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Hegemann L, Corfield EC, Askelund AD, Allegrini AG, Askeland RB, Ronald A, Ask H, St Pourcain B, Andreassen OA, Hannigan LJ, Havdahl A. Genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity in early neurodevelopmental traits in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Mol Autism 2024; 15:25. [PMID: 38849897 PMCID: PMC11161964 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00599-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism and different neurodevelopmental conditions frequently co-occur, as do their symptoms at sub-diagnostic threshold levels. Overlapping traits and shared genetic liability are potential explanations. METHODS In the population-based Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort study (MoBa), we leverage item-level data to explore the phenotypic factor structure and genetic architecture underlying neurodevelopmental traits at age 3 years (N = 41,708-58,630) using maternal reports on 76 items assessing children's motor and language development, social functioning, communication, attention, activity regulation, and flexibility of behaviors and interests. RESULTS We identified 11 latent factors at the phenotypic level. These factors showed associations with diagnoses of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Most shared genetic liabilities with autism, ADHD, and/or schizophrenia. Item-level GWAS revealed trait-specific genetic correlations with autism (items rg range = - 0.27-0.78), ADHD (items rg range = - 0.40-1), and schizophrenia (items rg range = - 0.24-0.34). We find little evidence of common genetic liability across all neurodevelopmental traits but more so for several genetic factors across more specific areas of neurodevelopment, particularly social and communication traits. Some of these factors, such as one capturing prosocial behavior, overlap with factors found in the phenotypic analyses. Other areas, such as motor development, seemed to have more heterogenous etiology, with specific traits showing a less consistent pattern of genetic correlations with each other. CONCLUSIONS These exploratory findings emphasize the etiological complexity of neurodevelopmental traits at this early age. In particular, diverse associations with neurodevelopmental conditions and genetic heterogeneity could inform follow-up work to identify shared and differentiating factors in the early manifestations of neurodevelopmental traits and their relation to autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. This in turn could have implications for clinical screening tools and programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hegemann
- PsychGen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Elizabeth C Corfield
- PsychGen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Adrian Dahl Askelund
- PsychGen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Andrea G Allegrini
- Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ragna Bugge Askeland
- PsychGen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Angelica Ronald
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Helga Ask
- PsychGen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Centre,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Beate St Pourcain
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Laurie J Hannigan
- PsychGen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- PsychGen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Centre,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Brett JD, Peden B, Preece DA, Whitehouse A, Becerra R, Maybery MT. Assessing Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Online-Sampled Autistic and Non-autistic Individuals: Factor Structure of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A). J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:2138-2147. [PMID: 37052863 PMCID: PMC11142953 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05977-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A) measures two factors of restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs) associated with autism. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides four criteria for RRBs: repetitive motor behaviours, insistence on sameness, restricted interests, and interest in sensory aspects of the environment (or atypical sensitivity). The current paper aimed to examine whether the RBQ-2A is a psychometrically sound measure of these four factors. Study 1 had university students (N = 368) complete the RBQ-2A and other related measures online and revealed that the RBQ-2A can assess the factors highlighted in the DSM-5 and that these four factors comprise a general RRB construct. Study 2 had individuals disclosing a diagnosis of autism (N = 283) complete the RBQ-2A and other related measures online and supported that this four-factor structure provided good psychometric properties. While the current paper provides findings for an online autistic population, further research is needed to generalize these findings to autistic individuals less likely to partake in online studies (e.g., those with intellectual or language disabilities). Overall, the results suggest that the RBQ-2A reliably and validly assesses RRBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack D Brett
- The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
| | - Brooke Peden
- The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - David A Preece
- The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Curtin University, School of Psychology, Perth, Australia
| | - Andrew Whitehouse
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living With Autism (Autism CRC), Perth, Australia
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3
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Greenberg YDM, Holt R, Allison C, Smith P, Newman R, Boardman-Pretty T, Haidt J, Baron-Cohen S. Moral foundations in autistic people and people with systemizing minds. Mol Autism 2024; 15:20. [PMID: 38745228 PMCID: PMC11092219 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00591-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Do autistic people share the same moral foundations as typical people? Here we built on two prominent theories in psychology, moral foundations theory and the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory, to observe the nature of morality in autistic people and systemizers. METHODS In dataset 1, we measured five foundations of moral judgements (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity) measured by the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) in autistic (n = 307) and typical people (n = 415) along with their scores on the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ). In dataset 2, we measured these same five foundations along with E-S cognitive types (previously referred to as "brain types") in a large sample of typical people (N = 7595). RESULTS Autistic people scored the same on Care (i.e., concern for others) as typical people (h1). Their affective empathy (but not their cognitive empathy) scores were positively correlated with Care. Autistic people were more likely to endorse Fairness (i.e., giving people what they are owed, and treating them with justice) over Care (h2). Their systemizing scores were positively correlated with Fairness. Autistic people or those with a systemizing cognitive profile had lower scores on binding foundations: Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity (h3). Systemizing in typical people was positively correlated with Liberty (i.e., hypervigilance against oppression), which is a sixth moral foundation (h4). Although the majority of people in all five E-S cognitive types self-identified as liberal, with a skew towards empathizing (h5), the percentage of libertarians was highest in systemizing cognitive types (h6). E-S cognitive types accounted for 2 to 3 times more variance for Care than did sex. LIMITATIONS Our study is limited by its reliance on self-report measures and a focus on moral judgements rather than behavior or decision-making. Further, only dataset 2 measured political identification, therefore we were unable to assess politics in autistic people. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that some moral foundations in autistic people are similar to those in typical people (despite the difficulties in social interaction that are part of autism), and some are subtly different. These subtle differences vary depending on empathizing and systemizing cognitive types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeshaya David M Greenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- CHIME Research, Center for Health Innovation, Music, and Education, Marlton, NJ, USA.
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paula Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Robbie Newman
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Theo Boardman-Pretty
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan Haidt
- Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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4
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Arenella M, Fanelli G, Kiemeney LA, McAlonan G, Murphy DG, Bralten J. Genetic relationship between the immune system and autism. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 34:100698. [PMID: 38020478 PMCID: PMC10663755 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common and complex neurodevelopmental condition. The pathophysiology of ASD is poorly defined; however, it includes a strong genetic component and there is increasing evidence to support a role of immune dysregulation. Nonetheless, it is unclear which immune phenotypes link to ASD through genetics. Hence, we investigated the genetic correlation between ASD and diverse classes of immune conditions and markers; and if these immune-related genetic factors link to specific autistic-like traits in the population. We estimated global and local genetic correlations between ASD (n = 55,420) and 11 immune phenotypes (n = 14,256-755,406) using genome-wide association study summary statistics. Subsequently, polygenic scores (PGS) for these immune phenotypes were calculated in a population-based sample (n = 2487) and associated to five autistic-like traits (i.e., attention to detail, childhood behaviour, imagination, rigidity, social skills), and a total autistic-like traits score. Sex-stratified PGS analyses were also performed. At the genome-wide level, ASD was positively correlated with allergic diseases (ALG), and negatively correlated with lymphocyte count, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (FDR-p = 0.01-0.02). At the local genetic level, ASD was correlated with RA, C-reactive protein, and granulocytes and lymphocyte counts (p = 5.8 × 10-6-0.002). In the general population sample, increased genetic liability for SLE, RA, ALG, and lymphocyte levels, captured by PGS, was associated with the total autistic score and with rigidity and childhood behaviour (FDR-p = 0.03). In conclusion, we demonstrated a genetic relationship between ASD and immunity that depends on the type of immune phenotype considered; some increase likelihood whereas others may potentially help build resilience. Also, this relationship may be restricted to specific genetic loci and link to specific autistic dimensions (e.g., rigidity).
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Arenella
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Giuseppe Fanelli
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lambertus A. Kiemeney
- Department for Health Evidence, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Maudsley and South London NHS Foundation, London, United Kingdom
| | - Declan G. Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Maudsley and South London NHS Foundation, London, United Kingdom
| | - Janita Bralten
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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5
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Waszczuk MA, Jonas KG, Bornovalova M, Breen G, Bulik CM, Docherty AR, Eley TC, Hettema JM, Kotov R, Krueger RF, Lencz T, Li JJ, Vassos E, Waldman ID. Dimensional and transdiagnostic phenotypes in psychiatric genome-wide association studies. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4943-4953. [PMID: 37402851 PMCID: PMC10764644 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02142-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide biological insights into disease onset and progression and have potential to produce clinically useful biomarkers. A growing body of GWAS focuses on quantitative and transdiagnostic phenotypic targets, such as symptom severity or biological markers, to enhance gene discovery and the translational utility of genetic findings. The current review discusses such phenotypic approaches in GWAS across major psychiatric disorders. We identify themes and recommendations that emerge from the literature to date, including issues of sample size, reliability, convergent validity, sources of phenotypic information, phenotypes based on biological and behavioral markers such as neuroimaging and chronotype, and longitudinal phenotypes. We also discuss insights from multi-trait methods such as genomic structural equation modelling. These provide insight into how hierarchical 'splitting' and 'lumping' approaches can be applied to both diagnostic and dimensional phenotypes to model clinical heterogeneity and comorbidity. Overall, dimensional and transdiagnostic phenotypes have enhanced gene discovery in many psychiatric conditions and promises to yield fruitful GWAS targets in the years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika A Waszczuk
- Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Katherine G Jonas
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Gerome Breen
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Cynthia M Bulik
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna R Docherty
- Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Thalia C Eley
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - John M Hettema
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M Health Sciences Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Roman Kotov
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Robert F Krueger
- Psychology Department, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Todd Lencz
- Department of Psychiatry, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital Division of Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Science, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - James J Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Evangelos Vassos
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Irwin D Waldman
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Computational and Quantitative Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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6
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Cleary DB, Maybery MT, Green C, Whitehouse AJO. The first six months of life: A systematic review of early markers associated with later autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105304. [PMID: 37406749 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
There is now good evidence that behavioural signs of autism spectrum conditions (autism) emerge over the first two years of life. Identifying clear developmental differences early in life may facilitate earlier identification and intervention that can promote longer-term quality of life. Here we present a systematic review of studies investigating behavioural markers of later autism diagnosis or symptomology taken at 0-6 months. The following databases were searched for articles published between 01/01/2000 and 15/03/2022: Embase, Medline, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science and Proquest. Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria: assessment of behaviour at 0-6 months and later assessment of autism symptomology or diagnosis. Studies examined behaviours of attention, early social and communication behaviours, and motor behaviours, as well as composite measures. Findings indicated some evidence of measures of general attention, attention to social stimuli, and motor behaviours associated with later autism diagnosis or symptomology. Findings were inconsistent regarding social and communication behaviours, with a lack of repeated or validated measures limiting drawing firm conclusions. We discuss implications of the findings and suggest recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique B Cleary
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Murray T Maybery
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Australia
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7
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More RP, Warrier V, Brunel H, Buckingham C, Smith P, Allison C, Holt R, Bradshaw CR, Baron-Cohen S. Identifying rare genetic variants in 21 highly multiplex autism families: the role of diagnosis and autistic traits. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2148-2157. [PMID: 36702863 PMCID: PMC10575770 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01938-4] [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: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a highly heritable, heterogeneous, neurodevelopmental condition. Large-scale genetic studies, predominantly focussing on simplex families and clinical diagnoses of autism have identified hundreds of genes associated with autism. Yet, the contribution of these classes of genes to multiplex families and autistic traits still warrants investigation. Here, we conducted whole-genome sequencing of 21 highly multiplex autism families, with at least three autistic individuals in each family, to prioritise genes associated with autism. Using a combination of both autistic traits and clinical diagnosis of autism, we identify rare variants in genes associated with autism, and related neurodevelopmental conditions in multiple families. We identify a modest excess of these variants in autistic individuals compared to individuals without an autism diagnosis. Finally, we identify a convergence of the genes identified in molecular pathways related to development and neurogenesis. In sum, our analysis provides initial evidence to demonstrate the value of integrating autism diagnosis and autistic traits to prioritise genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Prabhakar More
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Varun Warrier
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Brunel
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Clara Buckingham
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Smith
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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8
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Abstract
The field of psychopathology is in a transformative phase, and is witnessing a renewed surge of interest in theoretical models of mental disorders. While many interesting proposals are competing for attention in the literature, they tend to focus narrowly on the proximate level of analysis and lack a broader understanding of biological function. In this paper, we present an integrative framework for mental disorders built on concepts from life history theory, and describe a taxonomy of mental disorders based on its principles, the fast-slow-defense model (FSD). The FSD integrates psychopathology with normative individual differences in personality and behavior, and allows researchers to draw principled distinctions between broad clusters of disorders, as well as identify functional subtypes within current diagnostic categories. Simulation work demonstrates that the model can explain the large-scale structure of comorbidity, including the apparent emergence of a general "p factor" of psychopathology. A life history approach also provides novel integrative insights into the role of environmental risk/protective factors and the developmental trajectories of various disorders.
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9
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Ward J, Ren Z, Qiu J. Autistic Traits in the Neurotypical Chinese Population: A Chinese Version of Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire and a Cross-Cultural Difference in Attention-to-Detail. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:669-676. [PMID: 33492539 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04829-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess cross-cultural differences in autistic traits relating to sensory sensitivity/attention-to-detail versus socio-communicative problems in a Chinese sample. A measure of atypical sensory sensitivity (Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire, GSQ) was translated into Chinese and compared against another measure of autistic traits (Chinese version of Autism Quotient, AQ). A second Chinese sample was administered English-language versions. We show that the translated GSQ has: good internal reliability; a similar profile of item responses to the English version; and a significant correlation with the AQ. Secondly we report an unexpected, but replicable, finding amongst the Chinese. Specifically, attention-to-detail was negatively correlated with socio-communicative difficulties (whereas in Western samples it is the reverse).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Ward
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK.
| | | | - Jiang Qiu
- Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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10
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Bozhilova N, Welham A, Adams D, Bissell S, Bruining H, Crawford H, Eden K, Nelson L, Oliver C, Powis L, Richards C, Waite J, Watson P, Rhys H, Wilde L, Woodcock K, Moss J. Profiles of autism characteristics in thirteen genetic syndromes: a machine learning approach. Mol Autism 2023; 14:3. [PMID: 36639821 PMCID: PMC9837969 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00530-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phenotypic studies have identified distinct patterns of autistic characteristics in genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability (ID), leading to diagnostic uncertainty and compromised access to autism-related support. Previous research has tended to include small samples and diverse measures, which limits the generalisability of findings. In this study, we generated detailed profiles of autistic characteristics in a large sample of > 1500 individuals with rare genetic syndromes. METHODS Profiles of autistic characteristics based on the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) scores were generated for thirteen genetic syndrome groups (Angelman n = 154, Cri du Chat n = 75, Cornelia de Lange n = 199, fragile X n = 297, Prader-Willi n = 278, Lowe n = 89, Smith-Magenis n = 54, Down n = 135, Sotos n = 40, Rubinstein-Taybi n = 102, 1p36 deletion n = 41, tuberous sclerosis complex n = 83 and Phelan-McDermid n = 35 syndromes). It was hypothesised that each syndrome group would evidence a degree of specificity in autistic characteristics. To test this hypothesis, a classification algorithm via support vector machine (SVM) learning was applied to scores from over 1500 individuals diagnosed with one of the thirteen genetic syndromes and autistic individuals who did not have a known genetic syndrome (ASD; n = 254). Self-help skills were included as an additional predictor. RESULTS Genetic syndromes were associated with different but overlapping autism-related profiles, indicated by the substantial accuracy of the entire, multiclass SVM model (55% correctly classified individuals). Syndrome groups such as Angelman, fragile X, Prader-Willi, Rubinstein-Taybi and Cornelia de Lange showed greater phenotypic specificity than groups such as Cri du Chat, Lowe, Smith-Magenis, tuberous sclerosis complex, Sotos and Phelan-McDermid. The inclusion of the ASD reference group and self-help skills did not change the model accuracy. LIMITATIONS The key limitations of our study include a cross-sectional design, reliance on a screening tool which focuses primarily on social communication skills and imbalanced sample size across syndrome groups. CONCLUSIONS These findings replicate and extend previous work, demonstrating syndrome-specific profiles of autistic characteristics in people with genetic syndromes compared to autistic individuals without a genetic syndrome. This work calls for greater precision of assessment of autistic characteristics in individuals with genetic syndromes associated with ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natali Bozhilova
- grid.5475.30000 0004 0407 4824School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guilford, UK
| | - Alice Welham
- grid.9918.90000 0004 1936 8411School of Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Dawn Adams
- grid.1022.10000 0004 0437 5432Autism Centre of Excellence, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Stacey Bissell
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Hilgo Bruining
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hayley Crawford
- grid.7372.10000 0000 8809 1613Mental Health and Wellbeing Unit, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Kate Eden
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Lisa Nelson
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Christopher Oliver
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Laurie Powis
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Caroline Richards
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Jane Waite
- grid.7273.10000 0004 0376 4727School of Psychology, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Peter Watson
- grid.5335.00000000121885934MRC Brain and Cognition Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hefin Rhys
- grid.451388.30000 0004 1795 1830Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Lucy Wilde
- grid.10837.3d0000 0000 9606 9301School of Psychology, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Kate Woodcock
- grid.6572.60000 0004 1936 7486School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Joanna Moss
- grid.5475.30000 0004 0407 4824School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guilford, UK
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11
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Specific Global-Local Visual Processing Abilities Mediate the Influence of Non-social Autistic-like Traits on Mental Rotation. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:80-88. [PMID: 34984640 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05412-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Inconsistent data are available on mental rotation performance in neurotypicals with high autistic-like traits. Here, we tested whether global-local visual processing abilities mediate the influence of specific autistic-like trait domains (social skill, attention switching, attention-to-detail, communication, and imagination) on mental rotation. Neurotypical participants (N = 128) underwent an assessment of autistic-like traits, a flanker task with hierarchical stimuli, and a mental rotation task. Path analysis showed that Reaction Times on the incongruent/local condition of the flanker task mediated the relationship between attention-to-detail and mental rotation accuracy. These findings indicate that a better capacity of ignoring incongruent global information to identify local information (reduced global interference) in persons with high non-social autistic-like traits, as attention-to-detail, facilitates mental rotation performance.
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12
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Pieslinger JF, Wiskerke J, Igelström K. Contributions of face processing, social anhedonia and mentalizing to the expression of social autistic-like traits. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1046097. [PMID: 36620857 PMCID: PMC9817135 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1046097] [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: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Quantitative autistic-like traits (QATs) are a constellation of traits that mirror those of clinical autism and are thought to share the same mechanisms as the condition. There is great interest in identifying the genetic and neurobiological basis of QATs, but progress is hindered by the composite nature of these clinically based constructs. Social QATs are defined according to the diagnostic criteria for autism, comprising multiple potential neural mechanisms that may contribute to varying degrees. The objective of this study was to decompose social QATs into more specific constructs, in line with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). We chose constructs with trait-like properties and known or suggested significance for autistic social function: (1) social anhedonia, (2) prosopagnosia (face blindness), and (3) mentalizing (attributing mental states to images of eyes). We hypothesized that these constructs may all contribute to observed variance in social QATs. Methods We recruited 148 adults with a broad range of QATs (mean age 37.9 years, range 18-69; 50% female; 5.4% autistic) to an experimental behavioral study conducted online. We estimated social QATs using the social factor of the Comprehensive Autistic Traits Inventory. We used the Oxford Face Matching Task and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test to measure face matching ability and mentalizing, respectively. Social anhedonia traits were measured with the Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale, and prosopagnosic traits with the 20-item Prosopagnosia Index. A combination of frequentist and Bayesian statistics was used to test the social constructs as predictors of social QATs. Results We found that social anhedonic traits, prosopagnosic traits, and face matching performance were likely predictors of social QATs, whereas mentalizing showed limited contribution. Conclusion The findings support prosopagnosic and anhedonic traits, but not mentalizing deficits, as dimensional predictors of individual differences in social function across the autistic spectrum. Further, the study strongly suggests that social reward systems and face processing networks play significant and independent roles in autistic-like social function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan F. Pieslinger
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Joost Wiskerke
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kajsa Igelström
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden,*Correspondence: Kajsa Igelström,
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13
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Barros F, Figueiredo C, Soares SC. Autism traits dimensionality and multivariate relationship with alexithymia and anxiety in the general population. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 131:104361. [PMID: 36240538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is characterized by social and non-social alterations observed beyond the clinical diagnosis. Research analyzing the expression of autism traits in the general population helps to unravel the relationship between autism dimensions and other associated variables, such as alexithymia and anxiety. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) was developed to assess autism traits in the general population; however, inconsistent results regarding its dimensionality have emerged. AIMS This study aimed to extend evidence about the AQ measurement model, and explore the multivariate relationship between autism traits, alexithymia, and trait anxiety. METHODS 292 adults of the general population were recruited. An Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were performed to assess the factorial structure of AQ. A path analysis was carried out to explore the relationship between autism traits, alexithymia, and trait anxiety. RESULTS The results supported a three-factor model of AQ. The path analysis model showed evidence of a significant role of alexithymia as a mediator of the relationship between autism traits and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The present study provides empirical support for a three-factor model of AQ in the general population. The association between autism traits, alexithymia, and anxiety dimensions highlights the multidimensional nature of these variables and the need to account for their distinct impact on autism-related variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Barros
- William James Center for Research (WJCR), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS@RISE), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Cláudia Figueiredo
- Science and Engineer Education Group (SEE), Centre for Mechanical Engineering and Automation (TEMA), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Sandra C Soares
- William James Center for Research (WJCR), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
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14
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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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15
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Shalev I, Warrier V, Greenberg DM, Smith P, Allison C, Baron‐Cohen S, Eran A, Uzefovsky F. Reexamining empathy in autism: Empathic disequilibrium as a novel predictor of autism diagnosis and autistic traits. Autism Res 2022; 15:1917-1928. [PMID: 36053924 PMCID: PMC9804307 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A large body of research showed that autistic people have intact emotional (affective) empathy alongside reduced cognitive empathy. However, there are mixed findings and these call for a more subtle understanding of empathy in autism. Empathic disequilibrium refers to the imbalance between emotional and cognitive empathy and is associated with a higher number of autistic traits in the typical population. Here we examined whether empathic disequilibrium predicts both the number of autistic traits and autism diagnosis. In a large sample of autistic (N = 1905) and typical individuals (N = 3009), we examined empathic disequilibrium and empathy as predictors of autistic traits and autism diagnosis, using a polynomial regression with response surface analysis. Empathy and autistic traits were measured using validated self-report questionnaires. Both empathic disequilibrium and empathy predicted linearly and non-linearly autism diagnosis and autistic traits. Specifically, a tendency towards higher emotional than cognitive empathy (empathic disequilibrium towards emotional empathy) predicted both autism diagnosis and the social domain of autistic traits, while higher cognitive than emotional empathy was associated with the non-social domain of autism. Empathic disequilibrium was also more prominent in autistic females. This study provides evidence that beyond empathy as was measured thus far, empathic disequilibrium offers a novel analytical approach for examining the role of empathy. Empathic disequilibrium allows for a more nuanced understanding of the links between empathy and autism. LAY SUMMARY: Many autistic individuals report feelings of excessive empathy, yet their experience is not reflected by most of the current literature, typically suggesting that autism is characterized by intact emotional and reduced cognitive empathy. To fill this gap, we looked at both ends of the imbalance between these components, termed empathic disequilibrium. We show that, like empathy, empathic disequilibrium is related to autism diagnosis and traits, and thus may provide a more nuanced understanding of empathy and its link with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Shalev
- Psychology DepartmentBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Zlotowski Center for NeuroscienceBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael
| | - Varun Warrier
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - David M. Greenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK,Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences and Department of MusicBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
| | - Paula Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Simon Baron‐Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Alal Eran
- Zlotowski Center for NeuroscienceBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Life Sciences DepartmentBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Computational Health Informatics ProgramBoston Children's HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Psychology DepartmentBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael,Zlotowski Center for NeuroscienceBen Gurion University of the NegevBeer‐ShebaIsrael
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16
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Nugent M, Ward J. Familial aggregation of synaesthesia with autism (but not schizophrenia). Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2022; 27:373-391. [PMID: 35797185 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2022.2095897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study determines whether there is a familial aggregation between synaesthesia and two neuropsychiatric conditions (autism and schizophrenia). METHOD We examined the prevalence of autism and schizophrenia among synaesthetes and non-synaesthetic controls, and among their first-degree relatives. RESULTS As predicted, autism occurred at elevated levels among synaesthetes and-we document for the first time-amongst their relatives. This was not found for schizophrenia, where a link may be expected, or in a control condition (type 1 diabetes) where we had no a priori reason to assume a link. Synaesthetes, compared to controls, were also more likely to have other synaesthetes in their family. People with three or more types of synaesthesia were more likely (compared to synaesthetes with fewer types) to have synaesthetic relatives and to report autism in themselves. People with two or more types of synaesthesia (compared to synaesthetes with only one type) were more likely to report familial autism. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest a shared genetic predisposition between synaesthesia and autism, and more extreme synaesthetes may tend to hail from more neurodiverse families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Nugent
- School of Psychology University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Jamie Ward
- School of Psychology University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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17
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Warrier V, Zhang X, Reed P, Havdahl A, Moore TM, Cliquet F, Leblond CS, Rolland T, Rosengren A, Rowitch DH, Hurles ME, Geschwind DH, Børglum AD, Robinson EB, Grove J, Martin HC, Bourgeron T, Baron-Cohen S. Genetic correlates of phenotypic heterogeneity in autism. Nat Genet 2022; 54:1293-1304. [PMID: 35654973 PMCID: PMC9470531 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01072-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The substantial phenotypic heterogeneity in autism limits our understanding of its genetic etiology. To address this gap, here we investigated genetic differences between autistic individuals (nmax = 12,893) based on core and associated features of autism, co-occurring developmental disabilities and sex. We conducted a comprehensive factor analysis of core autism features in autistic individuals and identified six factors. Common genetic variants were associated with the core factors, but de novo variants were not. We found that higher autism polygenic scores (PGS) were associated with lower likelihood of co-occurring developmental disabilities in autistic individuals. Furthermore, in autistic individuals without co-occurring intellectual disability (ID), autism PGS are overinherited by autistic females compared to males. Finally, we observed higher SNP heritability for autistic males and for autistic individuals without ID. Deeper phenotypic characterization will be critical in determining how the complex underlying genetics shape cognition, behavior and co-occurring conditions in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Warrier
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Xinhe Zhang
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Patrick Reed
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tyler M Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Freddy Cliquet
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Claire S Leblond
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Rolland
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anders Rosengren
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, MHC Sct Hans, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David H Rowitch
- Department of Paediatrics, Cambridge University Clinical School, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew E Hurles
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anders D Børglum
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine (CGPM), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine (Human Genetics) and iSEQ Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Elise B Robinson
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jakob Grove
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine (CGPM), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine (Human Genetics) and iSEQ Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hilary C Martin
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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18
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Girault JB, Donovan K, Hawks Z, Talovic M, Forsen E, Elison JT, Shen MD, Swanson MR, Wolff JJ, Kim SH, Nishino T, Davis S, Snyder AZ, Botteron KN, Estes AM, Dager SR, Hazlett HC, Gerig G, McKinstry R, Pandey J, Schultz RT, St John T, Zwaigenbaum L, Todorov A, Truong Y, Styner M, Pruett JR, Constantino JN, Piven J. Infant Visual Brain Development and Inherited Genetic Liability in Autism. Am J Psychiatry 2022; 179:573-585. [PMID: 35615814 PMCID: PMC9356977 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.21101002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is heritable, and younger siblings of ASD probands are at higher likelihood of developing ASD themselves. Prospective MRI studies of siblings report that atypical brain development precedes ASD diagnosis, although the link between brain maturation and genetic factors is unclear. Given that familial recurrence of ASD is predicted by higher levels of ASD traits in the proband, the authors investigated associations between proband ASD traits and brain development among younger siblings. METHODS In a sample of 384 proband-sibling pairs (89 pairs concordant for ASD), the authors examined associations between proband ASD traits and sibling brain development at 6, 12, and 24 months in key MRI phenotypes: total cerebral volume, cortical surface area, extra-axial cerebrospinal fluid, occipital cortical surface area, and splenium white matter microstructure. Results from primary analyses led the authors to implement a data-driven approach using functional connectivity MRI at 6 months. RESULTS Greater levels of proband ASD traits were associated with larger total cerebral volume and surface area and larger surface area and reduced white matter integrity in components of the visual system in siblings who developed ASD. This aligned with weaker functional connectivity between several networks and the visual system among all siblings during infancy. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide evidence that specific early brain MRI phenotypes of ASD reflect quantitative variation in familial ASD traits. Multimodal anatomical and functional convergence on cortical regions, fiber pathways, and functional networks involved in visual processing suggest that inherited liability has a role in shaping the prodromal development of visual circuitry in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica B Girault
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Educational Psychology (Wolff), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis;Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Kevin Donovan
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Zoë Hawks
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Muhamed Talovic
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Elizabeth Forsen
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Jed T Elison
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Mark D Shen
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Meghan R Swanson
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Jason J Wolff
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Sun Hyung Kim
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Tomoyuki Nishino
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Savannah Davis
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Abraham Z Snyder
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Annette M Estes
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Stephen R Dager
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Heather C Hazlett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Guido Gerig
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Robert McKinstry
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Juhi Pandey
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Tanya St John
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Alexandre Todorov
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Young Truong
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Martin Styner
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - John R Pruett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - John N Constantino
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
| | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
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- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Girault, Forsen, Shen, Hazlett, Piven), Department of Psychiatry (Girault, Shen, Kim, Hazlett, Styner, Piven), Department of Biostatistics (Donovan, Truong), and ; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Hawks) and Department of Psychiatry (Talovic, Nishino, Davis, Botteron, Todorov, Pruett, Constantino), Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Institute of Child Development (Elison) and Department of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Tex. (Swanson); Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis (Snyder, McKinstry); Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle (Estes, St. John); Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Dager); Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York (Gerig); Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (Pandey, Schultz); Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (Zwaigenbaum)
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Thomas TR, Koomar T, Casten LG, Tener AJ, Bahl E, Michaelson JJ. Clinical autism subscales have common genetic liabilities that are heritable, pleiotropic, and generalizable to the general population. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:247. [PMID: 35697691 PMCID: PMC9192633 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01982-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of autism's phenotypic spectra is well-known, yet most genetic research uses case-control status as the target trait. It is undetermined if autistic symptom domain severity underlying this heterogeneity is heritable and pleiotropic with other psychiatric and behavior traits in the same manner as autism case-control status. In N = 6064 autistic children in the SPARK cohort, we investigated the common genetic properties of twelve subscales from three clinical autism instruments measuring autistic traits: the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), and the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ). Educational attainment polygenic scores (PGS) were significantly negatively correlated with eleven subscales, while ADHD and major depression PGS were positively correlated with ten and eight of the autism subscales, respectively. Loneliness and neuroticism PGS were also positively correlated with many subscales. Significant PGS by sex interactions were found-surprisingly, the autism case-control PGS was negatively correlated in females and had no strong correlation in males. SNP-heritability of the DCDQ subscales ranged from 0.04 to 0.08, RBS-R subscales ranged from 0.09 to 0.24, and SCQ subscales ranged from 0 to 0.12. GWAS in SPARK followed by estimation of polygenic scores (PGS) in the typically-developing ABCD cohort (N = 5285), revealed significant associations of RBS-R subscale PGS with autism-related behavioral traits, with several subscale PGS more strongly correlated than the autism case-control PGS. Overall, our analyses suggest that the clinical autism subscale traits show variability in SNP-heritability, PGS associations, and significant PGS by sex interactions, underscoring the heterogeneity in autistic traits at a genetic level. Furthermore, of the three instruments investigated, the RBS-R shows the greatest evidence of genetic signal in both (1) autistic samples (greater heritability) and (2) general population samples (strongest PGS associations).
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor R Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Tanner Koomar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Lucas G Casten
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Ashton J Tener
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Ethan Bahl
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jacob J Michaelson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Hawkeye Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (Hawk-IDDRC), University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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20
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D'Argenio G, Finisguerra A, Urgesi C. Experience-dependent reshaping of body gender perception. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 86:1184-1202. [PMID: 34387745 PMCID: PMC9090903 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01569-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protracted exposure to specific stimuli causes biased visual aftereffects at both low- and high-level dimensions of a stimulus. Recently, it has been proposed that alterations of these aftereffects could play a role in body misperceptions. However, since previous studies have mainly addressed manipulations of body size, the relative contribution of low-level retinotopic and/or high-level object-based mechanisms is yet to be understood. In three experiments, we investigated visual aftereffects for body-gender perception, testing for the tuning of visual aftereffects across different characters and orientation. We found that exposure to a distinctively female (or male) body makes androgynous bodies appear as more masculine (or feminine) and that these aftereffects were not specific for the individual characteristics of the adapting body (Exp.1). Furthermore, exposure to only upright bodies (Exp.2) biased the perception of upright, but not of inverted bodies, while exposure to both upright and inverted bodies (Exp.3) biased perception for both. Finally, participants' sensitivity to body aftereffects was lower in individuals with greater communication deficits and deeper internalization of a male gender role. Overall, our data reveals the orientation-, but not identity-tuning of body-gender aftereffects and points to the association between alterations of the malleability of body gender perception and social deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia D'Argenio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. giulia.d'
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, via Margreth, 3, 33100, Udine, Italy. giulia.d'
| | | | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, via Margreth, 3, 33100, Udine, Italy.
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Pasian di Prato, Udine, Italy.
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21
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Spackman E, Lerh JW, Rodgers J, Hollocks MJ, South M, McConachie H, Ozsivadjian A, Vaughan Van Hecke A, Libove R, Hardan AY, Leekam SR, Simonoff E, Frazier TW, Alvares GA, Schwartzman JM, Magiati I, Uljarević M. Understanding the heterogeneity of anxiety in autistic youth: A person-centered approach. Autism Res 2022; 15:1742-1754. [PMID: 35642170 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2744] [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: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to examine anxiety profiles among children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. It further aimed to characterize the association between the identified anxiety profiles and key clinical and developmental variables. The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Parent Version (SCAS-P) data from a large international pooled sample of 870 caregivers of autistic children and adolescents (Mage = 11.6 years, SDage = 2.77; 107 females) was used. Latent profile analysis identified a three-anxiety profile solution exhibiting high entropy (0.80) and high latent profile probabilities, with good classification accuracy. Identified profiles fell along the severity spectrum and were named as the mild (n = 498), moderate (n = 272) and severe (n = 100) anxiety profiles. There were no statistically significant differences between the three anxiety profiles in terms of sex distribution. Participants in the mild profile were significantly younger than those in the severe profile, had significantly fewer social communication difficulties than youth in the moderate anxiety profile group and had significantly fewer restricted and repetitive behaviors and lower cognitive functioning scores compared to participants in moderate and severe anxiety profiles. This is the first study to move beyond identifying associations and group-level differences to exploring and identifying characteristics of anxiety-based subgroups at an individual level that differ on key clinical and developmental variables. The subgroups identified in this study are a preliminary, yet important, first step towards informing future assessment and individualized interventions aiming to support young people on the autism spectrum to reduce and manage anxiety. LAY SUMMARY: This study tried to understand if there are subgroups of autistic young people who may have similar anxiety profiles. We found that we could meaningfully group young people into three groups based on how severe the anxiety symptoms their caregivers reported were: a group with low levels of anxiety, those with moderate anxiety, and those with more severe anxiety. We also found that the young people in the mild group were younger, had fewer autism traits and lower levels of intellectual functioning than young people in the other two groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Spackman
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jian Wei Lerh
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jacqui Rodgers
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Matthew J Hollocks
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.,Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Mikle South
- Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Helen McConachie
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ann Ozsivadjian
- Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Robin Libove
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Susan R Leekam
- Wales Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Gail A Alvares
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jessica M Schwartzman
- Vanderbilt Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Iliana Magiati
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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22
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Neuroligins in neurodevelopmental conditions: how mouse models of de novo mutations can help us link synaptic function to social behavior. Neuronal Signal 2022; 6:NS20210030. [PMID: 35601025 PMCID: PMC9093077 DOI: 10.1042/ns20210030] [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: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental conditions (or neurodevelopmental disorders, NDDs) are highly heterogeneous with overlapping characteristics and shared genetic etiology. The large symptom variability and etiological heterogeneity have made it challenging to understand the biological mechanisms underpinning NDDs. To accommodate this individual variability, one approach is to move away from diagnostic criteria and focus on distinct dimensions with relevance to multiple NDDs. This domain approach is well suited to preclinical research, where genetically modified animal models can be used to link genetic variability to neurobiological mechanisms and behavioral traits. Genetic factors associated with NDDs can be grouped functionally into common biological pathways, with one prominent functional group being genes associated with the synapse. These include the neuroligins (Nlgns), a family of postsynaptic transmembrane proteins that are key modulators of synaptic function. Here, we review how research using Nlgn mouse models has provided insight into how synaptic proteins contribute to behavioral traits associated with NDDs. We focus on how mutations in different Nlgns affect social behaviors, as differences in social interaction and communication are a common feature of most NDDs. Importantly, mice carrying distinct mutations in Nlgns share some neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes with other synaptic gene mutations. Comparing the functional implications of mutations in multiple synaptic proteins is a first step towards identifying convergent neurobiological pathways in multiple brain regions and circuits.
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23
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The effect of autistic traits on disembedding and mental rotation in neurotypical women and men. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4639. [PMID: 35302087 PMCID: PMC8931084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08497-2] [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: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent data has revealed dissociations between social and non-social skills in both autistic and neurotypical populations. In the present study, we investigated whether specific visuospatial abilities, such as figure disembedding and mental rotation, are differently related to social and non-social autistic traits, in neurotypical women and men. University students (N = 426) completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), figure disembedding and mental rotation of two-dimensional figures tasks. AQ social skills (AQ-social) and attention-to-details (AQ-attention) subscales were used as measures of social and non-social autistic traits, respectively. Mental rotation was affected by a significant interaction between sex, social and non-social traits. When non-social traits were above the mean (+ 1 SD), no sex differences in mental rotation were found. Instead, below this value, sex differences depended on the social traits, with men on average outperforming women at middle-to-high social traits, and with a comparable performance, and with women on average outperforming men, at lower social traits. A small positive correlation between figure disembedding and social traits was observed in the overall sample. These results are interpreted in terms of the hyper-systemizing theory of autism and contribute to the evidence of individual differences in the cognitive style of autistic people and neurotypical people with autistic traits.
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24
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Wendt FR, Warrier V, Pathak GA, Koenen KC, Stein MB, Krystal JH, Pietrzak RH, Gelernter J, Goldfarb EV, Baron-Cohen S, Polimanti R. Polygenic scores for empathy associate with posttraumatic stress severity in response to certain traumatic events. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100439. [PMID: 35242894 PMCID: PMC8881478 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100439] [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: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is triggered by environmental stressors. Empathy may predispose an individual to respond to life events differently if high empathizers are emotionally more sensitive to trauma. For the first time, we test this hypothesis using genetic information. Methods We applied polygenic scoring (PGS) to investigate the shared genetics linking empathy (measured using the Empathy Quotient (EQ), a self-report measure of empathy; N = 46,861) and PTSD symptom severity (measured using the 6-item PTSD Checklist 6-item (PCL-6)) in the UK Biobank (N = 126,219). Follow-up analyses were performed in the context of (1) experiencing any of 16 potential traumas, (2) the total number of traumas endorsed, and (3) the context of trauma. Autism, depression, generalized anxiety, and PCL-17 PGS were included as covariates to verify the specificity of the effect. Results EQPGS associated with PCL-6 (R2 = 0.012%, P = 9.35 × 10−5). This effect remained significant after accounting for autism, depression, PTSD, and anxiety PGS but was observed only in those who endorsed experiencing at least one traumatic event. EQPGS showed the strongest effect on PCL-6 (β = 2.32, s.e. = 0.762, P = 0.002) among those who endorsed childhood neglect/abuse (felt hated as a child). With respect to case status, the highest probability of PTSD was 17.93% and 10.04% for those who endorsed “feeling hated as a child” and those who did not, respectively (Pdiff = 0.011; Cohen's d = 1.951, 95%CI 1.70–2.20). Conclusions A genetic predisposition to higher empathy, which may index greater emotional sensitivity, predisposes an individual to more severe PTSD symptoms, especially after early-life adversity.
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25
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Dooley N, Ruigrok A, Holt R, Allison C, Tsompanidis A, Waldman J, Auyeung B, Lombardo MV, Baron-Cohen S. Is there an association between prenatal testosterone and autistic traits in adolescents? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 136:105623. [PMID: 34896742 PMCID: PMC8783053 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone (pT) is a crucial component in physiological masculinization in humans. In line with the Prenatal Sex Steroid Theory of autism, some studies have found a positive correlation between pT and autistic traits in childhood. However, effects in adolescence have not been explored. Hormonal and environmental changes occurring during puberty may alter the strength or the nature of prenatal effects on autistic traits. The current study examines if pT relates to autistic traits in a non-clinical sample of adolescents and young adults (N = 97, 170 observations; age 13-21 years old). It also explores pT interactions with pubertal stage and timing. PT concentrations were measured from amniotic fluid extracted in the 2nd trimester of gestation via amniocentesis conducted for clinical purposes. Autistic traits were measured by self- and parent-reports on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) which provides a total score and 5 sub-scores (social skills, communication, imagination, attention switching and attention to detail). Self-reported pubertal stage was regressed on age to provide a measure of relative timing. We found no statistical evidence for a direct association between pT and autistic traits in this adolescent sample (males, females or full sample). Exploratory analyses suggested that pT correlated positively with autistic traits in adolescents with earlier puberty-onset, but statistical robustness of this finding was limited. Further exploratory post-hoc tests suggested the pT-by-pubertal timing interaction was stronger in males relative to females, in self-reported compared to parent-reported AQ and specifically for social traits. These findings require replication in larger samples. Findings have implications for understanding the effects of pT on human behavior, specifically existence of effects in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Dooley
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | - Amber Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jack Waldman
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK,Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn,Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
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26
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Li X, Bai X, Conway CM, Shi W, Wang X. Statistical learning for non-social and socially-meaningful stimuli in individuals with high and low levels of autistic traits. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-02703-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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27
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McKinlay J, Wilson C, Hendry G, Ballantyne C. "It feels like sending your children into the lions' den" - A qualitative investigation into parental attitudes towards ASD inclusion, and the impact of mainstream education on their child. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 120:104128. [PMID: 34837755 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing numbers of autistic children are being educated in mainstream schools. The success of inclusive education is dependent upon multiple factors, including key stakeholders (i.e., teachers and parents). Research has tended to focus on teachers' experiences of inclusion with limited focus on parents. AIMS The study aimed to qualitatively investigate parental attitudes and experiences of inclusive education. As such, the research question was: What are attitudes towards, and experiences of, inclusive education for parents of autistic children? METHODS AND PROCEDURE Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 parents of autistic children. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). OUTCOMES AND RESULTS four themes were identified; 1) Feeling Unheard; 2) Implementation of Inclusive Strategies; 3) Social Exclusion; 4) Mental Health and Wellbeing Impact. Findings suggested that parents felt their child struggled socially in mainstream school, with such experiences negatively impacting upon their child's wellbeing. The detrimental impacts were a result of parents believing school staff dismissed their concerns and thus appropriate strategies for their child were not always implemented. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This highlights the need for school staff and parents to work together to enhance inclusivity both academically and socially for autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack McKinlay
- The University of the West of Scotland, School of Education and Social Sciences, UWS Paisley Campus, High Street, Paisley, Scotland, PA1 2BE, UK
| | - Claire Wilson
- University of Strathclyde, School of Education, LordHope Building, 141 St James Road, Glasgow, Scotland, G4 0LT, UK.
| | - Gillian Hendry
- The University of the West of Scotland, School of Education and Social Sciences, UWS Paisley Campus, High Street, Paisley, Scotland, PA1 2BE, UK
| | - Carrie Ballantyne
- The University of the West of Scotland, School of Education and Social Sciences, UWS Paisley Campus, High Street, Paisley, Scotland, PA1 2BE, UK
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28
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Abstract
I suggest that the current study of autism is problematic, due to: (1) its failure to pursue a medical model of disease causation, with protocols for differential diagnoses of causes; (2) a notable incidence of unrecognized false positive diagnoses in children; (3) the conceptual equating of autism with sets of traits that have been shown to be genetically and phenotypically unrelated to one another; and (4) the expansion of use of the terms "autism" and "autism traits" to psychiatric conditions that have no substantive etiological or symptomatic overlap with autism. These problems can be alleviated by, like Kanner, considering autism as a syndrome, a constellation of traits, conceptualized as differences rather than deficits, some set of which is found in each affected individual to some degree. The original, prototypical form of autism can be delineated based on the "hallmarks" of autism: a set of core traits, originally explicated by Kanner, that defines a relatively-homogeneous group, and that connects with the larger set of autism symptoms. The hallmarks of autism provide a touchstone for research that is unambiguous, historically continuous to the present, and linked with major theories for explaining the causes and symptoms of autism. Use of the hallmarks of autism does not impact recognition and treatment of individuals with DSM diagnosed autism, or individuals with the many disorders that involve social deficits. This perspective is compatible with the research domain criteria approach to studying autism, via analyses of autism's constituent traits and the differential diagnosis of its individual-specific causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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29
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Schendel D, Munk Laursen T, Albiñana C, Vilhjalmsson B, Ladd-Acosta C, Fallin MD, Benke K, Lee B, Grove J, Kalkbrenner A, Ejlskov L, Hougaard D, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Baekvad-Hansen M, Børglum AD, Werge T, Nordentoft M, Mortensen PB, Agerbo E. Evaluating the interrelations between the autism polygenic score and psychiatric family history in risk for autism. Autism Res 2021; 15:171-182. [PMID: 34664785 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric family history or a high autism polygenic risk score (PRS) have been separately linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk. The study aimed to simultaneously consider psychiatric family history and individual autism genetic liability (PRS) in autism risk. We performed a case-control study of all Denmark singleton births, May 1981-December 2005, in Denmark at their first birthday and a known mother. Cases were diagnosed with ASD before 2013 and controls comprised a random sample of 30,000 births without ASD, excluding persons with non-Denmark-born parents, missing ASD PRS, non-European ancestry. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were estimated for ASD by PRS decile and by psychiatric history in parents or full siblings (8 mutually-exclusive categories) using logistic regression. Adjusted ASD PRS z-score least-squares means were estimated by psychiatric family history category. ASD risk (11,339 ASD cases; 20,175 controls) from ASD PRS was not substantially altered after accounting for psychiatric family history (e.g., ASD PRS 10th decile aOR: 2.35 (95% CI 2.11-2.63) before vs 2.11 (95% CI 1.91-2.40) after adjustment) nor from psychiatric family history after accounting for ASD PRS (e.g., ASD family history aOR: 6.73 (95% CI 5.89-7.68) before vs 6.32 (95% CI 5.53-7.22) after adjustment). ASD risk from ASD PRS varied slightly by psychiatric family history. While ASD risk from psychiatric family history was not accounted for by ASD PRS and vice versa, risk overlap between the two factors will likely increase as measures of genetic risk improve. The two factors are best viewed as complementary measures of family-based autism risk. LAY SUMMARY: Autism risk from a history of mental disorders in the immediate family was not explained by a measure of individual genetic risk (autism polygenic risk score) and vice versa. That is, genetic risk did not appear to overlap family history risk. As genetic measures for autism improve then the overlap in autism risk from family history versus genetic factors will likely increase, but further study may be needed to fully determine the components of risk and how they are inter-related between these key family factors. Meanwhile, the two factors may be best viewed as complementary measures of autism family-based risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Schendel
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,A. J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Thomas Munk Laursen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Clara Albiñana
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bjarni Vilhjalmsson
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Margaret Danielle Fallin
- Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kelly Benke
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian Lee
- A. J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA.,Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia, USA.,Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jakob Grove
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine - Human Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Amy Kalkbrenner
- University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Joseph J Zilber School of Public Health, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Linda Ejlskov
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - David Hougaard
- Center for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonas Bybjerg-Grauholm
- Center for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie Baekvad-Hansen
- Center for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders D Børglum
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine - Human Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas Werge
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,Institute of Biological Psychiatry, MHC Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Preben Bo Mortensen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Integrated Register-based Research (CIRRAU), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Esben Agerbo
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark.,National Centre for Register-Based Research (NCRR), Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Centre for Integrated Register-based Research (CIRRAU), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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30
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Havdahl A, Niarchou M, Starnawska A, Uddin M, van der Merwe C, Warrier V. Genetic contributions to autism spectrum disorder. Psychol Med 2021; 51:2260-2273. [PMID: 33634770 PMCID: PMC8477228 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721000192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (autism) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by early childhood-onset impairments in communication and social interaction alongside restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. This review summarizes recent developments in human genetics research in autism, complemented by epigenetic and transcriptomic findings. The clinical heterogeneity of autism is mirrored by a complex genetic architecture involving several types of common and rare variants, ranging from point mutations to large copy number variants, and either inherited or spontaneous (de novo). More than 100 risk genes have been implicated by rare, often de novo, potentially damaging mutations in highly constrained genes. These account for substantial individual risk but a small proportion of the population risk. In contrast, most of the genetic risk is attributable to common inherited variants acting en masse, each individually with small effects. Studies have identified a handful of robustly associated common variants. Different risk genes converge on the same mechanisms, such as gene regulation and synaptic connectivity. These mechanisms are also implicated by genes that are epigenetically and transcriptionally dysregulated in autism. Major challenges to understanding the biological mechanisms include substantial phenotypic heterogeneity, large locus heterogeneity, variable penetrance, and widespread pleiotropy. Considerable increases in sample sizes are needed to better understand the hundreds or thousands of common and rare genetic variants involved. Future research should integrate common and rare variant research, multi-omics data including genomics, epigenomics, and transcriptomics, and refined phenotype assessment with multidimensional and longitudinal measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Havdahl
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, PROMENTA Research Center, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - M. Niarchou
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, TN, USA
| | - A. Starnawska
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
- Center for Genomics for Personalized Medicine, CGPM, and Center for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - M. Uddin
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
| | - C. van der Merwe
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, MA, USA
| | - V. Warrier
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, UK
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31
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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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32
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Anxiety Sensitivity Domains are Differently Affected by Social and Non-social Autistic Traits. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:3486-3495. [PMID: 34374915 PMCID: PMC9296403 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05228-w] [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] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is implicated in the development and maintenance of several psychopathological conditions. Non-clinical individuals with high autistic traits may develop anxiety disorders and depressive symptoms. Here, we investigated the relationships of autistic traits with AS dimensions and depression, considering sex. We referred to the two-factor model of the autism spectrum quotient to distinguish social and non-social autistic traits and assessed 345 university students on AS and depression scales. Results showed that only social autistic traits predicted general AS and anxiety-related concerns regarding social and cognitive domains. The present results emphasize the need of assessing multiple domains of anxiety in individuals on the autistic spectrum, differentiating social and non-social traits.
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33
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Arenella M, Cadby G, De Witte W, Jones RM, Whitehouse AJ, Moses EK, Fornito A, Bellgrove MA, Hawi Z, Johnson B, Tiego J, Buitelaar JK, Kiemeney LA, Poelmans G, Bralten J. Potential role for immune-related genes in autism spectrum disorders: Evidence from genome-wide association meta-analysis of autistic traits. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 26:361-372. [PMID: 34344231 PMCID: PMC8814945 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211019547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The clinical heterogeneity of autism spectrum disorders majorly challenges their genetic study. Autism spectrum disorders symptoms occur in milder forms in the general population, as autistic-like traits, and share genetic factors with autism spectrum disorders. Here, we investigate the genetics of individual autistic-like traits to improve our understanding of autism spectrum disorders. We meta-analysed four population-based genome-wide association studies investigating four autistic-like traits – ‘attention-to-detail’, ‘imagination’, ‘rigidity’ and ‘social-skills’ (n = 4600). Using autism spectrum disorder summary statistics from the Psychiatric Genomic Consortium (N = 46,350), we applied polygenic risk score analyses to understand the genetic relationship between autism spectrum disorders and autistic-like traits. Using MAGMA, we performed gene-based and gene co-expression network analyses to delineate involved genes and pathways. We identified two novel genome-wide significant loci – rs6125844 and rs3731197 – associated with ‘attention-to-detail’. We demonstrated shared genetic aetiology between autism spectrum disorders and ‘rigidity’. Analysing top variants and genes, we demonstrated a role of the immune-related genes RNF114, CDKN2A, KAZN, SPATA2 and ZNF816A in autistic-like traits. Brain-based genetic expression analyses further linked autistic-like traits to genes involved in immune functioning, and neuronal and synaptic signalling. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of the autistic-like trait–based approach to address the challenges of genetic research in autism spectrum disorders. We provide novel insights showing a potential role of the immune system in specific autism spectrum disorder dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Arenella
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.,Radboud University Medical Center, The Netherlands
| | - Gemma Cadby
- The University of Western Australia, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Eric K Moses
- The University of Western Australia, Australia.,University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, Australia.,Monash University, Australia
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, Australia.,Monash University, Australia
| | - Ziarih Hawi
- Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, Australia.,Monash University, Australia
| | - Beth Johnson
- Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, Australia.,Monash University, Australia
| | - Jeggan Tiego
- Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, Australia.,Monash University, Australia
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Radboud University Medical Center, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands.,Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Janita Bralten
- Radboud University Medical Center, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands
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34
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Taylor SC, Steeman S, Gehringer BN, Dow HC, Langer A, Rawot E, Perez L, Goodman M, Smernoff Z, Grewal M, Eshraghi O, Pallathra AA, Oksas C, Mendez M, Gur RC, Rader DJ, Bucan M, Almasy L, Brodkin ES. Heritability of quantitative autism spectrum traits in adults: A family-based study. Autism Res 2021; 14:1543-1553. [PMID: 34245229 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a multi-dimensional set of quantitative behavioral traits expressed along a continuum in autistic and neurotypical individuals. ASD diagnosis-a dichotomous trait-is known to be highly heritable and has been used as the phenotype for most ASD genetic studies. But less is known about the heritability of autism spectrum quantitative traits, especially in adults, an important prerequisite for gene discovery. We sought to measure the heritability of many autism-relevant quantitative traits in adults high in autism spectrum traits and their extended family members. Among adults high in autism spectrum traits (n = 158) and their extended family members (n = 245), we calculated univariate and bivariate heritability estimates for 19 autism spectrum traits across several behavioral domains. We found nearly all tested autism spectrum quantitative traits to be significantly heritable (h2 = 0.24-0.79), including overall ASD traits, restricted repetitive behaviors, broader autism phenotype traits, social anxiety, and executive functioning. The degree of shared heritability varied based on method and specificity of the assessment measure. We found high shared heritability for the self-report measures and for most of the informant-report measures, with little shared heritability among performance-based cognition tasks. These findings suggest that many autism spectrum quantitative traits would be good, feasible candidates for future genetics studies, allowing for an increase in the power of autism gene discovery. Our findings suggest that the degree of shared heritability between traits depends on the assessment method (self-report vs. informant-report vs. performance-based tasks), as well as trait-specificity. LAY SUMMARY: We found that the scores from questionnaires and tasks measuring different types of behaviors and abilities related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were heritable (strongly influenced by gene variants passed down through a family) among autistic adults and their family members. These findings mean that these scores can be used in future studies interested in identifying specific genes and gene variants that are associated with different behaviors and abilities related with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara C Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Samantha Steeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Brielle N Gehringer
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Holly C Dow
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Allison Langer
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Eric Rawot
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Leat Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Matthew Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Zoe Smernoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Mahip Grewal
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Oceania Eshraghi
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ashley A Pallathra
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Catherine Oksas
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa Mendez
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel J Rader
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Maja Bucan
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Lifespan Brain Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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35
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Understanding Oneself to Understand Others: The Role of Alexithymia and Anxiety in the Relationships Between Autistic Trait Dimensions and Empathy. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1971-1983. [PMID: 34041681 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05086-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
People on the autism spectrum may have difficulty inferring others' emotions (cognitive empathy), but may share another's emotions (affective empathy) and exhibit heightened personal distress. The present study examined independent autistic trait dimensions (social difficulties and restricted/repetitive behaviours) and the roles alexithymia and trait anxiety have in explaining this profile of empathy. Results from the general population (n = 301) revealed that pronounced social difficulties and not restricted/repetitive behaviours related to reduced cognitive and affective empathy, and heightened personal distress. However, both dimensions, through alexithymia and anxiety, indirectly influenced empathy. Surprisingly, while the dimensions indirectly improved affective empathy, pronounced social difficulties directly reduced affective empathy. This study motivates a nuanced model of empathy by including autistic trait dimensions, anxiety, and alexithymia.
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36
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Bertelsen N, Landi I, Bethlehem RAI, Seidlitz J, Busuoli EM, Mandelli V, Satta E, Trakoshis S, Auyeung B, Kundu P, Loth E, Dumas G, Baumeister S, Beckmann CF, Bölte S, Bourgeron T, Charman T, Durston S, Ecker C, Holt RJ, Johnson MH, Jones EJH, Mason L, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Moessnang C, Oldehinkel M, Persico AM, Tillmann J, Williams SCR, Spooren W, Murphy DGM, Buitelaar JK, Baron-Cohen S, Lai MC, Lombardo MV. Imbalanced social-communicative and restricted repetitive behavior subtypes of autism spectrum disorder exhibit different neural circuitry. Commun Biol 2021; 4:574. [PMID: 33990680 PMCID: PMC8121854 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02015-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social-communication (SC) and restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are autism diagnostic symptom domains. SC and RRB severity can markedly differ within and between individuals and may be underpinned by different neural circuitry and genetic mechanisms. Modeling SC-RRB balance could help identify how neural circuitry and genetic mechanisms map onto such phenotypic heterogeneity. Here, we developed a phenotypic stratification model that makes highly accurate (97-99%) out-of-sample SC = RRB, SC > RRB, and RRB > SC subtype predictions. Applying this model to resting state fMRI data from the EU-AIMS LEAP dataset (n = 509), we find that while the phenotypic subtypes share many commonalities in terms of intrinsic functional connectivity, they also show replicable differences within some networks compared to a typically-developing group (TD). Specifically, the somatomotor network is hypoconnected with perisylvian circuitry in SC > RRB and visual association circuitry in SC = RRB. The SC = RRB subtype show hyperconnectivity between medial motor and anterior salience circuitry. Genes that are highly expressed within these networks show a differential enrichment pattern with known autism-associated genes, indicating that such circuits are affected by differing autism-associated genomic mechanisms. These results suggest that SC-RRB imbalance subtypes share many commonalities, but also express subtle differences in functional neural circuitry and the genomic underpinnings behind such circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Bertelsen
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, TN, Italy
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Isotta Landi
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | | | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elena Maria Busuoli
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, TN, Italy
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Veronica Mandelli
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, TN, Italy
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Eleonora Satta
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Stavros Trakoshis
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, TN, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Prantik Kundu
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eva Loth
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Guillaume Dumas
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Baumeister
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Women's and Children's Health; Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
- Curtin Autism Research Group, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Durston
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rosemary J Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, London, UK
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, London, UK
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marianne Oldehinkel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Antonio M Persico
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Gaetano Martino University Hospital, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement, and Intervention, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Steve C R Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Will Spooren
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, and 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, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, TN, Italy.
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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37
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Constantino JN, Charman T, Jones EJH. Clinical and Translational Implications of an Emerging Developmental Substructure for Autism. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2021; 17:365-389. [PMID: 33577349 PMCID: PMC9014692 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-110503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A vast share of the population-attributable risk for autism relates to inherited polygenic risk. A growing number of studies in the past five years have indicated that inherited susceptibility may operate through a finite number of early developmental liabilities that, in various permutations and combinations, jointly predict familial recurrence of the convergent syndrome of social communication disability that defines the condition. Here, we synthesize this body of research to derive evidence for a novel developmental substructure for autism, which has profound implications for ongoing discovery efforts to elucidate its neurobiological causes, and to inform future clinical and biomarker studies, early interventions, and personalized approaches to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N Constantino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA;
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
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38
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Warrier V, Kwong ASF, Luo M, Dalvie S, Croft J, Sallis HM, Baldwin J, Munafò MR, Nievergelt CM, Grant AJ, Burgess S, Moore TM, Barzilay R, McIntosh A, van IJzendoorn MH, Cecil CAM. Gene-environment correlations and causal effects of childhood maltreatment on physical and mental health: a genetically informed approach. Lancet Psychiatry 2021; 8:373-386. [PMID: 33740410 PMCID: PMC8055541 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30569-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment is associated with poor mental and physical health. However, the mechanisms of gene-environment correlations and the potential causal effects of childhood maltreatment on health are unknown. Using genetics, we aimed to delineate the sources of gene-environment correlation for childhood maltreatment and the causal relationship between childhood maltreatment and health. METHODS We did a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of childhood maltreatment using data from the UK Biobank (n=143 473), Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (n=26 290), Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n=8346), Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (n=5400), and Generation R (n=1905). We included individuals who had phenotypic and genetic data available. We investigated single nucleotide polymorphism heritability and genetic correlations among different subtypes, operationalisations, and reports of childhood maltreatment. Family-based and population-based polygenic score analyses were done to elucidate gene-environment correlation mechanisms. We used genetic correlation and Mendelian randomisation analyses to identify shared genetics and test causal relationships between childhood maltreatment and mental and physical health conditions. FINDINGS Our meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (N=185 414) identified 14 independent loci associated with childhood maltreatment (13 novel). We identified high genetic overlap (genetic correlations 0·24-1·00) among different maltreatment operationalisations, subtypes, and reporting methods. Within-family analyses provided some support for active and reactive gene-environment correlation but did not show the absence of passive gene-environment correlation. Robust Mendelian randomisation suggested a potential causal role of childhood maltreatment in depression (unidirectional), as well as both schizophrenia and ADHD (bidirectional), but not in physical health conditions (coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes) or inflammation (C-reactive protein concentration). INTERPRETATION Childhood maltreatment has a heritable component, with substantial genetic correlations among different operationalisations, subtypes, and retrospective and prospective reports of childhood maltreatment. Family-based analyses point to a role of active and reactive gene-environment correlation, with equivocal support for passive correlation. Mendelian randomisation supports a (primarily bidirectional) causal role of childhood maltreatment on mental health, but not on physical health conditions. Our study identifies research avenues to inform the prevention of childhood maltreatment and its long-term effects. FUNDING Wellcome Trust, UK Medical Research Council, Horizon 2020, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Warrier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Alex S F Kwong
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mannan Luo
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Shareefa Dalvie
- South Africa MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jazz Croft
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Hannah M Sallis
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Department of Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jessie Baldwin
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marcus R Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Caroline M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA; Research Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew J Grant
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephen Burgess
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tyler M Moore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Lifespan Brain Institute of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ran Barzilay
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Lifespan Brain Institute of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte A M Cecil
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands; Molecular Epidemiology, Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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Jassim N, Baron-Cohen S, Suckling J. Meta-analytic evidence of differential prefrontal and early sensory cortex activity during non-social sensory perception in autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:146-157. [PMID: 33887326 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
To date, neuroimaging research has had a limited focus on non-social features of autism. As a result, neurobiological explanations for atypical sensory perception in autism are lacking. To address this, we quantitively condensed findings from the non-social autism fMRI literature in line with the current best practices for neuroimaging meta-analyses. Using activation likelihood estimation (ALE), we conducted a series of robust meta-analyses across 83 experiments from 52 fMRI studies investigating differences between autistic (n = 891) and typical (n = 967) participants. We found that typical controls, compared to autistic people, show greater activity in the prefrontal cortex (BA9, BA10) during perception tasks. More refined analyses revealed that, when compared to typical controls, autistic people show greater recruitment of the extrastriate V2 cortex (BA18) during visual processing. Taken together, these findings contribute to our understanding of current theories of autistic perception, and highlight some of the challenges of cognitive neuroscience research in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazia Jassim
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom.
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
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40
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Paul S, Arora A, Midha R, Vu D, Roy PK, Belmonte MK. Autistic traits and individual brain differences: functional network efficiency reflects attentional and social impairments, structural nodal efficiencies index systemising and theory-of-mind skills. Mol Autism 2021; 12:3. [PMID: 33478557 PMCID: PMC7818759 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00377-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is characterised not only by impaired social cognitive 'empathising' but also by superior rule-based 'systemising'. These cognitive domains intertwine within the categorical diagnosis of autism, yet behavioural genetics suggest largely independent heritability, and separable brain mechanisms. We sought to determine whether quantitative behavioural measures of autistic traits are dimensionally associated with structural and functional brain network integrity, and whether brain bases of autistic traits vary independently across individuals. METHODS Thirty right-handed neurotypical adults (12 females) were administered psychometric (Social Responsiveness Scale, Autism Spectrum Quotient and Systemising Quotient) and behavioural (Attention Network Test and theory-of-mind reaction time) measures of autistic traits, and structurally (diffusion tensor imaging) and functionally (500 s of 2 Hz eyes-closed resting fMRI) derived graph-theoretic measures of efficiency of information integration were computed throughout the brain and within subregions. RESULTS Social impairment was positively associated with functional efficiency (r = .47, p = .006), globally and within temporo-parietal and prefrontal cortices. Delayed orienting of attention likewise was associated with greater functional efficiency (r = - .46, p = .0133). Systemising was positively associated with global structural efficiency (r = .38, p = 0.018), driven specifically by temporal pole; theory-of-mind reaction time was related to structural efficiency (r = - .40, p = 0.0153) within right supramarginal gyrus. LIMITATIONS Interpretation of these relationships is complicated by the many senses of the term 'connectivity', including functional, structural and computational; by the approximation inherent in group functional anatomical parcellations when confronted with individual variation in functional anatomy; and by the validity, sensitivity and specificity of the several survey and experimental behavioural measures applied as correlates of brain structure and function. CONCLUSIONS Functional connectivities highlight distributed networks associated with domain-general properties such as attentional orienting and social cognition broadly, associating more impaired behaviour with more efficient brain networks that may reflect heightened feedforward information flow subserving autistic strengths and deficits alike. Structural connectivity results highlight specific anatomical nodes of convergence, reflecting cognitive and neuroanatomical independence of systemising and theory-of-mind. In addition, this work shows that individual differences in theory-of-mind related to brain structure can be measured behaviourally, and offers neuroanatomical evidence to pin down the slippery construct of 'systemising' as the capacity to construct invariant contextual associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhadip Paul
- MIND Research Network, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87106, USA.,National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India
| | - Aditi Arora
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India.,Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Universität Salzburg, Kapitelgasse 4-6, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Rashi Midha
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India.,National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Hosur Road, Bangalore, 560029, India
| | - Dinh Vu
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Harald Schjelderups hus, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Psychology, Chaucer Bldg., Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UK
| | - Prasun K Roy
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Matthew K Belmonte
- National Brain Research Centre, NH-8, Nainwal Mode, Manesar, 122051, India. .,Department of Psychology, Chaucer Bldg., Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UK. .,The Com DEALL Trust, 224, 6th 'A' Main Road, near Specialist Hospital, 2nd Block, HRBR Layout, Bangalore, 560043, India.
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41
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Sarovic D. A Unifying Theory for Autism: The Pathogenetic Triad as a Theoretical Framework. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:767075. [PMID: 34867553 PMCID: PMC8637925 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.767075] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a unifying theory for autism by applying the framework of a pathogenetic triad to the scientific literature. It proposes a deconstruction of autism into three contributing features (an autistic personality dimension, cognitive compensation, and neuropathological risk factors), and delineates how they interact to cause a maladaptive behavioral phenotype that may require a clinical diagnosis. The autistic personality represents a common core condition, which induces a set of behavioral issues when pronounced. These issues are compensated for by cognitive mechanisms, allowing the individual to remain adaptive and functional. Risk factors, both exogenous and endogenous ones, show pathophysiological convergence through their negative effects on neurodevelopment. This secondarily affects cognitive compensation, which disinhibits a maladaptive behavioral phenotype. The triad is operationalized and methods for quantification are presented. With respect to the breadth of findings in the literature that it can incorporate, it is the most comprehensive model yet for autism. Its main implications are that (1) it presents the broader autism phenotype as a non-pathological core personality domain, which is shared across the population and uncoupled from associated features such as low cognitive ability and immune dysfunction, (2) it proposes that common genetic variants underly the personality domain, and that rare variants act as risk factors through negative effects on neurodevelopment, (3) it outlines a common pathophysiological mechanism, through inhibition of neurodevelopment and cognitive dysfunction, by which a wide range of endogenous and exogenous risk factors lead to autism, and (4) it suggests that contributing risk factors, and findings of immune and autonomic dysfunction are clinically ascertained rather than part of the core autism construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darko Sarovic
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Radiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.,MedTech West, Gothenburg, Sweden
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42
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Fóthi Á, Soorya L, Lőrincz A. The Autism Palette: Combinations of Impairments Explain the Heterogeneity in ASD. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:503462. [PMID: 33343403 PMCID: PMC7738611 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.503462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neuropsychiatric condition traditionally defined by core symptoms in social behavior, speech/communication, repetitive behavior, and restricted interests. Beyond the core symptoms, autism has strong association with other disorders such as intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, schizophrenia among many others. This paper outlines a theory of ASD with capacity to connect heterogeneous "core" symptoms, medical and psychiatric comorbidities as well as other etiological theories of autism in a unifying cognitive framework rooted in neuroscience and genetics. Cognition is embedded into an ever-developing structure modified by experiences, including the outcomes of environment influencing behaviors. The key constraint of cognition is that the brain can handle only 7±2 relevant variables at a time, whereas sensory variables, i.e., the number of sensory neurons is orders of magnitude larger. As a result, (a) the extraction, (b) the encoding, and (c) the capability for the efficient cognitive manipulation of the relevant variables, and (d) the compensatory mechanisms that counteract computational delays of the distributed components are critical. We outline our theoretical model to describe a Cartesian Factor (CF) forming, autoencoder-like cognitive mechanism which breaks combinatorial explosion and is accelerated by internal reinforcing machineries and discuss the neural processes that support CF formation. Impairments in any of these aspects may disrupt learning, cognitive manipulation, decisions on interactions, and execution of decisions. We suggest that social interactions are the most susceptible to combinations of diverse small impairments and can be spoiled in many ways that pile up. Comorbidity is experienced, if any of the many potential impairments is relatively strong. We consider component spoiling impairments as the basic colors of autism, whereas the combinations of individual impairments make the palette of autism. We put forth arguments on the possibility of dissociating the different main elements of the impairments that can appear together. For example, impairments of generalization (domain general learning) and impairments of dealing with many variable problems, such as social situations may appear independently and may mutually enhance their impacts. We also consider mechanisms that may lead to protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ábel Fóthi
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Informatics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Latha Soorya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - András Lőrincz
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Informatics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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Calderoni S, Ricca I, Balboni G, Cagiano R, Cassandrini D, Doccini S, Cosenza A, Tolomeo D, Tancredi R, Santorelli FM, Muratori F. Evaluation of Chromosome Microarray Analysis in a Large Cohort of Females with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Single Center Italian Study. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E160. [PMID: 33050239 PMCID: PMC7720139 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10040160] [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: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) encompass a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders resulting from the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Thanks to the chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) in clinical practice, the accurate identification and characterization of submicroscopic deletions/duplications (copy number variants, CNVs) associated with ASD was made possible. However, the widely acknowledged excess of males on the autism spectrum reflects on a paucity of CMA studies specifically focused on females with ASD (f-ASD). In this framework, we aim to evaluate the frequency of causative CNVs in a single-center cohort of idiopathic f-ASD. Among the 90 f-ASD analyzed, we found 20 patients with one or two potentially pathogenic CNVs, including those previously associated with ASD (located at 16p13.2 16p11.2, 15q11.2, and 22q11.21 regions). An exploratory genotype/phenotype analysis revealed that the f-ASD with causative CNVs had statistically significantly lower restrictive and repetitive behaviors than those without CNVs or with non-causative CNVs. Future work should focus on further understanding of f-ASD genetic underpinnings, taking advantage of next-generation sequencing technologies, with the ultimate goal of contributing to precision medicine in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Calderoni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.C.); (A.C.); (R.T.); (F.M.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi, 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Ivana Ricca
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (I.R.); (D.C.); (S.D.); (D.T.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Giulia Balboni
- Department of Philosophy, Social and Human Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Piazza G. Ermini 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Romina Cagiano
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.C.); (A.C.); (R.T.); (F.M.)
| | - Denise Cassandrini
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (I.R.); (D.C.); (S.D.); (D.T.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Stefano Doccini
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (I.R.); (D.C.); (S.D.); (D.T.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Angela Cosenza
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.C.); (A.C.); (R.T.); (F.M.)
| | - Deborah Tolomeo
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (I.R.); (D.C.); (S.D.); (D.T.); (F.M.S.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini, 6-50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Raffaella Tancredi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.C.); (A.C.); (R.T.); (F.M.)
| | - Filippo Maria Santorelli
- Molecular Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, via dei Giacinti 2, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (I.R.); (D.C.); (S.D.); (D.T.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Filippo Muratori
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Viale del Tirreno 331, Calambrone, 56128 Pisa, Italy; (R.C.); (A.C.); (R.T.); (F.M.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi, 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Shalev I, Uzefovsky F. Empathic disequilibrium in two different measures of empathy predicts autism traits in neurotypical population. Mol Autism 2020; 11:59. [PMID: 32660537 PMCID: PMC7359469 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00362-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Features of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are normally distributed within the population, giving rise to the notion of the autism spectrum. One of the hallmark features of ASC is difficulties in social communication, which relies heavily on our ability to empathize with others. Empathy comprises of both cognitive (CE) and emotional (EE) components that, together, allow us to understand another’s emotions and be affected by them appropriately, while maintaining a self-other distinction. Although CE and EE depend on distinct neural and developmental trajectories, it was suggested that the two empathic capacities can influence, balance, and regulate each other. Previous findings regarding the role of emotional and cognitive empathy in ASC have been mixed. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate whether the intra-personal empathy imbalance between the cognitive and emotional components, a measure we termed empathic disequilibrium (ED), can be associated with autism traits at the neurotypical range. Methods Participants were 671 young-adults at the neurotypical range who self-reported their empathy, assessed using two highly validated questionnaires—the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Empathy Quotient, autism traits using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and the related traits, alexithymia, and systemizing. Results Controlling for the total empathy score, greater ED was found to be positively correlated with autism traits. Specifically, autism traits were found to be elevated in groups of individuals with relatively higher EE than CE, underscoring their imbalance. Conclusions Our study offers a novel perspective on the understanding of the social difficulties associated with autism tendencies in the general population and has potentially important clinical implications for understanding of ASC. We also propose a novel characterization of autism tendencies based on the imbalance between EE and CE, which we term ED, as opposed to examining EE and CE separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Shalev
- Department of Psychology Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beersheba, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Department of Psychology Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beersheba, Israel. .,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.
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Abstract
Despite evidence that deleterious variants in the same genes are implicated across multiple neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, there has been considerable interest in identifying genes that, when mutated, confer risk that is largely specific for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we review the findings and limitations of recent efforts to identify relatively “autism-specific” genes, efforts which focus on rare variants of large effect size that are thought to account for the observed phenotypes. We present a divergent interpretation of published evidence; discuss practical and theoretical issues related to studying the relationships between rare, large-effect deleterious variants and neurodevelopmental phenotypes; and describe potential future directions of this research. We argue that there is currently insufficient evidence to establish meaningful ASD specificity of any genes based on large-effect rare-variant data.
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46
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Syme KL, Hagen EH. Mental health is biological health: Why tackling "diseases of the mind" is an imperative for biological anthropology in the 21st century. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171 Suppl 70:87-117. [PMID: 31762015 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The germ theory of disease and the attendant public health initiatives, including sanitation, vaccination, and antibiotic treatment, led to dramatic increases in global life expectancy. As the prevalence of infectious disease declines, mental disorders are emerging as major contributors to the global burden of disease. Scientists understand little about the etiology of mental disorders, however, and many of the most popular psychopharmacological treatments, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, have only moderate-to-weak efficacy in treating symptoms and fail to target biological systems that correspond to discrete psychiatric syndromes. Consequently, despite dramatic increases in the treatment of some mental disorders, there has been no decrease in the prevalence of most mental disorders since accurate record keeping began. Many researchers and theorists are therefore endeavoring to rethink psychiatry from the ground-up. Anthropology, especially biological anthropology, can offer critical theoretical and empirical insights to combat mental illness globally. Biological anthropologists are unique in that we take a panhuman approach to human health and behavior and are trained to address each of Tinbergen's four levels of analysis as well as culture. The field is thus exceptionally well-situated to help resolve the mysteries of mental illness by integrating biological, evolutionary, and sociocultural perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L Syme
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington
| | - Edward H Hagen
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington
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