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Rippon G. Differently different?: A commentary on the emerging social cognitive neuroscience of female autism. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:49. [PMID: 38872228 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00621-3] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, behaviourally identified, which is generally characterised by social communication differences, and restrictive and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests. It has long been claimed that it is more common in males. This observed preponderance of males in autistic populations has served as a focussing framework in all spheres of autism-related issues, from recognition and diagnosis through to theoretical models and research agendas. One related issue is the near total absence of females in key research areas. For example, this paper reports a review of over 120 brain-imaging studies of social brain processes in autism that reveals that nearly 70% only included male participants or minimal numbers (just one or two) of females. Authors of such studies very rarely report that their cohorts are virtually female-free and discuss their findings as though applicable to all autistic individuals. The absence of females can be linked to exclusionary consequences of autism diagnostic procedures, which have mainly been developed on male-only cohorts. There is clear evidence that disproportionately large numbers of females do not meet diagnostic criteria and are then excluded from ongoing autism research. Another issue is a long-standing assumption that the female autism phenotype is broadly equivalent to that of the male autism phenotype. Thus, models derived from male-based studies could be applicable to females. However, it is now emerging that certain patterns of social behaviour may be very different in females. This includes a specific type of social behaviour called camouflaging or masking, linked to attempts to disguise autistic characteristics. With respect to research in the field of sex/gender cognitive neuroscience, there is emerging evidence of female differences in patterns of connectivity and/or activation in the social brain that are at odds with those reported in previous, male-only studies. Decades of research have excluded or overlooked females on the autistic spectrum, resulting in the construction of inaccurate and misleading cognitive neuroscience models, and missed opportunities to explore the brain bases of this highly complex condition. A note of warning needs to be sounded about inferences drawn from past research, but if future research addresses this problem of male bias, then a deeper understanding of autism as a whole, as well as in previously overlooked females, will start to emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Rippon
- Emeritus of Cognitive NeuroImaging, Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK.
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Kang J, Li Y, Lv S, Hao P, Li X. Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on brain activity and cortical functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1407267. [PMID: 38812483 PMCID: PMC11135472 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1407267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has emerged as a therapeutic option to mitigate symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our study investigated the effects of a two-week regimen of tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in children with ASD, examining changes in rhythmic brain activity and alterations in functional connectivity within key neural networks: the default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and dorsal attention network (DAN). Methods We enrolled twenty-six children with ASD and assigned them randomly to either an active stimulation group (n=13) or a sham stimulation group (n=13). The active group received tDCS at an intensity of 1mA to the left DLPFC for a combined duration of 10 days. Differences in electrical brain activity were pinpointed using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), while functional connectivity was assessed via lagged phase synchronization. Results Compared to the typically developing children, children with ASD exhibited lower current source density across all frequency bands. Post-treatment, the active stimulation group demonstrated a significant increase in both current source density and resting state network connectivity. Such changes were not observed in the sham stimulation group. Conclusion tDCS targeting the DLPFC may bolster brain functional connectivity in patients with ASD, offering a substantive groundwork for potential clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiannan Kang
- College of Electronic & Information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Yuqi Li
- College of Electronic & Information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Shuaikang Lv
- College of Electronic & Information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Pengfei Hao
- College of Electronic & Information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaoli Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Yang C, Wang XK, Ma SZ, Lee NY, Zhang QR, Dong WQ, Zang YF, Yuan LX. Abnormal functional connectivity of the reward network is associated with social communication impairments in autism spectrum disorder: A large-scale multi-site resting-state fMRI study. J Affect Disord 2024; 347:608-618. [PMID: 38070748 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.013] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The social motivation hypothesis proposes that the social deficits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are related to reward system dysfunction. However, functional connectivity (FC) patterns of the reward network in ASD have not been systematically explored yet. METHODS The reward network was defined as eight regions of interest (ROIs) per hemisphere, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate, putamen, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), amygdala, and insula. We computed both the ROI-wise resting-state FC and seed-based whole-brain FC in 298 ASD participants and 348 typically developing (TD) controls from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I dataset. Two-sample t-tests were applied to obtain the aberrant FCs. Then, the association between aberrant FCs and clinical symptoms was assessed with Pearson's correlation or Spearman's correlation. In addition, Neurosynth Image Decoder was used to generate word clouds verifying the cognitive functions of the aberrant pathways. Furthermore, a three-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of gender, subtype and age on the atypical FCs. RESULTS For the within network analysis, the left ACC showed weaker FCs with both the right amygdala and left NAc in ASD compared with TD, which were negatively correlated with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) total scores and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) total scores respectively. For the whole-brain analysis, weaker FC (i.e., FC between the left vmPFC and left calcarine gyrus, and between the right vmPFC and left precuneus) accompanied by stronger FC (i.e., FC between the left caudate and right insula) were exhibited in ASD relative to TD, which were positively associated with the SRS motivation scores. Additionally, we detected the main effect of age on FC between the left vmPFC and left calcarine gyrus, of subtype on FC between the right vmPFC and left precuneus, of age and age-by-gender interaction on FC between the left caudate and right insula. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the crucial role of abnormal FC patterns of the reward network in the core social deficits of ASD, which have the potential to reveal new biomarkers for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xing-Ke Wang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Sheng-Zhi Ma
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Nathan Yee Lee
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qiu-Rong Zhang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wen-Qiang Dong
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu-Feng Zang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; TMS Center, Hangzhou Normal University Affiliated Deqing Hospital, Huzhou, China
| | - Li-Xia Yuan
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; National Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing, China.
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Parrella NF, Hill AT, Dipnall LM, Loke YJ, Enticott PG, Ford TC. Inhibitory dysfunction and social processing difficulties in autism: A comprehensive narrative review. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 169:113-125. [PMID: 38016393 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has a prominent role in regulating neural development and function, with disruption to GABAergic signalling linked to behavioural phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism. Such neurochemical disruption, likely resulting from diverse genetic and molecular mechanisms, particularly during early development, can subsequently affect the cellular balance of excitation and inhibition in neuronal circuits, which may account for the social processing difficulties observed in autism and related conditions. This comprehensive narrative review integrates diverse streams of research from several disciplines, including molecular neurobiology, genetics, epigenetics, and systems neuroscience. In so doing it aims to elucidate the relevance of inhibitory dysfunction to autism, with specific focus on social processing difficulties that represent a core feature of this disorder. Many of the social processing difficulties experienced in autism have been linked to higher levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate and/or lower levels of inhibitory GABA. While current therapeutic options for social difficulties in autism are largely limited to behavioural interventions, this review highlights the psychopharmacological studies that explore the utility of GABA modulation in alleviating such difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aron T Hill
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lillian M Dipnall
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; Early Life Epigenetics Group, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Yuk Jing Loke
- Epigenetics Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Talitha C Ford
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Blanco B, Lloyd-Fox S, Begum-Ali J, Pirazzoli L, Goodwin A, Mason L, Pasco G, Charman T, Jones EJH, Johnson MH. Cortical responses to social stimuli in infants at elevated likelihood of ASD and/or ADHD: A prospective cross-condition fNIRS study. Cortex 2023; 169:18-34. [PMID: 37847979 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.07.010] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are highly prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions that often co-occur and present both common and distinct neurodevelopmental profiles. Studying the developmental pathways leading to the emergence of ASD and/or ADHD symptomatology is crucial in understanding neurodiversity and discovering the mechanisms that underpin it. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate differences in cortical specialization to social stimuli between 4- to 6-month-old infants at typical and elevated likelihood of ASD and/or ADHD. Results showed that infants at both elevated likelihood of ASD and ADHD had reduced selectivity to vocal sounds in left middle and superior temporal gyrus. Furthermore, infants at elevated likelihood of ASD showed attenuated responses to visual social stimuli in several cortical regions compared to infants at typical likelihood. Individual brain responses to visual social stimuli were associated with later autism traits, but not ADHD traits. These outcomes support our previous observations showing atypical social brain responses in infants at elevated likelihood of ASD and align with later atypical brain responses to social stimuli observed in children and adults with ASD. These findings highlight the importance of characterizing antecedent biomarkers of atypicalities in processing socially relevant information that might contribute to both phenotypic overlap and divergence across ASD and ADHD conditions and their association with the later emergence of behavioural symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borja Blanco
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Jannath Begum-Ali
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
| | - Laura Pirazzoli
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amy Goodwin
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK
| | - Greg Pasco
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK; Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
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Haghighi AH, Broughani S, Askari R, Shahrabadi H, Souza D, Gentil P. Combined Physical Training Strategies Improve Physical Fitness, Behavior, and Social Skills of Autistic Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:4271-4279. [PMID: 36083392 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05731-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of combined physical training (CPT) on social skills and physical fitness (PF) in children with ASD. Sixteen children with autism (age 6-10 years) were randomly assigned into two groups: CPT and control. The CPT group participated in a program involving ball game, rhythmic movements, and resistance training for eight weeks (three sessions per week). PF and behavior profile were assessed before and after training. CPT program had a significant effect on indicators of social skills such as stereotypic behavior and communication, as well as PF such as handgrip strength, upper and lower body power, flexibility, balance, and agility (P < 0.05). CPT in autistic children can improve indicators of social skills and PF.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roya Askari
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Hadi Shahrabadi
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Daniel Souza
- College of Physical Education and Dance, Federal University of Goias, Goiania, Brazil.
| | - Paulo Gentil
- College of Physical Education and Dance, Federal University of Goias, Goiania, Brazil
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Ruiz M, Groessing A, Guran A, Koçan AU, Mikus N, Nater UM, Kouwer K, Posserud MB, Salomon-Gimmon M, Todorova B, Wagner IC, Gold C, Silani G, Specht K. Music for autism: a protocol for an international randomized crossover trial on music therapy for children with autism. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1256771. [PMID: 37886114 PMCID: PMC10598663 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1256771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The notion of a connection between autism and music is as old as the first reported cases of autism, and music has been used as a therapeutic tool for many decades. Music therapy holds promise as an intervention for individuals with autism, harnessing their strengths in music processing to enhance communication and expression. While previous randomized controlled trials have demonstrated positive outcomes in terms of global improvement and quality of life, their reliance on psychological outcomes restricts our understanding of underlying mechanisms. This paper introduces the protocol for the Music for Autism study, a randomized crossover trial designed to investigate the effects of a 12-week music therapy intervention on a range of psychometric, neuroimaging, and biological outcomes in school-aged children with autism. The protocol builds upon previous research and aims to both replicate and expand upon findings that demonstrated improvements in social communication and functional brain connectivity following a music intervention. The primary objective of this trial is to determine whether music therapy leads to improvements in social communication and functional brain connectivity as compared to play-based therapy. In addition, secondary aims include exploring various relevant psychometric, neuroimaging, and biological outcomes. To achieve these objectives, we will enroll 80 participants aged 6-12 years in this international, assessor-blinded, crossover randomized controlled trial. Each participant will be randomly assigned to receive either music therapy or play-based therapy for a period of 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week washout period, after which they will receive the alternate intervention. Assessments will be conducted four times, before and after each intervention period. The protocol of the Music for Autism trial provides a comprehensive framework for studying the effects of music therapy on a range of multidimensional outcomes in children with autism. The findings from this trial have the potential to contribute to the development of evidence-based interventions that leverage strengths in music processing to address the complex challenges faced by individuals with autism. Clinical Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04936048.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Ruiz
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Alexander Groessing
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandrina Guran
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Asena U. Koçan
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nace Mikus
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- School of Culture and Society, Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Urs M. Nater
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karlijn Kouwer
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Maj-Britt Posserud
- Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Maayan Salomon-Gimmon
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- The School of Creative Arts Therapies, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Boryana Todorova
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Isabella C. Wagner
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Gold
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE), Bergen, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karsten Specht
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Radiology, Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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8
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Ding K, Wang H, Wang Q, Li H, Li C. Inhibitory control associated with the neural mechanism of joint attention in preschoolers: An fNIRS evidence. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 192:53-61. [PMID: 37597695 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.08.006] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Joint attention (JA) is fundamental to the development of children's social functioning; both its response and initiation are closely related to executive function (EF), but the relationship between JA and EF has been relatively rarely studied. The present study aimed to investigate the between-condition differences in brain activation and synchronization of JA under four conditions: (1) stranger-Initiating Joint Attention (Stranger-IJA); (2) teacher-Initiating Joint Attention (Teacher-IJA); (3) stranger-Responding to Joint Attention (Stranger-RJA); and (4) teacher-Responding to Joint Attention (Teacher-RJA). It also aimed to explore the relationships between neuroimaging data and children's inhibitory control levels. To address these two goals, the present study employed 41 (aged 58.61 ± 8.64 months, 24 boys) preschool children through behavioral and functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) brain imaging assessment to measure children's EF and brain function under JA, respectively. The results revealed that: (1) a significantly higher prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation was triggered in IJA than RJA; (2) a significantly higher brain activation was triggered in JA with a stranger than with a teacher; (3) a significantly higher index of synchronization asymmetry was evoked in the left and right PFC during interaction with the teacher than with the stranger; and (4) preschoolers' brain activation and synchronization were correlated with their inhibitory control level. The findings advance our understanding of preschoolers' social cognitive development with a biological aspect, offer an opportunity to understand the potential risk of the neural disorder in preschoolers, and provide a basis and insight for preventing neural developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keya Ding
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Li
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China; Faculty of Education and Human Development, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Chuanjiang Li
- College of Child Development and Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
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Hou W, Li X, Yang Y, Li J. Joint intention understanding in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2023; 16:1707-1718. [PMID: 37283253 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2964] [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: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the ability of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to generate joint intention-based action prediction in a joint action task. Children were presented with a series of videos in which two actors either played with blocks based on joint intention (social condition) or played with blocks independently (nonsocial condition). In the familiarization stage, two actors demonstrated how they played with blocks three times. In the test stage, one actor left the scene, and another actor grasped a block and asked where she should place it. Children's gaze behavior was assessed by an eye tracker. After watching videos, children were asked to answer two questions: an action prediction question and an intention understanding question. The results showed that in the implicit eye movement task, children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children exhibited location-based anticipatory gaze under both conditions. However, in terms of explicit behavioral responses, TD children showed higher accuracy in response to action prediction questions and intention understanding questions than children with ASD in the social condition, while no significant group difference was found in the nonsocial condition. These results indicate that children with ASD have difficulty understanding joint intention and that their action prediction is primarily driven by bottom-up sensory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Child Language Lab, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xue Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yunmei Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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Chavoshnejad P, Vallejo L, Zhang S, Guo Y, Dai W, Zhang T, Razavi MJ. Mechanical hierarchy in the formation and modulation of cortical folding patterns. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13177. [PMID: 37580340 PMCID: PMC10425471 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40086-9] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The important mechanical parameters and their hierarchy in the growth and folding of the human brain have not been thoroughly understood. In this study, we developed a multiscale mechanical model to investigate how the interplay between initial geometrical undulations, differential tangential growth in the cortical plate, and axonal connectivity form and regulate the folding patterns of the human brain in a hierarchical order. To do so, different growth scenarios with bilayer spherical models that features initial undulations on the cortex and uniform or heterogeneous distribution of axonal fibers in the white matter were developed, statistically analyzed, and validated by the imaging observations. The results showed that the differential tangential growth is the inducer of cortical folding, and in a hierarchal order, high-amplitude initial undulations on the surface and axonal fibers in the substrate regulate the folding patterns and determine the location of gyri and sulci. The locations with dense axonal fibers after folding settle in gyri rather than sulci. The statistical results also indicated that there is a strong correlation between the location of positive (outward) and negative (inward) initial undulations and the locations of gyri and sulci after folding, respectively. In addition, the locations of 3-hinge gyral folds are strongly correlated with the initial positive undulations and locations of dense axonal fibers. As another finding, it was revealed that there is a correlation between the density of axonal fibers and local gyrification index, which has been observed in imaging studies but not yet fundamentally explained. This study is the first step in understanding the linkage between abnormal gyrification (surface morphology) and disruption in connectivity that has been observed in some brain disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Moreover, the findings of the study directly contribute to the concept of the regularity and variability of folding patterns in individual human brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poorya Chavoshnejad
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Liam Vallejo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Songyao Zhang
- Brain Decoding Research Center and School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yanchen Guo
- Department of Computer Science, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Weiying Dai
- Department of Computer Science, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Tuo Zhang
- Brain Decoding Research Center and School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mir Jalil Razavi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA.
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Helmy E, Elnakib A, ElNakieb Y, Khudri M, Abdelrahim M, Yousaf J, Ghazal M, Contractor S, Barnes GN, El-Baz A. Role of Artificial Intelligence for Autism Diagnosis Using DTI and fMRI: A Survey. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1858. [PMID: 37509498 PMCID: PMC10376963 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a wide range of diseases characterized by difficulties with social skills, repetitive activities, speech, and nonverbal communication. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in 44 American children currently suffer from ASD. The current gold standard for ASD diagnosis is based on behavior observational tests by clinicians, which suffer from being subjective and time-consuming and afford only late detection (a child must have a mental age of at least two to apply for an observation report). Alternatively, brain imaging-more specifically, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-has proven its ability to assist in fast, objective, and early ASD diagnosis and detection. With the recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques, sufficient tools have been developed for both automated ASD diagnosis and early detection. More recently, the development of deep learning (DL), a young subfield of AI based on artificial neural networks (ANNs), has successfully enabled the processing of brain MRI data with improved ASD diagnostic abilities. This survey focuses on the role of AI in autism diagnostics and detection based on two basic MRI modalities: diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional MRI (fMRI). In addition, the survey outlines the basic findings of DTI and fMRI in autism. Furthermore, recent techniques for ASD detection using DTI and fMRI are summarized and discussed. Finally, emerging tendencies are described. The results of this study show how useful AI is for early, subjective ASD detection and diagnosis. More AI solutions that have the potential to be used in healthcare settings will be introduced in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman Helmy
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Elgomheryia Street, Mansoura 3512, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed Elnakib
- Bioengineering Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; (A.E.); (Y.E.); (M.K.); (M.A.)
| | - Yaser ElNakieb
- Bioengineering Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; (A.E.); (Y.E.); (M.K.); (M.A.)
| | - Mohamed Khudri
- Bioengineering Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; (A.E.); (Y.E.); (M.K.); (M.A.)
| | - Mostafa Abdelrahim
- Bioengineering Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; (A.E.); (Y.E.); (M.K.); (M.A.)
| | - Jawad Yousaf
- Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering Department, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi 59911, United Arab Emirates; (J.Y.); (M.G.)
| | - Mohammed Ghazal
- Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering Department, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi 59911, United Arab Emirates; (J.Y.); (M.G.)
| | - Sohail Contractor
- Department of Radiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
| | - Gregory Neal Barnes
- Department of Neurology, Pediatric Research Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
| | - Ayman El-Baz
- Bioengineering Department, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA; (A.E.); (Y.E.); (M.K.); (M.A.)
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Wagner L, Banchik M, Okada NJ, McDonald N, Jeste SS, Bookheimer SY, Green SA, Dapretto M. Associations between thalamocortical functional connectivity and sensory over-responsivity in infants at high likelihood for ASD. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8075-8086. [PMID: 37005061 PMCID: PMC10267628 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad100] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite growing evidence implicating thalamic functional connectivity atypicalities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it remains unclear how such alterations emerge early in human development. Because the thalamus plays a critical role in sensory processing and neocortical organization early in life, its connectivity with other cortical regions could be key for studying the early onset of core ASD symptoms. Here, we investigated emerging thalamocortical functional connectivity in infants at high (HL) and typical (TL) familial likelihood for ASD in early and late infancy. We report significant thalamo-limbic hyperconnectivity in 1.5-month-old HL infants, and thalamo-cortical hypoconnectivity in prefrontal and motor regions in 9-month-old HL infants. Importantly, early sensory over-responsivity (SOR) symptoms in HL infants predicted a direct trade-off in thalamic connectivity whereby stronger thalamic connectivity with primary sensory regions and basal ganglia was inversely related to connectivity with higher order cortices. This trade-off suggests that ASD may be characterized by early differences in thalamic gating. The patterns reported here could directly underlie atypical sensory processing and attention to social vs. nonsocial stimuli observed in ASD. These findings lend support to a theoretical framework of ASD whereby early disruptions in sensorimotor processing and attentional biases early in life may cascade into core ASD symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Wagner
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Megan Banchik
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Nana J Okada
- Department of Psychology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02138, United States
| | - Nicole McDonald
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Shafali S Jeste
- Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
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13
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Xiao Y, Wen TH, Kupis L, Eyler LT, Taluja V, Troxel J, Goel D, Lombardo MV, Pierce K, Courchesne E. Atypical functional connectivity of temporal cortex with precuneus and visual regions may be an early-age signature of ASD. Mol Autism 2023; 14:11. [PMID: 36899425 PMCID: PMC10007788 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00543-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social and language abilities are closely intertwined during early typical development. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, deficits in social and language development are early-age core symptoms. We previously reported that superior temporal cortex, a well-established social and language region, shows reduced activation to social affective speech in ASD toddlers; however, the atypical cortical connectivity that accompanies this deviance remains unknown. METHODS We collected clinical, eye tracking, and resting-state fMRI data from 86 ASD and non-ASD subjects (mean age 2.3 ± 0.7 years). Functional connectivity of left and right superior temporal regions with other cortical regions and correlations between this connectivity and each child's social and language abilities were examined. RESULTS While there was no group difference in functional connectivity, the connectivity between superior temporal cortex and frontal and parietal regions was significantly correlated with language, communication, and social abilities in non-ASD subjects, but these effects were absent in ASD subjects. Instead, ASD subjects, regardless of different social or nonsocial visual preferences, showed atypical correlations between temporal-visual region connectivity and communication ability (r(49) = 0.55, p < 0.001) and between temporal-precuneus connectivity and expressive language ability (r(49) = 0.58, p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS The distinct connectivity-behavior correlation patterns may be related to different developmental stages in ASD and non-ASD subjects. The use of a prior 2-year-old template for spatial normalization may not be optimal for a few subjects beyond this age range. CONCLUSIONS Superior temporal cortex is known to have reduced activation to social affective speech in ASD at early ages, and here we find in ASD toddlers that it also has atypical connectivity with visual and precuneus cortices that is correlated with communication and language ability, a pattern not seen in non-ASD toddlers. This atypicality may be an early-age signature of ASD that also explains why the disorder has deviant early language and social development. Given that these atypical connectivity patterns are also present in older individuals with ASD, we conclude these atypical connectivity patterns persist across age and may explain why successful interventions targeting language and social skills at all ages in ASD are so difficult to achieve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqiong Xiao
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Teresa H Wen
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Lauren Kupis
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
- VISN 22 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Vani Taluja
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jaden Troxel
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Disha Goel
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Karen Pierce
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Autism Center of Excellence, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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14
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Yang B, Wang M, Zhou W, Wang X, Chen S, Potenza MN, Yuan LX, Dong GH. Disrupted network integration and segregation involving the default mode network in autism spectrum disorder. J Affect Disord 2023; 323:309-319. [PMID: 36455716 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Changes in the brain's default mode network (DMN) in the resting state are closely related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Module segmentation can effectively elucidate the neural mechanism of ASD and explore intra- and inter-network connections by means of the participation coefficient (PC). We used that resting-state fMRI data from 269 ASD patients and 340 healthy controls (HCs) in the current study. From the results, ASD subjects showed a significantly higher PC of the DMN than HC subjects. This difference was related to lower intra-module connections within the DMN and higher inter-network connections between the DMN and other networks. When the subjects were split into age groups, the results were verified in the 7-12- and 12-18-year-old age groups but not in the young adult group (18-25 years). When the subjects were divided according to different subtypes of ASD, the results were also observed in the classic autism and pervasive developmental disorder groups, but not in the Asperger disorder group. In conclusions, less developed network segregation in the DMN could be a valid biomarker for ASD. This provides network scientists with new insights into the intermodular connectivity configurations of complex networks from different dimensions in a systematic and comprehensive manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, School of Clinical Medicine and the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Min Wang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, School of Clinical Medicine and the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Weiran Zhou
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, School of Clinical Medicine and the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Xiuqin Wang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, School of Clinical Medicine and the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Shuaiyu Chen
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, School of Clinical Medicine and the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | | | - Li-Xia Yuan
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, School of Clinical Medicine and the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
| | - Guang-Heng Dong
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, School of Clinical Medicine and the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
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15
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Fittipaldi S, Armony JL, García AM, Migeot J, Cadaveira M, Ibáñez A, Baez S. Emotional descriptions increase accidental harm punishment and its cortico-limbic signatures during moral judgment in autism. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1745. [PMID: 36720905 PMCID: PMC9889714 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27709-x] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present difficulties in integrating mental state information in complex moral tasks. Yet, ASD research has not examined whether this process is influenced by emotions, let alone while capturing its neural bases. We investigated how language-induced emotions modulate intent-based moral judgment in ASD. In a fMRI task, 30 adults with ASD and 27 neurotypical controls read vignettes whose protagonists commit harm either accidentally or intentionally, and then decided how much punishment the protagonist deserved. Emotional content was manipulated across scenarios through the use of graphic language (designed to trigger arousing negative responses) vs. plain (just-the-facts, emotionless) language. Off-line functional connectivity correlates of task performance were also analyzed. In ASD, emotional (graphic) descriptions amplified punishment ratings of accidental harms, associated with increased activity in fronto-temporo-limbic, precentral, and postcentral/supramarginal regions (critical for emotional and empathic processes), and reduced connectivity among the orbitofrontal cortex and the angular gyrus (involved in mentalizing). Language manipulation did not influence intentional harm processing in ASD. In conclusion, in arousing and ambiguous social situations that lack intentionality clues (i.e. graphic accidental harm scenarios), individuals with ASD would misuse their emotional responses as the main source of information to guide their moral decisions. Conversely, in face of explicit harmful intentions, they would be able to compensate their socioemotional alterations and assign punishment through non-emotional pathways. Despite limitations, such as the small sample size and low ecological validity of the task, results of the present study proved reliable and have relevant theoretical and translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Fittipaldi
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge L Armony
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Dept. of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Adolfo M García
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joaquín Migeot
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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16
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Wang C, Yang L, Lin Y, Wang C, Tian P. Alteration of resting-state network dynamics in autism spectrum disorder based on leading eigenvector dynamics analysis. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 16:922577. [PMID: 36743477 PMCID: PMC9892631 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.922577] [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: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Neurobiological models to explain the vulnerability of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are scarce, and previous resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies mostly examined static functional connectivity (FC). Given that FC constantly evolves, it is critical to probe FC dynamic differences in ASD patients. Methods We characterized recurring phase-locking (PL) states during rest in 45 ASD patients and 47 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) using Leading Eigenvector Dynamics Analysis (LEiDA) and probed the organization of PL states across different fine grain sizes. Results Our results identified five different groups of discrete resting-state functional networks, which can be defined as recurrent PL state overtimes. Specifically, ASD patients showed an increased probability of three PL states, consisting of the visual network (VIS), frontoparietal control network (FPN), default mode network (DMN), and ventral attention network (VAN). Correspondingly, ASD patients also showed a decreased probability of two PL states, consisting of the subcortical network (SUB), somatomotor network (SMN), FPN, and VAN. Conclusion Our findings suggested that the temporal reorganization of brain discrete networks was closely linked to sensory to cognitive systems of the brain. Our study provides new insights into the dynamics of brain networks and contributes to a deeper understanding of the neurological mechanisms of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyan Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanan Lin
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Caihong Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Peichao Tian
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China,*Correspondence: Peichao Tian,
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Haartsen R, Charman T, Pasco G, Johnson MH, Jones EJH. Modulation of EEG theta by naturalistic social content is not altered in infants with family history of autism. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20758. [PMID: 36456597 PMCID: PMC9715667 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24870-7] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Theta oscillations (spectral power and connectivity) are sensitive to the social content of an experience in typically developing infants, providing a possible marker of early social brain development. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting early social behaviour, but links to underlying social brain function remain unclear. We explored whether modulations of theta spectral power and connectivity by naturalistic social content in infancy are related to family history for autism. Fourteen-month-old infants with (family history; FH; N = 75) and without (no family history; NFH; N = 26) a first-degree relative with autism watched social and non-social videos during EEG recording. We calculated theta (4-5 Hz) spectral power and connectivity modulations (social-non-social) and associated them with outcomes at 36 months. We replicated previous findings of increased theta power and connectivity during social compared to non-social videos. Theta modulations with social content were similar between groups, for both power and connectivity. Together, these findings suggest that neural responses to naturalistic social stimuli may not be strongly altered in 14-month-old infants with family history of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne Haartsen
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
- ToddlerLab, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK.
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BX, UK
| | - Greg Pasco
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
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18
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Hadders‐Algra M. Emerging signs of autism spectrum disorder in infancy: Putative neural substrate. Dev Med Child Neurol 2022; 64:1344-1350. [PMID: 35801808 PMCID: PMC9796067 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by altered development of the social brain with prominent atypical features in the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum. Early signs of ASD emerge between 6 and 12 months: reduced social communication, slightly less advanced motor development, and repetitive behaviour. The fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum play a prominent role in the development of social communication, whereas fronto-parietal-cerebellar networks are involved in the planning of movements, that is, movement selection. Atypical sensory responsivity, a core feature of ASD, may result in impaired development of social communication and motor skills and/or selection of atypical repetitive behaviour. In the first postnatal year, the brain areas involved are characterized by gradual dissolution of temporary structures: the fronto-temporo-parietal cortical subplate and cerebellar external granular layer. It is hypothesized that altered dissolution of the transient structures opens the window for the expression of early signs of ASD arising in the impaired developing permanent networks. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: The early social and motor signs of autism spectrum disorder emerge between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Altered dissolution of transient brain structures in the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum may underlie the emergence of these early signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijna Hadders‐Algra
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenDepartment of Paediatrics, Section of Developmental NeurologyGroningenthe Netherlands,University of Groningen, Faculty of Theology and Religious StudiesGroningenthe Netherlands
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Social Functioning and Autistic Behaviors in Youth Following Acquired Brain Injury. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:children9111648. [PMID: 36360376 PMCID: PMC9688193 DOI: 10.3390/children9111648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Children and adolescents who survive the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with an acquired brain injury (ABI) often demonstrate a variety of physical, cognitive, emotional/behavioral, and social sequelae termed post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Social communication and interaction challenges have also been observed clinically, and there is growing literature documenting these occurrences in youth following ABI. The extent of these social changes varies among patients, and a subset of patients go on to exhibit social and behavioral profiles closely resembling those of autistic youth. We reviewed empirical research regarding social functioning in youth following ABI, as well as the overlap between individuals with ABI and autistic youth, published from January 2009 to August 2022 on PubMed and Scopus databases. Clinical case examples from a well-established post-PICU follow-up program are also provided to exemplify the complexity of this phenomenon.
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Thérien VD, Degré-Pelletier J, Barbeau EB, Samson F, Soulières I. Differential neural correlates underlying mental rotation processes in two distinct cognitive profiles in autism. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103221. [PMID: 36228483 PMCID: PMC9668634 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103221] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced visuospatial abilities characterize the cognitive profile of a subgroup of autistics. However, the neural correlates underlying such cognitive strengths are largely unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the neural underpinnings of superior visuospatial functioning in different autistic subgroups. Twenty-seven autistic adults, including 13 with a Wechsler's Block Design peak (AUTp) and 14 without (AUTnp), and 23 typically developed adults (TYP) performed a classic mental rotation task. As expected, AUTp participants were faster at the task compared to TYP. At the neural level, AUTp participants showed enhanced bilateral parietal and occipital activation, stronger occipito-parietal and fronto-occipital connectivity, and diminished fronto-parietal connectivity compared to TYP. On the other hand, AUTnp participants presented greater activation in right and anterior regions compared to AUTp. In addition, reduced connectivity between occipital and parietal regions was observed in AUTnp compared to AUTp and TYP participants. A greater reliance on posterior regions is typically reported in the autism literature. Our results suggest that this commonly reported finding may be specific to a subgroup of autistic individuals with enhanced visuospatial functioning. Moreover, this study demonstrated that increased occipito-frontal synchronization was associated with superior visuospatial abilities in autism. This finding contradicts the long-range under-connectivity hypothesis in autism. Finally, given the relationship between distinct cognitive profiles in autism and our observed differences in brain functioning, future studies should provide an adequate characterization of the autistic subgroups in their research. The main limitations are small sample sizes and the inclusion of male-only participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique D. Thérien
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Elise B. Barbeau
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fabienne Samson
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada,Corresponding author at: Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montréal (Québec) H3C 3P8, Canada.
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Recent Developments in Autism Genetic Research: A Scientometric Review from 2018 to 2022. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13091646. [PMID: 36140813 PMCID: PMC9498399 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic research in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has progressed tremendously in recent decades. Dozens of genetic loci and hundreds of alterations in the genetic sequence, expression, epigenetic transformation, and interactions with other physiological and environmental systems have been found to increase the likelihood of developing ASD. There is therefore a need to represent this wide-ranging yet voluminous body of literature in a systematic manner so that this information can be synthesised and understood at a macro level. Therefore, this study made use of scientometric methods, particularly document co-citation analysis (DCA), to systematically review literature on ASD genetic research from 2018 to 2022. A total of 14,818 articles were extracted from Scopus and analyzed with CiteSpace. An optimized DCA analysis revealed that recent literature on ASD genetic research can be broadly organised into 12 major clusters representing various sub-topics. These clusters are briefly described in the manuscript and potential applications of this study are discussed.
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22
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Lee JK, Andrews DS, Ozturk A, Solomon M, Rogers S, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. Altered Development of Amygdala-Connected Brain Regions in Males and Females with Autism. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6145-6155. [PMID: 35760533 PMCID: PMC9351637 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0053-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered amygdala development is implicated in the neurobiology of autism, but little is known about the coordinated development of the brain regions directly connected with the amygdala. Here we investigated the volumetric development of an amygdala-connected network, defined as the set of brain regions with monosynaptic connections with the amygdala, in autism from early to middle childhood. A total of 950 longitudinal structural MRI scans were acquired from 282 children (93 female) with autism and 128 children with typical development (61 female) at up to four time points (mean ages: 39, 52, 64, and 137 months, respectively). Volumes from 32 amygdala-connected brain regions were examined using mixed effects multivariate distance matrix regression. The Social Responsiveness Scale-2 was administered to assess degree of autistic traits and social impairments. The amygdala-connected network exhibited persistent diagnostic differences (p values ≤ 0.03) that increased over time (p values ≤ 0.02). These differences were most prominent in autistics with more impacted social functioning at baseline. This pattern was not observed across regions without monosynaptic amygdala connection. We observed qualitative sex differences. In males, the bilateral subgenual anterior cingulate cortices were most affected, while in females the left fusiform and superior temporal gyri were most affected. In conclusion, (1) autism is associated with widespread alterations to the development of brain regions connected with the amygdala, which were associated with autistic social behaviors; and (2) autistic males and females exhibited different patterns of alterations, adding to a growing body of evidence of sex differences in the neurobiology of autism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Global patterns of development across brain regions with monosynaptic connection to the amygdala differentiate autism from typical development, and are modulated by social functioning in early childhood. Alterations to brain regions within the amygdala-connected network differed in males and females with autism. Results also indicate larger volumetric differences in regions having monosynaptic connection with the amygdala than in regions without monosynaptic connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua K Lee
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Derek S Andrews
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Arzu Ozturk
- Department of Radiology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Sally Rogers
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - David G Amaral
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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23
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Zhao X, Zhu S, Cao Y, Cheng P, Lin Y, Sun Z, Li Y, Jiang W, Du Y. Regional homogeneity of adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and its association with symptom severity. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2693. [PMID: 35816591 PMCID: PMC9392530 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Previous studies have revealed abnormal regional homogeneity (ReHo) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, there is little consistency across the findings within these studies, partly due to small sample size and great heterogeneity among participants between studies. Additionally, few studies have explored the association between ReHo aberrance and clinical symptoms in individuals with ASD. METHODS Forty-eight adolescents with high-functioning ASD and 63 group-matched typically developing (TD) controls received functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest. Group-level analysis was performed to detect differences in ReHo between ASD and TD. Evaluation of symptom severity in individuals with ASD was based on the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Voxel-wise correlation analysis was undergone to examine the correlations between the symptom severity and ReHo map in individuals with ASD within brain areas with ReHo abnormalities. RESULTS Compared with the TD controls, individuals with ASD exhibited increased ReHo in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, left caudate, right posterior cerebellum (cerebellar tonsil), and bilateral brainstem and decreased ReHo in the left precentral gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, bilateral postcentral gyrus, and right anterior cerebellum (culmen). The correlation analysis indicated that the ReHo value in the brainstem was negatively associated with the ABC total scores and the scores of Relating factor, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicated that widespread ReHo abnormalities occurred in ASD, shedding light on the underlying neurobiology of pathogenesis and symptomatology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxin Zhao
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyi Zhu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, China
| | - Peipei Cheng
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxiong Lin
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixin Sun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqing Jiang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yasong Du
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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24
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Hao Z, Shi Y, Huang L, Sun J, Li M, Gao Y, Li J, Wang Q, Zhan L, Ding Q, Jia X, Li H. The Atypical Effective Connectivity of Right Temporoparietal Junction in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multi-Site Study. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:927556. [PMID: 35924226 PMCID: PMC9340667 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.927556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social function impairment is the core deficit of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although many studies have investigated ASD through a variety of neuroimaging tools, its brain mechanism of social function remains unclear due to its complex and heterogeneous symptoms. The present study aimed to use resting-state functional magnetic imaging data to explore effective connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction (RTPJ), one of the key brain regions associated with social impairment of individuals with ASD, and the whole brain to further deepen our understanding of the neuropathological mechanism of ASD. This study involved 1,454 participants from 23 sites from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) public dataset, which included 618 individuals with ASD and 836 with typical development (TD). First, a voxel-wise Granger causality analysis (GCA) was conducted with the RTPJ selected as the region of interest (ROI) to investigate the differences in effective connectivity between the ASD and TD groups in every site. Next, to obtain further accurate and representative results, an image-based meta-analysis was implemented to further analyze the GCA results of each site. Our results demonstrated abnormal causal connectivity between the RTPJ and the widely distributed brain regions and that the connectivity has been associated with social impairment in individuals with ASD. The current study could help to further elucidate the pathological mechanisms of ASD and provides a new perspective for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeqi Hao
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yuyu Shi
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Lina Huang
- Department of Radiology, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, China
| | - Jiawei Sun
- School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
| | - Mengting Li
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yanyan Gao
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Jing Li
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Linlin Zhan
- School of Western Languages, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China
| | - Qingguo Ding
- Department of Radiology, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, China
- Qingguo Ding
| | - Xize Jia
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Xize Jia
| | - Huayun Li
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- *Correspondence: Huayun Li
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25
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Andrews DS, Aksman L, Kerns CM, Lee JK, Winder-Patel BM, Harvey DJ, Waizbard-Bartov E, Heath B, Solomon M, Rogers SJ, Altmann A, Nordahl CW, Amaral DG. Association of Amygdala Development With Different Forms of Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:977-987. [PMID: 35341582 PMCID: PMC9116934 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The amygdala is widely implicated in both anxiety and autism spectrum disorder. However, no studies have investigated the relationship between co-occurring anxiety and longitudinal amygdala development in autism. Here, the authors characterize amygdala development across childhood in autistic children with and without traditional DSM forms of anxiety and anxieties distinctly related to autism. METHODS Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired at up to four time points for 71 autistic and 55 typically developing (TD) children (∼2.5-12 years, 411 time points). Traditional DSM anxiety and anxieties distinctly related to autism were assessed at study time 4 (∼8-12 years) using a diagnostic interview tailored to autism: the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-IV with the Autism Spectrum Addendum. Mixed-effects models were used to test group differences at study time 1 (3.18 years) and time 4 (11.36 years) and developmental differences (age-by-group interactions) in right and left amygdala volume between autistic children with and without DSM or autism-distinct anxieties and TD children. RESULTS Autistic children with DSM anxiety had significantly larger right amygdala volumes than TD children at both study time 1 (5.10% increase) and time 4 (6.11% increase). Autistic children with autism-distinct anxieties had significantly slower right amygdala growth than TD, autism-no anxiety, and autism-DSM anxiety groups and smaller right amygdala volumes at time 4 than the autism-no anxiety (-8.13% decrease) and autism-DSM anxiety (-12.05% decrease) groups. CONCLUSIONS Disparate amygdala volumes and developmental trajectories between DSM and autism-distinct forms of anxiety suggest different biological underpinnings for these common, co-occurring conditions in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Sayre Andrews
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
| | - Leon Aksman
- Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California,Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Connor M. Kerns
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joshua K. Lee
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Breanna M. Winder-Patel
- MIND Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Danielle Jenine Harvey
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Einat Waizbard-Bartov
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Brianna Heath
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sally J. Rogers
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Andre Altmann
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - David G. Amaral
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California
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26
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Seng GJ, Lai MC, Goh JOS, Tseng WYI, Gau SSF. Gray matter volume alteration is associated with insistence on sameness and cognitive flexibility in autistic youth. Autism Res 2022; 15:1209-1221. [PMID: 35491911 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2732] [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] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are hallmark characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies suggest that insistence on sameness (IS) characterized as higher-order RRBs may be a promising subgrouping variable for ASD. Cognitive inflexibility may underpin IS behaviors. However, the neuroanatomical correlates of IS and associated cognitive functions remain unclear. We analyzed data from 140 autistic youth and 124 typically developing (TD) youth (mean age = 15.8 years). Autistic youth were stratified by median-split based on three current IS items in the autism diagnostic interview-revised into two groups (high, HIS, n = 70, and low, LIS, n = 70). Differences in cognitive flexibility were assessed by the Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery (CANTAB). T1-weighted brain structural images were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to identify differences in gray matter (GM) volume among the three groups. GM volume of regions showing group differences was then correlated with cognitive flexibility. The HIS group showed decreased GM volumes in the left supramarginal gyrus compared to the LIS group and increased GM volumes in the vermis VIII and left cerebellar lobule VIII compared to TD individuals. We did not find significant correlations between regional GM volumes and extra-dimensional shift errors. IS may be a unique RRB component and a potentially valuable stratifier of ASD. However, the neurocognitive underpinnings require further clarification. LAY SUMMARY: The present study found parietal, temporal and cerebellar gray matter volume alterations in autistic youth with greater insistence on sameness. The findings suggest that insistence on sameness may be a useful feature to parse the heterogeneity of the autism spectrum yet further research investigating the underlying neurocognitive mechanism is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Jye Seng
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,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, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joshua Oon Soo Goh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yih Issac Tseng
- College of Medicine, Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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27
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Balasco L, Pagani M, Pangrazzi L, Chelini G, Viscido F, Chama AGC, Galbusera A, Provenzano G, Gozzi A, Bozzi Y. Somatosensory cortex hyperconnectivity and impaired whisker-dependent responses in Cntnap2 -/- mice. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 169:105742. [PMID: 35483565 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105742] [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] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory abnormalities are a common feature in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Tactile responsiveness is altered in autistic individuals, with hypo-responsiveness being associated with the severity of ASD core symptoms. Similarly, sensory abnormalities have been described in mice lacking ASD-associated genes. Loss-of-function mutations in CNTNAP2 result in cortical dysplasia-focal epilepsy syndrome (CDFE) and autism. Likewise, Cntnap2-/- mice show epilepsy and deficits relevant with core symptoms of human ASDs, and are considered a reliable model to study ASDs. Altered synaptic transmission and synchronicity found in the cerebral cortex of Cntnap2-/- mice would suggest a network dysfunction. Here, we investigated the neural substrates of whisker-dependent responses in Cntnap2+/+ and Cntnap2-/- adult mice. When compared to controls, Cntnap2-/- mice showed focal hyper-connectivity within the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), in the absence of altered connectivity between S1 and other somatosensory areas. This data suggests the presence of impaired somatosensory processing in these mutants. Accordingly, Cntnap2-/- mice displayed impaired whisker-dependent discrimination in the textured novel object recognition test (tNORT) and increased c-fos mRNA induction within S1 following whisker stimulation. S1 functional hyperconnectivity might underlie the aberrant whisker-dependent responses observed in Cntnap2-/- mice, indicating that Cntnap2 mice are a reliable model to investigate sensory abnormalities that characterize ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Balasco
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luca Pangrazzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Gabriele Chelini
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Francesca Viscido
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Giovanni Provenzano
- Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy; CNR Neuroscience Institute, via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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Prinsen J, Alaerts K. Broken or socially mistuned mirroring in ASD? An investigation via transcranial magnetic stimulation. Autism Res 2022; 15:1056-1067. [PMID: 35384338 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2720] [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: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience persistent difficulties during social interactions and communication. Previously, it has been suggested that deficits in the so-called "mirror system," active during both action execution and observation, may underlie these social difficulties. It is still a topic of debate however whether deficiencies in the simulation of others' actions (i.e., "broken" mirroring) forms a general feature of ASD, or whether these mostly reflect a lack of social attunement. The latter would suggest an overall intact mirror system, but an impaired modulation of mirror activity according to variable social contexts. In this study, 25 adults with ASD and 28 age- and IQ-matched control participants underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation during the observation of hand movements under variable conditions. Hand movements were presented via a live interaction partner, either without social context to assess basic motor mirroring or in combination with direct and averted gaze from the actor to assess socially modulated mirroring. Overall, no significant group differences were revealed, indicating no generally diminished mirror activity in ASD. Interestingly however, regression analyses revealed that, among ASD participants, higher symptom severity was associated with both reduced basic motor mirroring and aberrant socially modulated mirroring (i.e., no enhancement of mirror system activity upon observation of the interaction partner's direct vs. averted gaze). These findings further challenge the notion that mirror system dysfunctions constitute a principal feature of ASD, but demonstrate that variations in mirroring may be related to differential expressions of ASD symptom severity. LAY SUMMARY: Our findings show similar activity levels in brain regions responsible for action simulation and understanding in adults with autism, compared to adults without autism. However, the presence of more severe autism symptoms was linked to reduced activity in these regions. This suggests lower levels of brain activity during action understanding in some, but not all, persons with autism, which may contribute to the social difficulties these persons experience in daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jellina Prinsen
- Neurorehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Autism Research Consortium (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Neurorehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Autism Research Consortium (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Belgium
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29
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Tseng A, Camchong J, Francis SM, Mueller BA, Lim KO, Conelea CA, Jacob S. Differential extrinsic brain network connectivity and social cognitive task-specific demands in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). J Psychiatr Res 2022; 148:230-239. [PMID: 35149435 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.066] [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: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have used task-based functional connectivity (FC) magnetic resonance imaging to examine emotion-processing during the critical neurodevelopmental period of adolescence in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Moreover, task designs with pervasive confounds (e.g., lack of appropriate controls) persist because they activate neural circuits of interest reliably. As an alternative approach to "subtracting" activity from putative control conditions, we propose examining FC across an entire task run. By pivoting our analysis and interpretation of existing paradigms, we may better understand neural response to non-focal instances of socially-relevant stimuli that approximate real-world experiences more closely. Hence, using two well-established affective tasks (face-viewing, face-matching) with diverging social-cognitive demands, we investigated extrinsic FC from amygdala (AMG) and fusiform gyrus (FG) seeds in typically-developing (TD; N = 17) and ASD (N = 17) male adolescents (10-18 yo) and clinical correlations (Social Communication Questionnaire; SCQ) of group FC differences. Participant data (4TD, 6ASD) with excessive head-motion were excluded from final analysis. Direct between-group comparisons revealed significant differences between groups for neural response but not task performance (accuracy, reaction time). During face-viewing, we found greater FC from AMG and FG seeds for ASD participants (ASD > TD) in regions involved in the Default Mode and Fronto-Parietal Task Control Networks. During face-matching, we found greater FC from AMG and FG seeds for TD participants (TD > ASD), in regions associated with the Salience, Dorsal Attention, and Somatosensory Networks. SCQ scores correlated positively with regions with group differences on the face-viewing task and negatively with regions identified for the face-matching task. Task-dependent group differences in FC despite comparable behavioral performance suggest that high-functioning ASD may wield compensatory strategies; clinically-correlated FC patterns may associate with differential task-demands, ecological validity, and context-dependent processing. Employing this novel approach may further the development of targeted therapeutic interventions informed by individual differences in the highly heterogeneous ASD population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tseng
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Jazmin Camchong
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Sunday M Francis
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Bryon A Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Kelvin O Lim
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Christine A Conelea
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Suma Jacob
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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30
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31
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Wang CG, Feng C, Zhou ZR, Cao WY, He DJ, Jiang ZL, Lin F. Imbalanced Gamma-band Functional Brain Networks of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Neuroscience 2022; 498:19-30. [PMID: 35121079 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Resting gamma-band brain networks are known as an inhibitory component in functional brain networks. Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is considered as with imbalanced brain networks, the inhibitory component remains not fully explored. The study reported 10 children with ASD and 10 typically-developing (TD) controls. The power spectral density analysis of the gamma-band signal in the cerebral cortex was performed at the source level. The normalized phase transfer entropy values (nPTEs) were calculated to construct brain connectivity. Gamma-band activity of the ASD group was lower than the TD children. The significantly inhibited brain regions were mainly distributed in the bilateral frontal and temporal lobes. Connectivity analysis showed alterations in the connections from key nodes of the social brain network. The behavior assessments in the ASD group revealed a significantly positive correlation between the total score of Childhood Autism Rating Scale and the regional nPTEs of the right transverse temporal gyrus. Our results provide strong evidence that the gamma-band brain networks of ASD children have a lower level of brain activities and different distribution of information flows. Clinical meanings of such imbalances of both activity and connectivity were also worthy of further explorations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Guang Wang
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211100, China
| | - Chun Feng
- The Center of Rehabilitation Therapy, The First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai 200090, China
| | - Zheng-Rong Zhou
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China; Funing Grace Rehabilitation Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu 224400, China
| | - Wen-Yue Cao
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China
| | - Dan-Jun He
- Department of Clinical Psychology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China
| | - Zhong-Li Jiang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211100, China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China.
| | - Feng Lin
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211100, China; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China.
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32
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Mouga S, Duarte IC, Café C, Sousa D, Duque F, Oliveira G, Castelo-Branco M. Parahippocampal deactivation and hyperactivation of central executive, saliency and social cognition networks in autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:9. [PMID: 35078414 PMCID: PMC8903486 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09417-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The concomitant role of the Central Executive, the Saliency and the Social Cognition networks in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in demanding ecological tasks remains unanswered. We addressed this question using a novel task-based fMRI virtual-reality task mimicking a challenging daily-life chore that may present some difficulties to individuals with ASD: the EcoSupermarketX. METHODS Participants included 29 adolescents: 15 with ASD and 15 with typical neurodevelopment (TD). They performed the EcoSupermarketX (a shopping simulation with three goal-oriented sub-tasks including "no cue", "non-social" or "social" cues), during neuroimaging and eye-tracking. RESULTS ASD differed from TD only in total time and distance to complete the "social cue" sub-task with matched eye-tracking measures. Neuroimaging revealed simultaneous hyperactivation across social, executive, and saliency circuits in ASD. In contrast, ASD showed reduced activation in the parahippocampal gyrus, involved in scene recognition. CONCLUSIONS When performing a virtual shopping task matching the performance of controls, ASD adolescents hyperactivate three core networks: executive, saliency and social cognition. Parahippocampal hypoactivation is consistent with effortless eidetic scene processing, in line with the notion of peaks and valleys of neural recruitment in individuals with ASD. These hyperactivation/hypoactivation patterns in daily life tasks provide a circuit-level signature of neural diversity in ASD, a possible intervention target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Mouga
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isabel Catarina Duarte
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cátia Café
- Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela Sousa
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Frederico Duque
- Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit from Child Developmental Center, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal. .,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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33
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Lorenzini L, van Wingen G, Cerliani L. Atypically high influence of subcortical activity on primary sensory regions in autism. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 32:102839. [PMID: 34624634 PMCID: PMC8503568 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The age-dependent decrease of subcortico-cortical connectivity is attenuated in ASD. Primary sensory regions remain less segregated from subcortical activity in ASD. This could underlie an excessive amount of sensory input relayed to the cortex.
Background Hypersensitivity, stereotyped behaviors and attentional problems in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are compatible with inefficient filtering of undesired or irrelevant sensory information at early stages of neural processing. This could stem from the persistent overconnectivity between primary sensory regions and deep brain nuclei in both children and adults with ASD – as reported by several previous studies – which could reflect a decreased or arrested maturation of brain connectivity. However, it has not yet been investigated whether this overconnectivity can be modelled as an excessive directional influence of subcortical brain activity on primary sensory cortical regions in ASD, with respect to age-matched typically developing (TD) individuals. Methods To this aim, we used dynamic causal modelling to estimate (1) the directional influence of subcortical activity on cortical processing and (2) the functional segregation of primary sensory cortical regions from subcortical activity in 166 participants with ASD and 193 TD participants from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE). We then specifically tested the hypothesis that the age-related changes of these indicators of brain connectivity would differ between the two groups. Results We found that in TD participants age was significantly associated with decreased influence of subcortical activity on cortical processing, paralleled by an increased functional segregation of cortical sensory processing from subcortical activity. Instead these effects were highly reduced and mostly absent in ASD participants, suggesting a delayed or arrested development of the segregation between subcortical and cortical sensory processing in ASD. Conclusion This atypical configuration of subcortico-cortical connectivity in ASD can result in an excessive amount of unprocessed sensory input relayed to the cortex, which is likely to impact cognitive functioning in everyday situations where it is beneficial to limit the influence of basic sensory information on cognitive processing, such as activities requiring focused attention or social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Lorenzini
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 5, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Dept. Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam Neuroscience, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Guido van Wingen
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 5, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018WT, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leonardo Cerliani
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 5, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, 1018WT, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Social Brain Lab, Meibergdreef 47, 1105BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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34
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Yu H, Qu H, Chen A, Du Y, Liu Z, Wang W. Alteration of Effective Connectivity in the Default Mode Network of Autism After an Intervention. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:796437. [PMID: 35002608 PMCID: PMC8727456 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.796437] [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: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging has revealed numerous atypical functional connectivity of default mode network (DMN) dedicated to social communications (SC) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet their nature and directionality remain unclear. Here, preschoolers with autism received physical intervention from a 12-week mini-basketball training program (12W-MBTP). Therefore, the directionality and nature of regional interactions within the DMN after the intervention are evaluated while assessing the impact of an intervention on SC. Based on the results of independent component analysis (ICA), we applied spectral dynamic causal modeling (DCM) for participants aged 3–6 years (experimental group, N = 17, control group, N = 14) to characterize the longitudinal changes following intervention in intrinsic and extrinsic effective connectivity (EC) between core regions of the DMN. Then, we analyzed the correlation between the changes in EC and SRS-2 scores to establish symptom-based validation. We found that after the 12W-MBTP intervention, the SRS-2 score of preschoolers with ASD in the experimental group was decreased. Concurrently, the inhibitory directional connections were observed between the core regions of the DMN, including increased self-inhibition in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the changes of EC in mPFC were significantly correlated with change in the social responsiveness scale-2 (SRS-2) score. These new findings shed light on DMN as a potential intervention target, as the inhibitory information transmission between its core regions may play a positive role in improving SC behavior in preschoolers with ASD, which may be a reliable neuroimaging biomarker for future studies. Clinical Trial Registration: This study registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900024973) on August 05, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yu
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hang Qu
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Aiguo Chen
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Du
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhimei Liu
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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35
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Lin XB, Lim CG, Lee TS. Social Deficits or Interactional Differences? Interrogating Perspectives on Social Functioning in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:823736. [PMID: 35546922 PMCID: PMC9084456 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.823736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social dysfunction is a key characteristic of autism. Determining and treating autism-related social deficits have been challenging. The medical model views interpersonal difficulties in autism as a localized set of deficits to be managed, whereas the neurodiversity movement calls for the accommodation of differences by the larger community. One common assumption underlying these perspectives is a misalignment in social behaviors between autistic individuals and neurotypicals. This paper reviews and interrogates current perspectives on social functioning in autism to uncover the intricacies of such a notion. Even though extant literature has alluded to a misalignment in social behaviors between autistic and neurotypical individuals, it is uncertain where this disparity lies. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangting Bernice Lin
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Choon Guan Lim
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tih-Shih Lee
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Psychiatry, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
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36
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Hu F, Liang W, Zhang L, Wang H, Li Z, Zhou Y. Hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala mediates behavioral deficits in mice following exposure to bisphenol A and its analogue alternative. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132044. [PMID: 34474391 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a known endocrine disruptor and has been gradually replaced in industrial applications by other bisphenols, such as bisphenol S (BPS). However, whether these analogues are any safer for the central nervous system remains elusive. Here, we investigated behavioral impairments in mice after BPA and BPS exposure from postnatal days 21-49 (P21~P49). Results showed that BPA (0.1 and 1 mg/kg/d) and BPS (1 mg/kg/d) impaired emotion and social interaction of mice, while low dose exposure (0.1 mg/kg/d) induced no observable changes on emotion in mice. The behavioral deficits were accompanied by hyperactivation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA), i.e., dose-dependent increase in neuronal firing rates and local field potential power. In addition, glutamate receptors were up-regulated in the BLA, showing the same activation trend after exposure to different doses of BPA and BPS. Taken together, these findings imply that BPA and BPS cause behavioral impairments in juvenile mice by disrupting local neuronal activation in the BLA. Although BPS exerted less adverse effects on mice than BPA at the low dose, it does not appear to be a safe alternative to BPA in regard to brain function after prolonged high-volume exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Hu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weifeng Liang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China
| | - Linke Zhang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Zimu Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifeng Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230027, People's Republic of China
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37
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Bathelt J, Geurts HM, Borsboom D. More than the sum of its parts: Merging network psychometrics and
network neuroscience with application in autism. Netw Neurosci 2021; 6:445-466. [PMID: 35733421 PMCID: PMC9207995 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Network approaches that investigate the interaction between symptoms and behaviours have opened new ways of understanding psychological phenomena in health and disorder in recent years. In parallel, network approaches that characterise the interaction between brain regions have become the dominant approach in neuroimaging research. In this paper, we introduce a methodology for combining network psychometrics and network neuroscience. This approach utilises the information from the psychometric network to obtain neural correlates that are associated with each node in the psychometric network (network-based regression). Moreover, we combine the behavioural variables and their neural correlates in a joint network to characterise their interactions. We illustrate the approach by highlighting the interaction between the triad of autistic traits and their resting-state functional connectivity associations. To this end, we utilise data from 172 male autistic participants (10–21 years) from the autism brain data exchange (ABIDE, ABIDE-II) that completed resting-state fMRI and were assessed using the autism diagnostic interview (ADI-R). Our results indicate that the network-based regression approach can uncover both unique and shared neural correlates of behavioural measures. For instance, our example analysis indicates that the overlap between communication and social difficulties is not reflected in the overlap between their functional brain correlates. The article introduces a method to combine common practices in network psychometrics and network neuroimaging. Namely, we use the unique variance in behavioural measures as regressors to identify unique neural correlates. This enables the description of brain-level and behavioural-level data into a joint network while keeping the dimensionality of the results manageable and interpretable. We illustrate this approach by showing the network of autistic traits and their correlates in resting-state functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Bathelt
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam
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38
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Li D, Liu C, Huang Z, Li H, Xu Q, Zhou B, Hu C, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Nie J, Qiao Z, Yin D, Xu X. Common and Distinct Disruptions of Cortical Surface Morphology Between Autism Spectrum Disorder Children With and Without SHANK3 Deficiency. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:751364. [PMID: 34776852 PMCID: PMC8581670 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.751364] [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: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
SH3 and Multiple Ankyrin Repeat Domains 3 (SHANK3)-caused autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may present a unique opportunity to clarify the heterogeneous neuropathological mechanisms of ASD. However, the specificity and commonality of disrupted large-scale brain organization in SHANK3-deficient children remain largely unknown. The present study combined genetic tests, neurobehavioral evaluations, and magnetic resonance imaging, aiming to explore the disruptions of both local and networked cortical structural organization in ASD children with and without SHANK3 deficiency. Multiple surface morphological parameters such as cortical thickness (CT) and sulcus depth were estimated, and the graph theory was adopted to characterize the topological properties of structural covariance networks (SCNs). Finally, a correlation analysis between the alterations in brain morphological features and the neurobehavioral evaluations was performed. Compared with typically developed children, increased CT and reduced nodal degree were found in both ASD children with and without SHANK3 defects mainly in the lateral temporal cortex, prefrontal cortex (PFC), temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), superior temporal gyrus (STG), and limbic/paralimbic regions. Besides commonality, our findings showed some distinct abnormalities in ASD children with SHANK3 defects compared to those without. Locally, more changes in the STG and orbitofrontal cortex were exhibited in ASD children with SHANK3 defects, while more changes in the TPJ and inferior parietal lobe (IPL) in those without SHANK3 defects were observed. For the SCNs, a trend toward regular network topology was observed in ASD children with SHANK3 defects, but not in those without. In addition, ASD children with SHANK3 defects showed more alterations of nodal degrees in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortices and right insular, while there were more disruptions in the sensorimotor areas and the left insular and dorsomedial PFC in ASD without SHANK3 defects. Our findings indicate dissociable disruptions of local and networked brain morphological features in ASD children with and without SHANK3 deficiency. Moreover, this monogenic study may provide a valuable path for parsing the heterogeneity of brain disturbances in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyun Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunxue Liu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziyi Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Affiliated Mental Health Center, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiping Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Xu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingrui Zhou
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunchun Hu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingxin Nie
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongwei Qiao
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dazhi Yin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Affiliated Mental Health Center, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiu Xu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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39
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Banker SM, Gu X, Schiller D, Foss-Feig JH. Hippocampal contributions to social and cognitive deficits in autism spectrum disorder. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:793-807. [PMID: 34521563 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by hallmark impairments in social functioning. Nevertheless, nonsocial cognition, including hippocampus-dependent spatial reasoning and episodic memory, is also commonly impaired in ASD. ASD symptoms typically emerge between 12 and 24 months of age, a time window associated with critical developmental events in the hippocampus. Despite this temporal overlap and evidence of hippocampal structural abnormalities in ASD individuals, relatively few human studies have focused on hippocampal function in ASD. Herein, we review the existing evidence for the involvement of the hippocampus in ASD and highlight the hippocampus as a promising area of interest for future research in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Banker
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Xiaosi Gu
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Daniela Schiller
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jennifer H Foss-Feig
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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40
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Ma ZH, Lu B, Li X, Mei T, Guo YQ, Yang L, Wang H, Tang XZ, Ji ZZ, Liu JR, Xu LZ, Yang YL, Cao QJ, Yan CG, Liu J. Atypicalities in the developmental trajectory of cortico-striatal functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorder. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 26:1108-1122. [PMID: 34465247 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211041904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorder has long been conceptualized as a disorder of "atypical development of functional brain connectivity (which refers to correlations in activity levels of distant brain regions)." However, most of the research has focused on the connectivity between cortical regions, and much remains unknown about the developmental changes of functional connectivity between subcortical and cortical areas in autism spectrum disorder. We used the technique of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the developmental characteristics of intrinsic functional connectivity (functional brain connectivity when people are asked not to do anything) between subcortical and cortical regions in individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder aged 6-30 years. We focused on one important subcortical structure called striatum, which has roles in motor, cognitive, and affective processes. We found that cortico-striatal intrinsic functional connectivities showed opposite developmental trajectories in autism spectrum disorder and typically developing individuals, with connectivity increasing with age in autism spectrum disorder and decreasing or constant in typically developing individuals. We also found significant negative behavioral correlations between those atypical cortico-striatal intrinsic functional connectivities and autistic symptoms, such as social-communication deficits, and restricted/repetitive behaviors and interests. Taken together, this work highlights that the atypical development of cortico-subcortical functional connectivity might be largely involved in the neuropathological mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeng-Hui Ma
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Bin Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Xue Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Ting Mei
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Qing Guo
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Zhou Tang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Zhao-Zheng Ji
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Ran Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Ling-Zi Xu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Lu Yang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Jiu Cao
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Chao-Gan Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.,Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.,International Big-Data Research Center for Depression (IBRCD), Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
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41
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Atypical development of emotional face processing networks in autism spectrum disorder from childhood through to adulthood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 51:101003. [PMID: 34416703 PMCID: PMC8377538 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MEG connectivity to emotional faces in ASD and typical controls 6–39 years of age was investigated. Distinct age-related changes in connectivity were observed in the groups to happy and angry faces. Age-related between-group differences in functional connectivity were found in gamma band. Emotion-specific age-related between-group differences were seen in beta. Findings highlight specific neurodevelopmental trajectories to emotional faces in ASD vs. TD.
Impairments in social functioning are hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and atypical functional connectivity may underlie these difficulties. Emotion processing networks typically undergo protracted maturational changes, however, those with ASD show either hyper- or hypo-connectivity with little consensus on the functional connectivity underpinning emotion processing. Magnetoencephalography was used to investigate age-related changes in whole-brain functional connectivity of eight regions of interest during happy and angry face processing in 190 children, adolescents and adults (6–39 years) with and without ASD. Findings revealed age-related changes from child- through to mid-adulthood in functional connectivity in controls and in ASD in theta, as well as age-related between-group differences across emotions, with connectivity decreasing in ASD, but increasing for controls, in gamma. Greater connectivity to angry faces was observed across groups in gamma. Emotion-specific age-related between-group differences in beta were also found, that showed opposite trends with age for happy and angry in ASD. Our results establish altered, frequency-specific developmental trajectories of functional connectivity in ASD, across distributed networks and a broad age range, which may finally help explain the heterogeneity in the literature.
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42
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Park S, Haak KV, Cho HB, Valk SL, Bethlehem RAI, Milham MP, Bernhardt BC, Di Martino A, Hong SJ. Atypical Integration of Sensory-to-Transmodal Functional Systems Mediates Symptom Severity in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:699813. [PMID: 34489757 PMCID: PMC8417581 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.699813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A notable characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is co-occurring deficits in low-level sensory processing and high-order social interaction. While there is evidence indicating detrimental cascading effects of sensory anomalies on the high-order cognitive functions in ASD, the exact pathological mechanism underlying their atypical functional interaction across the cortical hierarchy has not been systematically investigated. To address this gap, here we assessed the functional organisation of sensory and motor areas in ASD, and their relationship with subcortical and high-order trandmodal systems. In a resting-state fMRI data of 107 ASD and 113 neurotypical individuals, we applied advanced connectopic mapping to probe functional organization of primary sensory/motor areas, together with targeted seed-based intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) analyses. In ASD, the connectopic mapping revealed topological anomalies (i.e., excessively more segregated iFC) in the motor and visual areas, the former of which patterns showed association with the symptom severity of restricted and repetitive behaviors. Moreover, the seed-based analysis found diverging patterns of ASD-related connectopathies: decreased iFCs within the sensory/motor areas but increased iFCs between sensory and subcortical structures. While decreased iFCs were also found within the higher-order functional systems, the overall proportion of this anomaly tends to increase along the level of cortical hierarchy, suggesting more dysconnectivity in the higher-order functional networks. Finally, we demonstrated that the association between low-level sensory/motor iFCs and clinical symptoms in ASD was mediated by the high-order transmodal systems, suggesting pathogenic functional interactions along the cortical hierarchy. Findings were largely replicated in the independent dataset. These results highlight that atypical integration of sensory-to-high-order systems contributes to the complex ASD symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinwon Park
- Institute for Basic Science, Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Koen V. Haak
- Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Han Byul Cho
- Institute for Basic Science, Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Sofie L. Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Richard A. I. Bethlehem
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Boris C. Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Institute for Basic Science, Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, United States
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43
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García-González S, Lugo-Marín J, Setien-Ramos I, Gisbert-Gustemps L, Arteaga-Henríquez G, Díez-Villoria E, Ramos-Quiroga JA. Transcranial direct current stimulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 48:89-109. [PMID: 33773886 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has gained relevance in recent years as an alternative treatment for neuropsychiatric conditions. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the use of tDCS in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Both electronic and manual searches were conducted to identify studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals addressing the use of tDCS in ASD population. A total of 16 studies fulfilled the criteria to be included in the review. Studies were conducted both in child and adult population. Anodal stimulation on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was the most commonly chosen methodology. Outcomes addressed ASD symptoms and neuropsychological functions. Meta-analytic synthesis identified improvements in social, health, and behavioral problem domains of the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist. Limitations included high heterogeneity in the methodology and low-efficacy study designs (pre-post and single-case studies). Recent controlled trials shed promising results for the use of tDCS in ASD. A standardized stimulation protocol and a consensus in the measures used in the evaluation of the efficacy are imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara García-González
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jorge Lugo-Marín
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Imanol Setien-Ramos
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Laura Gisbert-Gustemps
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gara Arteaga-Henríquez
- Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Emiliano Díez-Villoria
- Centro de Atención Integral al Autismo-InFoAutismo, INICO-Instituto Universitario de Integración en la Comunidad, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
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44
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Li C, Li Y, Fu L, Wang Y, Cheng X, Cui X, Jiang J, Xiao T, Ke X, Fang H. The relationships between the topological properties of the whole-brain white matter network and the severity of autism spectrum disorder: A study from monozygotic twins. Neuroscience 2021; 465:60-70. [PMID: 33887385 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Twins provide a valuable perspective for exploring the pathological mechanism of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aim to analyze differences in the topological properties of the white matter (WM) network between monozygotic twins with ASD (MZCo-ASD) and children with typical development (TD). We enrolled 67 subjects aged 2-9 years. Twenty-three pairs of MZCo-ASD and 21 singleton children with TD completed clinical assessments and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Graph theory was used to compare the topological properties of the WM network between the two groups, and analyzed their correlations with the severity of clinical symptoms. We found that the global efficiency (Eg) of MZCo-ASD is weaker than that of TD children, while the shortest path length (Lp) of MZCo-ASD is longer than that of TD children, and MZCo-ASD have three unique hubs (the bilateral dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and right insula). Eg and Lp were both correlated with the repetitive behavior scores of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in the MZCo-ASD group, and the nodal efficiency of the dorsal superior frontal gyrus (SFGdor) was correlated with the ADI-R scores of repetitive behaviors. Left SFGdor nodal efficiency was correlated with Repetitive Behavior and Communication, two core symptoms of autism. The results implicated that MZCo-ASD had atypical brain structural network attributes and node distributions. Using MZCo-ASD, we found that the WM topological properties that correlate with the severity of ASD core symptoms were Eg, Lp, and the nodal efficiency of the SFGdor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Li
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yun Li
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Linyan Fu
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xin Cheng
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiwen Cui
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jiying Jiang
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Ting Xiao
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ke
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China.
| | - Hui Fang
- Children's Mental Health Research Center, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing GuangZhou Road 264, Nanjing 210029, China.
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45
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Nair A, Jalal R, Liu J, Tsang T, McDonald NM, Jackson L, Ponting C, Jeste SS, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Altered Thalamocortical Connectivity in 6-Week-Old Infants at High Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4191-4205. [PMID: 33866373 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging evidence from neuroimaging studies has revealed altered connectivity in cortical-subcortical networks in youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Comparatively little is known about the development of cortical-subcortical connectivity in infancy, before the emergence of overt ASD symptomatology. Here, we examined early functional and structural connectivity of thalamocortical networks in infants at high familial risk for ASD (HR) and low-risk controls (LR). Resting-state functional connectivity and diffusion tensor imaging data were acquired in 52 6-week-old infants. Functional connectivity was examined between 6 cortical seeds-prefrontal, motor, somatosensory, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions-and bilateral thalamus. We found significant thalamic-prefrontal underconnectivity, as well as thalamic-occipital and thalamic-motor overconnectivity in HR infants, relative to LR infants. Subsequent structural connectivity analyses also revealed atypical white matter integrity in thalamic-occipital tracts in HR infants, compared with LR infants. Notably, aberrant connectivity indices at 6 weeks predicted atypical social development between 9 and 36 months of age, as assessed with eye-tracking and diagnostic measures. These findings indicate that thalamocortical connectivity is disrupted at both the functional and structural level in HR infants as early as 6 weeks of age, providing a possible early marker of risk for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Nair
- Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Rhideeta Jalal
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Janelle Liu
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Tawny Tsang
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nicole M McDonald
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lisa Jackson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Carolyn Ponting
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Shafali S Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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46
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Brenner RG, Smyser CD, Lean RE, Kenley JK, Smyser TA, Cyr PEP, Shimony JS, Barch DM, Rogers CE. Microstructure of the Dorsal Anterior Cingulum Bundle in Very Preterm Neonates Predicts the Preterm Behavioral Phenotype at 5 Years of Age. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:433-442. [PMID: 32828528 PMCID: PMC8064762 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cingulum bundle (CB), specifically the dorsal anterior portion of the CB, plays an important role in psychiatric illnesses; however, its role during early development is unclear. This study investigated whether neonatal white matter microstructure in the CB and its subregions is associated with subsequent preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms (internalizing, inattention, and social deficits) in very preterm (VPT) children. METHODS Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained on a 3T scanner in 138 sleeping nonsedated neonates: 55 full-term neonates (gestational age ≥ 36 weeks) and 83 VPT neonates (gestational age < 30 weeks). The CB was tracked using probabilistic tractography and split into anterior and posterior portions. When children were 5 years of age, parents (n = 80) and teachers (n = 63) of VPT children completed questionnaires of preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms. Linear regression models were used to relate measures of neonatal CB microstructure and childhood preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms (n = 56 parent report, n = 45 teacher report). RESULTS Mean diffusivity in the anterior and posterior CB was increased in VPT neonates compared with full-term neonates. Increased fractional anisotropy and decreased mean diffusivity in the right anterior CB, but not in the posterior CB, were related to increased preterm behavioral phenotype symptoms in VPT children as reported by parents and teachers. CONCLUSIONS Aberrations in the anterior portion of the right CB may underlie the early development of the preterm behavioral phenotype. This finding provides the foundation for future mechanistic and therapeutic investigations into the role of the anterior cingulum in the development of psychopathology in VPT infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca G Brenner
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
| | - Christopher D Smyser
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Mallinckrot Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Rachel E Lean
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jeanette K Kenley
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Tara A Smyser
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Peppar E P Cyr
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joshua S Shimony
- Mallinckrot Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Mallinckrot Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Cynthia E Rogers
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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47
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Hadders-Algra M. Early Diagnostics and Early Intervention in Neurodevelopmental Disorders-Age-Dependent Challenges and Opportunities. J Clin Med 2021; 10:861. [PMID: 33669727 PMCID: PMC7922888 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This review discusses early diagnostics and early intervention in developmental disorders in the light of brain development. The best instruments for early detection of cerebral palsy (CP) with or without intellectual disability are neonatal magnetic resonance imaging, general movements assessment at 2-4 months and from 2-4 months onwards, the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination and Standardized Infant NeuroDevelopmental Assessment. Early detection of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is difficult; its first signs emerge at the end of the first year. Prediction with the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and Infant Toddler Checklist is possible to some extent and improves during the second year, especially in children at familial risk of ASD. Thus, prediction improves substantially when transient brain structures have been replaced by permanent circuitries. At around 3 months the cortical subplate has dissolved in primary motor and sensory cortices; around 12 months the cortical subplate in prefrontal and parieto-temporal cortices and cerebellar external granular layer have disappeared. This review stresses that families are pivotal in early intervention. It summarizes evidence on the effectiveness of early intervention in medically fragile neonates, infants at low to moderate risk, infants with or at high risk of CP and with or at high risk of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijna Hadders-Algra
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Paediatrics-Section Developmental Neurology, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
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48
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Prillinger K, Radev ST, Amador de Lara G, Klöbl M, Lanzenberger R, Plener PL, Poustka L, Konicar L. Repeated Sessions of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, and Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:680525. [PMID: 34526918 PMCID: PMC8435587 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.680525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Social-emotional difficulties are a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Accordingly, individuals with ASD have problems with social cognition such as recognizing emotions from other peoples' faces. Various results from functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography studies as well as eye-tracking data reveal a neurophysiological basis of these deficits by linking them to abnormal brain activity. Thus, an intervention targeting the neural origin of ASD impairments seems warranted. A safe method able to influence neural activity is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This non-invasive brain stimulation method has already demonstrated promising results in several neuropsychiatric disorders in adults and children. The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of tDCS on ASD symptoms and their neural correlates in children and adolescents with ASD. Method: This study is designed as a double-blind, randomized, and sham-controlled trial with a target sample size of 20 male participants (aged 12-17 years) diagnosed with ASD. Before randomization, the participants will be stratified into comorbid depression, comorbid ADHS/conduct disorder, or no-comorbidity groups. The intervention phase comprises 10 sessions of anodal or sham tDCS applied over the left prefrontal cortex within 2 consecutive weeks. To engage the targeted brain regions, participants will perform a social cognition training during the stimulation. TDCS-induced effects on ASD symptoms and involved neural circuits will be investigated through psychological, neurophysiological, imaging, and behavioral data at pre- and post-measurements. Tolerability will be evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. Follow-up assessments 1 and 6 months after the intervention will examine long-lasting effects. Discussion: The results of this study will provide insights into the changeability of social impairments in ASD by investigating social and emotional abilities on different modalities following repeated sessions of anodal tDCS with an intra-simulation training. Furthermore, this trial will elucidate the tolerability and the potential of tDCS as a new treatment approach for ASD in adolescents. Clinical Trial Registration: The study is ongoing and has been registered in the German Registry of Clinical Trials (DRKS00017505) on 02/07/2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Prillinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan T Radev
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gabriel Amador de Lara
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Klöbl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul L Plener
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lilian Konicar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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49
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Liu C, Li D, Yang H, Li H, Xu Q, Zhou B, Hu C, Li C, Wang Y, Qiao Z, Jiang YH, Xu X. Altered striatum centered brain structures in SHANK3 deficient Chinese children with genotype and phenotype profiling. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 200:101985. [PMID: 33388374 PMCID: PMC8572121 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
SHANK3 deficiency represents one of the most replicated monogenic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and SHANK3 caused ASD presents a unique opportunity to understand the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of ASD. In this study, genetic tests, comprehensive clinical and neurobehavioral evaluations, as well as multimodal structural MRI using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were conducted in SHANK3 group (N = 14 with SHANK3 defects), ASD controls (N = 26 with idiopathic ASD without SHANK3 defects) and typically developing (TD) controls (N = 32). Phenotypically, we reported several new features in Chinese SHANK3 deficient children including anteverted nares, sensory stimulation seeking, dental abnormalities and hematological problems. In SHANK3 group, VBM revealed decreased grey matter volumes mainly in dorsal striatum, amygdala, hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus; TBSS demonstrated decreased fractional anisotropy in multiple tracts involving projection, association and commissural fibers, including middle cerebral peduncle, corpus callosum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, corona radiata, external and internal capsule, and posterior thalamic radiation, etc. We report that the disrupted striatum centered brain structures are associated with SHANK3 deficient children. Study of subjects with monogenic cause offer specific insights into the neuroimaging studies of ASD. The discovery may support a path for future functional connectivity studies to allow for more in-depth understandings of the abnormal neural circuits and the underlying neuropathological mechanisms for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxue Liu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongyun Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Haowei Yang
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Huiping Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Xu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingrui Zhou
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunchun Hu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunyang Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongwei Qiao
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- Department of Genetics, Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Heaven CT 06520 USA.
| | - Xiu Xu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China.
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Samaey C, Van der Donck S, van Winkel R, Boets B. Facial Expression Processing Across the Autism-Psychosis Spectra: A Review of Neural Findings and Associations With Adverse Childhood Events. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:592937. [PMID: 33281648 PMCID: PMC7691238 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.592937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and primary psychosis are classified as distinct neurodevelopmental disorders, yet they display overlapping epidemiological, environmental, and genetic components as well as endophenotypic similarities. For instance, both disorders are characterized by impairments in facial expression processing, a crucial skill for effective social communication, and both disorders display an increased prevalence of adverse childhood events (ACE). This narrative review provides a brief summary of findings from neuroimaging studies investigating facial expression processing in ASD and primary psychosis with a focus on the commonalities and differences between these disorders. Individuals with ASD and primary psychosis activate the same brain regions as healthy controls during facial expression processing, albeit to a different extent. Overall, both groups display altered activation in the fusiform gyrus and amygdala as well as altered connectivity among the broader face processing network, probably indicating reduced facial expression processing abilities. Furthermore, delayed or reduced N170 responses have been reported in ASD and primary psychosis, but the significance of these findings is questioned, and alternative frequency-tagging electroencephalography (EEG) measures are currently explored to capture facial expression processing impairments more selectively. Face perception is an innate process, but it is also guided by visual learning and social experiences. Extreme environmental factors, such as adverse childhood events, can disrupt normative development and alter facial expression processing. ACE are hypothesized to induce altered neural facial expression processing, in particular a hyperactive amygdala response toward negative expressions. Future studies should account for the comorbidity among ASD, primary psychosis, and ACE when assessing facial expression processing in these clinical groups, as it may explain some of the inconsistencies and confound reported in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Samaey
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephanie Van der Donck
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ruud van Winkel
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- University Psychiatric Center (UPC), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Developmental Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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