1
|
Gignac GE, Palermo R, Bothe E, Walker DL, Wilmer JB. Face perception and facial emotional expression recognition ability: Both unique predictors of the broader autism phenotype. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:1140-1153. [PMID: 37710359 PMCID: PMC11103922 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231203679] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the broader autistic phenotype (BAP) have been suggested to be associated with perceptual-cognitive difficulties processing human faces. However, the empirical results are mixed, arguably, in part due to inadequate samples and analyses. Consequently, we administered the Cambridge Face Perception Test (CFPT), the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a vocabulary test, and the Autism Quotient (AQ) to a sample of 318 adults in the general community. Based on a disattenuated path analytic modelling strategy, we found that both face perception ability (β = -.21) and facial emotional expression recognition ability (β = -.27) predicted uniquely and significantly the Communication dimension of AQ. Vocabulary failed to yield a significant, direct effect onto the Communication dimension of the AQ. We conclude that difficulties perceiving information from the faces of others may contribute to difficulties in nonverbal communication, as conceptualised and measured within the context of BAP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ellen Bothe
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Noguchi J, Watanabe S, Oga T, Isoda R, Nakagaki K, Sakai K, Sumida K, Hoshino K, Saito K, Miyawaki I, Sugano E, Tomita H, Mizukami H, Watakabe A, Yamamori T, Ichinohe N. Altered projection-specific synaptic remodeling and its modification by oxytocin in an idiopathic autism marmoset model. Commun Biol 2024; 7:642. [PMID: 38802535 PMCID: PMC11130163 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the experience-dependent and autonomous elaboration of neural circuits are assumed to underlie autism spectrum disorder (ASD), though it is unclear what synaptic traits are responsible. Here, utilizing a valproic acid-induced ASD marmoset model, which shares common molecular features with idiopathic ASD, we investigate changes in the structural dynamics of tuft dendrites of upper-layer pyramidal neurons and adjacent axons in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex through two-photon microscopy. In model marmosets, dendritic spine turnover is upregulated, and spines are generated in clusters and survived more often than in control marmosets. Presynaptic boutons in local axons, but not in commissural long-range axons, demonstrate hyperdynamic turnover in model marmosets, suggesting alterations in projection-specific plasticity. Intriguingly, nasal oxytocin administration attenuates clustered spine emergence in model marmosets. Enhanced clustered spine generation, possibly unique to certain presynaptic partners, may be associated with ASD and be a potential therapeutic target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Noguchi
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Watanabe
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Tomofumi Oga
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Risa Isoda
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Keiko Nakagaki
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Sakai
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Kayo Sumida
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Kohei Hoshino
- Preclinical Research Laboratories, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Koichi Saito
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Izuru Miyawaki
- Preclinical Research Laboratories, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Eriko Sugano
- Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience, Graduate Course in Biological Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tomita
- Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience, Graduate Course in Biological Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Mizukami
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Akiya Watakabe
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Yamamori
- Laboratory for Molecular Analysis of Higher Brain Function, Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
- Laboratory for Haptic Perception and Cognitive Physiology, Center for Brain Science, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
- Department of Marmoset Biology and Medicine, CIEM, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Noritaka Ichinohe
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Messina A, Sovrano VA, Baratti G, Musa A, Gobbo A, Adiletta A, Sgadò P. Valproic acid exposure affects social visual lateralization and asymmetric gene expression in zebrafish larvae. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4474. [PMID: 38395997 PMCID: PMC10891151 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54356-7] [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: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebral asymmetry is critical for typical brain function and development; at the same time, altered brain lateralization seems to be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Zebrafish are increasingly emerging as model species to study brain lateralization, using asymmetric development of the habenula, a phylogenetically old brain structure associated with social and emotional processing, to investigate the relationship between brain asymmetry and social behavior. We exposed 5-h post-fertilization zebrafish embryos to valproic acid (VPA), a compound used to model the core signs of ASD in many vertebrate species, and assessed social interaction, visual lateralization and gene expression in the thalamus and the telencephalon. VPA-exposed zebrafish exhibit social deficits and a deconstruction of social visual laterality to the mirror. We also observe changes in the asymmetric expression of the epithalamic marker leftover and in the size of the dorsolateral part of the habenula in adult zebrafish. Our data indicate that VPA exposure neutralizes the animals' visual field bias, with a complete loss of the left-eye use bias in front of their own mirror image, and alters brain asymmetric gene expression and morphology, opening new perspectives to investigate brain lateralization and its link to atypical social cognitive development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Messina
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Valeria Anna Sovrano
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy.
| | - Greta Baratti
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Alessia Musa
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gobbo
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Alice Adiletta
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Paola Sgadò
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, 38068, Rovereto, TN, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kamensek T, Susilo T, Iarocci G, Oruc I. Are people with autism prosopagnosic? Autism Res 2023; 16:2100-2109. [PMID: 37740564 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Difficulties in various face processing tasks have been well documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several meta-analyses and numerous case-control studies have indicated that this population experiences a moderate degree of impairment, with a small percentage of studies failing to detect any impairment. One possible account of this mixed pattern of findings is heterogeneity in face processing abilities stemming from the presence of a subpopulation of prosopagnosic individuals with ASD alongside those with normal face processing skills. Samples randomly drawn from such a population, especially relatively smaller ones, would vary in the proportion of participants with prosopagnosia, resulting in a wide range of group-level deficits from mild (or none) to severe across studies. We test this prosopagnosic subpopulation hypothesis by examining three groups of participants: adults with ASD, adults with developmental prosopagnosia (DP), and a comparison group. Our results show that the prosopagnosic subpopulation hypothesis does not account for the face impairments in the broader autism spectrum. ASD observers show a continuous and graded, rather than categorical, heterogeneity that span a range of face processing skills including many with mild to moderate deficits, inconsistent with a prosopagnosic subtype account. We suggest that pathogenic origins of face deficits for at least some with ASD differ from those of DP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Todd Kamensek
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tirta Susilo
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Grace Iarocci
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ipek Oruc
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mayor Torres JM, Medina-DeVilliers S, Clarkson T, Lerner MD, Riccardi G. Evaluation of interpretability for deep learning algorithms in EEG emotion recognition: A case study in autism. Artif Intell Med 2023; 143:102545. [PMID: 37673554 DOI: 10.1016/j.artmed.2023.102545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Current models on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) have shown a lack of reliability when evaluating feature-relevance for deep neural biomarker classifiers. The inclusion of reliable saliency-maps for obtaining trustworthy and interpretable neural activity is still insufficiently mature for practical applications. These limitations impede the development of clinical applications of Deep Learning. To address, these limitations we propose the RemOve-And-Retrain (ROAR) algorithm which supports the recovery of highly relevant features from any pre-trained deep neural network. In this study we evaluated the ROAR methodology and algorithm for the Face Emotion Recognition (FER) task, which is clinically applicable in the study of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We trained a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) from electroencephalography (EEG) signals and assessed the relevance of FER-elicited EEG features from individuals diagnosed with and without ASD. Specifically, we compared the ROAR reliability from well-known relevance maps such as Layer-Wise Relevance Propagation, PatternNet, Pattern-Attribution, and Smooth-Grad Squared. This study is the first to bridge previous neuroscience and ASD research findings to feature-relevance calculation for EEG-based emotion recognition with CNN in typically-development (TD) and in ASD individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel Mayor Torres
- Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, Povo, Trento, 1328, Italy.
| | | | - Tessa Clarkson
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1801 N Broad St, Philadelphia, 19122, PA, USA
| | - Matthew D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, StonyBrook University, 100 Nicolls Rd, 11794, NY, USA
| | - Giuseppe Riccardi
- Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, Povo, Trento, 1328, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mohapatra AN, Wagner S. The role of the prefrontal cortex in social interactions of animal models and the implications for autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1205199. [PMID: 37409155 PMCID: PMC10318347 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1205199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social interaction is a complex behavior which requires the individual to integrate various internal processes, such as social motivation, social recognition, salience, reward, and emotional state, as well as external cues informing the individual of others' behavior, emotional state and social rank. This complex phenotype is susceptible to disruption in humans affected by neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Multiple pieces of convergent evidence collected from studies of humans and rodents suggest that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a pivotal role in social interactions, serving as a hub for motivation, affiliation, empathy, and social hierarchy. Indeed, disruption of the PFC circuitry results in social behavior deficits symptomatic of ASD. Here, we review this evidence and describe various ethologically relevant social behavior tasks which could be employed with rodent models to study the role of the PFC in social interactions. We also discuss the evidence linking the PFC to pathologies associated with ASD. Finally, we address specific questions regarding mechanisms employed by the PFC circuitry that may result in atypical social interactions in rodent models, which future studies should address.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alok Nath Mohapatra
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Webb SJ, Naples AJ, Levin AR, Hellemann G, Borland H, Benton J, Carlos C, McAllister T, Santhosh M, Seow H, Atyabi A, Bernier R, Chawarska K, Dawson G, Dziura J, Faja S, Jeste S, Murias M, Nelson CA, Sabatos-DeVito M, Senturk D, Shic F, Sugar CA, McPartland JC. The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials: Initial Evaluation of a Battery of Candidate EEG Biomarkers. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:41-49. [PMID: 36000217 PMCID: PMC10027395 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.21050485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Numerous candidate EEG biomarkers have been put forward for use in clinical research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but biomarker development has been hindered by limited attention to the psychometric properties of derived variables, inconsistent results across small studies, and variable methodology. The authors evaluated the basic psychometric properties of a battery of EEG assays for their potential suitability as biomarkers in clinical trials. METHODS This was a large, multisite, naturalistic study in 6- to 11-year-old children who either had an ASD diagnosis (N=280) or were typically developing (N=119). The authors evaluated an EEG battery composed of well-studied assays of resting-state activity, face perception (faces task), biological motion perception, and visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Biomarker psychometrics were evaluated in terms of acquisition rates, construct performance, and 6-week stability. Preliminary evaluation of use was explored through group discrimination and phenotypic correlations. RESULTS Three assays (resting state, faces task, and VEP) show promise in terms of acquisition rates and construct performance. Six-week stability values in the ASD group were moderate (intraclass correlations ≥0.66) for the faces task latency of the P1 and N170, the VEP amplitude of N1 and P1, and resting alpha power. Group discrimination and phenotype correlations were primarily observed for the faces task P1 and N170. CONCLUSIONS In the context of a large-scale, rigorous evaluation of candidate EEG biomarkers for use in ASD clinical trials, neural response to faces emerged as a promising biomarker for continued evaluation. Resting-state activity and VEP yielded mixed results. The study's biological motion perception assay failed to display construct performance. The results provide information about EEG biomarker performance that is relevant for the next stage of biomarker development efforts focused on context of use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jane Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Adam J Naples
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - April R Levin
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Gerhard Hellemann
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Heather Borland
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Jessica Benton
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Carter Carlos
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Takumi McAllister
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Megha Santhosh
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Helen Seow
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Adham Atyabi
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Katarzyna Chawarska
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - James Dziura
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Susan Faja
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Michael Murias
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Maura Sabatos-DeVito
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Damla Senturk
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - Catherine A Sugar
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| | - James C McPartland
- Center for Child Health, Behavior, and Development and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle (Webb, Borland, Benton, Santhosh, Shic); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle (Webb, Bernier); Yale Child Study Center (Naples, Carlos, McAllister, Chawarska, McPartland), Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (Seow), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dziura), Yale University, New Haven, Conn.; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Levin); Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Levin); Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (Hellemann, Jeste, Senturk, Sugar) and Department of Biostatistics (Senturk, Sugar), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles; Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Atyabi); Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development (Dawson, Sabatos-DeVito) and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Dawson), Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard University, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston (Faja, Nelson); Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago (Murias); Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston (Nelson); Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle (Shic)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Learning and generalization of repetition-based rules in autism. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 87:1429-1438. [DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01761-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRule Learning (RL) allows us to extract and generalize high-order rules from a sequence of elements. Despite the critical role of RL in the acquisition of linguistic and social abilities, no study has investigated RL processes in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Here, we investigated RL in high-functioning autistic adolescents with ASD, examining whether their ability to extract and generalize rules from a sequence of visual elements is affected by the social vs. non-social nature of the stimulus and by visual working memory (WM). Using a forced-choice paradigm, ASD adolescents and typically developing (TD) peers were tested for their ability to detect and generalize high-order, repetition-based rules from visual sequences of simple non-social stimuli (shapes), complex non-social stimuli (inverted faces), and social stimuli (upright face). Both ASD and TD adolescents were able to generalize the rule they had learned to new stimuli, and their ability was modulated by the social nature of the stimuli and the complexity of the rule. Moreover, an association between RL and WM was found in the ASD, but not TD group, suggesting that ASD might have used additional or alternative strategies that relied on visual WM resources.
Collapse
|
9
|
Lin LY, Chi IJ, Sung YS. Mediating effect of sequential memory on the relationship between visual-motor integration and self-care performance in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychol 2022; 13:988493. [PMID: 36275205 PMCID: PMC9583898 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.988493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveVisual perception is a skill that contributes to the performance of self-care and important development tasks in early childhood. The relationship between self-care and visual perception is especially significant for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who have been described as visual learners. However, this relationship is not clearly understood among young children with ASD. We investigated the role of motor-free visual perception on the relationship between self-care and visual-motor integration in young children with ASD.MethodsA sample of 66 children with ASD aged 48 to 83 months were recruited. Measurements included the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, the Developmental Test of Visual Perception—Third Edition, and Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills—Third Edition.ResultsThe results indicated that self-care performance had significant positive correlations with visual-motor integration, visual discrimination, visual memory, visual spatial relationships, and visual sequential memory. Of these, visual sequential memory and visual spatial relationships were the main factors related to self-care performance. Sequential memory was a mediator of the relationship between visual-motor integration and self-care performance.ConclusionThis study establishes a deeper understanding of self-care and motor-free visual perception among young children with ASD. Understanding the relationship between visual perception and self-care in young children with ASD may aid professionals in providing self-care interventions for this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Yi Lin
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Ling-Yi Lin,
| | - I-Jou Chi
- Institute of Brain Science, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shan Sung
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Korisky A, Gordon I, Goldstein A. Oxytocin impacts top-down and bottom-up social perception in adolescents with ASD: a MEG study of neural connectivity. Mol Autism 2022; 13:36. [PMID: 36064612 PMCID: PMC9446859 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00513-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the last decade, accumulative evidence has shown that oxytocin can modulate social perception in typically developed individuals and individuals diagnosed with autism. While several studies show that oxytocin (OT) modulates neural activation in social-related neural regions, the mechanism that underlies OT effects in ASD is not fully known yet. Despite evidence from animal studies on connections between the oxytocinergic system and excitation/inhibition neural balance, the influence of OT on oscillatory responses among individuals with ASD has been rarely examined. To bridge these gaps in knowledge, we investigated the effects of OT on both social and non-social stimuli while focusing on its specific influence on the neural connectivity between three socially related neural regions—the left and right fusiform and the medial frontal cortex.
Methods Twenty-five adolescents with ASD participated in a wall-established social task during a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled MEG and OT administration study. Our main task was a social-related task that required the identification of social and non-social-related pictures. We hypothesized that OT would modulate the oscillatory connectivity between three pre-selected regions of interest to be more adaptive to social processing. Specifically, we focused on alpha and gamma bands which are known to play an important role in face processing and top-down/bottom-up balance.
Results Compared to placebo, OT reduced the connectivity between the medial frontal cortex and the fusiform in the low gamma more for social stimuli than for non-social ones, a reduction that was correlated with individuals’ performance in the task. Additionally, for both social and non-social stimuli, OT increased the connectivity in the alpha and beta bands. Limitations Sample size was determined based on sample sizes previously reported in MEG in clinical populations, especially OT administration studies in combination with neuroimaging in ASD. We were limited in our capability to recruit for such a study, and as such, the sample size was not based on a priori power analysis. Additionally, we limited our analyses to specific neural bands and regions. To validate the current results, future studies may be needed to explore other parameters using whole-brain approaches in larger samples. Conclusion These results suggest that OT influenced social perception by modifying the communication between frontal and posterior regions, an attenuation that potentially impacts both social and non-social early perception. We also show that OT influences differ between top-down and bottom-up processes, depending on the social context. Overall, by showing that OT influences both social-related perception and overall attention during early processing stages, we add new information to the existing understanding of the impact of OT on neural processing in ASD. Furthermore, by highlighting the influence of OT on early perception, we provide new directions for treatments for difficulties in early attentional phases in this population. Trial registration Registered on October 27, 2021—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT05096676 (details on clinical registration can be found in www.clinicalTrial.gov, unique identifier: NCT05096676). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00513-6.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adi Korisky
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ilanit Gordon
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel. .,Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.
| | - Abraham Goldstein
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abassi E, Papeo L. Behavioral and neural markers of visual configural processing in social scene perception. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119506. [PMID: 35878724 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on face perception has revealed highly specialized visual mechanisms such as configural processing, and provided markers of interindividual differences -including disease risks and alterations- in visuo-perceptual abilities that traffic in social cognition. Is face perception unique in degree or kind of mechanisms, and in its relevance for social cognition? Combining functional MRI and behavioral methods, we address the processing of an uncharted class of socially relevant stimuli: minimal social scenes involving configurations of two bodies spatially close and face-to-face as if interacting (hereafter, facing dyads). We report category-specific activity for facing (vs. non-facing) dyads in visual cortex. That activity shows face-like signatures of configural processing -i.e., stronger response to facing (vs. non-facing) dyads, and greater susceptibility to stimulus inversion for facing (vs. non-facing) dyads-, and is predicted by performance-based measures of configural processing in visual perception of body dyads. Moreover, we observe that the individual performance in body-dyad perception is reliable, stable-over-time and correlated with the individual social sensitivity, coarsely captured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. Further analyses clarify the relationship between single-body and body-dyad perception. We propose that facing dyads are processed through highly specialized mechanisms -and brain areas-, analogously to other biologically and socially relevant stimuli such as faces. Like face perception, facing-dyad perception can reveal basic (visual) processes that lay the foundations for understanding others, their relationships and interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Abassi
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives-Marc Jeannerod, UMR5229, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 67 Bd. Pinel, 69675 Bron France.
| | - Liuba Papeo
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives-Marc Jeannerod, UMR5229, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 67 Bd. Pinel, 69675 Bron France
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Swain RH, O'Hare AJ, Brandley K, Gardner AT. Individual differences in social intelligence and perception of emotion expression of masked and unmasked faces. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2022; 7:54. [PMID: 35763118 PMCID: PMC9240176 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-022-00408-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial expressions provide key information for successful social interactions. Recent research finds that accurate perception of emotion expressions decreases when faces are presented with face masks. What is unknown is how individual differences in social intelligence may influence perception of masked emotion expressions. In this study, participants (n = 224) completed an emotion perception task of face stimuli presented with and without face masks and completed two measures of social intelligence: the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS). Face masks were found to significantly decrease the accurate identification of emotion expressions, impacting the perception of disgust and sad expressions the most. Further, the type of emotion misattributed to facial expressions varied across expressions. Performance on the RMET test did predict perception accuracy, while scores on the TSIS did not. As face masks continue to be common globally, we must be aware that they cause interference with our social interactions and perceptions. Further, some individuals may be more negatively impacted by these effects than others. As such, it is important that we find ways to ensure that we are effectively communicating with one another and have patience when perception mistakes arise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riley H Swain
- Department of Psychological Science, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA
| | - Aminda J O'Hare
- Department of Psychological Science, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA.
| | - Kamila Brandley
- Department of Psychological Science, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA
| | - A Tye Gardner
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lubomirska A, Eldevik S, Eikeseth S, Riis S, Budzińska A. The development and validation of The Social Referencing Observation Scale as a screening instrument for autism spectrum disorder. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/bin.1894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lubomirska
- Institute for Child Development Gdansk Poland
- Oslo Metropolitan University Oslo Norway
| | | | | | - Stephan Riis
- Aalesund Hospital Møre and Romsdal Hospital Trust Møre and Romsdal Norway
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
van Noordt S, Desjardins JA, Elsabbagh M. Inter-trial theta phase consistency during face processing in infants is associated with later emerging autism. Autism Res 2022; 15:834-846. [PMID: 35348304 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2701] [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: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of research suggests that consistency in cortical activity may be a promising neurophysiological marker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study we examined inter-trial coherence, a measure of phase consistency across trials, in the theta range (t-ITC: 3-6 Hz), as theta has been implicated in the processing of social and emotional stimuli in infants and adults. The sample included infants who had an older sibling with a confirmed ASD diagnosis and typically developing (TD) infants with no family history of ASD. The data were collected as part of the British Autism Study of Infant Siblings (BASIS) study. Infants between 6 and 10 months of age (Mage = 7.34, SDage = 1.21) performed a visual face processing task that included faces and scrambled, "face noise", stimuli. Follow-up assessments in higher likelihood infants were completed at 24 and again at 36 months to determine diagnostic outcomes. Analysis focused on posterior t-ITC during early (0-200 ms) and late (200-500 ms) visual processing stages commonly investigated in infant studies. t-ITC over posterior scalp regions during late stage face processing was significantly higher in TD and higher likelihood infants without ASD (HRA-), indicating reduced consistency in theta-band responses in higher likelihood infants who eventually receive a diagnosis of ASD (HRA+). These findings indicate that the temporal dynamics of theta during face processing relate to ASD outcomes. Reduced consistency of oscillatory dynamics at basic levels of infant sensory processing could have downstream effects on learning and social communication. LAY SUMMARY: We examined the consistency in brain responses to faces in infants at lower or higher familial likelihood for autism. Our results show that the consistency of EEG responses was lower during face processing in higher likelihood infants who eventually received a diagnosis of autism. These findings highlight that reduced consistency in brain activity during face processing in the first year of life is related to emerging autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefon van Noordt
- Department of Psychology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada
| | - James A Desjardins
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, Azrieli Centre for Autism Research, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,SHARCNET, Compute Ontario, Compute Canada
| | -
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, Azrieli Centre for Autism Research, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Åsberg Johnels J, Hadjikhani N, Sundqvist M, Galazka MA. Face Processing in School Children with Dyslexia: Neuropsychological and Eye-tracking Findings. Dev Neuropsychol 2022; 47:78-92. [PMID: 35148650 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2022.2034828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental difficulty affecting reading, but recent data in adults suggest that difficulties also extend to face processing. Here, we tested face processing in school children with and without dyslexia, using eye-tracking and neuropsychological tests. Children with dyslexia didn't differ significantly from controls in face gaze patterns, face memory, or face identification accuracy. However, they were slower and more heterogeneous, with larger within-group variance than controls. Increased gaze patterns toward the eyes were associated with better face memory in controls. We discuss the possible role of experiential factors in prior research linking dyslexia and face processing differences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Section of Speech and Language Pathology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Harvard Medical School/MGH/MIT, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maria Sundqvist
- Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Martyna A Galazka
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Webb SJ, Emerman I, Sugar C, Senturk D, Naples AJ, Faja S, Benton J, Borland H, Carlos C, Levin AR, McAllister T, Santhosh M, Bernier RA, Chawarska K, Dawson G, Dziura J, Jeste S, Kleinhans N, Murias M, Sabatos-DeVito M, Shic F, McPartland JC. Identifying Age Based Maturation in the ERP Response to Faces in Children With Autism: Implications for Developing Biomarkers for Use in Clinical Trials. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:841236. [PMID: 35615454 PMCID: PMC9126041 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.841236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent proposals have suggested the potential for neural biomarkers to improve clinical trial processes in neurodevelopmental conditions; however, few efforts have identified whether chronological age-based adjustments will be necessary (as used in standardized behavioral assessments). Event-related potentials (ERPs) demonstrate early differences in the processing of faces vs. objects in the visual processing system by 4 years of age and age-based improvement (decreases in latency) through adolescence. Additionally, face processing has been proposed to be related to social skills as well as autistic social-communication traits. While previous reports suggest delayed latency in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), extensive individual and age based heterogeneity exists. In this report, we utilize a sample of 252 children with ASD and 118 children with typical development (TD), to assess the N170 and P100 ERP component latencies (N170L and P100L, respectively), to upright faces, the face specificity effect (difference between face and object processing), and the inversion effect (difference between face upright and inverted processing) in relation to age. First, linear mixed models (LMMs) were fitted with fixed effect of age at testing and random effect of participant, using all available data points to characterize general age-based development in the TD and ASD groups. Second, LMM models using only the TD group were used to calculate age-based residuals in both groups. The purpose of residualization was to assess how much variation in ASD participants could be accounted for by chronological age-related changes. Our data demonstrate that the N170L and P100L responses to upright faces appeared to follow a roughly linear relationship with age. In the ASD group, the distribution of the age-adjusted residual values suggest that ASD participants were more likely to demonstrate slower latencies than would be expected for a TD child of the same age, similar to what has been identified using unadjusted values. Lastly, using age-adjusted values for stratification, we found that children who demonstrated slowed age-adjusted N170L had lower verbal and non-verbal IQ and worse face memory. These data suggest that age must be considered in assessing the N170L and P100L response to upright faces as well, and these adjusted values may be used to stratify children within the autism spectrum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jane Webb
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Iris Emerman
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Catherine Sugar
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Damla Senturk
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Adam J Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Susan Faja
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jessica Benton
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Heather Borland
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Carter Carlos
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - April R Levin
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Takumi McAllister
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Megha Santhosh
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - James Dziura
- Yale Center for Clinical Investigation, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Natalia Kleinhans
- Center on Human Development and Disabilities, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Michael Murias
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Maura Sabatos-DeVito
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, & Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Nakagami A, Yasue M, Nakagaki K, Nakamura M, Kawai N, Ichinohe N. Reduced childhood social attention in autism model marmosets predicts impaired social skills and inflexible behavior in adulthood. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:885433. [PMID: 35958665 PMCID: PMC9357878 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.885433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication impairments and restricted and repetitive behavior. Although there is currently no established cure for ASD, early interventions for deficits of attention to other individuals are expected to reduce the progression of ASD symptoms in later life. To confirm this hypothesis and improve early therapeutic interventions, it is desirable to develop an animal model of ASD in which social attention is impaired in childhood and ASD-like social behavior is observed in adulthood. However, rodent models of ASD have difficulty in recapitulating the deficit of gaze-based social attention. In this study, we examined the direction of gaze toward other conspecifics during childhood and puberty in a three-chamber test setting using an ASD marmoset model produced by maternal exposure to valproic acid (VPA). We also conducted a reversal learning test in adult VPA-exposed marmosets as an indicator of perseveration, a core symptom of ASD that has not previously been investigated in this model. The results showed that time spent gazing at other conspecifics was reduced in VPA-exposed marmosets in childhood, and that mature animals persisted with previous strategies that required long days for acquisition to pass the test. In a longitudinal study using the same animals, deficits in social attention in childhood correlated well with ASD-like social disturbance (inequity aversion and third-party reciprocity) and inflexible behavior in adulthood. Since VPA-exposed marmosets exhibit these diverse ASD-like behaviors that are consistent from childhood to adulthood, VPA-exposed marmosets will provide a valuable means of elucidating mechanisms for early intervention and contribute to the development of early therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Nakagami
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.,Department of Psychology, Japan Women's University, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Miyuki Yasue
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Keiko Nakagaki
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Madoka Nakamura
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kawai
- Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Academy of Emerging Science, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Noritaka Ichinohe
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Deltort N, Swendsen J, Bouvard M, Cazalets JR, Amestoy A. The enfacement illusion in autism spectrum disorder: How interpersonal multisensory stimulation influences facial recognition of the self. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:946066. [PMID: 36405905 PMCID: PMC9669257 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.946066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
At its most basic level, the sense of self is built upon awareness of one's body and the face holds special significance as the individual's most important and distinctive physical feature. Multimodal sensory integration is pivotal to experiencing one's own body as a coherent visual "self" representation is formed and maintained by matching felt and observed sensorimotor experiences in the mirror. While difficulties in individual facial identity recognition and in both self-referential cognition and empathy are frequently reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), studying the effect of multimodal sensory stimulation in this population is of relevant interest. The present study investigates for the first time the specific effect on Interpersonal Multisensory Stimulation (IMS) on face self-recognition in a sample of 30 adults with (n = 15) and without (n = 15) ASD, matched on age and sex. The results demonstrate atypical self-face recognition and absence of IMS effects (enfacement illusion) in adults with ASD compared to controls, indicating that multisensory integration failed in updating cognitive representations of one's own face among persons with this disorder. The results are discussed in the light of other findings indicating alterations in body enfacement illusion and automatic imitation in ASD as well as in the context of the theories of procedural perception and multisensory integration alterations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Deltort
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Centre hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Joël Swendsen
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Manuel Bouvard
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Centre hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-René Cazalets
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Anouck Amestoy
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France.,Centre hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle universitaire de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Masedu F, Vagnetti R, Pino MC, Valenti M, Mazza M. Comparison of Visual Fixation Trajectories in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development: A Markov Chain Model. Brain Sci 2021; 12:10. [PMID: 35053753 PMCID: PMC8773751 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition in which visual attention and visual search strategies are altered. Eye-tracking paradigms have been used to detect these changes. In our study, 18 toddlers with ASD and 18 toddlers with typical development (TD; age range 12-36 months) underwent an eye-tracking paradigm where a face was shown together with a series of objects. Eye gaze was coded according to three areas of interest (AOIs) indicating where the toddlers' gaze was directed: 'Face', 'Object', and 'No-stimulus fixation'. The fixation sequence for the ASD and TD groups was modelled with a Markov chain model, obtaining transition probabilities between AOIs. Our results indicate that the transition between AOIs could differentiate between toddlers with ASD or TD, highlighting different visual exploration patterns between the groups. The sequence of exploration is strictly conditioned based on previous fixations, among which 'No-stimulus fixation' has a critical role in differentiating the two groups. Furthermore, our analyses underline difficulties of individuals with ASD to engage in stimulus exploration. These results could improve clinical and interventional practice by considering this dimension among the evaluation process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Masedu
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
| | - Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
| | - Maria Chiara Pino
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Marco Valenti
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Monica Mazza
- Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (F.M.); (M.C.P.); (M.V.); (M.M.)
- Regional Reference Centre for Autism of the Abruzzo Region, Local Health Unit ASL 1, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Adiletta A, Pedrana S, Rosa-Salva O, Sgadò P. Spontaneous Visual Preference for Face-Like Stimuli Is Impaired in Newly-Hatched Domestic Chicks Exposed to Valproic Acid During Embryogenesis. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:733140. [PMID: 34858146 PMCID: PMC8632556 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.733140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Faces convey a great amount of socially relevant information related to emotional and mental states, identity and intention. Processing of face information is a key mechanism for social and cognitive development, such that newborn babies are already tuned to recognize and orient to faces and simple schematic face-like patterns since the first hours of life. Similar to neonates, also non-human primates and domestic chicks have been shown to express orienting responses to faces and schematic face-like patterns. More importantly, existing studies have hypothesized that early disturbances of these mechanisms represent one of the earliest biomarker of social deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We used VPA exposure to induce neurodevelopmental changes associated with ASD in domestic chicks and tested whether VPA could impact the expression of the animals’ approach responses to schematic face-like stimuli. We found that VPA impairs the chicks’ preference responses to these social stimuli. Based on the results shown here and on previous studies, we propose the domestic chick as animal model to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying face processing deficits in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Adiletta
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Samantha Pedrana
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Orsola Rosa-Salva
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Paola Sgadò
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
McCracken JT, Anagnostou E, Arango C, Dawson G, Farchione T, Mantua V, McPartland J, Murphy D, Pandina G, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Drug development for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Progress, challenges, and future directions. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 48:3-31. [PMID: 34158222 PMCID: PMC10062405 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In 2017, facing lack of progress and failures encountered in targeted drug development for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders, the ISCTM with the ECNP created the ASD Working Group charged to identify barriers to progress and recommending research strategies for the field to gain traction. Working Group international academic, regulatory and industry representatives held multiple in-person meetings, teleconferences, and subgroup communications to gather a wide range of perspectives on lessons learned from extant studies, current challenges, and paths for fundamental advances in ASD therapeutics. This overview delineates the barriers identified, and outlines major goals for next generation biomedical intervention development in ASD. Current challenges for ASD research are many: heterogeneity, lack of validated biomarkers, need for improved endpoints, prioritizing molecular targets, comorbidities, and more. The Working Group emphasized cautious but unwavering optimism for therapeutic progress for ASD core features given advances in the basic neuroscience of ASD and related disorders. Leveraging genetic data, intermediate phenotypes, digital phenotyping, big database discovery, refined endpoints, and earlier intervention, the prospects for breakthrough treatments are substantial. Recommendations include new priorities for expanded research funding to overcome challenges in translational clinical ASD therapeutic research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James T McCracken
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States.
| | | | - Celso Arango
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Univesitario Gregorio Maranon, and School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Tiffany Farchione
- Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Valentina Mantua
- Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | | | - Declan Murphy
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Gahan Pandina
- Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development, Pennington, New Jersey, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
The Effect of Comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms on Face Memory in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Insights from Transdiagnostic Profiles. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070859. [PMID: 34203375 PMCID: PMC8301798 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Face memory impairments are common but heterogeneous in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which may be influenced by co-occurrence with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here, we aimed to investigate the phenotype change of face memory in children with ASD comorbid ADHD symptoms, and discuss the potential role of executive function (EF). Ninety-eight children were analyzed in the present study, including ASD- (ASD-only, n = 24), ADHD (n = 23), ASD+ (with ADHD symptoms, n = 23) and neurotypical controls (NTC, n = 28). All participants completed two tests: face encoding and retrieving task and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for measuring face memory and EF, respectively. Results revealed that: compared with the NTC group, children with ASD- exhibited lower accuracy in both face encoding and retrieving, and participants with ASD+ showed lower accuracy only in the retrieving, whereas no differences were found among participants with ADHD. Moreover, in the ASD+ group, face encoding performance was correlated with response perseverative errors (RPE) and failure to maintain sets (FMS) of WCST; significantly, there were no group differences between ASD+ and NTC in these two indices. The transdiagnostic profiles indicated that comorbid ADHD symptoms could modulate the face encoding deficiency of ASD, which may be partially compensated by EF. Shared and distinct intervention strategies to improve social cognition are recommended for children undergoing treatment for each condition.
Collapse
|
23
|
Hudac CM, Santhosh M, Celerian C, Chung KM, Jung W, Webb SJ. The Role of Racial and Developmental Experience on Emotional Adaptive Coding in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dev Neuropsychol 2021; 46:93-108. [PMID: 33719788 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2021.1900192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensitivity to emotional face aids in rapid detection and evaluation of others, such that by school-age, children and youth exhibit adult-like patterns when the prolonged viewing of an emotional face distorts the perception of a subsequent face. However, the developmental considerations of this phenomenon (known as emotional adaptive coding) are unclear given ongoing maturational and experiential changes, including the influence of own-race experiences or the lack of face expertise, as is evident in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study addressed whether emotional adaptive coding is sensitive to factors of face perception expertise, specifically self-race and developmental experience, in adults (age 19-28 years) and youth (age 10-16 years). Emotional adaptive coding was not influenced by race expertise (i.e., other versus same race identity) in White and Asian adults. Emotional adaptation coding during childhood and adolescence is consistent with adults, though youth with ASD exhibited stronger adaptor after-effects in response to other-race faces, relative to TD youth and adults. By extending prior work to examine the integration of race and emotional adaptive coding in ASD, we discovered that the strength of response in ASD is atypical when viewing other-race faces, which clarifies the role of racial and facial experience on emotional face adaption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Hudac
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention and Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, United States
| | - Megha Santhosh
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, United States
| | - Casey Celerian
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, United States
| | | | - Woohyun Jung
- Department of Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Otter M, Crins PML, Campforts BCM, Stumpel CTRM, van Amelsvoort TAMJ, Vingerhoets C. Social functioning and emotion recognition in adults with triple X syndrome. BJPsych Open 2021; 7:e51. [PMID: 33583482 PMCID: PMC8058878 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2021.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triple X syndrome (TXS) is caused by aneuploidy of the X chromosome and is associated with impaired social functioning in children; however, its effect on social functioning and emotion recognition in adults is poorly understood. AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate social functioning and emotion recognition in adults with TXS. METHOD This cross-sectional cohort study was designed to compare social functioning and emotion recognition between adults with TXS (n = 34) and an age-matched control group (n = 31). Social functioning was assessed with the Adult Behavior Checklist and Social Responsiveness Scale for Adults. Emotion recognition was assessed with the Emotion Recognition Task in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Differences were analysed by Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS Compared with controls, women with TXS scored higher on the Adult Behavior Checklist, including the Withdrawn scale (P < 0.001, effect size 0.4) and Thought Problems scale (P < 0.001, effect size 0.4); and higher on the Social Responsiveness Scale for Adults, indicating impaired social functioning (P < 0.001, effect size 0.5). In addition, women with TXS performed worse on the Emotion Recognition Task, particularly with respect to recognising sadness (P < 0.005, effect size 0.4), fear (P < 0.01, effect size 0.4) and disgust (P < 0.02, effect size 0.3). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that adults with TXS have a higher prevalence of impaired social functioning and emotion recognition. These results highlight the relevance of sex chromosome aneuploidy as a potential model for studying disorders characterised by social impairments such as autism spectrum disorder, particularly among women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Otter
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Department of Forensic Psychiatry & Mild Intellectual Disabilities, STEVIG, The Netherlands; and Department of Community Mental Health in Mild Intellectual Disabilities, Trajectum, The Netherlands
| | - Peter M L Crins
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | - Bea C M Campforts
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | - Constance T R M Stumpel
- Department of Clinical Genetics and School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
| | - Thérèse A M J van Amelsvoort
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia Vingerhoets
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands; Heeren Loo Zorggroep, The Netherlands; and Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Mercado E, Chow K, Church BA, Lopata C. Perceptual category learning in autism spectrum disorder: Truth and consequences. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:689-703. [PMID: 32910926 PMCID: PMC7744437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The ability to categorize is fundamental to cognitive development. Some categories emerge effortlessly and rapidly while others can take years of experience to acquire. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often able to name and sort objects, suggesting that their categorization abilities are largely intact. However, recent experimental work shows that the categories formed by individuals with ASD may diverge substantially from those that most people learn. This review considers how atypical perceptual category learning can affect cognitive development in children with ASD and how atypical categorization may contribute to many of the socially problematic symptoms associated with this disorder. Theoretical approaches to understanding perceptual processing and category learning at both the behavioral and neural levels are assessed in relation to known alterations in perceptual category learning associated with ASD. Mismatches between the ways in which children learn to organize perceived events relative to their peers and adults can accumulate over time, leading to difficulties in communication, social interactions, academic performance, and behavioral flexibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Mercado
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Dept. of Psychology, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA.
| | - Karen Chow
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Dept. of Psychology, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Barbara A Church
- Georgia State University, Language Research Center, 3401 Panthersville Rd., Decatur, GA, 30034, USA
| | - Christopher Lopata
- Canisius College, Institute for Autism Research, Science Hall, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, NY, 14208, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Minio-Paluello I, Porciello G, Pascual-Leone A, Baron-Cohen S. Face individual identity recognition: a potential endophenotype in autism. Mol Autism 2020; 11:81. [PMID: 33081830 PMCID: PMC7576748 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00371-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Face individual identity recognition skill is heritable and independent of intellectual ability. Difficulties in face individual identity recognition are present in autistic individuals and their family members and are possibly linked to oxytocin polymorphisms in families with an autistic child. While it is reported that developmental prosopagnosia (i.e., impaired face identity recognition) occurs in 2-3% of the general population, no prosopagnosia prevalence estimate is available for autism. Furthermore, an autism within-group approach has not been reported towards characterizing impaired face memory and to investigate its possible links to social and communication difficulties. METHODS The present study estimated the prevalence of prosopagnosia in 80 autistic adults with no intellectual disability, investigated its cognitive characteristics and links to autism symptoms' severity, personality traits, and mental state understanding from the eye region by using standardized tests and questionnaires. RESULTS More than one third of autistic participants showed prosopagnosia. Their face memory skill was not associated with their symptom's severity, empathy, alexithymia, or general intelligence. Face identity recognition was instead linked to mental state recognition from the eye region only in autistic individuals who had prosopagnosia, and this relationship did not depend on participants' basic face perception skills. Importantly, we found that autistic participants were not aware of their face memory skills. LIMITATIONS We did not test an epidemiological sample, and additional work is necessary to establish whether these results generalize to the entire autism spectrum. CONCLUSIONS Impaired face individual identity recognition meets the criteria to be a potential endophenotype in autism. In the future, testing for face memory could be used to stratify autistic individuals into genetically meaningful subgroups and be translatable to autism animal models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Minio-Paluello
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giuseppina Porciello
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Guttmann Brain Health Institute, Institut Guttmann de Neurorehabilitació, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Skewes JC, Kemp T, Paton B, Hohwy J. How are attention, learning, and social cognition related on the non-clinical autistic spectrum? Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 210:103157. [PMID: 32801071 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - and autistic traits more generally - are associated with a heterogeneous pattern of differences in cognitive function. These include differences in associative learning, attention, and processing of social information. All three cognitive functions have importance in clinical, educational, and research contexts. The present study investigates the relationships between these functions in the context of autistic traits in the neurotypical population. In an online study, we asked a group of over 400 people to complete the Autism Spectrum Quotient questionnaire. We also asked participants to complete one of two standard attentional learning paradigms - either a Kamin blocking or an attentional highlighting task. To investigate the relation of attention and learning to social information processing, we incorporated social cues in one of each kind of paradigm. We found Kamin blocking increased with increasing number of autistic traits, in particular the sub-trait attention switching, but only for non-social cues. We found that highlighting decreased with increasing number of traits, in particular the sub-trait communication, but only for social cues. We interpret these findings as evidence of a crucial role for attention in other characteristics of the broader autistic phenotype, and discuss the relevance of these results for cognitive explanations of autistic traits and symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C Skewes
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Denmark; Interacting Minds Centre, Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Denmark.
| | - Tony Kemp
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia
| | - Bryan Paton
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia; Cognition and Philosophy Lab, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jakob Hohwy
- Cognition and Philosophy Lab, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Jiang M, Francis SM, Tseng A, Srishyla D, DuBois M, Beard K, Conelea C, Zhao Q, Jacob S. Predicting Core Characteristics of ASD Through Facial Emotion Recognition and Eye Tracking in Youth. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2020; 2020:871-875. [PMID: 33018123 DOI: 10.1109/embc44109.2020.9176843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) with a high rate of comorbidity. The implementation of eye-tracking methodologies has informed behavioral and neurophysiological patterns of visual processing across ASD and comorbid NDDs. In this study, we propose a machine learning method to predict measures of two core ASD characteristics: impaired social interactions and communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped behaviors and interests. Our method extracts behavioral features from task performance and eye-tracking data collected during a facial emotion recognition paradigm. We achieved high regression accuracy using a Random Forest regressor trained to predict scores on the SRS-2 and RBS-R assessments; this approach may serve as a classifier for ASD diagnosis.
Collapse
|
29
|
Hauschild KM, Felsman P, Keifer CM, Lerner MD. Evidence of an Own-Age Bias in Facial Emotion Recognition for Adolescents With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:428. [PMID: 32581859 PMCID: PMC7286307 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A common interpretation of the face-processing deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is that they arise from a failure to develop normative levels of perceptual expertise. One indicator of perceptual expertise for faces is the own-age bias, operationalized as a processing advantage for faces of one's own age, presumably due to more frequent contact and experience. This effect is especially evident in domains of face recognition memory but less commonly investigated in social-emotional expertise (e.g., facial emotion recognition; FER), where individuals with ASD have shown consistent deficits. In the present study, we investigated whether a FER task would elicit an own-age bias for individuals with and without ASD and explored how the magnitude of an own-age bias may differ as a function of ASD status and symptoms. Ninety-two adolescents (63 male) between the ages of 11 and 14 years completed the child- and adult-face subtests of a standardized FER task. Overall FER accuracy was found to differ by ASD severity, reflecting poorer performance for those with increased symptoms. Results also indicated that an own-age bias was evident, reflecting greater FER performance for child compared to adult faces, for all adolescents regardless of ASD status or symptoms. However, the strength of the observed own-age bias did not differ by ASD status or severity. Findings suggest that face processing abilities of adolescents with ASD may be influenced by experience with specific categories of stimuli, similar to their typically developing peers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Hauschild
- Social Competence and Treatment Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Peter Felsman
- Social Competence and Treatment Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Cara M. Keifer
- Social Competence and Treatment Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Matthew D. Lerner
- Social Competence and Treatment Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Shephard E, Milosavljevic B, Mason L, Elsabbagh M, Tye C, Gliga T, Jones EJ, Charman T, Johnson MH. Neural and behavioural indices of face processing in siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A longitudinal study from infancy to mid-childhood. Cortex 2020; 127:162-179. [PMID: 32200288 PMCID: PMC7254063 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Impaired face processing is proposed to play a key role in the early development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to be an endophenotypic trait which indexes genetic risk for the disorder. However, no published work has examined the development of face processing abilities from infancy into the school-age years and how they relate to ASD symptoms in individuals with or at high-risk for ASD. In this novel study we investigated neural and behavioural measures of face processing at age 7 months and again in mid-childhood (age 7 years) as well as social-communication and sensory symptoms in siblings at high (n = 42) and low (n = 35) familial risk for ASD. In mid-childhood, high-risk siblings showed atypical P1 and N170 event-related potential correlates of face processing and, for high-risk boys only, poorer face and object recognition ability compared to low-risk siblings. These neural and behavioural atypicalities were associated with each other and with higher social-communication and sensory symptoms in mid-childhood. Additionally, more atypical neural correlates of object (but not face) processing in infancy were associated with less right-lateralised (more atypical) N170 amplitudes and greater social-communication problems in mid-childhood. The implications for models of face processing in ASD are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Shephard
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Bosiljka Milosavljevic
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurology Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Canada
| | - Charlotte Tye
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Teodora Gliga
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK; University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Emily Jh Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Mark H Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, UK; Department of Psychology, Cambridge University, UK
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Kuno-Fujita A, Iwabuchi T, Wakusawa K, Ito H, Suzuki K, Shigetomi A, Hirotaka K, Tsujii M, Tsuchiya KJ. Sensory Processing Patterns and Fusiform Activity During Face Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2020; 13:741-750. [PMID: 32058662 PMCID: PMC7317875 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2283] [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: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence has indicated that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit abnormal reactions to sensory stimuli and impaired face processing. Although behavioral studies have reported that individual differences in sensory processing patterns are correlated with performance in face processing tasks, the neural substrates underlying the association between sensory processing patterns and face processing remain unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study examined the relationships between sensory processing patterns assessed with the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and brain activity during a one‐back task with two types of stimuli (face or house pictures). We enrolled 18 Japanese adults with ASD and 19 age‐ and IQ‐matched controls. Sensation Avoiding scores, which were assessed using the AASP, were positively correlated with right fusiform activity during the presentation of pictures of faces in the ASD group, but not in the control group. This suggests that abnormal sensory processing patterns in ASD are associated with abnormal face‐related brain activity, possibly resulting in impaired face processing. Autism Res 2020, 13: 741–750. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary Sensory abnormalities are one of the most common symptoms in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study shows that individuals with ASD who react abnormally to sensory stimuli also exhibit atypical brain activity when recognizing faces. Abnormal sensory processing may partly explain the difficulty that people diagnosed with ASD have in identifying others' faces.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayaka Kuno-Fujita
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Toshiki Iwabuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Keisuke Wakusawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Miyagi Children's Hospital, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Ito
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Department of Contemporary Education, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan
| | - Katsuaki Suzuki
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Ogasa Hospital, Kakegawa, Japan
| | | | - Kosaka Hirotaka
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Masatsugu Tsujii
- School of Contemporary Sociology, Chukyo University, Toyota, Japan
| | - Kenji J Tsuchiya
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,United Graduate School of Child Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Chakrabarty M, Wada M. Perceptual effects of fast and automatic visual ensemble statistics from faces in individuals with typical development and autism spectrum conditions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2169. [PMID: 32034204 PMCID: PMC7005810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58971-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether covert ensembles of high- (emotion), and low-level (brightness) visual information, extracted from peripheral faces (presentation/encoding:200 ms), unintentionally influences perception of a central target face stimulus in individuals typically developing (TD) and with autism spectrum condition (ASC). Graded alterations in the summary intensities of the emotion and brightness of the peripheral stimuli modulated the perceptions of the target face in both TD and ASC. In contrast, when we measured goal-directed (overt) ensemble face- emotion and brightness perception, we found that in half of ASC the overt ensemble emotion perception was impaired than TD. Additionally, we repeated both experiments with a backward visual mask to restrict not just encoding but also background processing in the visual system to 200 ms. This revealed that the effect of peripheral ensembles on centre perception was present only with brightness at least in TD but of overt ensembles was evident with both emotion and brightness in TD and ASC alike. These results suggest that while ensemble statistics of low-level information derived automatically and rapidly (200 ms) from contextualized faces are used for target face perception, the same takes longer with high-level information. However, overt facial ensembles are rapidly processed in both TD and ASC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mrinmoy Chakrabarty
- Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, 359-8555, Japan
- Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-D), Okhla Industrial Estate,Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Makoto Wada
- Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, 359-8555, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Seghatol-Eslami VC, Maximo JO, Ammons CJ, Libero LE, Kana RK. Hyperconnectivity of social brain networks in autism during action-intention judgment. Neuropsychologia 2020; 137:107303. [PMID: 31837376 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in social communication in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been documented using neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI over the past decade. More recently, functional connectivity MRI has revealed altered connectivity in face processing, mentalizing, and mirroring brain networks, networks involved in the social brain in ASD. However, to our knowledge, previous studies have not examined these three networks concurrently. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the functional connectivity of the face processing, mentalizing, and mirroring networks (within each network and across networks) in ASD during an action-intention task in which participants were asked to determine the means and intention of a model's actions. We examined: a) within-network connectivity of each network using an ROI-to-ROI analysis; b) connectivity of each network hub to the rest of the brain using a seed-to-voxel analysis; c) the between-network connectivity of each network hub using ROI-to-ROI analysis; and d) brain-behavior relationships by correlating autism symptoms with brain connectivity. Task-fMRI data were used from 21 participants with ASD and 20 typically developing participants. The ASD group consistently showed significantly greater connectivity between networks and between hub regions to the rest of the brain. Hyperconnectivity in ASD may entail more and widespread resource utilization for accomplishing action-intention judgment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria C Seghatol-Eslami
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Jose O Maximo
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Carla J Ammons
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Lauren E Libero
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Box 870348, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35294-0021, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Hanley M, Riby DM, Derges MJ, Douligeri A, Philyaw Z, Ikeda T, Monden Y, Shimoizumi H, Yamagata T, Hirai M. Does culture shape face perception in autism? Cross-cultural evidence of the own-race advantage from the UK and Japan. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12942. [PMID: 31981278 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12942] [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: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with face perception atypicalities, and atypical experience with faces has been proposed as an underlying explanation. Studying the own-race advantage (ORA) for face recognition can reveal the effect of experience on face perception in ASD, although the small number of studies in the area present mixed findings. This study probed the ORA in ASD by comparing two cultural groups simultaneously for the first time. Children with ASD in the UK (N = 16) and Japan (N = 26) were compared with age- and ability-matched typically developing (TD) children in the UK (N = 16) and Japan (N = 26). Participants completed a two-alternative forced-choice task, whereby they had to recognize a just seen face from a foil which was manipulated in one of four ways (IC: identity change; EE: easy eyes; HE: hard eyes; HM: hard mouth). Face stimuli were Asian and Caucasian, and thus the same stimuli were own and other race depending on the cultural group. The ASD groups in the UK and Japan did not show impaired face recognition abilities, or impairments with recognizing faces depending on manipulations to the eye region, and importantly they showed an ORA. There was considerable heterogeneity in the presence of the ORA in ASD and TD and also across cultures. Children in Japan had higher accuracy than children in the UK, and TD children in Japan did not show an ORA. This cross-cultural study challenges the view that atypical experiences with faces lead to a reduced/absent ORA in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Hanley
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK.,Centre for Developmental Disorders, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Deborah M Riby
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK.,Centre for Developmental Disorders, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | | | | | | | - Takahiro Ikeda
- Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Yukifumi Monden
- Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.,International University of Health and Welfare Hospital, Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Hideo Shimoizumi
- International University of Health and Welfare Rehabilitation Center, Nasu Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Otawara, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Takanori Yamagata
- Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Masahiro Hirai
- Center for Development of Advanced Medical Technology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.,Centre for Developmental Disorders, Durham University, Durham, UK
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Differences in the Late Positive Potential and P300 to Emotional Faces in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 49:5009-5022. [PMID: 31486998 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04207-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite evidence suggesting differences in early event-related potential (ERP) responses to social emotional stimuli, little is known about later stage ERP contributions to social emotional processing in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adults with and without ASD completed a facial emotion recognition task involving stimuli that varied by emotional intensity while electroencephalograms were recorded. Principal components analysis was used to examine P300 and late positive potential (LPP) modulation by emotional intensity. Results indicated that greater ASD symptomatology evinced heightened P300 to high relative to low intensity faces, then heightened LPP to low relative to high intensity faces. Findings suggest that adults with greater ASD symptomatology may demonstrate a lag in engagement in elaborative processing of low intensity faces.
Collapse
|
36
|
Wang Q, Wall CA, Barney EC, Bradshaw JL, Macari SL, Chawarska K, Shic F. Promoting social attention in 3-year-olds with ASD through gaze-contingent eye tracking. Autism Res 2020; 13:61-73. [PMID: 31468735 PMCID: PMC7256927 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) look less toward faces compared to their non-ASD peers, limiting access to social learning. Currently, no technologies directly target these core social attention difficulties. This study examines the feasibility of automated gaze modification training for improving attention to faces in 3-year-olds with ASD. Using free-viewing data from typically developing (TD) controls (n = 41), we implemented gaze-contingent adaptive cueing to redirect children with ASD toward normative looking patterns during viewing of videos of an actress. Children with ASD were randomly assigned to either (a) an adaptive Cue condition (Cue, n = 16) or (b) a No-Cue condition (No-Cue, n = 19). Performance was examined at baseline, during training, and post-training, and contrasted with TD controls (n = 23). Proportion of time looking at the screen (%Screen) and at actresses' faces (%Face) was analyzed. At Pre-Training, Cue and No-Cue groups did not differ in %Face (P > 0.1). At Post-Training, the Cue group had higher %Face than the No-Cue group (P = 0.015). In the No-Cue group %Face decreased Pre- to Post-Training; no decline was observed in the Cue group. These results suggest gaze-contingent training effectively mitigated decreases of attention toward the face of onscreen social characters in ASD. Additionally, larger training effects were observed in children with lower nonverbal ability, suggesting a gaze-contingent approach may be particularly relevant for children with greater cognitive impairment. This work represents development toward new social attention therapeutic systems that could augment current behavioral interventions. Autism Res 2020, 13: 61-73. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: In this study, we leverage a new technology that combines eye tracking and automatic computer programs to help very young children with ASD look at social information in a more prototypical way. In a randomized controlled trial, we show that the use of this technology prevents the diminishing attention toward social information normally seen in children with ASD over the course of a single experimental session. This work represents development toward new social attention therapeutic systems that could augment current behavioral interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Quan Wang
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Carla A Wall
- Department of School Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Erin C Barney
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jessica L Bradshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Suzanne L Macari
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Katarzyna Chawarska
- Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Peterson JL, Earl R, Fox EA, Ma R, Haidar G, Pepper M, Berliner L, Wallace A, Bernier R. Trauma and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Review, Proposed Treatment Adaptations and Future Directions. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2019; 12:529-547. [PMID: 31819782 PMCID: PMC6901292 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-019-00253-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Empirical investigations of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are lacking despite indications of increased risk for exposure to potentially traumatic events in this population. Research on the treatment of traumatic stress psychopathology in ASD is even more limited and suggests a critical need for guidance in the area of ASD-specific treatment adaptations. The current paper provides preliminary recommendations for adapting current evidenced-based, trauma-specific interventions, specifically trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), for individuals with ASD based on well-established and evidence-based practices for working with this population. These adaptations highlight the need to incorporate treatment goals related to ASD core symptoms and associated characteristics during treatment targeting traumatic stress symptoms. Future directions are discussed, including the development of instruments measuring trauma reactions in ASD, empirical investigations of modified trauma interventions for children with ASD to evaluate effectiveness, and collaboration between professionals specializing in ASD and trauma/PTSD to advance research and facilitate effective care for this community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Peterson
- Seattle Children's Autism Center, , 4909 25th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105, M/S CAC, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98145-5005
| | - Rachel Earl
- University of Washington, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences / Seattle Children's Hospital
| | - Emily A Fox
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA / Seattle Children's Hospital, M/S CAC PO Box 5371, 508.851.0996
| | - Ruqian Ma
- University of Washington College of Education and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Ghina Haidar
- University of Washington College of Education & Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Micah Pepper
- University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Lucy Berliner
- University of Washington Medicine, Mailing Address: 325 Ninth Avenue, MS 359947 Seattle, WA 98104, 206 744-1600 (main line)
| | - Arianne Wallace
- University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, CHDD Box 357920, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, ,
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Ewen JB, Sweeney JA, Potter WZ. Conceptual, Regulatory and Strategic Imperatives in the Early Days of EEG-Based Biomarker Validation for Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 13:45. [PMID: 31496945 PMCID: PMC6712089 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological treatment development for syndromal neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism has seen slow progress for decades. Speeding drug discovery may result from the judicious development and application of biomarker measures of brain function to select patients for clinical trials, to confirm target engagement and to optimize drug dose. For neurodevelopmental disorders, electrophysiology (EEG) offers considerable promise because of its ability to monitor brain activity with high temporal resolution and its more ready application for pediatric populations relative to MRI. Here, we discuss conceptual/definitional issues related to biomarker development, discuss practical implementation issues, and suggest preliminary guidelines for validating EEG approaches as biomarkers with a context of use in neurodevelopmental disorder drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B. Ewen
- Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - John A. Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - William Z. Potter
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Brewer R, Bird G, Gray KLH, Cook R. Face perception in autism spectrum disorder: Modulation of holistic processing by facial emotion. Cognition 2019; 193:104016. [PMID: 31280061 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; autistic individuals) may exhibit atypical face perception because they fail to process faces holistically. In the context of this hypothesis, it is critical to determine whether autistic individuals exhibit diminished susceptibility to the composite face illusion, widely regarded as a key marker of holistic face processing. To date, however, previous studies have yielded inconsistent findings. In light of recent evidence suggesting that facial emotion cues increase the strength of the composite face illusion in typical individuals, the present study sought to determine whether the presence of facial emotion also modulates the strength of the composite face illusion in autistic individuals, many of whom experience difficulties recognizing facial expressions. We therefore measured composite face effects in a sample of autistic individuals (N = 20) and matched typical controls (N = 29) using an incidental emotion procedure in which distractor regions varied systematically in their emotion strength. As expected, the presence of facial emotion in the distractor regions of composite face arrangements increased the strength of the illusory distortion induced. The extent of the modulation by facial emotion was similar in the two groups. The composite effects seen in the ASD group were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those seen in the typical group, suggestive of intact holistic processing in this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Brewer
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.
| | - Geoffrey Bird
- Experimental Psychology Department, University of Oxford, UK; MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London, UK
| | - Katie L H Gray
- Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
| | - Richard Cook
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Neurophysiological correlates of holistic face processing in adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:27. [PMID: 30165814 PMCID: PMC6118009 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9244-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Face processing has been found to be impaired in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One hypothesis is that individuals with ASD engage in piecemeal compared to holistic face processing strategies. To investigate the role of possible impairments in holistic face processing in individuals with autism, the current study investigated behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) correlates of face processing (P1/N170 and gamma-band activity) in adolescents with ASD and sex-, age-, and IQ-matched neurotypical controls. Methods Participants were presented with upright and inverted Mooney stimuli; black and white low information faces that are only perceived as faces when processed holistically. Participants indicated behaviorally the detection of a face. EEG was collected time-locked to the presentation of the stimuli. Results Adolescents with ASD perceived Mooney stimuli as faces suggesting ability to use holistic processing but displayed a lower face detection rate and slower response times. ERP components suggest slowed temporal processing of Mooney stimuli in the ASD compared to control group for P1 latency but no differences between groups for P1 amplitude and at the N170. Increases in gamma-band activity was similar during the perception of the Mooney images by group, but the ASD group showed prolonged temporal elevation in activity. Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that adolescents with ASD were able to utilize holistic processing to perceive a face within the Mooney stimuli. Delays in early processing, marked by the P1, and elongated elevation in gamma activity indicate that the neural systems supporting holistic processing are slightly altered suggesting a less automatic and less efficient facial processing system. Trial registration Non-applicable. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s11689-018-9244-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
|
41
|
Sgadò P, Rosa-Salva O, Versace E, Vallortigara G. Embryonic Exposure to Valproic Acid Impairs Social Predispositions of Newly-Hatched Chicks. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5919. [PMID: 29650996 PMCID: PMC5897402 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24202-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological predispositions to attend to visual cues, such as those associated with face-like stimuli or with biological motion, guide social behavior from the first moments of life and have been documented in human neonates, infant monkeys and domestic chicks. Impairments of social predispositions have been recently reported in neonates at high familial risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using embryonic exposure to valproic acid (VPA), an anticonvulsant associated to increased risk of developing ASD, we modeled ASD behavioral deficits in domestic chicks. We then assessed their spontaneous social predispositions by comparing approach responses to a stimulus containing a face configuration, a stuffed hen, vs. a scrambled version of it. We found that this social predisposition was abolished in VPA-treated chicks, whereas experience-dependent mechanisms associated with filial imprinting were not affected. Our results suggest a specific effect of VPA on the development of biologically-predisposed social orienting mechanisms, opening new perspectives to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms involved in early ASD symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Sgadò
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - Orsola Rosa-Salva
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Versace
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza della Manifattura 1, Rovereto, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
The Relationship Between Early Neural Responses to Emotional Faces at Age 3 and Later Autism and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 46:2450-63. [PMID: 27055415 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2780-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Both autism spectrum (ASD) and anxiety disorders are associated with atypical neural and attentional responses to emotional faces, differing in affective face processing from typically developing peers. Within a longitudinal study of children with ASD (23 male, 3 female), we hypothesized that early ERPs to emotional faces would predict concurrent and later ASD and anxiety symptoms. Greater response amplitude to fearful faces corresponded to greater social communication difficulties at age 3, and less improvement by age 14. Faster ERPs to neutral faces predicted greater ASD symptom improvement over time, lower ASD severity in adolescence, and lower anxiety in adolescence. Early individual differences in processing of emotional stimuli likely reflect a unique predictive contribution from social brain circuitry early in life.
Collapse
|
43
|
Bindemann M, Johnston RA. Understanding how unfamiliar faces become familiar: Introduction to a special issue on face learning. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2017; 70:859-862. [PMID: 27918245 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2016.1267235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Bindemann
- a School of Psychology , University of Kent , Canterbury , Kent , UK
| | - Robert A Johnston
- a School of Psychology , University of Kent , Canterbury , Kent , UK
| |
Collapse
|