Predictive processing of music and language in autism: Evidence from Mandarin and English speakers

Atypical predictive processing has been associated with autism across multiple domains, based mainly on artificial antecedents and consequents. As structured sequences where expectations derive from implicit learning of combinatorial principles, language and music provide naturalistic stimuli for investigating predictive processing. In this study, we matched melodic and sentence stimuli in cloze probabilities and examined musical and linguistic prediction in Mandarin- (Experiment 1) and English-speaking (Experiment 2) autistic and non-autistic individuals using both production and perception tasks. In the production tasks, participants listened to unfinished melodies/sentences and then produced the final notes/words to complete these items. In the perception tasks, participants provided expectedness ratings of the completed melodies/sentences based on the most frequent notes/words in the norms. While Experiment 1 showed intact musical prediction but atypical linguistic prediction in autism in the Mandarin sample that demonstrated imbalanced musical training experience and receptive vocabulary skills between groups, the group difference disappeared in a more closely matched sample of English speakers in Experiment 2. These findings suggest the importance of taking an individual differences approach when investigating predictive processing in music and language in autism, as the difficulty in prediction in autism may not be due to generalized problems with prediction in any type of complex sequence processing.

Using music to assist language learning in autistic children with minimal verbal language: The MAP feasibility RCT

LAY ABSTRACT

Research has shown that autistic individuals often have unusually good musical skills and that combining words and music helps autistic individuals to focus on spoken words. This study tests the idea that music will help with early language learning of preschool autistic children. The results show that when caregivers sing words to autistic children, the children pay more attention to the caregiver than when the words are spoken and that they learn word combinations more easily.

A randomised controlled feasibility trial of music-assisted language telehealth intervention for minimally verbal autistic children-the MAP study protocol

BACKGROUND

About 30% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not develop functional speech and remain non-verbal or minimally verbal even after years of speech, language and educational interventions. A wide range of interventions have been developed for improving communication in ASD, but none have proved effective in eliciting functional language in ASD children. Research has found that people with ASD are more likely to have perfect pitch and prefer music to language. Further, it seems that language delay tends to co-occur with better musical skills. Brain imaging research has found that music alongside words increases the attention that people with ASD pay to spoken words.

METHODS

In this protocol, we describe our music-assisted programmes (MAP) that will use music to attract the attention of people with ASD to speech. MAP may open the brain pathways to language and therefore help improve communication skills for people with ASD more than standard communication protocols. In particular, we aim to develop and test whether individualised, easily used MAP would increase spoken language in 24-60-month-old, nonverbal or minimally verbal children with ASD. We will develop a structured training method, delivered through naturalistic, interactive activities (e.g. songs) to teach language to ASD children. We will test this by comparing two groups: one undertaking music-assisted programmes, and the other receiving speech and language therapy in the way that is recommended in NHS clinics. Participants will be allocated to groups randomly. The feasibility of MAP will be assessed through estimations of recruitment and retention rates, the sensitivity and reliability of the outcome measures, the intensity and frequency of the trial, the usability of the MAP app (beta version), and the burden of the assessments for the children and parents.

DISCUSSION

This feasibility randomised controlled trial will establish the acceptability and estimate the power of the MAP intervention to improve early word learning in children with ASD. In the longer term, this research will help us develop an app for parents or carers of children with ASD to design their own songs and implement their own individualised MAP.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN, ISRCTN12536062 . Registered on 26 June 2019.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder in young people

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most debilitating psychiatric conditions in young people. In DSM-5 it is no longer characterised as an anxiety disorder, but instead is part of a group of ‘obsessive–compulsive and related disorders'. In the past 10 years, cognitive—behavioural therapy (CBT) has become well established as the first-choice treatment. This article explains some of the elements of CBT and describes new directions in research which might improve interventions.

Time-Based Prospective Memory in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

In this study, for the first time, prospective memory was investigated in 11 school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders and 11 matched neurotypical controls. A computerised time-based prospective memory task was embedded in a visuospatial working memory test and required participants to remember to respond to certain target times. Controls had significantly more correct prospective memory responses than the autism spectrum group. Moreover, controls checked the time more often and increased time-monitoring more steeply as the target times approached. These differences in time-checking may suggest that prospective memory in autism spectrum disorders is affected by reduced self-initiated processing as indicated by reduced task monitoring.

Functional dissection of Odorant binding protein genes in Drosophila melanogaster

Most organisms rely on olfaction for survival and reproduction. The olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster is one of the best characterized chemosensory systems and serves as a prototype for understanding insect olfaction. Olfaction in Drosophila is mediated by multigene families of odorant receptors and odorant binding proteins (OBPs). Although molecular response profiles of odorant receptors have been well documented, the contributions of OBPs to olfactory behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we used RNAi-mediated suppression of Obp gene expression and measurements of behavioral responses to 16 ecologically relevant odorants to systematically dissect the functions of 17 OBPs. We quantified the effectiveness of RNAi-mediated suppression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and used a proteomic liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry procedure to show target-specific suppression of OBPs expressed in the antennae. Flies in which expression of a specific OBP is suppressed often show altered behavioral responses to more than one, but not all, odorants, in a sex-dependent manner. Similarly, responses to a specific odorant are frequently affected by suppression of expression of multiple, but not all, OBPs. These results show that OBPs are essential for mediating olfactory behavioral responses and suggest that OBP-dependent odorant recognition is combinatorial.

Earworms (stuck song syndrome): towards a natural history of intrusive thoughts

Two studies examine the experience of 'earworms', unwanted catchy tunes that repeat. Survey data show that the experience is widespread but earworms are not generally considered problematic, although those who consider music to be important to them report earworms as longer, and harder to control, than those who consider music as less important. The tunes which produce these experiences vary considerably between individuals but are always familiar to those who experience them. A diary study confirms these findings and also indicates that, although earworm recurrence is relatively uncommon and unlikely to persist for longer than 24 h, the length of both the earworm and the earworm experience frequently exceed standard estimates of auditory memory capacity. Active attempts to block or eliminate the earworm are less successful than passive acceptance, consistent with Wegner's theory of ironic mental control.

Evaluating effects of aromatherapy massage on sleep in children with autism: a pilot study

Previous studies have found beneficial effects of aromatherapy massage for agitation in people with dementia, for pain relief and for poor sleep. Children with autism often have sleep difficulties, and it was thought that aromatherapy massage might enable more rapid sleep onset, less sleep disruption and longer sleep duration. Twelve children with autism and learning difficulties (2 girls and 10 boys aged between 12 years 2 months to 15 years 7 months) in a residential school participated in a within subjects repeated measures design: 3 nights when the children were given aromatherapy massage with lavender oil were compared with 14 nights when it was not given. The children were checked every 30 min throughout the night to determine the time taken for the children to settle to sleep, the number of awakenings and the sleep duration. One boy's data were not analyzed owing to lengthy absence. Repeated measures analysis revealed no differences in any of the sleep measures between the nights when the children were given aromatherapy massage and nights when the children were not given aromatherapy massage. The results suggest that the use of aromatherapy massage with lavender oil has no beneficial effect on the sleep patterns of children with autism attending a residential school. It is possible that there are greater effects in the home environment or with longer-term interventions.

Nightmares, life events and behaviour problems in preschool children

A postal survey was carried out to identify nursery school children with frequent nightmares in an English city. Of the 22 children reported as suffering from frequent nightmares, 14 came from families who were willing to be interviewed further. A control group with no nightmares, matched for age and sex, was selected from the returns. The mothers of the children in the two groups were interviewed using the Preschool Behaviour Checklist and a life events scale. The results showed that neither life events nor behaviour problems were more prevalent in the frequent nightmares group.

A social skills group for autistic children

The evolution and preliminary evaluation of a social skills training group for 10 autistic children aged between 9 and 16 years was described. These children attended a special unit which aimed to integrate them into normal school provision. The paper consists of a description of the evolution of the group and the training methods employed and an evaluation of the effect of the group. This was accomplished by the use of a standard teacher's questionnaire. The results of the evaluation are described and the implications for further study of this means of helping autistic individuals discussed.

Gastro-oesophageal pressure gradient changes produced by induction of anaesthesia and suxamethonium

The pressures in the lower oesophageal sphincter (high pressure zone or HPZ) and stomach were measured in 15 patients with duodenal ulcer and 14 patients with no gastrointestinal disease. All the patients were premedicated with morphine 10 mg i.m. In the patients without duodenal ulcer, the pressure gradient between HPZ and stomach was 6.6 +/- 0.62 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM) before diminishing to 4.9 +/- 0.86 after induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone. During fasciculations following i.v. suxamethonium, the gradient increased to 7.1 +/- 1.0 mm Hg. In patients with duodenal ulcer, although the absolute pressures were less, the gradients during the study were similar to those in healthy patients. We conclude that there is no increased risk of regurgitation during fasciculations induced by suxamethonium.

A comparison of the effect of three anaesthetic techniques on postoperative arterial oxygenation in the elderly

Ninety patients (age range 49--99 yr) with a fracture of the neck of the femur were anaesthetized by a technique using halothane in oxygen in a closed circuit, halothane and 66% nitrous oxide in oxygen in a Magill circuit or artificial ventilation with 66% nitrous oxide in oxygen ("IPPV group"). In all three groups, there was a small decrease in PaO2 from an overall mean of 9.07 kPa before operation to 8.13 kPa at 60 min after anaesthesia. There was no significant difference between the groups in respect of the decrease; it was concluded that closed-circuit halothane in oxygen anaesthesia for this type of surgery was not accompanied by a significant degree of absorption collapse.

Erratum: Provincial Universities in the United Kingdom

In the article "Provincial universities in the United Kingdom," by Trevor I. Williams [Science 124, 347 (24 Aug. 1956)], the names of the people identified in the picture on the left-hand side of page 348 were misspelled. The correct names are M. K. Das Gupta and R. C. Jennisson.