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Beckerson M, Paisley C, Murdaugh D, Holm H, Lemelman A, Spencer A, O'Kelley S, Kana R. Reading comprehension improvement in autism. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1292018. [PMID: 38563029 PMCID: PMC10982812 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1292018] [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: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction A subset of autistic children excel at word decoding but have difficulty with reading comprehension (i.e., the discrepant poor comprehender reading profile). Prior research suggests the Visualizing and Verbalizing (V/V) for language comprehension and thinking intervention helps improve reading comprehension in autistic children with this reading profile. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of vocabulary, memory, and social functioning in reading comprehension; however, predictors and moderators of reading comprehension within this specific profile of autistic readers have not been thoroughly explored. Methods In this study, we examined the effectiveness of the V/V intervention by comparing reading comprehension scores between groups and across time. Participants included a sample of autistic children (AUT-EXP; n=22) and a waitlist control group of autistic children (AUT-WLC; n=17) with reading comprehension difficulties, as well as a sample of non-autistic children (Non-AUT; n=26) (all age 8-13 years). AUT-EXP and AUT-WLC groups completed a battery of cognitive assessments during pre and post tests. We also analyzed whether cognitive assessment scores predicted reading comprehension, and examined the moderating effects of group (AUT-EXP vs. AUT-WLC) on these relationships. Results The AUT-EXP group significantly improved in their pre to post reading comprehension scores (t(21)=4.19, p<.001, d=.89), whereas the AUT-WLC group did not. Verbal memory significantly predicted reading comprehension, though group did not moderate relationships between cognitive test performance and reading comprehension. Discussion Results suggest that the V/V intervention may help improve reading comprehension for autistic children with the discrepant poor comprehender reading profile. Additionally, strategies for improving verbal memory may indirectly enhance reading comprehension in autistic children with this reading profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan Beckerson
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Courtney Paisley
- Department of Developmental Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Donna Murdaugh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Haley Holm
- Department of Neuropsychology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Amy Lemelman
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alyssa Spencer
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Sarah O'Kelley
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Rajesh Kana
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Thérien VD, Degré-Pelletier J, Barbeau EB, Samson F, Soulières I. Different levels of visuospatial abilities linked to differential brain correlates underlying visual mental segmentation processes in autism. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9186-9211. [PMID: 37317036 PMCID: PMC10350832 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural underpinnings of enhanced locally oriented visual processing that are specific to autistics with a Wechsler's Block Design (BD) peak are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the brain correlates underlying visual segmentation associated with the well-established autistic superior visuospatial abilities in distinct subgroups using functional magnetic resonance imaging. This study included 31 male autistic adults (15 with (AUTp) and 16 without (AUTnp) a BD peak) and 28 male adults with typical development (TYP). Participants completed a computerized adapted BD task with models having low and high perceptual cohesiveness (PC). Despite similar behavioral performances, AUTp and AUTnp showed generally higher occipital activation compared with TYP participants. Compared with both AUTnp and TYP participants, the AUTp group showed enhanced task-related functional connectivity within posterior visuoperceptual regions and decreased functional connectivity between frontal and occipital-temporal regions. A diminished modulation in frontal and parietal regions in response to increased PC was also found in AUTp participants, suggesting heavier reliance on low-level processing of global figures. This study demonstrates that enhanced visual functioning is specific to a cognitive phenotypic subgroup of autistics with superior visuospatial abilities and reinforces the need to address autistic heterogeneity by good cognitive characterization of samples in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique D Thérien
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Elise B Barbeau
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Fabienne Samson
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
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Cortes RA, Peterson EG, Kraemer DJM, Kolvoord RA, Uttal DH, Dinh N, Weinberger AB, Daker RJ, Lyons IM, Goldman D, Green AE. Transfer from spatial education to verbal reasoning and prediction of transfer from learning-related neural change. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo3555. [PMID: 35947663 PMCID: PMC9365289 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo3555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Current debate surrounds the promise of neuroscience for education, including whether learning-related neural changes can predict learning transfer better than traditional performance-based learning assessments. Longstanding debate in philosophy and psychology concerns the proposition that spatial processes underlie seemingly nonspatial/verbal reasoning (mental model theory). If so, education that fosters spatial cognition might improve verbal reasoning. Here, in a quasi-experimental design in real-world STEM classrooms, a curriculum devised to foster spatial cognition yielded transfer to improved verbal reasoning. Further indicating a spatial basis for verbal transfer, students' spatial cognition gains predicted and mediated their reasoning improvement. Longitudinal fMRI detected learning-related changes in neural activity, connectivity, and representational similarity in spatial cognition-implicated regions. Neural changes predicted and mediated learning transfer. Ensemble modeling demonstrated better prediction of transfer from neural change than from traditional measures (tests and grades). Results support in-school "spatial education" and suggest that neural change can inform future development of transferable curricula.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David J. M. Kraemer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Robert A. Kolvoord
- College of Integrated Science and Engineering, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA
| | - David H. Uttal
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Nhi Dinh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, DC, USA
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adam B. Weinberger
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, DC, USA
- Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Ian M. Lyons
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, DC, USA
| | - Daniel Goldman
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, DC, USA
| | - Adam E. Green
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, DC, USA
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, DC, USA
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4
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Lian X, Hong WCH, Xu X, Kimberly KZ, Wang Z. The influence of picture book design on visual attention of children with autism: a pilot study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 69:946-956. [PMID: 37885844 PMCID: PMC10599195 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2022.2033590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Taking 22 children with mild and moderate autism as subjects and using the TobiiX 120 eye-tracker to record their eye movements in visual search of images in picture books, the characteristics of the process of autistic children viewing picture books were explored. Two measures, fixation counts and gaze duration, were used alongside attention heatmap, to explore the visual patterns among children with autism viewing two types of researcher-made picture books and an ordinary picture book. Using a within-subject design, it was found that children with autism could sustain longer gaze duration and have more fixation points on the effective area of the picture book content when viewing researcher-made picture books than when viewing the ordinary picture book, suggesting better visual attention to single-object and single-pattern picture books. The study offers insights and support for related picture book reading and teaching in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Lian
- Quanzhou Preschool Education College, Quanzhou, China
| | | | - Xiaoshu Xu
- School of Foreign Studies, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
| | | | - Zhi Wang
- Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Leslie M, Halls D, Leppanen J, Sedgewick F, Lang K, Fonville L, Simic M, Mandy W, Nicholls D, Williams S, Tchanturia K. The neural correlates of a central coherence task in young women with anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2021; 29:744-755. [PMID: 34278640 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Heightened detail-processing and low levels of central coherence are common in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and predict poorer prognosis. However, it is unclear whether these processing styles predate the disorder or, rather, emerge during later stages of AN. The current study aimed to address this question by investigating central coherence, and the neural correlates of central coherence, in a sample of young women with AN with shorter duration of illness than previous studies recruiting adult samples. METHODS We recruited 186 participants, including: 73 young women with AN, 45 young women weight-recovered from AN, and 68 age-matched controls. Participants completed the Embedded Figures Task during an fMRI scan. RESULTS There were no significant differences between the participant groups in performance accuracy or reaction time. There were no other between-groups differences in neural response to the Embedded Figures Task. CONCLUSIONS These findings contrast with evidence from older adults demonstrating differences in the neural underpinning of central coherence amongst participants with AN versus control participants. The current study adds to an increasing literature base demonstrating the resilience of neuropsychological traits and associated brain systems in the early stages of AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Leslie
- Department of Psychological Medicine - London, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Daniel Halls
- Department of Psychological Medicine - London, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), UK
| | - Jenni Leppanen
- Department of Psychological Medicine - London, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), UK
| | - Felicity Sedgewick
- Department of Psychological Medicine - London, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), UK
- School of Education, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Katie Lang
- Department of Psychology - London, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), UK
| | - Leon Fonville
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Mima Simic
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - William Mandy
- Research Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, UCL, London, UK
| | | | - Steven Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging - London, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), UK
| | - Kate Tchanturia
- Department of Psychological Medicine - London, King's College London (KCL), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), UK
- Psychology Department, Illia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
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6
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Park S, Haak KV, Cho HB, Valk SL, Bethlehem RAI, Milham MP, Bernhardt BC, Di Martino A, Hong SJ. Atypical Integration of Sensory-to-Transmodal Functional Systems Mediates Symptom Severity in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:699813. [PMID: 34489757 PMCID: PMC8417581 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.699813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A notable characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is co-occurring deficits in low-level sensory processing and high-order social interaction. While there is evidence indicating detrimental cascading effects of sensory anomalies on the high-order cognitive functions in ASD, the exact pathological mechanism underlying their atypical functional interaction across the cortical hierarchy has not been systematically investigated. To address this gap, here we assessed the functional organisation of sensory and motor areas in ASD, and their relationship with subcortical and high-order trandmodal systems. In a resting-state fMRI data of 107 ASD and 113 neurotypical individuals, we applied advanced connectopic mapping to probe functional organization of primary sensory/motor areas, together with targeted seed-based intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) analyses. In ASD, the connectopic mapping revealed topological anomalies (i.e., excessively more segregated iFC) in the motor and visual areas, the former of which patterns showed association with the symptom severity of restricted and repetitive behaviors. Moreover, the seed-based analysis found diverging patterns of ASD-related connectopathies: decreased iFCs within the sensory/motor areas but increased iFCs between sensory and subcortical structures. While decreased iFCs were also found within the higher-order functional systems, the overall proportion of this anomaly tends to increase along the level of cortical hierarchy, suggesting more dysconnectivity in the higher-order functional networks. Finally, we demonstrated that the association between low-level sensory/motor iFCs and clinical symptoms in ASD was mediated by the high-order transmodal systems, suggesting pathogenic functional interactions along the cortical hierarchy. Findings were largely replicated in the independent dataset. These results highlight that atypical integration of sensory-to-high-order systems contributes to the complex ASD symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinwon Park
- Institute for Basic Science, Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Koen V. Haak
- Donders Institute of Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Han Byul Cho
- Institute for Basic Science, Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Sofie L. Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Richard A. I. Bethlehem
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Boris C. Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Institute for Basic Science, Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, United States
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7
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Chung S, Son JW. Visual Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Neuroimaging Studies. Soa Chongsonyon Chongsin Uihak 2020; 31:105-120. [PMID: 32665755 PMCID: PMC7350544 DOI: 10.5765/jkacap.200018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social impairments, patients with ASD frequently manifest atypical sensory behaviors. Recently, atypical sensory perception in ASD has received much attention, yet little is known about its cause or neurobiology. Herein, we review the findings from neuroimaging studies related to visual perception in ASD. Specifically, we examined the neural underpinnings of visual detection, motion perception, and face processing in ASD. Results from neuroimaging studies indicate that atypical visual perception in ASD may be influenced by attention or higher order cognitive mechanisms, and atypical face perception may be affected by disrupted social brain network. However, there is considerable evidence for atypical early visual processing in ASD. It is likely that visual perceptual abnormalities are independent of deficits of social functions or cognition. Importantly, atypical visual perception in ASD may enhance difficulties in dealing with complex and subtle social stimuli, or improve outstanding abilities in certain fields in individuals with Savant syndrome. Thus, future research is required to elucidate the characteristics and neurobiology of autistic visual perception to effectively apply these findings in the interventions of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwon Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Jung-Woo Son
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
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8
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Bianco V, Finisguerra A, Betti S, D’Argenio G, Urgesi C. Autistic Traits Differently Account for Context-Based Predictions of Physical and Social Events. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E418. [PMID: 32630346 PMCID: PMC7407668 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10070418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is associated with difficulties in making predictions based on contextual cues. Here, we investigated whether the distribution of autistic traits in the general population, as measured through the Autistic Quotient (AQ), is associated with alterations of context-based predictions of social and non-social stimuli. Seventy-eight healthy participants performed a social task, requiring the prediction of the unfolding of an action as interpersonal (e.g., to give) or individual (e.g., to eat), and a non-social task, requiring the prediction of the appearance of a moving shape as a short (e.g., square) or a long (e.g., rectangle) figure. Both tasks consisted of (i) a familiarization phase, in which the association between each stimulus type and a contextual cue was manipulated with different probabilities of co-occurrence, and (ii) a testing phase, in which visual information was impoverished by early occlusion of video display, thus forcing participants to rely on previously learned context-based associations. Findings showed that the prediction of both social and non-social stimuli was facilitated when embedded in high-probability contexts. However, only the contextual modulation of non-social predictions was reduced in individuals with lower 'Attention switching' abilities. The results provide evidence for an association between weaker context-based expectations of non-social events and higher autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bianco
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
| | | | - Sonia Betti
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia D’Argenio
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
- PhD Program in Neural and Cognitive Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34128 Trieste, Italy
| | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (V.B.); (S.B.); GIULIA.D' (G.D.)
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Pasian di Prato, 33037 Udine, Italy;
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9
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Hawco C, Yoganathan L, Voineskos AN, Lyon R, Tan T, Daskalakis ZJ, Blumberger DM, Croarkin PE, Lai MC, Szatmari P, Ameis SH. Greater Individual Variability in Functional Brain Activity during Working Memory Performance in young people with Autism and Executive Function Impairment. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 27:102260. [PMID: 32388347 PMCID: PMC7218076 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often present with executive functioning (EF) deficits, including spatial working memory (SWM) impairment, which impedes real-world functioning. The present study examined task-related brain activity, connectivity and individual variability in fMRI-measured neural response during an SWM task in older youth and young adults with autism and clinically significant EF impairment. METHODS Neuroimaging was analyzed in 29 individuals with ASD without intellectual disability who had clinically significant EF impairment on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and 20 typically developing controls (participant age range=16-34). An SWM N-Back task was performed during fMRI. SWM activity (2-Back vs. 0-Back) and task-related dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) connectivity was examined within and between groups. Variability of neural response during SWM was also examined. RESULTS During SWM performance both groups activated the expected networks, and no group differences in network activation or task-related DLPFC-connectivity were found. However, greater individual variability in the pattern of SWM activity was found in the ASD versus the typically developing control group. CONCLUSIONS While there were no group differences in SWM task-evoked activity or connectivity, fronto-parietal network engagement was found to be more variable/idiosyncratic in ASD. Our results suggest that the fronto-parietal network may be shifted or sub-optimally engaged during SWM performance in participants with ASD with clinically significant EF impairment, with implications for developing targeted interventions for this subgroup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Hawco
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Laagishan Yoganathan
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Aristotle N Voineskos
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rachael Lyon
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas Tan
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zafiris J Daskalakis
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel M Blumberger
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paul E Croarkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephanie H Ameis
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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10
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Sapey-Triomphe LA, Boets B, Van Eylen L, Noens I, Sunaert S, Steyaert J, Wagemans J. Ventral stream hierarchy underlying perceptual organization in adolescents with autism. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 25:102197. [PMID: 32014827 PMCID: PMC6997624 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Object recognition relies on a hierarchically organized ventral visual stream, with both bottom-up and top-down processes. Here, we aimed at investigating the neural underpinnings of perceptual organization along the ventral visual stream in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and at determining whether this would be associated with decreased top-down processing in ASD. Nineteen typically developing (TD) adolescents and sixteen adolescents with ASD participated in an fMRI study where they had to detect visual objects. Five conditions displayed Gabor patterns (defined by texture and/or contour) with increasing levels of perceptual organization. In each condition, both groups showed similar abilities. In line with the expected cortical hierarchy, brain activity patterns revealed a progressive involvement of regions, from low-level occipital regions to higher-level frontal regions, when stimuli became more and more organized. The brain patterns were generally similar in both groups, but the ASD group showed greater activation than TD participants in the middle occipital gyrus and lateral occipital complex when perceiving fully organized everyday objects. Effective connectivity analyses suggested that top-down functional connections between the lower levels of the cortical hierarchy were less influenced by the meaning carried by the stimuli in the ASD group than in the TD group. We hypothesize that adolescents with ASD may have been less influenced by top-down processing when perceiving recognizable objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie-Anne Sapey-Triomphe
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7h, PB 7001, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
| | - Lien Van Eylen
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ilse Noens
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | | | - Jean Steyaert
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7h, PB 7001, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Department of Brain and Cognition, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium; Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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11
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van Leeuwen TM, van Petersen E, Burghoorn F, Dingemanse M, van Lier R. Autistic traits in synaesthesia: atypical sensory sensitivity and enhanced perception of details. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190024. [PMID: 31630653 PMCID: PMC6834020 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In synaesthetes, specific sensory stimuli (e.g. black letters) elicit additional experiences (e.g. colour). Synaesthesia is highly prevalent among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the mechanisms of this co-occurrence are not clear. We hypothesized autism and synaesthesia share atypical sensory sensitivity and perception. We assessed autistic traits, sensory sensitivity and visual perception in two synaesthete populations. In Study 1, synaesthetes (N = 79, of different types) scored higher than non-synaesthetes (N = 76) on the Attention-to-detail and Social skills subscales of the autism spectrum quotient indexing autistic traits, and on the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire indexing sensory hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity which frequently occur in autism. Synaesthetes performed two local/global visual tasks because individuals with autism typically show a bias towards detail processing. In synaesthetes, elevated motion coherence thresholds (MCTs) suggested reduced global motion perception, and higher accuracy on an embedded figures task suggested enhanced local perception. In Study 2, sequence-space synaesthetes (N = 18) completed the same tasks. Questionnaire and embedded figures results qualitatively resembled Study 1 results, but no significant group differences with non-synaesthetes (N = 20) were obtained. Unexpectedly, sequence-space synaesthetes had reduced MCTs. Altogether, our studies suggest atypical sensory sensitivity and a bias towards detail processing are shared features of synaesthesia and ASD. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Bridging senses: novel insights from synaesthesia'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa M. van Leeuwen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eline van Petersen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floor Burghoorn
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Dingemanse
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rob van Lier
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Superior Disembedding in Children with ASD: New Tests Using Abstract, Meaningful, and 3D Contexts. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:2478-2489. [PMID: 29468574 PMCID: PMC5996016 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3508-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Since its initial development, the embedded figures test (EFT) has been used extensively to measure local–global perceptual style. However, little is known about the perceptual factors that influence target detection. The current study aimed to investigate disembedding in children with and without ASD, aged 8–15 years, using the newly developed, stimulus-controlled L-EFT, M-EFT and D-EFT. Firstly, results revealed superior disembedding for children with ASD, irrespective of the type of target or embedding context, although the ASD group took more time in both the M-EFT and D-EFT. Secondly, the number of target lines continuing into the context proved more of a hindrance for the controls. Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence to support the notion of superior disembedding in ASD.
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13
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Pu S, Nakagome K, Satake T, Ohtachi H, Itakura M, Yamanashi T, Miura A, Yokoyama K, Matsumura H, Iwata M, Nagata I, Kaneko K. Comparison of prefrontal hemodynamic responses and cognitive deficits between adult patients with autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2019; 206:420-427. [PMID: 30316555 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia share many phenotypic characteristics, but their association with prefrontal function have not been directly compared. The aim of this study is to compare cognitive profiles and their association with the prefrontal function between the two groups. We explored prefrontal dysfunction among adult individuals with ASD (n = 32), schizophrenia (n = 87), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 50). We assessed cognitive function in all participants using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). The BACS data of patients with schizophrenia were entered into hierarchical cluster analyses to assign subjects to a specific subgroup based on individual profiles. Using near-infrared spectroscopy, we measured hemodynamic responses in the fronto-temporal regions during a working memory task. Among the patients with schizophrenia, we defined 4 neurocognitive subgroups, including a global impairment, a mild impairment, and 2 selective impairment groups. Compared to the HCs, the ASD and schizophrenia groups had much weaker hemodynamic responses in the left DLPFC, left frontopolar cortex (FPC), and left inferior frontal gyrus. The ASD group showed a similar level of cognitive impairment with the mild level subgroup of schizophrenia. Additionally, the two groups shared reduced activity in the left DLPFC and left FPC during the task compared to HCs. Moreover, the BACS composite scores correlated positively with hemodynamic responses in a broad area involving fronto-temporal regions in the total patient sample. This research indicates considerable similarity in the left PFC dysfunction and its association with cognitive deficits between the disorders. These findings may guide future studies that investigate pathophysiological similarities between ASD and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghong Pu
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan.
| | | | - Takahiro Satake
- Tottori Prefectural Rehabilitation Center for Children with Disabilities, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ohtachi
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Masashi Itakura
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Takehiko Yamanashi
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Akihiko Miura
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Yokoyama
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Matsumura
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Masaaki Iwata
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
| | - Izumi Nagata
- National Hospital Organization, Tottori Medical Center, Tottori-shi, Tottori, Japan
| | - Koichi Kaneko
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan
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14
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Herringshaw AJ, Kumar SL, Rody KN, Kana RK. Neural Correlates of Social Perception in Children with Autism: Local versus Global Preferences. Neuroscience 2018; 395:49-59. [PMID: 30419259 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The Weak Central Coherence account of autism spectrum disorders posits that individuals with ASD utilize a detail-oriented information processing bias. While this local bias is helpful in visual search tasks, ASD individuals falter in social cognition tasks where coherence is advantageous. The present study examined the neural correlates of Weak Central Coherence in ASD during visual and social processing. Fifteen ASD and sixteen typically developing children/adolescents completed a social/visual information processing task in an fMRI scanner. The stimuli consisted of human characters, composed of geometrical shapes, displaying different emotions. In the locally oriented Shape condition, participants indicated whether a given shape was present in a figure. In the Emotion condition, participants identified the emotion conveyed by the character in the figure at the global level. Whole-brain within- and between-group activation and seed-to-voxel functional connectivity analyses were conducted in SPM12 and the CONN toolbox. The ASD group was significantly faster in shape identification, but less accurate in emotion identification. The TD group showed significantly increased areas of activity over the ASD group in the Shape task in regions associated with executive control, such as the medial prefrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus, suggesting increased interference from the global/social information. During the Emotion condition, the ASD group showed decreased connectivity between frontal and posterior regions and between body perception and motor networks, suggesting a possible difference in mirroring. The findings suggest that social cognitive factors, not visual processing biases, underlie the observed behavioral differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey J Herringshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sandhya L Kumar
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Noel Rody
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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15
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Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo MV. Autism and talent: the cognitive and neural basis of systemizing. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018. [PMID: 29398930 PMCID: PMC5789212 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2017.19.4/sbaroncohen] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In 2003, we proposed the hypersystemizing theory of autism. The theory proposes that the human mind possesses a systemizing mechanism (SM) that helps identify lawful regularities (often causal) that govern the input-operation-output workings of a system. The SM can be tuned to different levels, from low to high, with a normal distribution of individual differences in how strongly people search for such input-operation-out-put regularities in any data that is systemizable. Evidence suggests that people with autism are on average hypersystemizers, scoring higher than average on the systemizing quotient and on performance tests of systemizing. In this article, we consider the neural basis behind the SM, since there has been little consideration of the brain basis of systemizing. Finally, we discuss directions for future work in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Department of Psychology, Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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16
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Huygelier H, Van der Hallen R, Wagemans J, de-Wit L, Chamberlain R. The Leuven Embedded Figures Test (L-EFT): measuring perception, intelligence or executive function? PeerJ 2018; 6:e4524. [PMID: 29607257 PMCID: PMC5875396 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Performance on the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) has been interpreted as a reflection of local/global perceptual style, weak central coherence and/or field independence, as well as a measure of intelligence and executive function. The variable ways in which EFT findings have been interpreted demonstrate that the construct validity of this measure is unclear. In order to address this lack of clarity, we investigated to what extent performance on a new Embedded Figures Test (L-EFT) correlated with measures of intelligence, executive functions and estimates of local/global perceptual styles. In addition, we compared L-EFT performance to the original group EFT to directly contrast both tasks. Taken together, our results indicate that performance on the L-EFT does not correlate strongly with estimates of local/global perceptual style, intelligence or executive functions. Additionally, the results show that performance on the L-EFT is similarly associated with memory span and fluid intelligence as the group EFT. These results suggest that the L-EFT does not reflect a general perceptual or cognitive style/ability. These results further emphasize that empirical data on the construct validity of a task do not always align with the face validity of a task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Huygelier
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ruth Van der Hallen
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Cognitive Aspects of Psychopathology, Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lee de-Wit
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Cognition and Language Sciences, Chandler House, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Chamberlain
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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17
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Nicolini C, Fahnestock M. The valproic acid-induced rodent model of autism. Exp Neurol 2018; 299:217-227. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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18
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Thye MD, Bednarz HM, Herringshaw AJ, Sartin EB, Kana RK. The impact of atypical sensory processing on social impairments in autism spectrum disorder. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 29:151-167. [PMID: 28545994 PMCID: PMC6987885 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered sensory processing has been an important feature of the clinical descriptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is evidence that sensory dysregulation arises early in the progression of ASD and impacts social functioning. This paper reviews behavioral and neurobiological evidence that describes how sensory deficits across multiple modalities (vision, hearing, touch, olfaction, gustation, and multisensory integration) could impact social functions in ASD. Theoretical models of ASD and their implications for the relationship between sensory and social functioning are discussed. Furthermore, neural differences in anatomy, function, and connectivity of different regions underlying sensory and social processing are also discussed. We conclude that there are multiple mechanisms through which early sensory dysregulation in ASD could cascade into social deficits across development. Future research is needed to clarify these mechanisms, and specific focus should be given to distinguish between deficits in primary sensory processing and altered top-down attentional and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D Thye
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Haley M Bednarz
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Abbey J Herringshaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Emma B Sartin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States.
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19
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Abstract
It has long been proposed that individuals with autism exhibit a superior processing of details at the expense of an impaired global processing. This theory has received some empirical support, but results are mixed. In this research we have studied local and global processing in ASD and Typically Developing children, with an adaptation of the Navon task, designed to measure congruency effects between local and global stimuli and switching cost between local and global tasks. ASD children showed preserved global processing; however, compared to Typically Developing children, they exhibited more facilitation from congruent local stimuli when they performed the global task. In addition, children with ASD had more switching cost than Typically Developing children only when they switched from the local to the global task, reflecting a specific difficulty to disengage from local stimuli. Together, results suggest that ASD is characterized by a tendency to process local details, they benefit from the processing of local stimuli at the expense of increasing cost to disengage from local stimuli when global processing is needed. Thus, this work demonstrates experimentally the advantages and disadvantages of the increased local processing in children with ASD.
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20
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Hatfield TR, Brown RF, Giummarra MJ, Lenggenhager B. Autism spectrum disorder and interoception: Abnormalities in global integration? AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2017; 23:212-222. [DOI: 10.1177/1362361317738392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Research over the past three decades has seen a revived interest in the way the human body—and the way in which it is perceived—interacts with aspects of our experience. Consequently, interoception (i.e. the perception of physiological feedback from the body) has recently been shown to be associated with a wide range of cognitive, emotional, and affective functions, making it broadly relevant to the study of autism spectrum disorder. Although limited qualitative accounts and empirical studies suggest that individuals with autism spectrum disorder encounter abnormalities when perceiving and integrating physiological feedback from their bodies, other studies have suggested that people with/without autism spectrum disorder do not differ in interoceptive ability after accounting for alexithymia. In this article, we discuss the newly recognized importance of interoception in autism spectrum disorder with a focus on how deficits in the perception of bodily feedback might relate to the core features and co-occuring psychopathology of autism spectrum disorder. Finally, a new integrated theory is advanced which posits that people with autism spectrum disorder may experience a reduced capacity to integrate interoceptive information that may result in a narrow attentional bodily focus and reduced motivational and behavioral drives.
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21
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Braden BB, Smith CJ, Thompson A, Glaspy TK, Wood E, Vatsa D, Abbott AE, McGee SC, Baxter LC. Executive function and functional and structural brain differences in middle-age adults with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2017; 10:1945-1959. [PMID: 28940848 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
There is a rapidly growing group of aging adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who may have unique needs, yet cognitive and brain function in older adults with ASD is understudied. We combined functional and structural neuroimaging and neuropsychological tests to examine differences between middle-aged men with ASD and matched neurotypical (NT) men. Participants (ASD, n = 16; NT, n = 17) aged 40-64 years were well-matched according to age, IQ (range: 83-131), and education (range: 9-20 years). Middle-age adults with ASD made more errors on an executive function task (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) but performed similarly to NT adults on tests of delayed verbal memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) and local visual search (Embedded Figures Task). Independent component analysis of a functional MRI working memory task (n-back) completed by most participants (ASD = 14, NT = 17) showed decreased engagement of a cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical neural network in older adults with ASD. Structurally, older adults with ASD had reduced bilateral hippocampal volumes, as measured by FreeSurfer. Findings expand our understanding of ASD as a lifelong condition with persistent cognitive and functional and structural brain differences evident at middle-age. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1945-1959. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY We compared cognitive abilities and brain measures between 16 middle-age men with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 17 typical middle-age men to better understand how aging affects an older group of adults with ASD. Men with ASD made more errors on a test involving flexible thinking, had less activity in a flexible thinking brain network, and had smaller volume of a brain structure related to memory than typical men. We will follow these older adults over time to determine if aging changes are greater for individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Blair Braden
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | | | - Amiee Thompson
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Tyler K Glaspy
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Emily Wood
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Divya Vatsa
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Angela E Abbott
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Samuel C McGee
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Leslie C Baxter
- Department of Neuroimaging Research, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
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22
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Loth E, Charman T, Mason L, Tillmann J, Jones EJH, Wooldridge C, Ahmad J, Auyeung B, Brogna C, Ambrosino S, Banaschewski T, Baron-Cohen S, Baumeister S, Beckmann C, Brammer M, Brandeis D, Bölte S, Bourgeron T, Bours C, de Bruijn Y, Chakrabarti B, Crawley D, Cornelissen I, Acqua FD, Dumas G, Durston S, Ecker C, Faulkner J, Frouin V, Garces P, Goyard D, Hayward H, Ham LM, Hipp J, Holt RJ, Johnson MH, Isaksson J, Kundu P, Lai MC, D’ardhuy XL, Lombardo MV, Lythgoe DJ, Mandl R, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Moessnang C, Mueller N, O’Dwyer L, Oldehinkel M, Oranje B, Pandina G, Persico AM, Ruigrok ANV, Ruggeri B, Sabet J, Sacco R, Cáceres ASJ, Simonoff E, Toro R, Tost H, Waldman J, Williams SCR, Zwiers MP, Spooren W, Murphy DGM, Buitelaar JK. The EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP): design and methodologies to identify and validate stratification biomarkers for autism spectrum disorders. Mol Autism 2017; 8:24. [PMID: 28649312 PMCID: PMC5481887 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0146-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tremendous clinical and aetiological diversity among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been a major obstacle to the development of new treatments, as many may only be effective in particular subgroups. Precision medicine approaches aim to overcome this challenge by combining pathophysiologically based treatments with stratification biomarkers that predict which treatment may be most beneficial for particular individuals. However, so far, we have no single validated stratification biomarker for ASD. This may be due to the fact that most research studies primarily have focused on the identification of mean case-control differences, rather than within-group variability, and included small samples that were underpowered for stratification approaches. The EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) is to date the largest multi-centre, multi-disciplinary observational study worldwide that aims to identify and validate stratification biomarkers for ASD. METHODS LEAP includes 437 children and adults with ASD and 300 individuals with typical development or mild intellectual disability. Using an accelerated longitudinal design, each participant is comprehensively characterised in terms of clinical symptoms, comorbidities, functional outcomes, neurocognitive profile, brain structure and function, biochemical markers and genomics. In addition, 51 twin-pairs (of which 36 had one sibling with ASD) are included to identify genetic and environmental factors in phenotypic variability. RESULTS Here, we describe the demographic characteristics of the cohort, planned analytic stratification approaches, criteria and steps to validate candidate stratification markers, pre-registration procedures to increase transparency, standardisation and data robustness across all analyses, and share some 'lessons learnt'. A clinical characterisation of the cohort is given in the companion paper (Charman et al., accepted). CONCLUSION We expect that LEAP will enable us to confirm, reject and refine current hypotheses of neurocognitive/neurobiological abnormalities, identify biologically and clinically meaningful ASD subgroups, and help us map phenotypic heterogeneity to different aetiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Loth
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Clinical Child Psychology, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Luke Mason
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Clinical Child Psychology, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Caroline Wooldridge
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Jumana Ahmad
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
- Department of Psychology, The School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Dugald Stewart Building, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD UK
| | - Claudia Brogna
- University Campus Bio-Medico, via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Ambrosino
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
| | - Sarah Baumeister
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Beckmann
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Brammer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Neumünsterallee 9, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, Paris, Cedex 15 France
| | - Carsten Bours
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Yvette de Bruijn
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AL UK
| | - Daisy Crawley
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Ineke Cornelissen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Flavio Dell’ Acqua
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Guillaume Dumas
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, Paris, Cedex 15 France
| | - Sarah Durston
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Ecker
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Goethe University, Deutschordenstrasse 50, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jessica Faulkner
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Vincent Frouin
- Neurospin Centre CEA, Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Pilar Garces
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, B.001 N.667, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Goyard
- Neurospin Centre CEA, Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Hannah Hayward
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Lindsay M. Ham
- Regulatory Affairs, Product Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Pharmaceuticals, Grenzacherstrasse 124, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Hipp
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, B.001 N.667, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rosemary J. Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
| | - Mark H. Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Johan Isaksson
- Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Prantik Kundu
- Department of Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
- Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 80, Workman Way, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4 Canada
| | - Xavier Liogier D’ardhuy
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, B.001 N.667, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
- Center for Applied Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - David J. Lythgoe
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - René Mandl
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nico Mueller
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Laurence O’Dwyer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marianne Oldehinkel
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bob Oranje
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gahan Pandina
- Janssen Research & Development, 1125 Trenton Harbourton Road, Titusville, NJ 08560 USA
| | - Antonio M. Persico
- University Campus Bio-Medico, via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, Rome, Italy
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Gaetano Martino University Hospital, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, I-98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
| | - Barbara Ruggeri
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, Denmark Hill, London, UK
| | - Jessica Sabet
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Roberto Sacco
- University Campus Bio-Medico, via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonia San José Cáceres
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Roberto Toro
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, Paris, Cedex 15 France
| | - Heike Tost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jack Waldman
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
| | - Steve C. R. Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Marcel P. Zwiers
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Will Spooren
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, B.001 N.667, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Declan G. M. Murphy
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Jan K. Buitelaar
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Baron-Cohen S. Editorial Perspective: Neurodiversity - a revolutionary concept for autism and psychiatry. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2017; 58:744-747. [PMID: 28524462 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Should we continue to refer to autism as a 'disease' or 'disorder', or is the framework of 'neurodiversity' a more humane and accurate lens through which to view people with autism? Evidence at the genetic, neural, behavioural and cognitive levels reveals people with autism show both differences, and signs of disability, but not disorder. Disability requires societal support, acceptance of difference and diversity, and societal "reasonable adjustment", whilst disorder is usually taken to require cure or treatment. These are very different frameworks. It will be important to see how the concept of neurodiversity is applied to the 300 diagnoses in DSM-5, and if it revolutionizes both the science and the practice of psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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24
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Lin IF, Shirama A, Kato N, Kashino M. The singular nature of auditory and visual scene analysis in autism. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160115. [PMID: 28044025 PMCID: PMC5206282 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder often have difficulty acquiring relevant auditory and visual information in daily environments, despite not being diagnosed as hearing impaired or having low vision. Resent psychophysical and neurophysiological studies have shown that autistic individuals have highly specific individual differences at various levels of information processing, including feature extraction, automatic grouping and top-down modulation in auditory and visual scene analysis. Comparison of the characteristics of scene analysis between auditory and visual modalities reveals some essential commonalities, which could provide clues about the underlying neural mechanisms. Further progress in this line of research may suggest effective methods for diagnosing and supporting autistic individuals.This article is part of the themed issue 'Auditory and visual scene analysis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Fan Lin
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
- Taipei City Hospital, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Aya Shirama
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
| | - Nobumasa Kato
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University Karasuyama Hospital, Tokyo 157-8577, Japan
| | - Makio Kashino
- NTT Communication Science Laboratories, NTT Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
- School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
- CREST, JST, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan
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25
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Horlin C, Black M, Falkmer M, Falkmer T. Proficiency of individuals with autism spectrum disorder at disembedding figures: A systematic review. Dev Neurorehabil 2016; 19:54-63. [PMID: 24649841 DOI: 10.3109/17518423.2014.888102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This systematic review examines the proficiency and visual search strategies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) while disembedding figures and whether they differ from typical controls and other comparative samples. METHODS Five databases, including Proquest, Psychinfo, Medline, CINAHL and Science Direct were used to identify published studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS Twenty articles were included in the review, the majority of which matched participants by mental age. Outcomes discussed were time taken to identify targets, the number correctly identified, and fixation frequency and duration. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with ASD perform at the same speed or faster than controls and other clinical samples. However, there appear to be no differences between individuals with ASD and controls for number of correctly identified targets. Only one study examined visual search strategies and suggests that individuals with ASD exhibit shorter first and final fixations to targets compared with controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Horlin
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia
| | - Melissa Black
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia
| | - Marita Falkmer
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia .,b School of Education and Communication, CHILD programme, Institute of Disability Research, Jönköping University , Sweden
| | - Torbjorn Falkmer
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia .,c Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences (IMH), Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University & Pain and Rehabilitation Centre , Linköping , Sweden , and.,d School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University , Melbourne , VIC , Australia
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26
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Billeci L, Calderoni S, Conti E, Gesi C, Carmassi C, Dell'Osso L, Cioni G, Muratori F, Guzzetta A. The Broad Autism (Endo)Phenotype: Neurostructural and Neurofunctional Correlates in Parents of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:346. [PMID: 27499732 PMCID: PMC4956643 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a set of neurodevelopmental disorders with an early-onset and a strong genetic component in their pathogenesis. According to genetic and epidemiological data, ASD relatives present personality traits similar to, but not as severe as the defining features of ASD, which have been indicated as the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (BAP). BAP features seem to be more prevalent in first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD than in the general population. Characterizing brain profiles of relatives of autistic probands may help to understand ASD endophenotype. The aim of this review was to provide an up-to-date overview of research findings on the neurostructural and neurofunctional substrates in parents of individuals with ASD (pASD). The primary hypothesis was that, like for the behavioral profile, the pASD express an intermediate neurobiological pattern between ASD individuals and healthy controls. The 13 reviewed studies evaluated structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain volumes, chemical signals using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), task-related functional activation by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), or magnetoencephalography (MEG) in pASD.The studies showed that pASD are generally different from healthy controls at a structural and functional level despite often not behaviorally impaired. More atypicalities in neural patterns of pASD seem to be associated with higher scores at BAP assessment. Some of the observed atypicalities are the same of the ASD probands. In addition, the pattern of neural correlates in pASD resembles that of adult individuals with ASD, or it is specific, possibly due to a compensatory mechanism. Future studies should ideally include a group of pASD and HC with their ASD and non-ASD probands respectively. They should subgrouping the pASD according to the BAP scores, considering gender as a possible confounding factor, and correlating these scores to underlying brain structure and function. These types of studies may help to understand the genetic mechanisms involved in the various clinical dimension of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Billeci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | | | - Eugenia Conti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care G. D'Alessandro, University of PalermoPalermo, Italy
| | - Camilla Gesi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Liliana Dell'Osso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- IRCCS Stella Maris FoundationPisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- IRCCS Stella Maris FoundationPisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Guzzetta
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- IRCCS Stella Maris FoundationPisa, Italy
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27
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Carther-Krone TA, Shomstein S, Marotta JJ. Looking without Perceiving: Impaired Preattentive Perceptual Grouping in Autism Spectrum Disorder. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158566. [PMID: 27355678 PMCID: PMC4927180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Before becoming aware of a visual scene, our perceptual system has organized and selected elements in our environment to which attention should be allocated. Part of this process involves grouping perceptual features into a global whole. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) rely on a more local processing strategy, which may be driven by difficulties perceptually grouping stimuli. We tested this notion using a line discrimination task in which two horizontal lines were superimposed on a background of black and white dots organized so that, on occasion, the dots induced the Ponzo illusion if perceptually grouped together. Results showed that even though neither group was aware of the illusion, the ASD group was significantly less likely than typically developing group to make perceptual judgments influenced by the illusion, revealing difficulties in preattentive grouping of visual stimuli. This may explain why individuals with ASD rely on local processing strategies, and offers new insight into the mechanism driving perceptual grouping in the typically developing human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany A. Carther-Krone
- Perception and Action Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Sarah Shomstein
- Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Jonathan J. Marotta
- Perception and Action Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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28
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Heffler KF, Oestreicher LM. Causation model of autism: Audiovisual brain specialization in infancy competes with social brain networks. Med Hypotheses 2016; 91:114-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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29
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Benítez-Burraco A, Murphy E. The Oscillopathic Nature of Language Deficits in Autism: From Genes to Language Evolution. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:120. [PMID: 27047363 PMCID: PMC4796018 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders involving a number of deficits to linguistic cognition. The gap between genetics and the pathophysiology of ASD remains open, in particular regarding its distinctive linguistic profile. The goal of this article is to attempt to bridge this gap, focusing on how the autistic brain processes language, particularly through the perspective of brain rhythms. Due to the phenomenon of pleiotropy, which may take some decades to overcome, we believe that studies of brain rhythms, which are not faced with problems of this scale, may constitute a more tractable route to interpreting language deficits in ASD and eventually other neurocognitive disorders. Building on recent attempts to link neural oscillations to certain computational primitives of language, we show that interpreting language deficits in ASD as oscillopathic traits is a potentially fruitful way to construct successful endophenotypes of this condition. Additionally, we will show that candidate genes for ASD are overrepresented among the genes that played a role in the evolution of language. These genes include (and are related to) genes involved in brain rhythmicity. We hope that the type of steps taken here will additionally lead to a better understanding of the comorbidity, heterogeneity, and variability of ASD, and may help achieve a better treatment of the affected populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elliot Murphy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College LondonLondon, UK
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30
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Panton KR, Badcock DR, Badcock JC. A Metaanalysis of Perceptual Organization in Schizophrenia, Schizotypy, and Other High-Risk Groups Based on Variants of the Embedded Figures Task. Front Psychol 2016; 7:237. [PMID: 26941688 PMCID: PMC4763090 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Current research on perceptual organization in schizophrenia frequently employs shapes with regularly sampled contours (fragmented stimuli), in noise fields composed of similar elements, to elicit visual abnormalities. However, perceptual organization is multi-factorial and, in earlier studies, continuous contours have also been employed in tasks assessing the ability to extract shapes from a background. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using closed-contour stimuli, including the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) and related tasks, both in people with schizophrenia and in healthy schizotypes and relatives, considered at increased risk for psychosis. Eleven studies met the selection criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, including six that used a between-groups study design (i.e., perceptual organization abilities of schizophrenia/high-risk groups were compared to healthy or clinical controls), and five that treated schizophrenia symptoms or schizotypy traits and indices of perceptual organization as continuous variables. Effect sizes and heterogeneity statistics were calculated, and the risk of publication bias was explored. A significant, moderate effect for EFT performance was found with studies that compared performance of schizophrenia/high-risk groups to a healthy or patient comparison group (d = −0.523, p < 0.001). However, significant heterogeneity was also found amongst the schizotypy, but not schizophrenia studies, as well as studies using accuracy, but not reaction time as a measure of performance. A non-significant correlation was found for the studies that examined schizophrenia symptoms or schizotypy traits as continuous variables (r = 0.012, p = 0.825). These results suggest that deficits in perceptual organization of non-fragmented stimuli are found when differences between schizophrenia/high-risk groups and comparison groups are maximized. These findings should motivate further investigation of perceptual organization abilities with closed-contour stimuli both in schizophrenia and high-risk groups, which is pertinent to current initiatives to improve the assessment and treatment of cognition in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten R Panton
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia Perth, WA, Australia
| | - David R Badcock
- Human Vision Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Johanna C Badcock
- Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western AustraliaPerth, WA, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre - Mental HealthMelbourne, VIC, Australia
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31
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Green RR, Bigler ED, Froehlich A, Prigge MBD, Travers BG, Cariello AN, Anderson JS, Zielinski BA, Alexander A, Lange N, Lainhart JE. Beery VMI performance in autism spectrum disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2015; 22:795-817. [PMID: 26292997 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2015.1056131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the visuomotor integration (VMI) abilities of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An all-male sample consisting of 56 ASD participants (ages 3-23 years) and 36 typically developing (TD) participants (ages 4-26 years) completed the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery VMI) as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. Participants were also administered standardized measures of intellectual functioning and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), which assesses autism and autism-like traits. The ASD group performed significantly lower on the Beery VMI and on all IQ measures compared to the TD group. VMI performance was significantly correlated with full scale IQ (FSIQ), performance IQ (PIQ), and verbal IQ (VIQ) in the TD group only. However, when FSIQ was taken into account, no significant Beery VMI differences between groups were observed. Only one TD participant scored 1.5 standard deviations (SDs) below the Beery VMI normative sample mean, in comparison to 21% of the ASD sample. As expected, the ASD group was rated as having significantly higher levels of social impairment on the SRS compared to the TD group across all major domains. However, level of functioning on the SRS was not associated with Berry VMI performance. These findings demonstrate that a substantial number of individuals with ASD experience difficulties compared to TD in performing VMI-related tasks, and that VMI is likely affected by general cognitive ability. The fact that lowered Beery VMI performance occurred only within a subset of individuals with ASD and did not correlate with SRS would indicate that visuomotor deficits are not a core feature of ASD, even though they present at a higher rate of impairment than observed in TD participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R Green
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA
| | - Erin D Bigler
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA.,b Neuroscience Center , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA.,c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Alyson Froehlich
- c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Molly B D Prigge
- c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Brittany G Travers
- d Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Annahir N Cariello
- c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Jeffrey S Anderson
- e Department of Radiology , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Brandon A Zielinski
- f Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, School of Medicine , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Andrew Alexander
- d Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.,g Department of Medical Physics , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.,h Department of Psychiatry , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Nicholas Lange
- i Departments of Psychiatry and Biostatistics , Harvard University , Boston , MA , USA.,j Neurostatistics Laboratory , McLean Hospital , Belmont , MA , USA
| | - Janet E Lainhart
- d Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.,h Department of Psychiatry , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
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32
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Speirs SJ, Rinehart NJ, Robinson SR, Tonge BJ, Yelland GW. Efficacy of cognitive processes in young people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder using a novel visual information-processing task. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 44:2809-19. [PMID: 24838123 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2140-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterised by a unique pattern of preserved abilities and deficits within and across cognitive domains. The Complex Information Processing Theory proposes this pattern reflects an altered capacity to respond to cognitive demands. This study compared how complexity induced by time constraints on processing affect cognitive function in individuals with ASD and typically-developing individuals. On a visual information-processing task, the Subtle Cognitive Impairment Test, both groups exhibited sensitivity to time-constraints. Further, 65 % of individuals with ASD demonstrated deficits in processing efficiency, possibly attributable to the effects of age and clinical comorbidities, like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These findings suggest that for some ASD individuals there are significant impairments in processing efficiency, which may have implications for education and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Speirs
- School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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Abstract
In the present study, we investigated auditory event-related potentials in adults with Asperger disorder and normal controls using an auditory oddball task and a novelty oddball task. Task performance and the latencies of P300 evoked by both target and novel stimuli in the two tasks did not differ between the two groups. Analysis of variance revealed that there was a significant interaction effect between group and electrode site on the mean amplitude of the P300 evoked by novel stimuli, which indicated that there was an altered distribution of the P300 in persons with Asperger disorder. In contrast, there was no significant interaction effect on the mean P300 amplitude elicited by target stimuli. Considering that P300 comprises two main subcomponents, frontal-central-dominant P3a and parietal-dominant P3b, our results suggested that persons with Asperger disorder have enhanced amplitude of P3a, which indicated activated prefrontal function in this task.
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Focquaert F, Vanneste S. Autism spectrum traits in normal individuals: a preliminary VBM analysis. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:264. [PMID: 26029082 PMCID: PMC4428126 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In light of the new DSM-5 autism spectrum disorders diagnosis in which the autism spectrum reflects a group of neurodevelopmental disorders existing on a continuum from mild to severe expression of autistic traits, and recent empirical findings showing a continuous distribution of autistic traits in the general population, our voxel based morphometry study compares normal individuals with high autistic traits to normal individuals with low autistic traits. We hypothesize that normal individuals with high autistic traits in terms of empathizing and systemizing [high systemizing (HS)/low empathizing (LE)] share brain irregularities with individuals that fall within the clinical autism spectrum disorder. We find differences in several social brain network areas between our groups. Specifically, we find increased gray matter (GM) volume in the orbitofrontal cortex, the cuneus, the hippocampus and parahippocampus and reduced GM volume in the inferior temporal cortex, the insula, and the amygdala in our HS/LE individuals relative to our HE/LS (low autistic traits in terms of empathizing and systemizing) individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Focquaert
- Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Bioethics Institute Ghent, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Callier Center for Communication Disorders, The University of Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX, USA
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35
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Yatziv T, Jacobson H. Understanding visual consciousness in autism spectrum disorders. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:204. [PMID: 25954180 PMCID: PMC4404836 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The paper focuses on the question of what the (visual) perceptual differences are between individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals. We argue against the view that autistic subjects have a deficiency in the most basic form of perceptual consciousness—namely, phenomenal consciousness. Instead, we maintain, the perceptual atypicality of individuals with autism is of a more conceptual and cognitive sort—their perceptual experiences share crucial aspects with TD individuals. Our starting point is Ben Shalom’s (2005, 2009) three-level processing framework for explaining atypicality in several domains of processing among autistics, which we compare with two other tripartite models of perception—Jackendoff’s (1987) and Prinz’s (2000, 2005a, 2007) Intermediate Level Hypothesis and Lamme’s (2004, 2006, 2010) neural account of consciousness. According to these models, whereas the second level of processing is concerned with viewer-centered visual representations of basic visual properties and incorporates some early forms of integration, the third level is more cognitive and conceptual. We argue that the data suggest that the atypicality in autism is restricted mainly to the third level. More specifically, second-level integration, which is the mark of phenomenal consciousness, is typical, yet third-level integration of perceptual objects and concepts is atypical. Thus, the basic experiences of individuals with autism are likely to be similar to typical subjects’ experiences; the main difference lies in the sort of cognitive access the subjects have to their experiences. We conclude by discussing implications of the suggested analysis of experience in autism for conceptions of phenomenal consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Yatziv
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevBeer-Sheva, Israel
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevBeer-Sheva, Israel
- *Correspondence: Tal Yatziv, Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Building No. 98, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Hilla Jacobson
- Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevBeer-Sheva, Israel
- Department of Brain and Cognition Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevBeer-Sheva, Israel
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36
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Abstract
The current study tested fine discrimination of upright and inverted faces and objects in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as compared to age- and IQ-matched controls. Discrimination sensitivity was tested using morphed faces and morphed objects, and all stimuli were equated in low-level visual characteristics (luminance, contrast, spatial frequency make-up). Participants with ASD exhibited slight, non-significant impairments in discrimination sensitivity for faces, yet significantly enhanced discrimination sensitivity for objects. The ASD group also showed a protracted development of face and object inversion effects. Finally, for ASD participants, face sensitivity improved with increasing IQ while object sensitivity improved with age. By contrast, for controls, face sensitivity improved with age, but neither face nor object sensitivity was influenced by IQ. These findings suggest that individuals with ASD follow a qualitatively different path in the development of face and object processing abilities.
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37
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Visual processing in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: evidence from embedded figures and configural superiority tests. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 45:1281-90. [PMID: 25342435 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2288-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The embedded figures test has often been used to reveal weak central coherence in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we administered a more standardized automated version of the embedded figures test in combination with the configural superiority task, to investigate the effect of contextual modulation on local feature detection in 23 adolescents with ASD and 26 matched typically developing controls. On both tasks both groups performed largely similarly in terms of accuracy and reaction time, and both displayed the contextual modulation effect. This indicates that individuals with ASD are equally sensitive compared to typically developing individuals to the contextual effects of the task and that there is no evidence for a local processing bias in adolescents with ASD.
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38
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Travers BG, Kana RK, Klinger LG, Klein CL, Klinger MR. Motor learning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: activation in superior parietal lobule related to learning and repetitive behaviors. Autism Res 2014; 8:38-51. [PMID: 25258047 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Motor-linked implicit learning is the learning of a sequence of movements without conscious awareness. Although motor symptoms are frequently reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), recent behavioral studies have suggested that motor-linked implicit learning may be intact in ASD. The serial reaction time (SRT) task is one of the most common measures of motor-linked implicit learning. The present study used a 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner to examine the behavioral and neural correlates of real-time motor sequence learning in adolescents and adults with ASD (n = 15) compared with age- and intelligence quotient-matched individuals with typical development (n = 15) during an SRT task. Behavioral results suggested less robust motor sequence learning in individuals with ASD. Group differences in brain activation suggested that individuals with ASD, relative to individuals with typical development, showed decreased activation in the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) and right precuneus (Brodmann areas 5 and 7, and extending into the intraparietal sulcus) during learning. Activation in these areas (and in areas such as the right putamen and right supramarginal gyrus) was found to be significantly related to behavioral learning in this task. Additionally, individuals with ASD who had more severe repetitive behavior/restricted interest symptoms demonstrated greater decreased activation in these regions during motor learning. In conjunction, these results suggest that the SPL may play an important role in motor learning and repetitive behavior in individuals with ASD.
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39
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DeRamus TP, Black BS, Pennick MR, Kana RK. Enhanced parietal cortex activation during location detection in children with autism. J Neurodev Disord 2014; 6:37. [PMID: 25302083 PMCID: PMC4190580 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-6-37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visuospatial processing has been found to be mediated primarily by two cortical routes, one of which is unique to recognizing objects (occipital-temporal, ventral or "what" pathway) and the other to detecting the location of objects in space (parietal-occipital, dorsal or "where" pathway). Considering previous findings of relative advantage in people with autism in visuospatial processing, this functional MRI study examined the connectivity in the dorsal and ventral pathways in high-functioning children with autism. METHODS Seventeen high-functioning children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 19 age-and-IQ-matched typically developing (TD) participants took part in this study. A simple visual task involving object recognition and location detection was used. In the MRI scanner, participants were shown grey scale pictures of objects (e.g., toys, household items, etc.) and were asked to identify the objects presented or to specify the location of objects relative to a cross at the center of the screen. RESULTS Children with ASD, relative to TD children, displayed significantly greater activation in the left inferior parietal lobule (especially the angular gyrus) while detecting the location of objects. However, there were no group differences in brain activity during object recognition. There were also differences in functional connectivity, with the ASD participants showing decreased connectivity of the inferior temporal area with parietal and occipital areas during location detection. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study underscore previous findings of an increased reliance on visuospatial processing (increased parietal activation) for information processing in ASD individuals. In addition, such processing may be more local, focal, and detailed in ASD as evidenced from the weaker functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P DeRamus
- Behavioral Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 USA
| | - Briley S Black
- Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 USA
| | - Mark R Pennick
- Lifespan and Developmental Psychology Graduate Program, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 USA
| | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 USA
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40
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Libero LE, DeRamus TP, Deshpande HD, Kana RK. Surface-based morphometry of the cortical architecture of autism spectrum disorders: volume, thickness, area, and gyrification. Neuropsychologia 2014; 62:1-10. [PMID: 25019362 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Libero
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0021, USA
| | - Thomas P DeRamus
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0021, USA
| | | | - Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0021, USA.
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41
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Vogan VM, Morgan BR, Lee W, Powell TL, Smith ML, Taylor MJ. The neural correlates of visuo-spatial working memory in children with autism spectrum disorder: effects of cognitive load. J Neurodev Disord 2014; 6:19. [PMID: 25057329 PMCID: PMC4107490 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-6-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research on the neural bases of cognitive deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown that working memory (WM) difficulties are associated with abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. However, cognitive load impacts these findings, and no studies have examined the relation between WM load and neural underpinnings in children with ASD. Thus, the current study determined the effects of cognitive load on WM, using a visuo-spatial WM capacity task in children with and without ASD with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods We used fMRI and a 1-back colour matching task (CMT) task with four levels of difficulty to compare the cortical activation patterns associated with WM in children (7–13 years old) with high functioning autism (N = 19) and matched controls (N = 17) across cognitive load. Results Performance on CMT was comparable between groups, with the exception of one difficulty level. Using linear trend analyses, the control group showed increasing activation as a function of difficulty level in frontal and parietal lobes, particularly between the highest difficulty levels, and decreasing activation as a function of difficulty level in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri. In contrast, children with ASD showed increasing activation only in posterior brain regions and decreasing activation in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyri, as a function of difficulty level. Significant differences were found in the precuneus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and medial premotor cortex, where control children showed greater positive linear relations between cortical activity and task difficulty level, particularly at the highest difficulty levels, but children with ASD did not show these trends. Conclusions Children with ASD showed differences in activation in the frontal and parietal lobes—both critical substrates for visuo-spatial WM. Our data suggest that children with ASD rely mainly on posterior brain regions associated with visual and lower level processing, whereas controls showed activity in frontal lobes related to the classic WM network. Findings will help guide future work by localizing areas of vulnerability to developmental disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M Vogan
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.,Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
| | - Benjamin R Morgan
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Wayne Lee
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Tamara L Powell
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Mary Lou Smith
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
| | - Margot J Taylor
- Diagnostic Imaging and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.,Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
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42
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Fitzpatrick EM, Lambert L, Whittingham J, Leblanc E. Examination of characteristics and management of children with hearing loss and autism spectrum disorders. Int J Audiol 2014; 53:577-86. [DOI: 10.3109/14992027.2014.903338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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43
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Lawson RP, Rees G, Friston KJ. An aberrant precision account of autism. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:302. [PMID: 24860482 PMCID: PMC4030191 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by problems with social-communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. A recent and thought-provoking article presented a normative explanation for the perceptual symptoms of autism in terms of a failure of Bayesian inference (Pellicano and Burr, 2012). In response, we suggested that when Bayesian inference is grounded in its neural instantiation—namely, predictive coding—many features of autistic perception can be attributed to aberrant precision (or beliefs about precision) within the context of hierarchical message passing in the brain (Friston et al., 2013). Here, we unpack the aberrant precision account of autism. Specifically, we consider how empirical findings—that speak directly or indirectly to neurobiological mechanisms—are consistent with the aberrant encoding of precision in autism; in particular, an imbalance of the precision ascribed to sensory evidence relative to prior beliefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca P Lawson
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London London, UK ; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London London, UK
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London London, UK
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44
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Hao X, Wang K, Li W, Yang W, Wei D, Qiu J, Zhang Q. Individual differences in brain structure and resting brain function underlie cognitive styles: evidence from the Embedded Figures Test. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78089. [PMID: 24348991 PMCID: PMC3862473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive styles can be characterized as individual differences in the way people perceive, think, solve problems, learn, and relate to others. Field dependence/independence (FDI) is an important and widely studied dimension of cognitive styles. Although functional imaging studies have investigated the brain activation of FDI cognitive styles, the combined structural and functional correlates with individual differences in a large sample have never been investigated. In the present study, we investigated the neural correlates of individual differences in FDI cognitive styles by analyzing the correlations between Embedded Figures Test (EFT) score and structural neuroimaging data [regional gray matter volume (rGMV) was assessed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM)]/functional neuroimaging data [resting-brain functions were measured by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF)] throughout the whole brain. Results showed that the increased rGMV in the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was associated with the EFT score, which might be the structural basis of effective local processing. Additionally, a significant positive correlation between ALFF and EFT score was found in the fronto-parietal network, including the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We speculated that the left IPL might be associated with superior feature identification, and mPFC might be related to cognitive inhibition of global processing bias. These results suggested that the underlying neuroanatomical and functional bases were linked to the individual differences in FDI cognitive styles and emphasized the important contribution of superior local processing ability and cognitive inhibition to field-independent style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hao
- Key laboratory of cognition and personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kangcheng Wang
- Key laboratory of cognition and personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenfu Li
- Key laboratory of cognition and personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- Key laboratory of cognition and personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key laboratory of cognition and personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key laboratory of cognition and personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qinglin Zhang
- Key laboratory of cognition and personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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45
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Kana RK, Liu Y, Williams DL, Keller TA, Schipul SE, Minshew NJ, Just MA. The local, global, and neural aspects of visuospatial processing in autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:2995-3003. [PMID: 24184351 PMCID: PMC3900283 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Revised: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral studies have documented a relative advantage in some aspects of visuospatial cognition in autism although it is not consistently found in higher functioning individuals with autism. The purpose of this functional neuroimaging study was to examine the neural activity in high functioning individuals with autism while they performed a block design task that systematically varied with regard to whether a global pattern was present. Participants were 14 adults with high-functioning autism and 14 age and IQ matched typical controls. The task was to identify a missing block in target figures which had either an obvious global shape or was an arbitrary array of blocks. Behavioral results showed intact, but not superior, performance in our participants with autism. A key group difference was that the participants with autism showed reliably greater activation in occipital and parietal regions in both tasks suggesting an increased reliance of the autism group on posterior brain areas to mediate visuospatial tasks. Thus, increased reliance on relatively posterior brain regions in itself may not guarantee superior performance as seen in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh K Kana
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Civitan International Research Center CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL, United States.
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46
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O’Keefe N, Lindell AK. Reduced interhemispheric interaction in non-autistic individuals with normal but high levels of autism traits. Brain Cogn 2013; 83:183-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2013.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Revised: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 08/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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47
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O'Reilly H, Thiébaut FI, White SJ. Is macrocephaly a neural marker of a local bias in autism? Dev Cogn Neurosci 2013; 6:149-54. [PMID: 24161549 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2013.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that the local processing bias often reported in studies of Autism Spectrum Condition may only be typical of a subgroup of individuals with autism also presenting with macrocephaly. The current study examined a group of children with autism, with and without macrocephaly, on the Children's Embedded Figures Test (CEFT), a well-established measure of local processing bias. The results demonstrated that the children with autism and macrocephaly performed significantly better on the CEFT than children with autism without macrocephaly, indicative of a local bias. These results lend support to the proposal that both macrocephaly in autism and a local processing bias may arise from the same underlying neural processes and these characteristics represent an endophenotype in a subgroup of individuals with ASC worthy of further investigation.
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48
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Kanakam N, Treasure J. A review of cognitive neuropsychiatry in the taxonomy of eating disorders: state, trait, or genetic? Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2013; 18:83-114. [PMID: 22994309 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2012.682362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A greater understanding of neuropsychological traits in eating disorders may help to construct a more biologically based taxonomy. The aim of this paper is to review the current evidence base of neuropsychological traits in people with eating disorders. Evidence of difficulties in set shifting, weak central coherence, emotional processing difficulties, and altered reward sensitivity is presented for people both in the acute and recovered phase of the illness. These traits are also seen in first degree relatives. At present there is limited research linking these neuropsychological traits with genetic and neuroanatomical measures. In addition to improving the taxonomy of eating disorders, neuropsychological traits may be of value in producing targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Kanakam
- Section of Eating Disorders, Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
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49
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Gadgil M, Peterson E, Tregellas J, Hepburn S, Rojas D. Differences in global and local level information processing in autism: an fMRI investigation. Psychiatry Res 2013; 213:115-21. [PMID: 23768913 PMCID: PMC4012718 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
People with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have atypical visual perception of global and local information. Previous neuroimaging studies have examined the functional anatomy of locally directed attention during visual processing in ASD, but few have examined differences in both globally and locally directed attention. We performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 17 adults with ASD and 16 typically developing (TD) subjects to examine the neurobiology of both global- and local-level information processing in ASD using an abstract hierarchical design task. TD subjects showed no regions of increased brain activation relative to subjects with ASD as assessed using whole brain analysis. Subjects with ASD exhibited greater activation in right superior frontal gyrus during locally directed attention. During globally directed attention, the ASD group showed greater right lateral occipital activation. Additionally, subjects with ASD showed less deactivation in medial prefrontal cortex (part of the default mode network) in the globally directed attention condition. Our findings help elucidate networks of brain activation related to atyipcal global and local feature processing in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milind Gadgil
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Eric Peterson
- Department of Psychology, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, USA
| | - Jason Tregellas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Susan Hepburn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Donald Rojas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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50
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Disengagement of visual attention in infancy is associated with emerging autism in toddlerhood. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 74:189-94. [PMID: 23374640 PMCID: PMC3715700 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early emerging characteristics of visual orienting have been associated with a wide range of typical and atypical developmental outcomes. In the current study, we examined the development of visual disengagement in infants at risk for autism. METHODS We measured the efficiency of disengaging from a central visual stimulus to orient to a peripheral one in a cohort of 104 infants with and without familial risk for autism by virtue of having an older sibling with autism. RESULTS At 7 months of age, disengagement was not robustly associated with later diagnostic outcomes. However, by 14 months, longer latencies to disengage in the subset of the risk group later diagnosed with autism was observed relative to other infants at risk and the low-risk control group. Moreover, between 7 months and 14 months, infants who were later diagnosed with autism at 36 months showed no consistent increases in the speed and flexibility of visual orienting. However, the latter developmental effect also characterized those infants who exhibited some form of developmental concerns (but not meeting criteria for autism) at 36 months. CONCLUSIONS Infants who develop autism or other developmental concerns show atypicality in the development of visual attention skills from the first year of life.
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