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Kausel L, Michon M, Soto-Icaza P, Aboitiz F. A multimodal interface for speech perception: the role of the left superior temporal sulcus in social cognition and autism. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:84-93. [PMID: 38696598 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Multimodal integration is crucial for human interaction, in particular for social communication, which relies on integrating information from various sensory modalities. Recently a third visual pathway specialized in social perception was proposed, which includes the right superior temporal sulcus (STS) playing a key role in processing socially relevant cues and high-level social perception. Importantly, it has also recently been proposed that the left STS contributes to audiovisual integration of speech processing. In this article, we propose that brain areas along the right STS that support multimodal integration for social perception and cognition can be considered homologs to those in the left, language-dominant hemisphere, sustaining multimodal integration of speech and semantic concepts fundamental for social communication. Emphasizing the significance of the left STS in multimodal integration and associated processes such as multimodal attention to socially relevant stimuli, we underscore its potential relevance in comprehending neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by challenges in social communication such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Further research into this left lateral processing stream holds the promise of enhancing our understanding of social communication in both typical development and ASD, which may lead to more effective interventions that could improve the quality of life for individuals with atypical neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Kausel
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia Humana y Neuropsicología (CENHN), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Chile, Vergara 275, 8370076 Santiago, Chile
| | - Maëva Michon
- Praxiling Laboratory, Joint Research Unit (UMR 5267), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France, Route de Mende, 34199 Montpellier cedex 5, France
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile, Marcoleta 391, 2do piso, 8330024 Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Evolutiva, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile, Marcoleta 391, 2do piso, 8330024 Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricia Soto-Icaza
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile, Av. Las Condes 12461, edificio 3, piso 3, 7590943, Las Condes Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Aboitiz
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile, Marcoleta 391, 2do piso, 8330024 Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Evolutiva, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile, Marcoleta 391, 2do piso, 8330024 Santiago, Chile
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2
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Costa-Cordella S, Soto-Icaza P, Borgeaud K, Grasso-Cladera A, Malberg NT. Towards a comprehensive approach to mentalization-based treatment for children with autism: integrating attachment, neurosciences, and mentalizing. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1259432. [PMID: 38098626 PMCID: PMC10719951 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1259432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed based on socio-communicative difficulties, which are believed to result from deficits in mentalizing, mainly evidenced by alterations in recognizing and responding to the mental states of others. In recent years, efforts have been made to develop mentalization-based treatment (MBT) models for this population. These models focus on enhancing individuals' ability to understand and reflect on their own mental states, as well as those of others. However, MBT approaches for people with ASD are limited by their existing theoretical background, which lacks a strong foundation grounded in neuroscience-based evidence properly integrated with attachment, and mentalizing. These are crucial aspects for understanding psychological processes in autism, and as such, they play a pivotal role in shaping the development of tailored and effective therapeutic strategies for this specific population. In this paper we review evidence related to the neurobiological, interpersonal, and psychological dimensions of autism and their implications for mentalizing processes. We also review previous mentalization-based frameworks on the psychosis continuum to provide a comprehensive understanding of attachment, neurobiology, and mentalization domains in therapeutic approaches for autism. After presenting a synthesis of the literature, we offer a set of clinical strategies for the work with children with autism. Finally, we provide recommendations to advance the field towards more robust models that can serve as a basis for evidence-based therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanella Costa-Cordella
- Centro de Estudios en Psicología Clínica y Psicoterapia, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia y Neuropsicología Humana, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute for Depression and Personality Research (MIDAP), Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricia Soto-Icaza
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Social y Neuromodulación (neuroCICS), Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (CICS), Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Aitana Grasso-Cladera
- Centro de Estudios en Neurociencia y Neuropsicología Humana, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Universität Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
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3
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Yuan B, Wang M, Wu X, Cheng P, Zhang R, Zhang R, Yu S, Zhang J, Du Y, Wang X, Qiu Z. Identification of de novo Mutations in the Chinese Autism Spectrum Disorder Cohort via Whole-Exome Sequencing Unveils Brain Regions Implicated in Autism. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1469-1480. [PMID: 36881370 PMCID: PMC10533446 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01037-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions and repetitive behaviors. Although hundreds of ASD risk genes, implicated in synaptic formation and transcriptional regulation, have been identified through human genetic studies, the East Asian ASD cohorts are still under-represented in genome-wide genetic studies. Here, we applied whole-exome sequencing to 369 ASD trios including probands and unaffected parents of Chinese origin. Using a joint-calling analytical pipeline based on GATK toolkits, we identified numerous de novo mutations including 55 high-impact variants and 165 moderate-impact variants, as well as de novo copy number variations containing known ASD-related genes. Importantly, combined with single-cell sequencing data from the developing human brain, we found that the expression of genes with de novo mutations was specifically enriched in the pre-, post-central gyrus (PRC, PC) and banks of the superior temporal (BST) regions in the human brain. By further analyzing the brain imaging data with ASD and healthy controls, we found that the gray volume of the right BST in ASD patients was significantly decreased compared to healthy controls, suggesting the potential structural deficits associated with ASD. Finally, we found a decrease in the seed-based functional connectivity between BST/PC/PRC and sensory areas, the insula, as well as the frontal lobes in ASD patients. This work indicated that combinatorial analysis with genome-wide screening, single-cell sequencing, and brain imaging data reveal the brain regions contributing to the etiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yuan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Mengdi Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xinran Wu
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Peipei Cheng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ran Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ran Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shunying Yu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Yasong Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xiaoqun Wang
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201600, China.
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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4
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Chawarska K, Lewkowicz D, Feiner H, Macari S, Vernetti A. Attention to audiovisual speech does not facilitate language acquisition in infants with familial history of autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1466-1476. [PMID: 35244219 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to familial liability, siblings of children with ASD exhibit elevated risk for language delays. The processes contributing to language delays in this population remain unclear. METHODS Considering well-established links between attention to dynamic audiovisual cues inherent in a speaker's face and speech processing, we investigated if attention to a speaker's face and mouth differs in 12-month-old infants at high familial risk for ASD but without ASD diagnosis (hr-sib; n = 91) and in infants at low familial risk (lr-sib; n = 62) for ASD and whether attention at 12 months predicts language outcomes at 18 months. RESULTS At 12 months, hr-sib and lr-sib infants did not differ in attention to face (p = .14), mouth preference (p = .30), or in receptive and expressive language scores (p = .36, p = .33). At 18 months, the hr-sib infants had lower receptive (p = .01) but not expressive (p = .84) language scores than the lr-sib infants. In the lr-sib infants, greater attention to the face (p = .022) and a mouth preference (p = .025) contributed to better language outcomes at 18 months. In the hr-sib infants, neither attention to the face nor a mouth preference was associated with language outcomes at 18 months. CONCLUSIONS Unlike low-risk infants, high-risk infants do not appear to benefit from audiovisual prosodic and speech cues in the service of language acquisition despite intact attention to these cues. We propose that impaired processing of audiovisual cues may constitute the link between genetic risk factors and poor language outcomes observed across the autism risk spectrum and may represent a promising endophenotype in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Chawarska
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David Lewkowicz
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hannah Feiner
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Suzanne Macari
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Angelina Vernetti
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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5
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Strang CC, Harris A, Moody EJ, Reed CL. Peak frequency of the sensorimotor mu rhythm varies with autism-spectrum traits. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:950539. [PMID: 35992926 PMCID: PMC9389406 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.950539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by impairments in social perception and communication. Growing evidence suggests that the relationship between deficits in social perception and ASD may extend into the neurotypical population. In electroencephalography (EEG), high autism-spectrum traits in both ASD and neurotypical samples are associated with changes to the mu rhythm, an alpha-band (8–12 Hz) oscillation measured over sensorimotor cortex which typically shows reductions in spectral power during both one’s own movements and observation of others’ actions. This mu suppression is thought to reflect integration of perceptual and motor representations for understanding of others’ mental states, which may be disrupted in individuals with autism-spectrum traits. However, because spectral power is usually quantified at the group level, it has limited usefulness for characterizing individual variation in the mu rhythm, particularly with respect to autism-spectrum traits. Instead, individual peak frequency may provide a better measure of mu rhythm variability across participants. Previous developmental studies have linked ASD to slowing of individual peak frequency in the alpha band, or peak alpha frequency (PAF), predominantly associated with selective attention. Yet individual variability in the peak mu frequency (PMF) remains largely unexplored, particularly with respect to autism-spectrum traits. Here we quantified peak frequency of occipitoparietal alpha and sensorimotor mu rhythms across neurotypical individuals as a function of autism-spectrum traits. High-density 128-channel EEG data were collected from 60 participants while they completed two tasks previously reported to reliably index the sensorimotor mu rhythm: motor execution (bimanual finger tapping) and action observation (viewing of whole-body human movements). We found that individual measurement in the peak oscillatory frequency of the mu rhythm was highly reliable within participants, was not driven by resting vs. task states, and showed good correlation across action execution and observation tasks. Within our neurotypical sample, higher autism-spectrum traits were associated with slowing of the PMF, as predicted. This effect was not likely explained by volume conduction of the occipitoparietal PAF associated with attention. Together, these data support individual peak oscillatory alpha-band frequency as a correlate of autism-spectrum traits, warranting further research with larger samples and clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alison Harris
- Department of Psychological Science, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Alison Harris,
| | - Eric J. Moody
- Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND), University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Catherine L. Reed
- Department of Psychological Science, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, United States
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6
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Liu P, Sutherland M, Pollick FE. Incongruence effects in cross-modal emotional processing in autistic traits: An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia 2021; 161:107997. [PMID: 34425144 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In everyday life, emotional information is often conveyed by both the face and the voice. Consequently, information presented by one source can alter the way in which information from the other source is perceived, leading to emotional incongruence. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine neutral correlates of two different types of emotional incongruence in audiovisual processing, namely incongruence of emotion-valence and incongruence of emotion-presence. Participants were in two groups, one group with a low Autism Quotient score (LAQ) and one with a high score (HAQ). Each participant experienced emotional (happy, fearful) or neutral faces or voices while concurrently being exposed to emotional (happy, fearful) or neutral voices or faces. They were instructed to attend to either the visual or auditory track. The incongruence effect of emotion-valence was characterized by activation in a wide range of brain regions in both hemispheres involving the inferior frontal gyrus, cuneus, superior temporal gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus. The incongruence effect of emotion-presence was characterized by activation in a set of temporal and occipital regions in both hemispheres, including the middle occipital gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus. In addition, the present study identified greater recruitment of the right inferior parietal lobule in perceiving audio-visual emotional expressions in HAQ individuals, as compared to the LAQ individuals. Depending on face or voice-to-be attended, different patterns of emotional incongruence were found between the two groups. Specifically, the HAQ group tend to show more incidental processing to visual information whilst the LAQ group tend to show more incidental processing to auditory information during the crossmodal emotional incongruence decoding. These differences might be attributed to different attentional demands and different processing strategies between the two groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Liu
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QB, UK; School of Education, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G3 6NH, UK
| | | | - Frank E Pollick
- School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QB, UK.
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7
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Feng C, Zhu Z, Cui Z, Ushakov V, Dreher JC, Luo W, Gu R, Wu X, Krueger F. Prediction of trust propensity from intrinsic brain morphology and functional connectome. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:175-191. [PMID: 33001541 PMCID: PMC7721234 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Trust forms the basis of virtually all interpersonal relationships. Although significant individual differences characterize trust, the driving neuropsychological signatures behind its heterogeneity remain obscure. Here, we applied a prediction framework in two independent samples of healthy participants to examine the relationship between trust propensity and multimodal brain measures. Our multivariate prediction analyses revealed that trust propensity was predicted by gray matter volume and node strength across multiple regions. The gray matter volume of identified regions further enabled the classification of individuals from an independent sample with the propensity to trust or distrust. Our modular and functional decoding analyses showed that the contributing regions were part of three large‐scale networks implicated in calculus‐based trust strategy, cost–benefit calculation, and trustworthiness inference. These findings do not only deepen our neuropsychological understanding of individual differences in trust propensity, but also provide potential biomarkers in predicting trust impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhu
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Technology and Educational Application of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zaixu Cui
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Vadim Ushakov
- National Research Center, Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, Russia.,National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Moscow, Russia
| | - Jean-Claude Dreher
- Neuroeconomics, Reward and Decision Making Laboratory, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, Bron, France
| | - Wenbo Luo
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Ruolei Gu
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Wu
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Technology and Educational Application of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.,Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
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8
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Jiang J, von Kriegstein K, Jiang J. Brain mechanisms of eye contact during verbal communication predict autistic traits in neurotypical individuals. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14602. [PMID: 32884087 PMCID: PMC7471895 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71547-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical eye contact in communication is a common characteristic in autism spectrum disorders. Autistic traits vary along a continuum extending into the neurotypical population. The relation between autistic traits and brain mechanisms underlying spontaneous eye contact during verbal communication remains unexplored. Here, we used simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging and eye tracking to investigate this relation in neurotypical people within a naturalistic verbal context. Using multiple regression analyses, we found that brain response in the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) and its connectivity with the fusiform face area (FFA) during eye contact with a speaker predicted the level of autistic traits measured by Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ). Further analyses for different AQ subclusters revealed that these two predictors were negatively associated with attention to detail. The relation between FFA–pSTS connectivity and the attention to detail ability was mediated by individuals’ looking preferences for speaker’s eyes. This study identified the role of an individual eye contact pattern in the relation between brain mechanisms underlying natural eye contact during verbal communication and autistic traits in neurotypical people. The findings may help to increase our understanding of the mechanisms of atypical eye contact behavior during natural communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. .,Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany. .,Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 12489, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Katharina von Kriegstein
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 12489, Berlin, Germany.,Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jiefeng Jiang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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9
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Cauvet É, Van't Westeinde A, Toro R, Kuja-Halkola R, Neufeld J, Mevel K, Bölte S. Sex Differences Along the Autism Continuum: A Twin Study of Brain Structure. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:1342-1350. [PMID: 30566633 PMCID: PMC6373677 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Females might possess protective mechanisms regarding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and require a higher detrimental load, including structural brain alterations, before developing clinically relevant levels of autistic traits. This study examines sex differences in structural brain morphology in autism and autistic traits using a within-twin pair approach. Twin design inherently controls for shared confounders and enables the study of gene-independent neuroanatomical variation. N = 148 twins (62 females) from 49 monozygotic and 25 dizygotic same-sex pairs were included. Participants were distributed along the whole continuum of autism including twin pairs discordant and concordant for clinical ASD. Regional brain volume, surface area, and cortical thickness were computed. Within-twin pair increases in autistic traits were related to decreases in cortical volume and surface area of temporal and frontal regions specifically in female twin pairs, in particular regions involved in social communication, while only two regions were associated with autistic traits in males. The same pattern was detected in the monozygotic twin pairs only. Thus, non-shared environmental factors seem to impact female more than male cerebral architecture associated with autistic traits. Our results are in line with the hypothesis of a female protective effect in autism and highlights the need to study ASD in females separately from males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Élodie Cauvet
- Karolinska Institutet Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, CAP Research Centre, Sweden
| | - Annelies Van't Westeinde
- Karolinska Institutet Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, CAP Research Centre, Sweden
| | - Roberto Toro
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,CNRS URA 2182 "Genes, synapses and cognition", Paris, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - Ralf Kuja-Halkola
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Janina Neufeld
- Karolinska Institutet Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, CAP Research Centre, Sweden
| | - Katell Mevel
- Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, CNRS Unit 8240, Paris-Descartes University and Caen University, Alliance for higher education and research Sorbonne Paris Cité (IDEX), Sorbonne, France
| | - Sven Bölte
- Karolinska Institutet Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm County Council, CAP Research Centre, Sweden.,Curtin Autism Research Group, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
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10
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Turnbull A, Garfinkel SN, Ho NSP, Critchley HD, Bernhardt BC, Jefferies E, Smallwood J. Word up - Experiential and neurocognitive evidence for associations between autistic symptomology and a preference for thinking in the form of words. Cortex 2020; 128:88-106. [PMID: 32325277 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism symptomology has a profound impact on cognitive and affective functioning, yet we know relatively little about how it shapes patterns of ongoing thought. In an exploratory study in a large population of neurotypical individuals, we used experience sampling to characterise the relationship between ongoing cognition and self-reported autistic traits. We found that with increasing autistic symptom score, cognition was characterised by thinking more in words than images. Analysis of structural neuroimaging data found that autistic traits linked to social interaction were associated with greater cortical thickness in a region of lingual gyrus (LG) within the occipital cortex. Analysis of resting state functional neuroimaging data found autistic traits were associated with stronger connectivity between the LG and a region of motor cortex. Importantly, the strength of connectivity between the LG and motor cortex moderated the link between autistic symptoms and thinking in words: individuals showing higher connectivity showed a stronger association between autistic traits and thinking in words. Together we provide behavioural and neural evidence linking autistic traits to the tendency to think in words which may be rooted in underlying cortical organisation. These observations lay the groundwork for research into the form and content of self-generated thoughts in individuals with the established diagnosis of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Turnbull
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom.
| | - Sarah N Garfinkel
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Nerissa S P Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Hugo D Critchley
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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11
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Kobayashi A, Yokota S, Takeuchi H, Asano K, Asano M, Sassa Y, Taki Y, Kawashima R. Increased grey matter volume of the right superior temporal gyrus in healthy children with autistic cognitive style: A VBM study. Brain Cogn 2019; 139:105514. [PMID: 31902739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.105514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The empathizing-systemizing model describes human cognitive style using empathizing (the drive to identify another's mental state and respond appropriately) and systemizing (the drive to assess or construct rule-based systems). 'Brain type' was envisioned to explain individual differences in cognitive style based on the discrepancy of the two drives. In this model, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder, have extremely stronger systemizing. Revealing the underlying mechanisms of individual differences in cognitive style might contribute to elucidation of the pathology of ASD. We used voxel-based morphometry to compare the brain structures among the brain types (those who have stronger empathizing, those who have equally stronger drive to both, and those who have stronger systemizing) in 207 healthy children (age range: 5-15). Results showed that children with stronger systemizing had significantly greater grey matter volume of the right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG) than the others. The brain region, a distinctive brain structure of those with stronger systemizing, was overlapped with that of children with ASD. The rSTG is involved in detailed perceptual processing in social cognition, which is partially related to stronger systemizing. Our results contribute to elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of individual differences in cognitive style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Kobayashi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan.
| | - Susumu Yokota
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan
| | - Hikaru Takeuchi
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Kohei Asano
- Kokoro Research Center, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Michiko Asano
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan; Global Research Center for Logic and Sensibility, Keio University, Japan
| | - Yuko Sassa
- Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Taki
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan; Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
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12
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Abnormal EEG Power Spectrum in Individuals with High Autistic Personality Traits: an eLORETA Study. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-019-09777-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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13
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Self-reported Sensory Hypersensitivity Moderates Association Between Tactile Psychophysical Performance and Autism-Related Traits in Neurotypical Adults. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:3159-3172. [PMID: 31073751 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04043-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Atypical responses to tactile stimulation have been linked to core domains of dysfunction in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and phenotypic traits associated with ASD in neurotypical individuals. We investigated (a) the extent to which two psychophysically derived measures of tactile sensitivity-detection threshold and dynamic range-relate to traits associated with ASD and (b) whether those relations vary according to the presence of self-reported sensory hypersensitivities in neurotypical individuals. A narrow dynamic range was associated with increased autism-related traits in individuals who reported greater sensory hypersensitivity. In contrast, in individuals less prone to sensory hypersensitivity, a narrow dynamic range was associated with reduced autism-related traits. Findings highlight the potential importance of considering dynamic psychophysical metrics in future studies.
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14
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Xu J, Wang C, Xu Z, Li T, Chen F, Chen K, Gao J, Wang J, Hu Q. Specific Functional Connectivity Patterns of Middle Temporal Gyrus Subregions in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2019; 13:410-422. [PMID: 31729198 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
As one of the key regions in the "social brain" network, the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) has been widely reported to be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but there have been contradictory results in terms of whether it shows hyperconnectivity or hypoconnectivity. Delineating roles of MTG at the subregional level may eliminate the observed inconsistencies and provide a new avenue to reveal the neurophysiologic mechanism of ASD. Thus, we first performed connectivity-based parcellation using the BrainMap database to identify fine-grained functional topography of the MTG. Then, the MTG subregions were used to investigate differences in the functional connectivity in children and adults with ASD using two data sets from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange database. Four distinct subregions in the human left and right MTG were identified, including the anterior MTG (aMTG), middle-anterior MTG (maMTG), middle-posterior MTG, and posterior MTG (pMTG). The bilateral pMTG was more vulnerable in both children and adults with ASD than in the typically developing (TD) group, mainly showing hypoconnectivity with different brain regions. In addition, the bilateral aMTG and right maMTG also showed altered functional connectivity in adults with ASD compared to the TD group. Moreover, all these altered MTG subregions were mainly associated with social cognition and language, as revealed by functional characterization. Further correlation analyses also showed trends of association between altered connectivity of the left aMTG and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores in adults with ASD. Together, these results suggest a potential objective way to explore sub-regional differences associated with such disorders. Autism Res 2020, 13: 410-422. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Four distinct subregions in the human left and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) were identified, including the anterior MTG (aMTG), middle-anterior MTG (maMTG), middle-posterior MTG, and posterior MTG (pMTG). The bilateral pMTG was more vulnerable in both children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in the typically developing (TD) group, mainly showing hypoconnectivity with different brain regions. In addition, the bilateral aMTG and right maMTG also showed altered functional connectivity in adults with ASD compared to the TD group. Moreover, all these altered MTG subregions were mainly associated with social cognition and language, as revealed by functional characterization. Further correlation analyses also showed trends of association between altered connectivity of the left aMTG and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores in adults with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinping Xu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Wang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ziyun Xu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tian Li
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fangfang Chen
- College of Mathematics and Statistics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kai Chen
- School of Automation Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jingjing Gao
- School of Information and Communication Engineer, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qingmao Hu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
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15
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Ford TC, Crewther DP, Abu-Akel A. Psychosocial deficits across autism and schizotypal spectra are interactively modulated by excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 24:364-373. [PMID: 31339349 DOI: 10.1177/1362361319866030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Continued human and animal research has strengthened evidence for aberrant excitatory-inhibitory neural processes underlying autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorder psychopathology, particularly psychosocial functioning, in clinical and nonclinical populations. We investigated the extent to which autistic traits and schizotypal dimensions were modulated by the interactive relationship between excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA neurotransmitter concentrations in the social processing area of the superior temporal cortex using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In total, 38 non-clinical participants (20 females; age range = 18-35 years, mean (standard deviation) = 23.22 (5.52)) completed the autism spectrum quotient and schizotypal personality questionnaire, and underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify glutamate and GABA concentrations in the right and left superior temporal cortex. Regression analyses revealed that glutamate and GABA interactively modulated autistic social skills and schizotypal interpersonal features (pcorr < 0.05), such that those with high right superior temporal cortex glutamate but low GABA concentrations exhibited poorer social and interpersonal skills. These findings evidence an excitation-inhibition imbalance that is specific to psychosocial features across the autism and schizophrenia spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talitha C Ford
- Deakin University, Australia.,Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
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16
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Heil L, Colizoli O, Hartstra E, Kwisthout J, van Pelt S, van Rooij I, Bekkering H. Processing of Prediction Errors in Mentalizing Areas. J Cogn Neurosci 2019; 31:900-912. [PMID: 30747588 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
When seeing people perform actions, we are able to quickly predict the action's outcomes. These predictions are not solely based on the observed actions themselves but utilize our prior knowledge of others. It has been suggested that observed outcomes that are not in line with these predictions result in prediction errors, which require additional processing to be integrated or updated. However, there is no consensus on whether this is indeed the case for the kind of high-level social-cognitive processes involved in action observation. In this fMRI study, we investigated whether observation of unexpected outcomes causes additional activation in line with the processing of prediction errors and, if so, whether this activation overlaps with activation in brain areas typically associated with social-cognitive processes. In the first part of the experiment, participants watched animated movies of two people playing a bowling game, one experienced and one novice player. In cases where the player's score was higher or lower than expected based on their skill level, there was increased BOLD activity in areas that were also activated during a theory of mind task that participants performed in the second part of the experiment. These findings are discussed in the light of different theoretical accounts of human social-cognitive processing.
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17
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Reduced connectivity between mentalizing and mirror systems in autism spectrum condition. Neuropsychologia 2019; 122:88-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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18
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Cheng C, Fan L, Xia X, Eickhoff SB, Li H, Li H, Chen J, Jiang T. Rostro-caudal organization of the human posterior superior temporal sulcus revealed by connectivity profiles. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:5112-5125. [PMID: 30273447 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) plays an important role in biological motion perception but is also thought to be essential for speech and facial processing. However, although there are many previous investigations of distinct functional modules within the pSTS, the functional organization of the pSTS in its full functional heterogeneity has not yet been established. Here we applied a connectivity-based parcellation strategy to delineate the human pSTS subregions based on distinct anatomical connectivity profiles and divided it into rostral and caudal subregions using diffusion tensor imaging. Subsequent multimodal connection pattern analyses revealed distinct subregional connectivity profiles. From this we inferred that the two subregions are involved in distinct functional circuits, the language processing loop and the cognition attention network. These results indicate a convergent functional architecture of the pSTS that can be revealed based on different types of connectivity and is reflected in different functions and interactions. In addition, when the subregions were performing their processing in the different functional circuits, we found asymmetry in the bilateral pSTS. Our findings may improve the understanding of the functional organization of the pSTS and provide new insights into its interactions and integration of information at the subregional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Cheng
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China.,Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoluan Xia
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China.,Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Hai Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haifang Li
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China
| | - Junjie Chen
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,The Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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19
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De Groot K, Van Strien JW. Spontaneous resting-state gamma oscillations are not predictive of autistic traits in the general population. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 48:2928-2937. [PMID: 29797620 PMCID: PMC6220821 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The autism spectrum hypothesis states that not only diagnosed individuals but also individuals from the general population exhibit a certain amount of autistic traits. While this idea is supported by neuroimaging studies, there have been few electrophysiological studies. In particular, there have been no spontaneous resting-state studies yet. In order to examine the autism spectrum hypothesis, the present study tried to predict the level of autistic traits typically developing young adults (n = 93) exhibit from spontaneous resting-state gamma power, a measure that has been linked to social functioning impairments seen in autism. The influence of age and gender was controlled for by employing regression. It was expected that enhanced gamma activity would be predictive of self-reported autistic traits. The model with only age and gender included reached significance, with higher age within this student population being related to more autistic traits. However, no relationship between either low (30-50 Hz) or high (50-70 Hz) gamma power and autistic traits was found. Models with eyes closed low gamma asymmetry and eyes closed high gamma asymmetry included did reach significance, but these findings were not robust, and the gamma asymmetry explained very little additional variance above age and gender. In addition, exploratory correlation analyses showed no relationship between the other power spectra (delta, theta, alpha and beta) on the one hand and autistic traits on the other hand, suggesting that any relationship between spontaneous resting-state brain electrophysiology and autistic traits might not be strong enough to be detected in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristel De Groot
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural SciencesInstitute of PsychologyErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of Applied EconomicsErasmus School of EconomicsErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
- Erasmus University Rotterdam Institute for Behaviour and Biology (EURIBEB)Erasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Jan W. Van Strien
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural SciencesInstitute of PsychologyErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
- Erasmus University Rotterdam Institute for Behaviour and Biology (EURIBEB)Erasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
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20
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Yin S, Fu C, Chen A. The structural and functional correlates underlying individual heterogeneity of reading the mind in the eyes. Biol Psychol 2018; 138:179-184. [PMID: 30261228 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Mentalizing is an essential component in human social interactions and the sources of individual variation in mentalizing are still very poorly understood. Utilizing the "reading the mind in the eyes" test (RMET), we examined the neuroanatomical basis of these differences with voxel-based morphometry and found that the gray matter density in the left posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) could positively predict individuals' RMET scores. Furthermore, we found that the pSTS-amygdala functional connection was positively correlated to individuals' RMET scores. A test-validation procedure confirmed that the imaging results could be replicated and validated in another independent sample. Finally, mediation analysis revealed that pSTS-amygdala functional connection could account for the relationship between pSTS gray matter density and RMET scores. Present results demonstrate the contribution of brain structure of pSTS to individual variations in RMET performance and reveal an important implication of the neural circuit between core imitation and emotion regions in REMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouhang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Fu
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Antao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China.
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21
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Sachs ME, Habibi A, Damasio A, Kaplan JT. Decoding the neural signatures of emotions expressed through sound. Neuroimage 2018; 174:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.02.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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22
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Liu R, Yuan X, Chen K, Jiang Y, Zhou W. Perception of social interaction compresses subjective duration in an oxytocin-dependent manner. eLife 2018; 7:32100. [PMID: 29784084 PMCID: PMC5963918 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication through body gestures permeates our daily life. Efficient perception of the message therein reflects one’s social cognitive competency. Here we report that such competency is manifested temporally as shortened subjective duration of social interactions: motion sequences showing agents acting communicatively are perceived to be significantly shorter in duration as compared with those acting noncommunicatively. The strength of this effect is negatively correlated with one’s autistic-like tendency. Critically, intranasal oxytocin administration restores the temporal compression effect in socially less proficient individuals, whereas the administration of atosiban, a competitive antagonist of oxytocin, diminishes the effect in socially proficient individuals. These findings indicate that perceived time, rather than being a faithful representation of physical time, is highly idiosyncratic and ingrained with one’s personality trait. Moreover, they suggest that oxytocin is involved in mediating time perception of social interaction, further supporting the role of oxytocin in human social cognition. Einstein once joked: “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity.” While it may not have helped explain the space-time continuum, his joke neatly captures how time can appear to pass at different rates. This perception depends in part on the sensory properties of the stimuli we are experiencing. Intense stimuli, such as bright and fast-moving objects, trigger stronger responses in the brain than less intense stimuli, and so we perceive them as longer lasting. But what role do we, as the experiencers, play in how we perceive time? To find out, Liu, Yuan, Chen et al. showed volunteers pairs of movie clips, each featuring two human figures outlined by dots. In one clip, the two figures interacted socially, for example by passing an object between them. In the other, the two figures moved independently of each other. The volunteers had to decide which clip lasted longer. The volunteers generally judged clips containing social interactions to be shorter than those without such interactions, even when this was not the case. Moreover, volunteers with better social skills tended to underestimate the length of the social interaction clips to a greater extent. Previous studies have shown that people who are more social tend to have higher levels of a hormone called oxytocin in their blood. Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the ‘love hormone’ because it promotes social behavior and bonding. Applying an oxytocin nasal spray to the volunteers who were less socially proficient caused them to perceive the social interaction clips as shorter than before. By contrast, socially proficient volunteers who used a nasal spray that blocks the effects of oxytocin perceived these clips as longer than they had done previously (although they still judged the clips to be shorter than videos that did not show people interacting). The perception of time thus varies between people and may depend at least in part on personality. These results open up a new avenue for studying and manipulating how we process social situations. This could eventually benefit people who struggle with social interactions, such as those with autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Xiangyong Yuan
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kepu Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
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23
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Anderson BA, Kim H. Relating Attentional Biases for Stimuli Associated with Social Reward and Punishment to Autistic Traits. COLLABRA: PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1525/collabra.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence for impaired attention to social stimuli in autism has been mixed. The role of social feedback in shaping attention to other, non-social stimuli that are predictive of such feedback has not been examined in the context of autism. In the present study, participants searched for a color-defined target during a training phase, with the color of the target predicting the emotional reaction of a face that appeared after each trial. Then, participants performed visual search for a shape-defined target while trying to ignore the color of stimuli. On a subset of trials, one of the non-targets was rendered in the color of a former target from training. Autistic traits were measured for each participant using the Autism Quotient (AQ). Our findings replicate robust attentional capture by stimuli learned to predict valenced social feedback. There was no evidence that autistic traits are associated with blunted attention to predictors of social outcomes. Consistent with an emerging body of literature, our findings cast doubt on strong versions of the claim that autistic traits can be explained by a blunted influence of social information on the attention system. We extend these findings to non-social stimuli that predict socially relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Haena Kim
- Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, US
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24
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Correlation of reduced social communicational and interactional skills with regional grey matter volumes in schizophrenia patients. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2017; 29:374-381. [PMID: 28393745 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2017.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent studies have detected similarities between autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. We investigated structural abnormalities associated with autistic-like traits in patients with schizophrenia by voxel-based morphometry. METHODS Patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects were evaluated by the adult version of the social responsiveness scale (SRS-A), which is sensitive to autistic traits and symptoms even under subthreshold conditions, and magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS There were significant decreases in the anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral hippocampi, cerebellums, and right insula of patients with schizophrenia, compared with healthy subjects. We found significant negative correlations of the social communication and interaction (SCI) score, a subscale of SRS-A, with grey matter volume in the left posterior superior temporal region of schizophrenia patients. When subscales of SCI were examined separately in schizophrenic patients, negative correlations were observed between the social cognition score and the volumes of the left posterior superior temporal region, and between social motivation and the posterior cingulate cortex. CONCLUSION We found significant negative correlation between the SCI score and the grey matter volume in the left posterior superior temporal region of schizophrenia patients. This area was the region affected in previous studies of autistic spectrum disorders. Further, this area was associated with the theory of mind. Schizophrenia patients not necessarily show the impairment of SCI, nor this correlated region was not always the point with schizophrenia-specific change. However, we reveal the relationship between the left posterior superior temporal gyrus and the severity of the SCI in schizophrenia by using with SRS-A.
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25
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Fründt O, Schulz R, Schöttle D, Cheng B, Thomalla G, Braaß H, Ganos C, David N, Peiker I, Engel AK, Bäumer T, Münchau A. White Matter Microstructure of the Human Mirror Neuron System is Related to Symptom Severity in Adults with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 48:417-429. [PMID: 29027066 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3332-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Mirror neuron system (MNS) dysfunctions might underlie deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Diffusion tensor imaging based probabilistic tractography was conducted in 15 adult ASD patients and 13 matched, healthy controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was quantified to assess group differences in tract-related white matter microstructure of both the classical MNS route (mediating "emulation") and the alternative temporo-frontal route (mediating "mimicry"). Multiple linear regression was used to investigate structure-function relationships between MNS connections and ASD symptom severity. There were no significant group differences in tract-related FA indicating an intact classical MNS in ASD. Direct temporo-frontal connections could not be reconstructed challengeing the concept of multiple routes for imitation. Tract-related FA of right-hemispheric parieto-frontal connections was negatively related to autism symptom severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odette Fründt
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Robert Schulz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Schöttle
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bastian Cheng
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Götz Thomalla
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hanna Braaß
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christos Ganos
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicole David
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ina Peiker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas K Engel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Bäumer
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric and Adult Movement Disorders and Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Alexander Münchau
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric and Adult Movement Disorders and Neuropsychiatry, Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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26
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Cribb SJ, Olaithe M, Di Lorenzo R, Dunlop PD, Maybery MT. Embedded Figures Test Performance in the Broader Autism Phenotype: A Meta-analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 46:2924-39. [PMID: 27312717 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2832-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
People with autism show superior performance to controls on the Embedded Figures Test (EFT). However, studies examining the relationship between autistic-like traits and EFT performance in neurotypical individuals have yielded inconsistent findings. To examine the inconsistency, a meta-analysis was conducted of studies that (a) compared high and low Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) groups, and (b) treated AQ as a continuous variable. Outcomes are consistent with superior visual search forming part of the broader autism phenotype, but in existing literature, this is evident only when comparing extreme groups. Reanalysis of data from previous studies suggests findings are unlikely to be driven by a small number of high scorers. Monte Carlo simulations are used to illustrate the effect of methodological differences on results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena J Cribb
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Michelle Olaithe
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Renata Di Lorenzo
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Patrick D Dunlop
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Murray T Maybery
- School of Psychology (M304), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
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27
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Mayer JL. The Relationship Between Autistic Traits and Atypical Sensory Functioning in Neurotypical and ASD Adults: A Spectrum Approach. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:316-327. [PMID: 27848052 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2948-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Sensory processing atypicalities are a common feature in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and have previously been linked to a range of behaviours in individuals with ASD and atypical neurological development. More recently research has demonstrated a relationship between autistic traits in the neurotypical (NT) population and increased levels of atypical sensory behaviours. The aim of the present study is to extend previous research by examining specific patterns across aspects of autistic traits and sensory behaviours within both ASD and NT populations. The present study recruited 580 NT adults and 42 high-functioning ASD adults with a confirmed diagnosis to investigate the relationship between specific aspects of autistic traits and sensory processing using the subscales of the autism spectrum quotient (AQ) and adult/adolescent sensory profile (AASP). Results showed a significant relationship between all subscales except for attention to detail and imagination on the AQ and provided the first evidence that the strength and pattern of this relationship is identical between NT and ASD adults. These data also provided support for the broader autism phenotype, uncovering a clear progression of sensory atypicalities in line with an increase in autistic traits, regardless of diagnostic status, which has potential implications for the spectrum approach to ASD and how sensory behaviours across the whole of the neurotypical population are conceptualised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Mayer
- Department of Psychology, Whitelands College, University of Roehampton, Holyborne Avenue, London, SW15 4JD, UK.
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28
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Puglia MH, Morris JP. Neural Response to Biological Motion in Healthy Adults Varies as a Function of Autistic-Like Traits. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:404. [PMID: 28769743 PMCID: PMC5509945 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception of biological motion is an important social cognitive ability that has been mapped to specialized brain regions. Perceptual deficits and neural differences during biological motion perception have previously been associated with autism, a disorder classified by social and communication difficulties and repetitive and restricted interests and behaviors. However, the traits associated with autism are not limited to diagnostic categories, but are normally distributed within the general population and show the same patterns of heritability across the continuum. In the current study, we investigate whether self-reported autistic-like traits in healthy adults are associated with variable neural response during passive viewing of biological motion displays. Results show that more autistic-like traits, particularly those associated with the communication domain, are associated with increased neural response in key regions involved in social cognitive processes, including prefrontal and left temporal cortices. This distinct pattern of activation might reflect differential neurodevelopmental processes for individuals with varying autistic-like traits, and highlights the importance of considering the full trait continuum in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan H Puglia
- Department of Psychology, University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VA, United States
| | - James P Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VA, United States
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29
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Alaerts K, Swinnen SP, Wenderoth N. Neural processing of biological motion in autism: An investigation of brain activity and effective connectivity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5612. [PMID: 28717158 PMCID: PMC5514051 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05786-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The superior temporal sulcus (STS) forms a key region for social information processing and disruptions of its function have been associated with socio-communicative impairments characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Task-based fMRI was applied in 15 adults with ASD and 15 matched typical-controls (TC) to explore differences in activity and effective connectivity of STS while discriminating either 'intact' versus 'scrambled' biological motion point light displays (explicit processing) or responding to a color-change while the 'intact' versus 'scrambled' nature of the stimulus was irrelevant for the task (implicit processing). STS responded stronger to 'intact' than 'scrambled' stimuli in both groups, indicating that the basic encoding of 'biological' versus 'non-biological' motion seems to be intact in ASD. Only in the TC-group however, explicit attention to the biological motion content induced an augmentation of STS-activity, which was not observed in the ASD-group. Overall, these findings suggest an inadequacy to recruit STS upon task demand in ASD, rather than a generalized alteration in STS neural processing. The importance of attention orienting for recruiting relevant neural resources was further underlined by the observation that connectivity between STS and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a key region in attention regulation, effectively modulated STS-recruitment in the ASD-group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Alaerts
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Neuromotor Rehabilitation Research Group, University of Leuven, KU, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Department of Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, University of Leuven, KU, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Neural Control of Movement Lab, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
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30
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Moessnang C, Otto K, Bilek E, Schäfer A, Baumeister S, Hohmann S, Poustka L, Brandeis D, Banaschewski T, Tost H, Meyer-Lindenberg A. Differential responses of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and right posterior superior temporal sulcus to spontaneous mentalizing. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:3791-3803. [PMID: 28556306 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research suggests a role of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in metacognitive representation of social information, while the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) has been linked to social perception. This study targeted these functional roles in the context of spontaneous mentalizing. An animated shapes task was presented to 46 subjects during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Stimuli consisted of video clips depicting animated shapes whose movement patterns prompt spontaneous mentalizing or simple intention attribution. Based on their differential response during spontaneous mentalizing, both regions were characterized with respect to their task-dependent connectivity profiles and their associations with autistic traits. Functional network analyses revealed highly localized coupling of the right pSTS with visual areas in the lateral occipital cortex, while the dmPFC showed extensive coupling with instances of large-scale control networks and temporal areas including the right pSTS. Autistic traits were related to mentalizing-specific activation of the dmPFC and to the strength of connectivity between the dmPFC and posterior temporal regions. These results are in good agreement with the hypothesized roles of the dmPFC and right pSTS for metacognitive representation and perception-based processing of social information, respectively, and further inform their implication in social behavior linked to autism. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3791-3803, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kristina Otto
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Edda Bilek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Axel Schäfer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sarah Baumeister
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Tost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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31
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Peled-Avron L, Shamay-Tsoory SG. Don't touch me! autistic traits modulate early and late ERP components during visual perception of social touch. Autism Res 2017; 10:1141-1154. [PMID: 28339141 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have impaired responses to interpersonal touch, the underlying neural correlates remain largely unknown. Here, we examined the neural correlates that underlie interpersonal touch perception in individuals with either high or low autistic traits. Fifty-three participants were classified as having either high or low autistic traits based on their performance on the autism quotient (AQ) questionnaire. We hypothesized that individuals with high AQ scores would have relatively high touch hypervigilance, reflected as earlier P1 and stronger late positive potential (LPP) responses, two components of event-related potentials that serve as electrophysiological markers of anxiety bias. We recorded each participant's electroencephalography activity during presentation of images depicting human touch, object touch, and non-touch control images. Consistent with our hypothesis, AQ scores were positively correlated with social touch aversion. Moreover, participants with high AQ scores had earlier P1 and stronger LPP responses when presented with human touch compared to the control images. Importantly, a regression model revealed that earlier P1 and larger LPP amplitude measured during social touch observation can accurately predict higher autistic trait levels. Taken together, these findings indicate that individuals with high levels of autistic traits may have a hypervigilant response to observed social touch. Autism Res 2017, 0: 000-000. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1141-1154. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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32
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Theory of Mind and Executive Control Deficits in Typically Developing Adults and Adolescents with High Levels of Autism Traits. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 46:2072-2087. [PMID: 26886468 PMCID: PMC4860196 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2735-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by profound difficulties in empathic processing and executive control. Whilst the links between these processes have been frequently investigated in populations with autism, few studies have examined them at the subclinical level. In addition, the contribution of alexithymia, a trait characterised by impaired interoceptive awareness and empathy, and elevated in those with ASD, is currently unclear. The present two-part study employed a comprehensive battery of tasks to examine these processes. Findings support the notion that executive function and theory of mind are related abilities. They also suggest that individuals with elevated levels of autism-like traits experience a partially similar pattern of social and executive function difficulties to those diagnosed with ASD, and that these impairments are not explained by co-occurring alexithymia.
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33
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Bernhardt BC, Di Martino A, Valk SL, Wallace GL. Neuroimaging-Based Phenotyping of the Autism Spectrum. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2017; 30:341-355. [PMID: 26946501 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in neuroimaging have offered a rich array of structural and functional markers to probe the organization of regional and large-scale brain networks. The current chapter provides a brief introduction into these techniques and overviews their contribution to the understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition associated with atypical social cognition, language function, and repetitive behaviors/interests. While it is generally recognized that ASD relates to structural and functional network anomalies, the extent and overall pattern of reported findings have been rather heterogeneous. Indeed, while several attempts have been made to label the main neuroimaging phenotype of ASD (e.g., 'early brain overgrowth hypothesis', 'amygdala theory', 'disconnectivity hypothesis'), none of these frameworks has been without controversy. Methodological sources of inconsistent results may include differences in subject inclusion criteria, variability in image processing, and analysis methodology. However, inconsistencies may also relate to high heterogeneity across the autism spectrum itself. It, therefore, remains to be investigated whether a consistent imaging phenotype that adequately describes the entire autism spectrum can, in fact, be established. On the other hand, as previous findings clearly emphasize the value of neuroimaging in identifying atypical brain morphology, function, and connectivity, they ultimately support its high potential to identify biologically and clinically relevant endophenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris C Bernhardt
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Autism Research Program at the NYU Child Study Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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34
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Ruan ZL, Liu L, Strodl E, Fan LJ, Yin XN, Wen GM, Sun DL, Xian DX, Jiang H, Jing J, Jin Y, Wu CA, Chen WQ. Antenatal Training with Music and Maternal Talk Concurrently May Reduce Autistic-Like Behaviors at around 3 Years of Age. Front Psychiatry 2017; 8:305. [PMID: 29375407 PMCID: PMC5768643 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Antenatal training through music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus is a topic of general interest for parents-to-be in China, but we still lack a comprehensive assessment of their effects on the development of autistic-like behaviors during early childhood. During 2014-2016, 34,749 parents of children around the age of 3 years who were enrolled at kindergarten in the Longhua district of Shenzhen participated in this study. Self-administered questionnaires regarding demographics, antenatal music training, and maternal talk to the fetus during pregnancy were completed by the children's primary caregivers. Autistic-like behaviors were assessed using the Autism Behavioral Checklist. Tobit regression analyses revealed that antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus was associated with a reduction in autistic-like behaviors in children, with a dose-dependent relationship. Furthermore, factorial analysis of covariance indicated a significant interaction effect between antenatal music training and maternal talk to the fetus on the autistic-like behaviors and found that children who often experienced antenatal music training and maternal talk concurrently had the lowest risk of autistic-like behaviors, while children who were never exposed to maternal talk and only sometimes experienced antenatal music training had the highest risk. Our results suggest that antenatal training through both music and maternal talk to the unborn fetus might reduce the risk of children's autistic-like behaviors at around 3 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeng-Liang Ruan
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Esben Strodl
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Li-Jun Fan
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Na Yin
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guo-Min Wen
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Deng-Li Sun
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan-Xia Xian
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jing
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Jin
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuan-An Wu
- Women's and Children's Hospital of Longhua District of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei-Qing Chen
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Information Management, Xinhua College of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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35
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Elton A, Di Martino A, Hazlett HC, Gao W. Neural Connectivity Evidence for a Categorical-Dimensional Hybrid Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 80:120-128. [PMID: 26707088 PMCID: PMC4853295 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a complex manifestation of symptoms that include deficits in social interaction and repetitive or stereotyped interests and behaviors. In keeping with the increasing recognition of the dimensional characteristics of ASD symptoms and the categorical nature of a diagnosis, we sought to delineate the neural mechanisms of ASD symptoms based on the functional connectivity of four known neural networks (i.e., default mode network, dorsal attention network, salience network, and executive control network). METHODS We leveraged an open data resource (Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange) providing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data sets from 90 boys with ASD and 95 typically developing boys. This data set also included the Social Responsiveness Scale as a dimensional measure of ASD traits. Seed-based functional connectivity was paired with linear regression to identify functional connectivity abnormalities associated with categorical effects of ASD diagnosis, dimensional effects of ASD-like behaviors, and their interaction. RESULTS Our results revealed the existence of dimensional mechanisms of ASD uniquely affecting each network based on the presence of connectivity-behavioral relationships; these were independent of diagnostic category. However, we also found evidence of categorical differences (i.e., diagnostic group differences) in connectivity strength for each network as well as categorical differences in connectivity-behavioral relationships (i.e., diagnosis-by-behavior interactions), supporting the coexistence of categorical mechanisms of ASD. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support a hybrid model for ASD characterization that includes a combination of categorical and dimensional brain mechanisms and provide a novel understanding of the neural underpinnings of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Elton
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience at the NYU Child Study Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heather Cody Hazlett
- Department of Psychiatry and Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center (WG), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Biomedical Imaging Research Institute (WG), Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
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36
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Zhang L, Sun Y, Chen F, Wu D, Tang J, Han X, Ye J, Wang K. Psychometric properties of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient in both clinical and non-clinical samples: Chinese version for mainland China. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:213. [PMID: 27388335 PMCID: PMC4936315 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-0915-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is widely used to quantify autistic traits, which have been evaluated in the parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and in the general population. This paper's objective was to investigate the AQ's psychometric properties of the Chinese version for mainland China and to establish whether the pattern of sex differences in the quantity of autistic traits exists. We also examined the usefulness of the AQ in differentiating between individuals with ASD, schizophrenia (SCH), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy controls (HC). METHODS In this study, the psychometric properties of the AQ were assessed in 1037 parents of children with ASD and in 1040 parents of typically developing children (TDC). Additionally, 32 participants with ASD, 37 patients with SCH, 38 OCD patients and 38 healthy controls (matched for age, gender and IQ) were assessed with the AQ. RESULTS The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the AQ and AQ subscales were within an acceptable range. Parents of ASD children scored higher than TDC parents on total AQ and AQ subscales, and TDC parents scored more than parents of ASD children on 2 items of 50. Fathers scored higher than did mothers on total AQ and four subscales, with the sole exception being the subscale attention to detail. The total AQ score of the ASD group was higher than that of the SCH, OCD and HC groups, and the total AQ score of the HC group was significantly lower than that of the SCH and OCD groups, with no differences being observed between the SCH and OCD groups. CONCLUSIONS The Mandarin AQ demonstrated promising psychometric properties and was a reliable instrument for quantifying autistic traits in both clinical and non-clinical samples in mainland China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yaoting Sun
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China ,Collaborative Innovation Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fangfang Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - De Wu
- Department of Children Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiulai Tang
- Department of Children Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaopeng Han
- Department of Psychology of Anhui provincial hospital, Hefei, China
| | - Jianguo Ye
- Psychological Consultation Center of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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37
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Abu-Akel AM, Apperly IA, Wood SJ, Hansen PC. Autism and psychosis expressions diametrically modulate the right temporoparietal junction. Soc Neurosci 2016; 12:506-518. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1190786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian A. Apperly
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
| | - Stephen J. Wood
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peter C. Hansen
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, U.K
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38
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Koolschijn PCMP, Geurts HM, van der Leij AR, Scholte HS. Are Autistic Traits in the General Population Related to Global and Regional Brain Differences? J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 45:2779-91. [PMID: 25847757 PMCID: PMC4553146 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2441-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence that autistic-related traits in the general population lie on a continuum, with autism spectrum disorders representing the extreme end of this distribution. Here, we tested the hypothesis of a possible relationship between autistic traits and brain morphometry in the general population. Participants completed the short autism-spectrum quotient-questionnaire (AQ); T1-anatomical and DWI-scans were acquired. Associations between autistic traits and gray matter, and white matter microstructural-integrity were performed on the exploration-group (N = 204; 105 males, M-age = 22.85), and validated in the validation-group (N = 304; 155 males, M-age = 22.82). No significant associations were found between AQ-scores and brain morphometry in the exploration-group, or after pooling the data. This questions the assumption that autistic traits and their morphological associations do lie on a continuum in the general population.
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Hernández SE, Suero J, Barros A, González-Mora JL, Rubia K. Increased Grey Matter Associated with Long-Term Sahaja Yoga Meditation: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150757. [PMID: 26938433 PMCID: PMC4777419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate regional differences in grey matter volume associated with the practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation. DESIGN Twenty three experienced practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation and twenty three non-meditators matched on age, gender and education level, were scanned using structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging and their grey matter volume were compared using Voxel-Based Morphometry. RESULTS Grey matter volume was larger in meditators relative to non-meditators across the whole brain. In addition, grey matter volume was larger in several predominantly right hemispheric regions: in insula, ventromedial orbitofrontal cortex, inferior temporal and parietal cortices as well as in left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and left insula. No areas with larger grey matter volume were found in non-meditators relative to meditators. CONCLUSIONS The study shows that long-term practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation is associated with larger grey matter volume overall, and with regional enlargement in several right hemispheric cortical and subcortical brain regions that are associated with sustained attention, self-control, compassion and interoceptive perception. The increased grey matter volume in these attention and self-control mediating regions suggests use-dependent enlargement with regular practice of this meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José Suero
- Centro de Salud Jazmín, Sermas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Barros
- Department of Psychology, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | | | - Katya Rubia
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Dougherty CC, Evans DW, Myers SM, Moore GJ, Michael AM. A Comparison of Structural Brain Imaging Findings in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Neuropsychol Rev 2015; 26:25-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s11065-015-9300-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Bolling DZ, Pelphrey KA, Vander Wyk BC. Trait-level temporal lobe hypoactivation to social exclusion in unaffected siblings of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 13:75-83. [PMID: 26011751 PMCID: PMC4470300 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain responses to social exclusion were measured in ASD unaffected siblings. Unaffected siblings show trait atypical activation in posterior temporal lobe. Biological vulnerability moderates relationship between IQ and brain responses.
Social exclusion elicits powerful feelings of negative affect associated with rejection. Additionally, experiencing social exclusion reliably recruits neural circuitry associated with emotion processing. Recent work has demonstrated abnormal neural responses to social exclusion in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, it remains unknown to what extent these abnormalities are due to atypical social experiences versus genetic predispositions to atypical neural processing. To address this question, the current study investigated brain responses to social exclusion compared to a baseline condition of fair play in unaffected siblings of youth with ASD using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We identified common deviations between unaffected siblings and ASD probands that might represent trait-level abnormalities in processing Social Exclusion vs. Fair Play, specifically in the right anterior temporoparietal junction extending into posterior superior temporal sulcus. Thus, hypoactivation to Social Exclusion vs. Fair Play in this region may represent a shared genetic vulnerability to developing autism. In addition, we present evidence supporting the idea that one's status as an unaffected sibling moderates the relationship between IQ and neural activation to Social Exclusion vs. Fair Play in anterior cingulate cortex. These results are discussed in the context of previous literature on neural endophenotypes of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Z Bolling
- Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Rd. New Haven, CT 06520 USA.
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Rd. New Haven, CT 06520 USA
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Alaerts K, Nayar K, Kelly C, Raithel J, Milham MP, Di Martino A. Age-related changes in intrinsic function of the superior temporal sulcus in autism spectrum disorders. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 10:1413-23. [PMID: 25809403 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the developmental trajectories of neural circuits implicated in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are largely unknown. Here, we specifically focused on age-related changes in the functional circuitry of the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), a key hub underlying social-cognitive processes known to be impaired in ASD. Using a cross-sectional approach, we analysed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected from children, adolescents and adults available through the autism brain imaging data exchange repository [n = 106 with ASD and n = 109 typical controls (TC), ages 7-30 years]. The observed age-related changes of pSTS intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) suggest that no single developmental pattern characterizes ASD. Instead, pSTS circuitry displayed a complex developmental picture, with some functional circuits showing patterns consistent with atypical development in ASD relative to TC (pSTS-iFC with fusiform gyrus and angular gyrus) and others showing delayed maturation (pSTS-iFC with regions of the action perception network). Distinct developmental trajectories in different functional circuits in ASD likely reflect differential age-related changes in the socio-cognitive processes they underlie. Increasing insight on these mechanisms is a critical step in the development of age-specific interventions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Alaerts
- New York University, Langone Medical Center, Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA, KU Leuven, Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Leuven, Belgium,
| | - Kritika Nayar
- New York University, Langone Medical Center, Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clare Kelly
- New York University, Langone Medical Center, Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica Raithel
- New York University, Langone Medical Center, Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael P Milham
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA, and Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- New York University, Langone Medical Center, Child Study Center, New York, NY, USA
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Young JS, Smith DV, Coutlee CG, Huettel SA. Synchrony between sensory and cognitive networks is associated with subclinical variation in autistic traits. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:146. [PMID: 25852527 PMCID: PMC4369640 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autistic spectrum disorders exhibit distinct personality traits linked to attentional, social, and affective functions, and those traits are expressed with varying levels of severity in the neurotypical and subclinical population. Variation in autistic traits has been linked to reduced functional and structural connectivity (i.e., underconnectivity, or reduced synchrony) with neural networks modulated by attentional, social, and affective functions. Yet, it remains unclear whether reduced synchrony between these neural networks contributes to autistic traits. To investigate this issue, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to record brain activation while neurotypical participants who varied in their subclinical scores on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) viewed alternating blocks of social and nonsocial stimuli (i.e., images of faces and of landscape scenes). We used independent component analysis (ICA) combined with a spatiotemporal regression to quantify synchrony between neural networks. Our results indicated that decreased synchrony between the executive control network (ECN) and a face-scene network (FSN) predicted higher scores on the AQ. This relationship was not explained by individual differences in head motion, preferences for faces, or personality variables related to social cognition. Our findings build on clinical reports by demonstrating that reduced synchrony between distinct neural networks contributes to a range of subclinical autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob S. Young
- Pritzker School of Medicine, University of ChicagoChicago, IL, USA
| | - David V. Smith
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers UniversityNewark, NJ, USA
| | - Christopher G. Coutlee
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, USA
| | - Scott A. Huettel
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, USA
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Ruzich E, Allison C, Smith P, Watson P, Auyeung B, Ring H, Baron-Cohen S. Measuring autistic traits in the general population: a systematic review of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in a nonclinical population sample of 6,900 typical adult males and females. Mol Autism 2015; 6:2. [PMID: 25874074 PMCID: PMC4396128 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-6-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 283] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is a self-report measure of autistic traits. It is frequently cited in diverse fields and has been administered to adults of at least average intelligence with autism and to nonclinical controls, as well as to clinical control groups such as those with schizophrenia, prosopagnosia, anorexia, and depression. However, there has been no empirical systematic review of the AQ since its inception in 2001. The present study reports a comprehensive systematic review of the literature to estimate a reliable mean AQ score in individuals without a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition (ASC), in order to establish a reference norm for future studies. A systematic search of computerized databases was performed to identify studies that administered the AQ to nonclinical participant samples representing the adult male and female general population. Inclusion was based on a set of formalized criteria that evaluated the quality of the study, the usage of the AQ, and the population being assessed. After selection, 73 articles, detailing 6,934 nonclinical participants, as well as 1,963 matched clinical cases of ASC (from available cohorts within each individual study), were analyzed. Mean AQ score for the nonclinical population was 16.94 (95% CI 11.6, 20.0), while mean AQ score for the clinical population with ASC was found to be 35.19 (95% CI 27.6, 41.1). In addition, in the nonclinical population, a sex difference in autistic traits was found, although no sex difference in AQ score was seen in the clinical ASC population. These findings have implications for the study of autistic traits in the general population. Here, we confirm previous norms with more rigorous data and for the first time establish average AQ scores based on a systematic review, for populations of adult males and females with and without ASC. Finally, we advise future researchers to avoid risk of bias by carefully considering the recruitment strategy for both clinical and nonclinical groups and to demonstrate transparency by reporting recruitment methods for all participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Ruzich
- />Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, CB2 8AH Cambridge, UK
- />Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- />Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
| | - Paula Smith
- />Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
| | - Peter Watson
- />MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF UK
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- />Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
- />Psychology Department, University of Edinburgh, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD UK
| | - Howard Ring
- />Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, CB2 8AH Cambridge, UK
- />NIHR CLAHRC for the East of England, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH England, UK
- />Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Peterborough, CB21 5EF UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- />Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK
- />NIHR CLAHRC for the East of England, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH England, UK
- />CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Peterborough, CB21 5EF UK
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Chmielewski WX, Beste C. Action control processes in autism spectrum disorder – Insights from a neurobiological and neuroanatomical perspective. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 124:49-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Takahashi J, Yasunaga D, Gyoba J. Differences in the Efficiency of Pattern Encoding in Relation to Autistic-Like Traits: An Event-Related Potential Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:2895-907. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2150-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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47
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Halliday DWR, MacDonald SWS, Sherf SK, Tanaka JW. A reciprocal model of face recognition and autistic traits: evidence from an individual differences perspective. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94013. [PMID: 24853862 PMCID: PMC4031083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although not a core symptom of the disorder, individuals with autism often exhibit selective impairments in their face processing abilities. Importantly, the reciprocal connection between autistic traits and face perception has rarely been examined within the typically developing population. In this study, university participants from the social sciences, physical sciences, and humanities completed a battery of measures that assessed face, object and emotion recognition abilities, general perceptual-cognitive style, and sub-clinical autistic traits (the Autism Quotient (AQ)). We employed separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses to evaluate which factors could predict face recognition scores and AQ scores. Gender, object recognition performance, and AQ scores predicted face recognition behaviour. Specifically, males, individuals with more autistic traits, and those with lower object recognition scores performed more poorly on the face recognition test. Conversely, university major, gender and face recognition performance reliably predicted AQ scores. Science majors, males, and individuals with poor face recognition skills showed more autistic-like traits. These results suggest that the broader autism phenotype is associated with lower face recognition abilities, even among typically developing individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew W. R. Halliday
- University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- The Centre for Autism Research, Technology and Education, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Suzanne K. Sherf
- The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - James W. Tanaka
- University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
- The Centre for Autism Research, Technology and Education, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Clumeck C, Suarez Garcia S, Bourguignon M, Wens V, Op de Beeck M, Marty B, Deconinck N, Soncarrieu MV, Goldman S, Jousmäki V, Van Bogaert P, De Tiège X. Preserved coupling between the reader's voice and the listener's cortical activity in autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92329. [PMID: 24663673 PMCID: PMC3963898 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Investigating the steadiness of the phase-coupling between the time-course of the reader's voice and brain signals of subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) passively listening to connected speech using magnetoencephalography (MEG). In typically developed subjects, such coupling occurs at the right posterior temporal sulcus (pSTS) for frequencies below 1 Hz, and reflects the neural processing of sentence-level rhythmic prosody at the prelexical level. Methods Cortical neuromagnetic signals were recorded with MEG (Elekta Oy, Finland) while seven right-handed and native French-speaking ASD subjects (six males, one female, range: 13–20 years) listened to live (Live) or recorded (Recorded) voices continuously reading a text in French for five minutes. Coherence was computed between the reader's voice time-course and ASD subjects' MEG signals. Coherent neural sources were subsequently reconstructed using a beamformer. Key findings Significant coupling was found at 0.5 Hz in all ASD subjects in Live and in six subjects in Recorded. Coherent sources were located close to the right pSTS in both conditions. No significant difference was found in coherence levels between Live and Recorded, and between ASD subjects and ten typically developed subjects (right-handed, native French-speaking adults, 5 males, 5 females, age range: 21–38 years) included in a previous study. Significance This study discloses a preserved coupling between the reader's voice and ASD subjects' cortical activity at the right pSTS. These findings support the existence of preserved neural processing of sentence-level rhythmic prosody in ASD. The preservation of early cortical processing of prosodic elements in verbal language might be exploited in therapeutic interventions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Clumeck
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratoire de Recherches Psychiatriques, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sarah Suarez Garcia
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Bourguignon
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Wens
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marc Op de Beeck
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brice Marty
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Deconinck
- Centre de référence des troubles envahissants du développement et des troubles autistiques, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola (HUDERF), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie-Vincianne Soncarrieu
- Centre de référence des troubles envahissants du développement et des troubles autistiques, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola (HUDERF), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Serge Goldman
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Veikko Jousmäki
- Brain Research Unit, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory and MEG Core, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Patrick Van Bogaert
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xavier De Tiège
- Laboratoire de Cartographie fonctionnelle du Cerveau, UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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Yang DYJ, Baillargeon R. Brief report: difficulty in understanding social acting (but not false beliefs) mediates the link between autistic traits and ingroup relationships. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 43:2199-206. [PMID: 23334807 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1757-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Why do individuals with more autistic traits experience social difficulties? Here we examined the hypothesis that these difficulties stem in part from a challenge in understanding social acting, the prosocial pretense that adults routinely produce to maintain positive relationships with their ingroup. In Study 1, we developed a self-administered test of social-acting understanding: participants read stories in which a character engaged in social acting and rated the appropriateness of the character's response. Adults who scored 26 or higher on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaire gave significantly lower ratings than comparison participants (AQ < 26). Study 2 found that difficulty in understanding social acting, but not false beliefs, mediated the link between autistic traits and perceived ingroup relationships.
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Social cognition and neural substrates of face perception: implications for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Behav Brain Res 2014; 263:1-8. [PMID: 24462962 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social cognition is an important aspect of social behavior in humans. Social cognitive deficits are associated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study we examine the neural substrates of social cognition and face processing in a group of healthy young adults to examine the neural substrates of social cognition. METHODS Fifty-seven undergraduates completed a battery of social cognition tasks and were assessed with electroencephalography (EEG) during a face-perception task. A subset (N=22) were administered a face-perception task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Variance in the N170 EEG was predicted by social attribution performance and by a quantitative measure of empathy. Neurally, face processing was more bilateral in females than in males. Variance in fMRI voxel count in the face-sensitive fusiform gyrus was predicted by quantitative measures of social behavior, including the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Empathizing Quotient. CONCLUSIONS When measured as a quantitative trait, social behaviors in typical and pathological populations share common neural pathways. The results highlight the importance of viewing neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders as spectrum phenomena that may be informed by studies of the normal distribution of relevant traits in the general population.
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