Disabil Rehabil 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38644598 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2340704] [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: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is a need for valid and reliable clinical assessment tools to assess cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels in adolescents with autism. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the Astrand-Rhyming Test (ART) in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS 45 adolescents with autism aged 12-18 years (n = 32 males, 14.47 ± 1.79 years) performed the ART twice (test-retest reliability) and completed a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) (concurrent validity). Reliability parameters included Pearson correlations, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), standard error of measurements (SEM), minimal detectable changes (MDC), coefficients of variation, paired sample t-tests, linear regressions and Bland-Altman plots. The concurrent validity was evaluated with Pearson correlations, ICCs, paired sample t-tests, linear regressions and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS Strong test-retest reliability (r = 0.84-0.85, ICC = 0.84-0.85) was found for the ART, but the wide limits of agreement intervals suggest the presence of substantial variability. The large SEM (4.73-5.08 mL/kg/min) and MDC (13.20-14.07 mL/kg/min) values suggest lower absolute reliability. Moderate to strong levels of association (r = 0.74-0.75) and agreement (ICC = 0.59-0.66) were found between estimated (ART1) and measured (CPET) VO2 max levels, but significant systematic differences (5.71-8.82 mL/kg/min) were observed. CONCLUSION The ART is an accessible and promising method to monitor submaximal CRF levels over time but is less appropriate to estimate maximal CRF levels in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Arkesteyn
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Jean Steyaert
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- University Psychiatric Centre KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jomme Claes
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Tine Van Damme
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- University Psychiatric Centre KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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12
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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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13
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Bierlich AM, Bloch C, Spyra T, Lanz C, Falter-Wagner CM, Vogeley K. An evaluation of the German version of the Sensory Perception Quotient from an expert by experience perspective. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1252277. [PMID: 38487661 PMCID: PMC10937587 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1252277] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensory processing is often altered in individuals with autism; thus, it is essential to develop reliable measurement tools to assess sensory perception. The Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ) quantifies basic sensory sensitivities in adults via self-report. Adopting an expert by experience perspective, this study aimed to evaluate a German translation of the SPQ for its use in clinical and research applications, especially for autistic adults. 108 adults (n = 54 autistic) completed the German SPQ in an online assessment. A 92-item and a 35-item version of the German SPQ were analyzed for group differences and internal consistency. Our results show that adults with autism reported greater sensory sensitivity compared to non-autistic adults. Results further suggest good to excellent internal consistency for the 95-item and 35-item SPQ translations. This finding was supported by the correlative relationship between sensory sensitivity and autistic traits. These findings confirm the reliability of our SPQ translation, making it a suitable German assessment tool for basic sensory sensitivity in autistic adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afton M. Bierlich
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Carola Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Timo Spyra
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Lanz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Kai Vogeley
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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14
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da Silva Moro J, Rodrigues TD, Kammer PV, de Camargo AR, Bolan M. Efficacy of the Video Modeling Technique as a Facilitator of Non-invasive Dental Care in Autistic Children: Randomized Clinical Trial. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:501-508. [PMID: 36357551 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05820-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the video modeling technique during the dental appointment. A blinded randomized clinical trial was composed of 2 groups, consisting of 20 autistic children (4 to 12 years) in each group: control (did not watch the video before the consultation) and intervention (watched the video before the consultation). The primary outcome was the mean number of visits to perform a dental appointment. The number of consultations was analyzed by T-test or Mann-Whitney test. The results showed that the mean number of consultations in the intervention group was 1.5 (± 1.53) and in the control group 2 (± 1.77) (p ≤ 0.05). The video modeling technique can be effective in minimizing the number of dental consultations in autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Michele Bolan
- Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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15
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Ross LA, Molholm S, Butler JS, Del Bene VA, Brima T, Foxe JJ. Neural correlates of audiovisual narrative speech perception in children and adults on the autism spectrum: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Autism Res 2024; 17:280-310. [PMID: 38334251 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Autistic individuals show substantially reduced benefit from observing visual articulations during audiovisual speech perception, a multisensory integration deficit that is particularly relevant to social communication. This has mostly been studied using simple syllabic or word-level stimuli and it remains unclear how altered lower-level multisensory integration translates to the processing of more complex natural multisensory stimulus environments in autism. Here, functional neuroimaging was used to examine neural correlates of audiovisual gain (AV-gain) in 41 autistic individuals to those of 41 age-matched non-autistic controls when presented with a complex audiovisual narrative. Participants were presented with continuous narration of a story in auditory-alone, visual-alone, and both synchronous and asynchronous audiovisual speech conditions. We hypothesized that previously identified differences in audiovisual speech processing in autism would be characterized by activation differences in brain regions well known to be associated with audiovisual enhancement in neurotypicals. However, our results did not provide evidence for altered processing of auditory alone, visual alone, audiovisual conditions or AV- gain in regions associated with the respective task when comparing activation patterns between groups. Instead, we found that autistic individuals responded with higher activations in mostly frontal regions where the activation to the experimental conditions was below baseline (de-activations) in the control group. These frontal effects were observed in both unisensory and audiovisual conditions, suggesting that these altered activations were not specific to multisensory processing but reflective of more general mechanisms such as an altered disengagement of Default Mode Network processes during the observation of the language stimulus across conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars A Ross
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - John S Butler
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Technological University Dublin, City Campus, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Victor A Del Bene
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Heersink School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Tufikameni Brima
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - John J Foxe
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
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16
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Häger LA, Høyland AL, Kropotov JD, Åsberg Johnels J, Weidle B, Hollup S, Gillberg C, Billstedt E, Ogrim G. Is Visual Prediction Impaired in Adolescents with Autism spectrum Disorder? Event-Related Potentials in a Cued Visual GO/NOGO Task. Clin EEG Neurosci 2024:15500594241227974. [PMID: 38298006 DOI: 10.1177/15500594241227974] [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: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Aim: Deviant visual processing has been observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), manifesting as decreased P1 and P2 components of visual event-related potentials (ERPs). Alterations have been attributed to a failure of Bayesian inference, characterized by hypo-activation of top-down predictive abilities. To test this hypothesis, we measured the visual negativity (vN) as an ERP index of visual preparation hypothesized to mirror predictive brain activity. Method: ERPs in a cued visual GO/NOGO task in 63 adolescents with ASD (IQ > 70, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder excluded) were compared with ERPs in a sex- and age-matched group of 60 typically developing (TD) controls. Results: The behavioral variables (omissions, commissions, reaction time, and reaction time variability), as well as ERP components reflecting, among other processes, cognitive control (contingent negative variation, P3 GO, P3 NOGO, N2 NOGO) did not differ between the groups. There were group differences in visually based ERPs. Besides P1 and P2 differences, the vN component differentiated the 2 groups with the highest effect size (d = 0.74).Conclusion: This ERP study lends support to the hypothesis suggesting that a Bayesian hypo-prediction could underlie unique perceptual experiences in individuals with ASD. This could lead to a predisposition to perceive the world with reduced influence and modulation from contextual cues, prior experiences, and pre-existing expectations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda A Häger
- Neuropsychiatric Team, Åsebråten Clinic, Østfold Hospital Trust, Fredrikstad, Norway
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anne L Høyland
- Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Pediatrics, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Juri D Kropotov
- N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain, Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Neuropsychology, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Poland
| | - Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Benhard Weidle
- St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Central Norway
| | - Stig Hollup
- Institute of Psychology, Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christopher Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva Billstedt
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Geir Ogrim
- Neuropsychiatric Team, Åsebråten Clinic, Østfold Hospital Trust, Fredrikstad, Norway
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Psychology, Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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17
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Chen C, Cheng Y, Wu CT, Chiang CH, Wong CC, Huang CM, Martínez RM, Tzeng OJL, Fan YT. A sensory signature of unaffected biological parents predicts the risk of autism in their offspring. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024; 78:60-68. [PMID: 37807577 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
AIM Despite the emphasis on sensory dysfunction phenotypes in the revised diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there has been limited research, particularly in the field of neurobiology, investigating the concordance in sensory features between individuals with ASD and their genetic relatives. Therefore, our objective was to examine whether neurobehavioral sensory patterns could serve as endophenotypic markers for ASD. METHODS We combined questionnaire- and lab-based sensory evaluations with sensory fMRI measures to examine the patterns of sensory responsivity in 30 clinically diagnosed with ASD, 26 matched controls (CON), and 48 biological parents for both groups (27 parents of individuals with ASD [P-ASD] and 21 for individuals with CON [P-CON]). RESULTS The ASD and P-ASD groups had higher sensory responsivity and rated sensory stimuli as more unpleasant than the CON and P-CON groups, respectively. They also exhibited greater hemodynamic responses within the sensory cortices. Overlapping activations were observed within these sensory cortices in the ASD and P-ASD groups. Using a machine learning approach with robust prediction models across cohorts, we demonstrated that the sensory profile of biological parents accurately predicted the likelihood of their offspring having ASD, achieving a prediction accuracy of 71.4%. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide support for the hereditary basis of sensory alterations in ASD and suggest a potential avenue to improve ASD diagnosis by utilizing the sensory signature of biological parents, especially in families with a high risk of ASD. This approach holds promising prospects for early detection, even before the birth of the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyi Chen
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yawei Cheng
- Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Te Wu
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chung-Hsin Chiang
- Department of Psychology and Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ching Wong
- Child Developmental Assessment & Intervention Center, Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Mao Huang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Center for Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio-devices (IDS2B), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Róger Marcelo Martínez
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Psychological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Ovid J L Tzeng
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yang-Teng Fan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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18
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Hirjak D, Brandt GA, Fritze S, Kubera KM, Northoff G, Wolf RC. Distribution and frequency of clinical criteria and rating scales for diagnosis and assessment of catatonia in different study types. Schizophr Res 2024; 263:93-98. [PMID: 36610862 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A comprehensive assessment of catatonic symptoms is decisive for diagnosis, neuronal correlates, and evaluation of treatment response and prognosis of catatonia. Studies conducted so far used different cut-off criteria and clinical rating scales to assess catatonia. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to examine the frequency and distribution of diagnostic criteria and clinical rating scales for assessing catatonia that were used in scientific studies so far. METHODS We conducted a systematic review using PubMed searching for articles using catatonia rating scales/criteria published from January 1st 1952 (introduction of catatonic schizophrenia to first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM]) up to December 5th, 2022. RESULTS 1928 articles were considered for analysis. 1762 (91,39 %) studies used one and 166 (8,61 %) used ≥2 definitions of catatonia. However, 979 (50,7 %) articles did not report any systematic assessment of catatonia. As for clinical criteria, DSM criteria were used by the majority of studies (n = 290; 14.0 %), followed by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) criteria (n = 61; 2.9 %). The Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) was found to be by far the most frequently utilized scale (n = 464; 22.4 % in the respective years), followed by Northoff Catatonia Rating Scale (NCRS) (n = 31; 1.5 % in the respective years). CONCLUSION DSM and ICD criteria as well as BFCRS and NCRS were most frequently utilized and can therefore be recommended as valid instruments for the assessment of catatonia symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusan Hirjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Geva A Brandt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Fritze
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Katharina M Kubera
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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19
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Scheerer NE, Pourtousi A, Yang C, Ding Z, Stojanoski B, Anagnostou E, Nicolson R, Kelley E, Georgiades S, Crosbie J, Schachar R, Ayub M, Stevenson RA. Transdiagnostic Patterns of Sensory Processing in Autism and ADHD. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:280-292. [PMID: 36306002 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05798-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sensory processing abilities are highly variable within and across people diagnosed with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined the transdiagnostic nature of sensory processing abilities, and their association with features of autism and ADHD, in a large sample of autistic people (n = 495) and people with ADHD (n = 461). Five similar data-driven sensory phenotypes characterized sensory processing abilities, and showed similar patterns of association with features of autism and ADHD, across both diagnostic groups. These results demonstrate the transdiagnostic nature of sensory processing abilities, while contributing to a growing body of literature that suggests the autism and ADHD diagnostic labels have poor explanatory power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole E Scheerer
- Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada.
- Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| | - Anahid Pourtousi
- Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Connie Yang
- Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Zining Ding
- Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Bobby Stojanoski
- Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, L1H 7K4, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Rd, East York, ON, M4G 1R8, Canada
| | - Robert Nicolson
- Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | | | | | - Jennifer Crosbie
- The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Russell Schachar
- The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Muhammad Ayub
- Queens University, 62 Arch St, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Ryan A Stevenson
- Western University, 1151 Richmond St, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
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20
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Kose S, Turer F, Inal Kaleli I, Calik Senturk HN, Ozuysal Uyar DH, Bildik T. The Relationship Between Social Skills and Sensory Profile, Emotion Regulation, and Empathizing/Systemizing in Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06190-5. [PMID: 38127185 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06190-5] [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: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the relationship between social skills and sensory features, emotion regulation, and empathy in adolescents on the autism spectrum. One hundred and twenty-three adolescents were included in the study (50 autistic, 73 typically developing-TD adolescents). The participants filled out the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Parents of the participants completed the Child Empathy and Systemizing Quotient (EQ-C/SQ-C) and Autism-Social Skills Profile (ASSP) scales. Social reciprocity, social participation/avoidance, ASSP total scores, empathy and systemizing scores were lower, and detrimental social behaviors, low registration sensory profile scores were higher in the autism spectrum group. While a difference between genders was observed in sensory sensitivity, sensation avoiding, low registration quadrants and empathy scores, no gender and group interaction was found in any domain. Social skill total scores were correlated to sensation seeking and low registration sensory features, empathy, systemizing, and reappraisal emotion regulation scores. A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was conducted controlling for group and gender, sensation seeking (p = .032, β = 0.138), low registration (p = .012, β = - 0.215) of the AASP, and empathy (p < .001, β = 0.555) and systemizing (p = .033, β = 0.138) scores of the EQ/SQ-C was found to significantly predict social skill total scores. Although emotional regulation strategies may play a role, sensory processing features and empathy and systemizing skills seem to be the more significant contributors to social skills during adolescence. Interventions targeting sensory processing and especially improving empathy and systematization skills may positively affect social skills in adolescents on the autism spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sezen Kose
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Furkan Turer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Corlu State Hospital, Tekirdag, Turkey.
| | - Ipek Inal Kaleli
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Hilal Nur Calik Senturk
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Damla Hazal Ozuysal Uyar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Tezan Bildik
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
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21
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Bedford SA, Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Ruigrok A, Suckling J, Anagnostou E, Lerch JP, Taylor M, Nicolson R, Stelios G, Crosbie J, Schachar R, Kelley E, Jones J, Arnold PD, Courchesne E, Pierce K, Eyler LT, Campbell K, Barnes CC, Seidlitz J, Alexander-Bloch AF, Bullmore ET, Baron-Cohen S, Bethlehem RA. Brain-charting autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder reveals distinct and overlapping neurobiology. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.06.23299587. [PMID: 38106166 PMCID: PMC10723556 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.23299587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions with complex underlying neurobiology. Despite overlapping presentation and sex-biased prevalence, autism and ADHD are rarely studied together, and sex differences are often overlooked. Normative modelling provides a unified framework for studying age-specific and sex-specific divergences in neurodivergent brain development. Methods Here we use normative modelling and a large, multi-site neuroimaging dataset to characterise cortical anatomy associated with autism and ADHD, benchmarked against models of typical brain development based on a sample of over 75,000 individuals. We also examined sex and age differences, relationship with autistic traits, and explored the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD (autism+ADHD). Results We observed robust neuroanatomical signatures of both autism and ADHD. Overall, autistic individuals showed greater cortical thickness and volume localised to the superior temporal cortex, whereas individuals with ADHD showed more global effects of cortical thickness increases but lower cortical volume and surface area across much of the cortex. The autism+ADHD group displayed a unique pattern of widespread increases in cortical thickness, and certain decreases in surface area. We also found evidence that sex modulates the neuroanatomy of autism but not ADHD, and an age-by-diagnosis interaction for ADHD only. Conclusions These results indicate distinct cortical differences in autism and ADHD that are differentially impacted by age, sex, and potentially unique patterns related to their co-occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saashi A. Bedford
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei 100229, Taiwan
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6ES, UK
| | - Amber Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jason P. Lerch
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Margot Taylor
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Rob Nicolson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Jennifer Crosbie
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Russell Schachar
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Kelley
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Jessica Jones
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Paul D. Arnold
- The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lisa T. Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kathleen Campbell
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron F. Alexander-Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Cambridge Lifetime Autism Spectrum Service (CLASS), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard A.I. Bethlehem
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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22
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Ma X, Zhou W, Zheng H, Ye S, Yang B, Wang L, Wang M, Dong GH. Connectome-based prediction of the severity of autism spectrum disorder. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2023; 3:kkad027. [PMID: 38666105 PMCID: PMC10917386 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social and behavioural deficits. Current diagnosis relies on behavioural criteria, but machine learning, particularly connectome-based predictive modelling (CPM), offers the potential to uncover neural biomarkers for ASD. Objective This study aims to predict the severity of ASD traits using CPM and explores differences among ASD subtypes, seeking to enhance diagnosis and understanding of ASD. Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 151 ASD patients were used in the model. CPM with leave-one-out cross-validation was conducted to identify intrinsic neural networks that predict Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores. After the model was constructed, it was applied to independent samples to test its replicability (172 ASD patients) and specificity (36 healthy control participants). Furthermore, we examined the predictive model across different aspects of ASD and in subtypes of ASD to understand the potential mechanisms underlying the results. Results The CPM successfully identified negative networks that significantly predicted ADOS total scores [r (df = 150) = 0.19, P = 0.008 in all patients; r (df = 104) = 0.20, P = 0.040 in classic autism] and communication scores [r (df = 150) = 0.22, P = 0.010 in all patients; r (df = 104) = 0.21, P = 0.020 in classic autism]. These results were reproducible across independent databases. The networks were characterized by enhanced inter- and intranetwork connectivity associated with the occipital network (OCC), and the sensorimotor network (SMN) also played important roles. Conclusions A CPM based on whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity can predicted the severity of ASD. Large-scale networks, including the OCC and SMN, played important roles in the predictive model. These findings may provide new directions for the diagnosis and intervention of ASD, and maybe could be the targets in novel interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Ma
- Department of Psychology, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
- Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
| | - Weiran Zhou
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
- Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
| | - Hui Zheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Shuer Ye
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway
| | - Bo Yang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
- Institutes of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
| | - Lingxiao Wang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Psychology, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Guang-Heng Dong
- Department of Psychology, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
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23
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Panerai S, Catania V, Ingoglia S, Ruccella D, Ferri R, Zingale M, Fasciana D, Elia M. Eating and Sensory Features of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Typically Developing Peers. Am J Occup Ther 2023; 77:7706205040. [PMID: 38018651 DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2023.050226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Impaired sensory processing is associated with eating problems. There seem to be no previous studies that compare those who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with eating problems (ASD-W) and those with ASD without eating problems (ASD-WO) with typically developing (TD) groups. Comparisons are expected to provide further knowledge to guide the intervention programs. OBJECTIVE To investigate differences among ASD-W, ASD-WO, and TD groups in eating and sensory features; to detect associations between sensory and eating behaviors and any most involved sensory dimensions; and to search for age-related differences in sensory and eating features in ASD. DESIGN Nonrandomized comparison study. SETTING Questionnaires administered as parent interviews. PARTICIPANTS A total of 165 children were recruited: 117 with ASD and 48 TD children. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Standardized questionnaires: the Brief Autism Mealtime Behaviors Inventory for eating problems; the Short Sensory Profile and the Sensory Experience Questionnaire for sensory problems. RESULTS The ASD-W group showed generalized, impaired eating behaviors and turned out to be the most impaired with regard to sensory responsiveness. No differences in feeding behaviors were found between the ASD-WO and TD groups. All children with ASD showed sensory hyper- or hyporesponsiveness. Four main sensory dimensions were found to be associated with eating behaviors in ASD. No age differences were found in the eating and sensory behaviors of children with ASD. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Differing eating and sensory profiles were found between the ASD and TD groups, especially in children with ASD-W. Early eating interventions using sensory stimulations are strongly recommended. What This Article Adds: This study reports novel information derived from the comparisons of children with ASD with eating problems and those with ASD without eating problems with typically developing groups of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simonetta Panerai
- Simonetta Panerai, PsyD, is Head Psychologist, Unit of Psychology, Department of Brain Aging, Oasi Research Institute, IRCCS, Troina, Italy;
| | - Valentina Catania
- Valentina Catania, PsyD, is Psychologist, Unit of Psychology, Department of Brain Aging, Oasi Research Institute, IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Sonia Ingoglia
- Sonia Ingoglia, PsyD, is Full Professor, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Ruccella
- Daniela Ruccella, PsyD, is Psychologist, Psychoeducational Service for Children with Autism and Intellectual Disability, Società Cooperativa Sociale "I Corrieri dell'Oasi," Troina, Italy
| | - Raffaele Ferri
- Raffaele Ferri, MD, is Scientific Director, Oasi Research Institute, IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Marinella Zingale
- Marinella Zingale, PsyD, is Psychologist, Unit of Psychology, Department of Mental Retardation, Oasi Research Institute, IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Daniela Fasciana
- Daniela Fasciana, PsyD, is Coordinator Psychologist, Center for Diagnosis and Early Intensive Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Local Health Authority, Caltanissetta, Italy
| | - Maurizio Elia
- Maurizio Elia, MD, is Director, Unit of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Oasi Research Institute, IRCCS, Troina, Italy
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24
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Feldman JI, Dunham K, DiCarlo GE, Cassidy M, Liu Y, Suzman E, Williams ZJ, Pulliam G, Kaiser S, Wallace MT, Woynaroski TG. A Randomized Controlled Trial for Audiovisual Multisensory Perception in Autistic Youth. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4318-4335. [PMID: 36028729 PMCID: PMC9417081 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05709-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Differences in audiovisual integration are commonly observed in autism. Temporal binding windows (TBWs) of audiovisual speech can be trained (i.e., narrowed) in non-autistic adults; this study evaluated a computer-based perceptual training in autistic youth and assessed whether treatment outcomes varied according to individual characteristics. Thirty autistic youth aged 8-21 were randomly assigned to a brief perceptual training (n = 15) or a control condition (n = 15). At post-test, the perceptual training group did not differ, on average, on TBWs for trained and untrained stimuli and perception of the McGurk illusion compared to the control group. The training benefited youth with higher language and nonverbal IQ scores; the training caused widened TBWs in youth with co-occurring cognitive and language impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Kacie Dunham
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gabriella E DiCarlo
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Mass General Brigham Neurology Residency Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Margaret Cassidy
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yupeng Liu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Evan Suzman
- Master's Program in Biomedical Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Southwestern School of Medicine, University of Texas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zachary J Williams
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Grace Pulliam
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sophia Kaiser
- Cognitive Studies Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MCE 8310 South Tower, 1215 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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25
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Anshu K, Nair AK, Srinath S, Laxmi TR. Altered Developmental Trajectory in Male and Female Rats in a Prenatal Valproic Acid Exposure Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4390-4411. [PMID: 35976506 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05684-y] [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] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Early motor and sensory developmental delays precede Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and may serve as early indicators of ASD. The literature on sensorimotor development in animal models is sparse, male centered, and has mixed findings. We characterized early development in a prenatal valproic acid (VPA) model of ASD and found sex-specific developmental delays in VPA rats. We created a developmental composite score combining 15 test readouts, yielding a reliable gestalt measure spanning physical, sensory, and motor development, that effectively discriminated between VPA and control groups. Considering the heterogeneity in ASD phenotype, the developmental composite offers a robust metric that can enable comparison across different animal models of ASD and can serve as an outcome measure for early intervention studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Anshu
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53705, WI, USA
| | - Ajay Kumar Nair
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53703, WI, USA
| | - Shoba Srinath
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India
| | - T Rao Laxmi
- Department of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Hosur Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India.
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26
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Monti M, Molholm S, Cuppini C. Atypical development of causal inference in autism inferred through a neurocomputational model. Front Comput Neurosci 2023; 17:1258590. [PMID: 37927544 PMCID: PMC10620690 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2023.1258590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In everyday life, the brain processes a multitude of stimuli from the surrounding environment, requiring the integration of information from different sensory modalities to form a coherent perception. This process, known as multisensory integration, enhances the brain's response to redundant congruent sensory cues. However, it is equally important for the brain to segregate sensory inputs from distinct events, to interact with and correctly perceive the multisensory environment. This problem the brain must face, known as the causal inference problem, is strictly related to multisensory integration. It is widely recognized that the ability to integrate information from different senses emerges during the developmental period, as a function of our experience with multisensory stimuli. Consequently, multisensory integrative abilities are altered in individuals who have atypical experiences with cross-modal cues, such as those on the autistic spectrum. However, no research has been conducted on the developmental trajectories of causal inference and its relationship with experience thus far. Here, we used a neuro-computational model to simulate and investigate the development of causal inference in both typically developing children and those in the autistic spectrum. Our results indicate that higher exposure to cross-modal cues accelerates the acquisition of causal inference abilities, and a minimum level of experience with multisensory stimuli is required to develop fully mature behavior. We then simulated the altered developmental trajectory of causal inference in individuals with autism by assuming reduced multisensory experience during training. The results suggest that causal inference reaches complete maturity much later in these individuals compared to neurotypical individuals. Furthermore, we discuss the underlying neural mechanisms and network architecture involved in these processes, highlighting that the development of causal inference follows the evolution of the mechanisms subserving multisensory integration. Overall, this study provides a computational framework, unifying causal inference and multisensory integration, which allows us to suggest neural mechanisms and provide testable predictions about the development of such abilities in typically developed and autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Monti
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering Guglielmo Marconi, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sophie Molholm
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Cristiano Cuppini
- Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering Guglielmo Marconi, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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27
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Huang Q, Velthuis H, Pereira AC, Ahmad J, Cooke SF, Ellis CL, Ponteduro FM, Puts NAJ, Dimitrov M, Batalle D, Wong NML, Kowalewski L, Ivin G, Daly E, Murphy DGM, McAlonan GM. Exploratory evidence for differences in GABAergic regulation of auditory processing in autism spectrum disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:320. [PMID: 37852957 PMCID: PMC10584846 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02619-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered reactivity and responses to auditory input are core to the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Preclinical models implicate ϒ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in this process. However, the link between GABA and auditory processing in humans (with or without ASD) is largely correlational. As part of a study of potential biosignatures of GABA function in ASD to inform future clinical trials, we evaluated the role of GABA in auditory repetition suppression in 66 adults (n = 28 with ASD). Neurophysiological responses (temporal and frequency domains) to repetitive standard tones and novel deviants presented in an oddball paradigm were compared after double-blind, randomized administration of placebo, 15 or 30 mg of arbaclofen (STX209), a GABA type B (GABAB) receptor agonist. We first established that temporal mismatch negativity was comparable between participants with ASD and those with typical development (TD). Next, we showed that temporal and spectral responses to repetitive standards were suppressed relative to responses to deviants in the two groups, but suppression was significantly weaker in individuals with ASD at baseline. Arbaclofen reversed weaker suppression of spectral responses in ASD but disrupted suppression in TD. A post hoc analysis showed that arbaclofen-elicited shift in suppression was correlated with autistic symptomatology measured using the Autism Quotient across the entire group, though not in the smaller sample of the ASD and TD group when examined separately. Thus, our results confirm: GABAergic dysfunction contributes to the neurophysiology of auditory sensory processing alterations in ASD, and can be modulated by targeting GABAB activity. These GABA-dependent sensory differences may be upstream of more complex autistic phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyun Huang
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Research Center for Brain-Computer Interface, Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Hester Velthuis
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andreia C Pereira
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jumana Ahmad
- School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Claire L Ellis
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Francesca M Ponteduro
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nicolaas A J Puts
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mihail Dimitrov
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dafnis Batalle
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nichol M L Wong
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lukasz Kowalewski
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Glynis Ivin
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Pharmacy, London, UK
| | - Eileen Daly
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gráinne M McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK.
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Hughes L, Kargas N, Wilhelm M, Meyerhoff HS, Föcker J. The Impact of Audio-Visual, Visual and Auditory Cues on Multiple Object Tracking Performance in Children with Autism. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130:2047-2068. [PMID: 37452765 PMCID: PMC10552336 DOI: 10.1177/00315125231187984] [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] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have documented differences in processing multisensory information by children with autism compared to typically developing children. Furthermore, children with autism have been found to track fewer multiple objects on a screen than those without autism, suggesting reduced attentional control. In the present study, we investigated whether children with autism (n = 33) and children without autism (n = 33) were able to track four target objects moving amongst four indistinguishable distractor objects while sensory cues were presented. During tracking, we presented various types of cues - auditory, visual, or audio-visual or no cues while target objects bounced off the inner boundary of a centralized circle. We found that children with autism tracked fewer targets than children without autism. Furthermore, children without autism showed improved tracking performance in the presence of visual cues, whereas children with autism did not benefit from sensory cues. Whereas multiple object tracking performance improved with increasing age in children without autism, especially when using audio-visual cues, children with autism did not show age-related improvement in tracking. These results are in line with the hypothesis that attention and the ability to integrate sensory cues during tracking are reduced in children with autism. Our findings could contribute valuable insights for designing interventions that incorporate multisensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Hughes
- School of Psychology, College of Social Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - Niko Kargas
- School of Psychology, College of Social Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - Maximilian Wilhelm
- Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Julia Föcker
- School of Psychology, College of Social Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
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29
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Hidaka S, Chen N, Ishii N, Iketani R, Suzuki K, Longo MR, Wada M. No differences in implicit hand maps among different degrees of autistic traits. Autism Res 2023; 16:1750-1764. [PMID: 37409496 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2979] [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: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or higher levels of autistic traits have atypical characteristics in sensory processing. Atypicalities have been reported for proprioceptive judgments, which are tightly related to internal bodily representations underlying position sense. However, no research has directly investigated whether self-bodily representations are different in individuals with ASD. Implicit hand maps, estimated based on participants' proprioceptive sensations without sight of their hand, are known to be distorted such that the shape is stretched along the medio-lateral hand axis even for neurotypical participants. Here, with the view of ASD as falling on a continuous distribution among the general population, we explored differences in implicit body representations along with autistic traits by focusing on relationships between autistic traits and the magnitudes of the distortions in implicit hand maps (N ~ 100). We estimated the magnitudes of distortions in implicit hand maps both for fingers and hand surfaces on the dorsal and palmar sides of the hand. Autistic traits were measured by questionnaires (Autism Spectrum [AQ] and Empathy/Systemizing [EQ-SQ] Quotients). The distortions in implicit hand maps were replicated in our experimental situations. However, there were no significant relationships between autistic traits and the magnitudes of the distortions as well as within-individual variabilities in the maps and localization performances. Consistent results were observed from comparisons between IQ-matched samples of people with and without a diagnosis of ASD. Our findings suggest that there exist perceptual and neural processes for implicit body representations underlying position sense consistent across levels of autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souta Hidaka
- Department of Psychology, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Na Chen
- Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa City, Japan
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Naomi Ishii
- Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa City, Japan
| | - Risa Iketani
- Department of Psychology, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kirino Suzuki
- Department of Psychology, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Matthew R Longo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Makoto Wada
- Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa City, Japan
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30
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Marzolla MC, Thielen H, Hurks P, Borghans L, van Heugten C. Qualitative data on triggers and coping of sensory hypersensitivity in acquired brain injury patients: A proposed model. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2023:1-21. [PMID: 37616553 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2023.2242616] [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: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Sensory hypersensitivity (SHS) is a frequently heard complaint after acquired brain injury (ABI) and is related to reduced quality of life and physical and mental health. This study aimed to identify triggers for SHS after ABI and investigate how individuals cope with SHS. Nineteen adults with ABI took part in 45-min individual interviews. Data were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis revealed five themes: (1) A mismatch between resources and demands, (2) Altered experience of ordinary stimuli, (3) It affects all aspects of living, (4) Avoid, approach, accept, (5) It's highly heterogeneous. A model explaining the impact of triggers on subjective SHS after ABI is proposed, which states that SHS arises from a mismatch between the demands of a sensory environment (triggers) and the available biopsychosocial resources of an individual to meet these demands. The elicited SHS can affect and be affected by levels of fatigue, which limits the resources and creates a loop. Coping strategies can act on various stages of this model, i.e., to reduce the mismatch and potentially alter the loop. This model can contribute to the identification of mechanisms behind SHS in ABI patients and other populations, ultimately leading to evidence-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilien C Marzolla
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Limburg Brain Injury Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Hella Thielen
- Department Brain & Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Petra Hurks
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Lex Borghans
- School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Caroline van Heugten
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Limburg Brain Injury Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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31
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Cardon G, Bradley M. Uncertainty, Sensory Processing, and Stress in Autistic Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2023; 106:102202. [PMID: 37484881 PMCID: PMC10361392 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2023.102202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 increased uncertainty for most and was especially disruptive to autistic people and their families, due in part to tendencies toward intolerance for uncertainty across this population. As such, COVID presented a natural experiment of uncertainty and its correlates in autism. Previous reports have shown associations between intolerance of uncertainty, sensory difficulty, and stress. AIMS We investigated changes in sensory difficulties and stress associated with COVID-related increases in uncertainty. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Primary caregivers of 47 autistic children (ages 6-15) completed online surveys containing questions about demographics, experiences, and supports received during the pandemic. Additionally, caregivers filled out measures of intolerance of uncertainty and sensory processing for both pre- and during-COVID conditions. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Eighty nine percent of children had significant sensory difficulties before the pandemic. This group showed significant increases in sensory difficulties and intolerance of uncertainty during the pandemic. These changes were significantly correlated with each other, suggesting that as uncertainty increased so did sensory difficulties. Disruption to routine was also significantly correlated with sensory differences and child, household, and parent stress. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings add to fundamental understanding of the relationship between uncertainty, sensory processing, and stress by leveraging a natural experiment in increased uncertainty. These results have the potential to contribute to improved supports for autistic individuals in clinical, educational, home, and other settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett Cardon
- Department of Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
| | - Mollie Bradley
- Department of Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
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32
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Noel JP, Angelaki DE. A theory of autism bringing across levels of description. Trends Cogn Sci 2023:S1364-6613(23)00100-6. [PMID: 37183143 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Autism impacts a wide range of behaviors and neural functions. As such, theories of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are numerous and span different levels of description, from neurocognitive to molecular. We propose how existent behavioral, computational, algorithmic, and neural accounts of ASD may relate to one another. Specifically, we argue that ASD may be cast as a disorder of causal inference (computational level). This computation relies on marginalization, which is thought to be subserved by divisive normalization (algorithmic level). In turn, divisive normalization may be impaired by excitatory-to-inhibitory imbalances (neural implementation level). We also discuss ASD within similar frameworks, those of predictive coding and circular inference. Together, we hope to motivate work unifying the different accounts of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Noel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Dora E Angelaki
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Leipold S, Abrams DA, Karraker S, Phillips JM, Menon V. Aberrant Emotional Prosody Circuitry Predicts Social Communication Impairments in Children With Autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:531-541. [PMID: 36635147 PMCID: PMC10973204 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional prosody provides acoustical cues that reflect a communication partner's emotional state and is crucial for successful social interactions. Many children with autism have deficits in recognizing emotions from voices; however, the neural basis for these impairments is unknown. We examined brain circuit features underlying emotional prosody processing deficits and their relationship to clinical symptoms of autism. METHODS We used an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging task to measure neural activity and connectivity during processing of sad and happy emotional prosody and neutral speech in 22 children with autism and 21 matched control children (7-12 years old). We employed functional connectivity analyses to test competing theoretical accounts that attribute emotional prosody impairments to either sensory processing deficits in auditory cortex or theory of mind deficits instantiated in the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). RESULTS Children with autism showed specific behavioral impairments for recognizing emotions from voices. They also showed aberrant functional connectivity between voice-sensitive auditory cortex and the bilateral TPJ during emotional prosody processing. Neural activity in the bilateral TPJ during processing of both sad and happy emotional prosody stimuli was associated with social communication impairments in children with autism. In contrast, activity and decoding of emotional prosody in auditory cortex was comparable between autism and control groups and did not predict social communication impairments. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support a social-cognitive deficit model of autism by identifying a role for TPJ dysfunction during emotional prosody processing. Our study underscores the importance of tuning in to vocal-emotional cues for building social connections in children with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Leipold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
| | - Daniel A Abrams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Shelby Karraker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Jennifer M Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
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34
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Suri KN, Whedon M, Lewis M. Perception of audio-visual synchrony in infants at elevated likelihood of developing autism spectrum disorder. Eur J Pediatr 2023; 182:2105-2117. [PMID: 36820895 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-04871-y] [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] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The inability to perceive audio-visual speech as a unified event may contribute to social impairments and language deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we examined and compared two groups of infants on their sensitivity to audio-visual asynchrony for a social (speaking face) and non-social event (bouncing ball) and assessed the relations between multisensory integration and language production. Infants at elevated likelihood of developing ASD were less sensitive to audio-visual synchrony for the social event than infants without elevated likelihood. Among infants without elevated likelihood, greater sensitivity to audio-visual synchrony for the social event was associated with a larger productive vocabulary. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that early deficits in multisensory integration may impair language development among infants with elevated likelihood of developing ASD. WHAT IS KNOWN •Perceptual integration of auditory and visual cues within speech is important for language development. •Prior work suggests that children with ASD are less sensitive to the temporal synchrony within audio-visual speech. WHAT IS NEW •In this study, infants at elevated likelihood of developing ASD showed a larger temporal binding window for adynamic social event (Speaking Face) than TD infants, suggesting less efficient multisensory integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirin N Suri
- Institute for the Study of Child Development, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.,Children's Health at Hackensack Meridian, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, USA
| | - Margaret Whedon
- Institute for the Study of Child Development, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
| | - Michael Lewis
- Institute for the Study of Child Development, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
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35
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Huang M, Qi Q, Xu T. Targeting Shank3 deficiency and paresthesia in autism spectrum disorder: A brief review. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1128974. [PMID: 36846568 PMCID: PMC9948097 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1128974] [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: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a group of multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. Several studies have shown an association between cases of ASD and mutations in the genes of SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domain protein 3 (SHANK3). These genes encode many cell adhesion molecules, scaffold proteins, and proteins involved in synaptic transcription, protein synthesis, and degradation. They have a profound impact on all aspects of synaptic transmission and plasticity, including synapse formation and degeneration, suggesting that the pathogenesis of ASD may be partially attributable to synaptic dysfunction. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of synapses related to Shank3 in ASD. We also discuss the molecular, cellular, and functional studies of experimental models of ASD and current autism treatment methods targeting related proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,Department of Anesthesiology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qi Qi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,Department of Anesthesiology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,Department of Anesthesiology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, China,*Correspondence: Tao Xu,
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36
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Dunham K, Zoltowski A, Feldman JI, Davis S, Rogers B, Failla MD, Wallace MT, Cascio CJ, Woynaroski TG. Neural Correlates of Audiovisual Speech Processing in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth. Multisens Res 2023; 36:263-288. [PMID: 36731524 PMCID: PMC10121891 DOI: 10.1163/22134808-bja10093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Autistic youth demonstrate differences in processing multisensory information, particularly in temporal processing of multisensory speech. Extensive research has identified several key brain regions for multisensory speech processing in non-autistic adults, including the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and insula, but it is unclear to what extent these regions are involved in temporal processing of multisensory speech in autistic youth. As a first step in exploring the neural substrates of multisensory temporal processing in this clinical population, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a simultaneity-judgment audiovisual speech task. Eighteen autistic youth and a comparison group of 20 non-autistic youth matched on chronological age, biological sex, and gender participated. Results extend prior findings from studies of non-autistic adults, with non-autistic youth demonstrating responses in several similar regions as previously implicated in adult temporal processing of multisensory speech. Autistic youth demonstrated responses in fewer of the multisensory regions identified in adult studies; responses were limited to visual and motor cortices. Group responses in the middle temporal gyrus significantly interacted with age; younger autistic individuals showed reduced MTG responses whereas older individuals showed comparable MTG responses relative to non-autistic controls. Across groups, responses in the precuneus covaried with task accuracy, and anterior temporal and insula responses covaried with nonverbal IQ. These preliminary findings suggest possible differences in neural mechanisms of audiovisual processing in autistic youth while highlighting the need to consider participant characteristics in future, larger-scale studies exploring the neural basis of multisensory function in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacie Dunham
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alisa Zoltowski
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jacob I. Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Samona Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Baxter Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michelle D. Failla
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark T. Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carissa J. Cascio
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tiffany G. Woynaroski
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism & Innovation, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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37
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Zayan U, Caccialupi Da Prato L, Muscatelli F, Matarazzo V. Modulation of the thermosensory system by oxytocin. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1075305. [PMID: 36698777 PMCID: PMC9868264 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1075305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohormone involved early in neurodevelopment and is implicated in multiple functions, including sensory modulation. Evidence of such modulation has been observed for different sensory modalities in both healthy and pathological conditions. This review summarizes the pleiotropic modulation that OT can exercise on an often overlooked sensory system: thermosensation. This system allows us to sense temperature variations and compensate for the variation to maintain a stable core body temperature. Oxytocin modulates autonomic and behavioral mechanisms underlying thermoregulation at both central and peripheral levels. Hyposensitivity or hypersensitivity for different sensory modalities, including thermosensitivity, is a common feature in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), recapitulated in several ASD mouse models. These sensory dysregulations occur early in post-natal development and are correlated with dysregulation of the oxytocinergic system. In this study, we discussed the potential link between thermosensory atypia and the dysregulation of the oxytocinergic system in ASD.
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38
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Chan AS, Ding Z, Lee TL, Sze SL, Cheung MC. Temporal processing deficit in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: An online assessment. Digit Health 2023; 9:20552076231171500. [PMID: 37124327 PMCID: PMC10134192 DOI: 10.1177/20552076231171500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The sensory deficit has been considered as one of the core features in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study aimed to examine the temporal processing of simple and more complex auditory inputs in ASD children and adolescents with an online assessment that can be conducted remotely. Methods One hundred fifty-eight children and adolescents aged 5-17 years participated in this study, including 79 ASD participants and 79 typically developing (TD) participants. The online assessment consisted of two temporal-order judgment tasks that required repeating the sequence of two pure tones or consonant-vowel (CV) syllabic pairs at varying interstimulus intervals (ISIs). Results Significantly lower accuracy rates were found in ASD than TD participants in the pure tone and the CV conditions with both short and long ISI. In addition, ASD participants (M = 245.97 ms) showed a significantly higher passing threshold than TD participants (M = 178.84 ms) in the CV task. Receiver operating characteristic analysis found that the age × ISI passing threshold composite yielded a sensitivity of 74.7% and a specificity of 50.6% at the cutoff point of -0.307 in differentiating ASD participants from TD participants. Conclusion In sum, children and adolescents with ASD showed impaired temporal processing of both simple and more complex auditory stimuli, and the online assessment seems to be sensitive in differentiating individuals with ASD from those with TD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes S. Chan
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department
of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Research Centre for Neuropsychological
Well-Being, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Agnes S. Chan, Neuropsychology Lab,
Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong
Kong, China.
| | - Zihan Ding
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department
of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tsz-lok Lee
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department
of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sophia L. Sze
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department
of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Research Centre for Neuropsychological
Well-Being, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mei-Chun Cheung
- Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, China
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39
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Lavenne-Collot N, Tersiguel M, Dissaux N, Degrez C, Bronsard G, Botbol M, Berthoz A. Self/other distinction in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessed with a double mirror paradigm. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0275018. [PMID: 36928493 PMCID: PMC10019668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self/other distinction (SOD), which refers to the ability to distinguish one's own body, actions, and mental representations from those of others, is an essential skill for effective social interaction. A large body of clinical evidence suggests that disruptions in SOD may be key to social communication deficits in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In particular, egocentric biases have been found in cognitive, affective, behavioural, and motor domains. However, research in this area is scarce and consists of recognition paradigms that have used only static images; these methods may be insufficient for assessing SOD, given the increasing role of embodiment in our understanding of the pathophysiology of ASD. METHOD A single-centre, prospective pilot study was carried out to investigate, for the first time, self-recognition and SOD in seven adolescents with ASD compared with matched, typically developing controls (TDCs) using the "Alter Ego"TM double mirror paradigm. The participants viewed a double mirror in which their own face was gradually morphed into the face of an unfamiliar other (self-to-other sequence) or vice versa (other-to-self sequence); participants were instructed to indicate at which point the morph looked more like their own face than the other's face. Two judgement criteria were used: 1) M1: the threshold at which subjects started to recognize their own face during the other-to-self morphing sequence; 2) M2: the threshold at which subjects started to recognize the other's face during the self-to-other morphing sequence. RESULTS Consistent with the predictions, the results showed that the participants with ASD exhibited earlier self-recognition in the other-to-self sequence and delayed other-recognition in the self-to-other sequence, suggesting an egocentric bias. SOD impairments were also marginally correlated with ASD severity, indicating earlier face recognition in more severely affected individuals. Furthermore, in contrast with that of TDCs, the critical threshold for switching between self and other varied with the direction of morphing in ASD participants. Finally, these differences in face recognition and SOD using mirrors, unlike previous research using static images, support the central place of bodily self-consciousness in SOD impairments. CONCLUSIONS Although additional research is needed to replicate the results of this preliminary study, it revealed the first behavioural evidence of altered SOD in ASD individuals on an embodied, semiecological face-recognition paradigm. Implications for understanding ASD are discussed from a developmental perspective, and new research and therapeutic perspectives are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Lavenne-Collot
- Service de Psychiatrie de L’Enfant et de l ‘Adolescent, CHRU Brest, Brest, France
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
- Laboratoire du traitement de l’information médicale, Inserm U1101, Brest, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Marie Tersiguel
- Service de Psychiatrie de L’Enfant et de l ‘Adolescent, CHRU Brest, Brest, France
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
| | - Nolwenn Dissaux
- Service de Psychiatrie de L’Enfant et de l ‘Adolescent, CHRU Brest, Brest, France
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
| | - Céline Degrez
- Service de Psychiatrie de L’Enfant et de l ‘Adolescent, CHRU Brest, Brest, France
| | - Guillaume Bronsard
- Service de Psychiatrie de L’Enfant et de l ‘Adolescent, CHRU Brest, Brest, France
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
- Département de Sciences Humaines et Sociales, EA 7479, EA 3279 (CEReSS, AMU), Brest, France
| | - Michel Botbol
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
- Professeur Emérite de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
| | - Alain Berthoz
- Professeur Honoraire au Collège de France, Paris, France
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Biologie (CIRB), Paris, France
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Zhai J, Li X, Zhou Y, Fan L, Xia W, Wang X, Li Y, Hou M, Wang J, Wu L. Correlation and predictive ability of sensory characteristics and social interaction in children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1056051. [PMID: 37091701 PMCID: PMC10117963 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1056051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have different social characteristics and particular sensory processing patterns, and these sensory behaviors may affect their social functioning. The objective of our study is to investigate the sensory profiles of children with ASD and their association with social behavior. Specifically, we aim to identify the predictive role of sensory processing in social functioning. Methods The Short Sensory Profile (SSP) was utilized to analyze sensory differences between ASD children and their peers. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and other clinical scales were employed to assess the social functioning of children with ASD. Additionally, the predictive ability of sensory perception on social performance was discussed using random forest and support vector machine (SVM) models. Results The SSP scores of ASD children were lower than those of the control group, and there was a significant negative correlation between SSP scores and clinical scale scores (P < 0.05). The random forest and SVM models, using all the features, showed higher sensitivity, while the random forest model with 7-feature factors had the highest specificity. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for all the models was higher than 0.8. Conclusion Autistic children in our study have different patterns of sensory processing than their peers, which are significantly related to their patterns of social functioning. Sensory features can serve as a good predictor of social functioning in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhe Zhai
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoxue Li
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Heilongjiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin, China
| | - Lili Fan
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wei Xia
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yutong Li
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Meiru Hou
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jia Wang
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- *Correspondence: Jia Wang,
| | - Lijie Wu
- School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Lijie Wu,
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41
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Feldman JI, Tu A, Conrad JG, Kuang W, Santapuram P, Woynaroski TG. The Impact of Singing on Visual and Multisensory Speech Perception in Children on the Autism Spectrum. Multisens Res 2022; 36:57-74. [PMID: 36731528 PMCID: PMC9924934 DOI: 10.1163/22134808-bja10087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Autistic children show reduced multisensory integration of audiovisual speech stimuli in response to the McGurk illusion. Previously, it has been shown that adults can integrate sung McGurk tokens. These sung speech tokens offer more salient visual and auditory cues, in comparison to the spoken tokens, which may increase the identification and integration of visual speech cues in autistic children. Forty participants (20 autism, 20 non-autistic peers) aged 7-14 completed the study. Participants were presented with speech tokens in four modalities: auditory-only, visual-only, congruent audiovisual, and incongruent audiovisual (i.e., McGurk; auditory 'ba' and visual 'ga'). Tokens were also presented in two formats: spoken and sung. Participants indicated what they perceived via a four-button response box (i.e., 'ba', 'ga', 'da', or 'tha'). Accuracies and perception of the McGurk illusion were calculated for each modality and format. Analysis of visual-only identification indicated a significant main effect of format, whereby participants were more accurate in sung versus spoken trials, but no significant main effect of group or interaction effect. Analysis of the McGurk trials indicated no significant main effect of format or group and no significant interaction effect. Sung speech tokens improved identification of visual speech cues, but did not boost the integration of visual cues with heard speech across groups. Additional work is needed to determine what properties of spoken speech contributed to the observed improvement in visual accuracy and to evaluate whether more prolonged exposure to sung speech may yield effects on multisensory integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob I. Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alexander Tu
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN, USA
- Present Address: Department of Otolaryngology and
Communication Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Julie G. Conrad
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN, USA
- Present Address: Department of Pediatrics, University of
Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Wayne Kuang
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN, USA
- Present Address: Department of Pediatrics, Los Angeles
County and University of Southern California (LAC+USC) Medical Center, University of
Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pooja Santapuram
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN, USA
- Present Address: Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia
University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tiffany G. Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt
University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical
Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN, USA
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Moraes ÍAP, Lima JA, Silva NM, Simcsik AO, Silveira AC, Menezes LDC, Araújo LV, Crocetta TB, Voos MC, Tonks J, Silva TD, Dawes H, Monteiro CBM. Effect of Longitudinal Practice in Real and Virtual Environments on Motor Performance, Physical Activity and Enjoyment in People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Randomized Crossover Controlled Trial. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14668. [PMID: 36429386 PMCID: PMC9690405 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: People with ASD commonly present difficulty performing motor skills and a decline in physical activity (PA) level and low enjoyment of PA. We aimed to evaluate whether longitudinal practice of an activity in virtual and real environments improves motor performance and whether this improvement is transferred to a subsequent practice when changing the environment, promoting PA and providing enjoyment; (2) Methods: People with ASD, aged between 10 and 16 years, were included and distributed randomly into two opposite sequences. The participants performed a 10 session protocol, with five sessions practicing in each environment (virtual or real). Heart rate measurement was carried out and an enjoyment scale was applied; (3) Results: 22 participants concluded the protocol. Sequence A (virtual first) presented an improvement in accuracy and precision and transferred this when changing environment; they also had a greater change in heart rate reserve. The majority of participants reported "fun" and "great fun" levels for enjoyment; (4) Conclusions: The virtual reality activity presented a higher level of difficulty, with greater gains in terms of transference to the real environment. Considering PA, our task provided very light to light activity and the majority of participants enjoyed the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Íbis A. P. Moraes
- Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo 01246-903, Brazil
- College of Medicine and Health, St Lukes Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Joyce A. Lima
- Physical Activity Sciences, School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of São Paulo (EACH-USP), São Paulo 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Nadja M. Silva
- Medicine (Cardiology), Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Amanda O. Simcsik
- Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Ana C. Silveira
- Physical Activity Sciences, School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of São Paulo (EACH-USP), São Paulo 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Lilian D. C. Menezes
- Medicine (Cardiology), Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Luciano V. Araújo
- Physical Activity Sciences, School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of São Paulo (EACH-USP), São Paulo 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Tânia B. Crocetta
- Physical Activity Sciences, School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of São Paulo (EACH-USP), São Paulo 03828-000, Brazil
| | - Mariana C. Voos
- Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), São Paulo 05014-901, Brazil
| | - James Tonks
- College of Medicine and Health, St Lukes Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Talita D. Silva
- Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo 01246-903, Brazil
- Medicine (Cardiology), Escola Paulista de Medicina, Federal University of São Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
- Faculty of Medicine, University City of São Paulo (UNICID), São Paulo 03071-000, Brazil
| | - Helen Dawes
- College of Medicine and Health, St Lukes Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Carlos B. M. Monteiro
- Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo 01246-903, Brazil
- Physical Activity Sciences, School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of São Paulo (EACH-USP), São Paulo 03828-000, Brazil
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Smith H, Lane C, Al‐Jawahiri R, Freeth M. Sensory processing in 16p11.2 deletion and 16p11.2 duplication. Autism Res 2022; 15:2081-2098. [PMID: 36053814 PMCID: PMC9826336 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2802] [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: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Deletions and duplications at the chromosomal region of 16p11.2 have a broad range of phenotypic effects including increased likelihood of intellectual disability, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and language and motor delays. However, whether and how sensory processing is affected has not yet been considered in detail. Parents/caregivers of 38 children with a 16p11.2 deletion and 31 children with a 16p11.2 duplication completed the Sensory Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) and the Child Sensory Profile 2 (CSP-2) along with other standardized questionnaires assessing autistic traits (SRS-2), ADHD traits (Conners 3), anxiety (SCAS-P) and adaptive behavior (VABS-3). SBQ and CSP-2 responses found that sensory processing differences were clearly evident in both 16p11.2 deletion and 16p11.2 duplication, though there was significant variation in both cohorts. SBQ data indicated the frequency and impact of sensory behavior were more severe when compared to neurotypical children, with levels being similar to autistic children. CSP-2 data indicated over 70% of children displayed clear differences in sensory registration (missing sensory input). Seventy-one percent with 16p11.2 duplications were also unusually sensitive to sensory information and 57% with 16p11.2 duplications were unusually avoidant of sensory stimuli. This first detailed assessment of sensory processing, alongside other clinical features, in relatively large cohorts of children with a 16p11.2 deletion and 16p11.2 duplication demonstrates that sensory processing differences have a profound impact on their lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Smith
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Chloe Lane
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK,Research & Development UnitTavistock and Portman NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
| | | | - Megan Freeth
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
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Kat R, Kas MJH. Largely unaffected auditory and visual sensory processing phenotypes in the evoked potentials of Fmr1 KO2 mice. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5260-5273. [PMID: 36017614 PMCID: PMC9826194 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Sensory sensitivity symptoms are common in autism spectrum disorders and fragile X syndrome. Mainly in the auditory modality, disturbed processing has been found in both fragile X patients and the corresponding genetic mouse model, the Fmr1 knockout mouse. Here, we tried to replicate the auditory deficits and assess whether also visual processing is affected, using electroencephalography readouts under freely behaving conditions in the second-generation Fmr1 knockout mice. No differences between wild-type and knockout animals were found in single auditory and visual evoked potentials in response to pure sine tones and full-field light flashes. Visual sensory gating was enhanced in the early but not the late components of the evoked potentials, but no changes were found in auditory sensory gating. The higher harmonics of the synchronisation response to flickering visual stimuli seemed to be reduced with 10, but not 20 or 40 Hz, stimulation. However, this effect was not reproduced in an independent second cohort of animals. No synchronisation differences were found in response to a chirp stimulus, of which the frequency steadily increased. Taken together, this study could not reproduce earlier reported increased amplitudes in auditory responses, nor could it convincingly show that synchronisation deficits found to be present in the auditory modality also existed in the visual modality. The discrepancies within this study as well as between various studies assessing sensory processing in the Fmr1 KO raise questions about the external validity of these phenotypes and warrant careful interpretation of these phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate Kat
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Martien J. H. Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)University of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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45
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Weiland RF, Polderman TJ, Smit DJ, Begeer S, Van der Burg E. No differences between adults with and without autism in audiovisual synchrony perception. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 27:927-937. [PMID: 36071692 PMCID: PMC10115936 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221121414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT It has been known for a long time that individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder perceive the world differently. In this study, we investigated how people with or without autism perceive visual and auditory information. We know that an auditory and a visual stimulus do not have to be perfectly synchronous for us to perceive them as synchronous: first, when the two are within a certain time window (temporal binding window), the brain will tell us that they are synchronous. Second, the brain can also adapt quickly to audiovisual asynchronies (rapid recalibration). Although previous studies have shown that people with autism spectrum disorder have different temporal binding windows, and less rapid recalibration, we did not find these differences in our study. However, we did find that both processes develop over age, and since previous studies tested only young people (children, adolescents, and young adults), and we tested adults from 18 to 55 years, this might explain the different findings. In the end, there might be quite a complex story, where people with and without autism spectrum disorder perceive the world differently, even dependent on how old they are.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tinca Jc Polderman
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands
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Gattas S, Collett HA, Huff AE, Creighton SD, Weber SE, Buckhalter SS, Manning SA, Ryait HS, McNaughton BL, Winters BD. A rodent obstacle course procedure controls delivery of enrichment and enhances complex cognitive functions. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2022; 7:21. [PMID: 36057661 PMCID: PMC9440923 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-022-00134-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Enrichment in rodents affects brain structure, improves behavioral performance, and is neuroprotective. Similarly, in humans, according to the cognitive reserve concept, enriched experience is functionally protective against neuropathology. Despite this parallel, the ability to translate rodent studies to human clinical situations is limited. This limitation is likely due to the simple cognitive processes probed in rodent studies and the inability to control, with existing methods, the degree of rodent engagement with enrichment material. We overcome these two difficulties with behavioral tasks that probe, in a fine-grained manner, aspects of higher-order cognition associated with deterioration with aging and dementia, and a new enrichment protocol, the 'Obstacle Course' (OC), which enables controlled enrichment delivery, respectively. Together, these two advancements will enable better specification (and comparisons) of the nature of impairments in animal models of complex mental disorders and the potential for remediation from various types of intervention (e.g., enrichment, drugs). We found that two months of OC enrichment produced substantial and sustained enhancements in categorization memory, perceptual object invariance, and cross-modal sensory integration in mice. We also tested mice on behavioral tasks previously shown to benefit from traditional enrichment: spontaneous object recognition, object location memory, and pairwise visual discrimination. OC enrichment improved performance relative to standard housing on all six tasks and was in most cases superior to conventional home-cage enrichment and exercise track groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Gattas
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Heather A Collett
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew E Huff
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Samantha D Creighton
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Siobhon E Weber
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Silas A Manning
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Hardeep S Ryait
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Bruce L McNaughton
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Boyer D Winters
- Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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Valagussa G, Purpura G, Nale A, Pirovano R, Mazzucchelli M, Grossi E, Perin C. Sensory Profile of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Tip-Toe Behavior: Results of an Observational Pilot Study. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:children9091336. [PMID: 36138645 PMCID: PMC9497722 DOI: 10.3390/children9091336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Atypical sensory processing is frequently reported in persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and it is one of the described diagnostic criteria for ASD. There is also mounting literature supporting the presence of motor impairments in individuals with ASD. Among these motor signs, tip-toe behavior (TTB) is a possible clinical finding, but its etiology is not clearly understood. It is suggested that TTB in ASD could be a sign of a sensory modulation impairment, but evidence is lacking and controversial. The main aim of this pilot study is to explore sensory features in a sample (4 females; 28 males) of children and adolescents with ASD (age range: 7-18). All participants also presented Intellectual Disability. Participants were divided in two groups, matched for age and gender, on the basis of the presence or absence of TTB (16 ASD TTB group vs. 16 ASD NO-TTB group) and then evaluated by using the Short Sensory Profile. We found that both ASD groups tend to significantly present sensory-related behavioral symptoms, but ASD TTB individuals more frequently showed the specific pattern of "under responsive/seeks sensation" than ASD NO-TTB individuals. These preliminary findings support that sensory-motor features might be taken into consideration when rehabilitation for TTB in children and adolescents with ASD is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Valagussa
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio, 22100 Como, Italy
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Giulia Purpura
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Alessandra Nale
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio, 22100 Como, Italy
| | - Rita Pirovano
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio, 22100 Como, Italy
| | - Miryam Mazzucchelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Enzo Grossi
- Autism Research Unit, Villa S. Maria Foundation, Tavernerio, 22100 Como, Italy
| | - Cecilia Perin
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy
- Correspondence:
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Berruti AS, Schaaf RC, Jones EA, Ridgway E, Dumont RL, Leiby B, Sancimino C, Yi M, Molholm S. Notes from an epicenter: navigating behavioral clinical trials on autism spectrum disorder amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bronx. Trials 2022; 23:691. [PMID: 35986303 PMCID: PMC9389471 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06635-9] [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: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic impacted nearly all facets of our daily lives, and clinical research was no exception. Here, we discuss the impact of the pandemic on our ongoing, three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) in Autism: Mechanisms and Effectiveness (NCT02536365), which investigates the immediate and sustained utility of SIT to strengthen functional daily-living skills and minimize the presence of maladaptive sensory behaviors in autistic children. MAIN TEXT In this text, we detail how we navigated the unique challenges that the pandemic brought forth between the years 2020 and 2021, including the need to rapidly adjust our study protocol, recruitment strategy, and in-person assessment battery to allow for virtual recruitment and data collection. We further detail how we triaged participants and allocated limited resources to best preserve our primary outcome measures while prioritizing the safety of our participants and study team. We specifically note the importance of open and consistent communication with all participating families throughout the pandemic in ensuring all our protocol adjustments were successfully implemented. CONCLUSIONS Though the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unprecedented interruption to in-person clinical research, clinical trials have always been and will continue to be at risk for unforeseen interruptions, whether from world events or participants' personal circumstances. By presenting our steps to preserving this RCT throughout the pandemic, we offer suggestions for successfully managing unexpected interruptions to research. Ideally, by taking these into account, future RCTs may be increasingly prepared to minimize the impact of these potential interruptions to research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina S Berruti
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Roseann C Schaaf
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily A Jones
- Department of Psychology, Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ridgway
- The Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Rachel L Dumont
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin Leiby
- Division of Biostatistics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Catherine Sancimino
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Misung Yi
- Division of Biostatistics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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The relationship between multisensory associative learning and multisensory integration. Neuropsychologia 2022; 174:108336. [PMID: 35872233 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Integrating sensory information from multiple modalities leads to more precise and efficient perception and behaviour. The process of determining which sensory information should be perceptually bound is reliant on both low-level stimulus features, as well as multisensory associations learned throughout development based on the statistics of our environment. Here, we explored the relationship between multisensory associative learning and multisensory integration using encephalography (EEG) and behavioural measures. Sixty-one participants completed a three-phase study. First, participants were exposed to novel audiovisual shape-tone pairings with frequent and infrequent stimulus pairings and complete a target detection task. EEG recordings of the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3 were calculated as neural indices of multisensory associative learning. Next, the same learned stimulus pairs were presented in audiovisual as well as unisensory auditory and visual modalities while both early (<120 ms) and late neural indices of multisensory integration were recorded. Finally, participants completed an analogous behavioural speeded-response task, with behavioural indices of multisensory gain calculated using the Race Model. Significant relationships were found in fronto-central and occipital areas between neural measures of associative learning and both early and late indices of multisensory integration in frontal and centro-parietal areas, respectively. Participants who showed stronger indices of associative learning also exhibited stronger indices of multisensory integration of the stimuli they learned to associate. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between neural index of early multisensory integration and behavioural indices of multisensory gain. These results provide insight into the neural underpinnings of how higher-order processes such as associative learning guide multisensory integration.
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50
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Alispahic S, Pellicano E, Cutler A, Antoniou M. Auditory perceptual learning in autistic adults. Autism Res 2022; 15:1495-1507. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samra Alispahic
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development Western Sydney University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Elizabeth Pellicano
- Department of Educational Studies Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology University College London London United Kindom
| | - Anne Cutler
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development Western Sydney University Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Language Comprehension Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics Nijmegen The Netherlands
- ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language Australia
| | - Mark Antoniou
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development Western Sydney University Sydney New South Wales Australia
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