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Weissenkampen JD, Ghorai A, Fasolino M, Gehringer B, Rajan M, Dow HC, Sebro R, Rader DJ, Keenan BT, Almasy L, Brodkin ES, Bucan M. Sleep and Activity Patterns in Autism Spectrum Disorder. bioRxiv 2024:2024.05.02.592263. [PMID: 38766266 PMCID: PMC11100584 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.592263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions, repetitive behaviors, and a wide range of comorbidities. Between 44-83% of autistic individuals report sleep disturbances, which may share an underlying neurodevelopmental basis with ASD. Methods We recruited 382 ASD individuals and 223 of their family members to obtain quantitative ASD-related traits and wearable device-based accelerometer data spanning three consecutive weeks. An unbiased approach identifying traits associated with ASD was achieved by applying the elastic net machine learning algorithm with five-fold cross-validation on 6,878 days of data. The relationship between sleep and physical activity traits was examined through linear mixed-effects regressions using each night of data. Results This analysis yielded 59 out of 242 actimetry measures associated with ASD status in the training set, which were validated in a test set (AUC: 0.777). For several of these traits (e.g. total light physical activity), the day-to-day variability, in addition to the mean, was associated with ASD. Individuals with ASD were found to have a stronger correlation between physical activity and sleep, where less physical activity decreased their sleep more significantly than that of their non-ASD relatives. Conclusions The average duration of sleep/physical activity and the variation in the average duration of sleep/physical activity strongly predict ASD status. Physical activity measures were correlated with sleep quality, traits, and regularity, with ASD individuals having stronger correlations. Interventional studies are warranted to investigate whether improvements in both sleep and increased physical activity may improve the core symptoms of ASD.
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Taylor SC, Gehringer BN, Dow HC, Langer A, Rawot E, Smernoff Z, Steeman S, Almasy L, Rader DJ, Bučan M, Brodkin ES. Contrasting Views of Autism Spectrum Traits in Adults, Especially in Self-Reports vs. Informant-Reports for Women High in Autism Spectrum Traits. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1088-1100. [PMID: 36484966 PMCID: PMC9734875 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05822-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There is uncertainty among researchers and clinicians about how to best measure autism spectrum dimensional traits in adults. In a sample of adults with high levels of autism spectrum traits and without intellectual disability (probands, n = 103) and their family members (n = 96), we sought to compare self vs. informant reports of autism spectrum-related traits and possible effects of sex on discrepancies. Using correlational analysis, we found poor agreement between self- and informant-report measures for probands, yet moderate agreement for family members. We found reporting discrepancy was greatest for female probands, often self-reporting more autism-related behaviors. Our findings suggest that autism spectrum traits are often underrecognized by informants, making self-report data important to collect in clinical and research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara C Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brielle N Gehringer
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Holly C Dow
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Allison Langer
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Eric Rawot
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Zoe Smernoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Samantha Steeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel J Rader
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Maja Bučan
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA.
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Koch J, Hernandez-Pena L, Keeler C, Brodkin ES, Habel U, Sijben R, Wagels L. A quasi-experimental study in sibling dyads: differential provocation-aggression patterns in the interactive taylor aggression paradigm. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1288743. [PMID: 38390409 PMCID: PMC10881662 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1288743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) is a well-established tool for assessing provocation-induced reactive aggression. We introduce an interactive version, the iTAP, with real-time opponents across 60 trials, including five simulated provocation trials in the middle. In this quasi-experimental study, we evaluate the effectiveness of the paradigm to investigate reactive aggression in interacting participants. The design allows us to employ the TAP in settings of high familiarity dyads, addressing an existing gap. Method Twenty-eight healthy same-sex adult sibling pairs (N = 56) competed against each other in the iTAP, exemplifying high familiarity through their social and emotional co-development, and mutual knowledge. Additionally, we explore naturally arising aggression types in terms of sibling pairs' reciprocal aggression trajectories across trials. Lastly, we investigate situational and personal variables influencing reactive aggression on the iTAP within high familiarity dyads. Results In line with non-interactive TAP versions, siblings employed a global "tit-for-tat" strategy in response to heightened provocation: Aggression increased during manipulated trials of increasing provocation, persisted during real interaction and declined in the final block, suggesting sibling co-regulation which was underscored by the convergence in within-pair aggression level. We found no gender differences in these dynamics but a trend for higher initial aggression levels within brother pairs and higher responsiveness to increased provocation in sister pairs. Overall aggression levels were related to situational variables including trial outcome (lost, won, and tie), Further, siblings' state anger correlated positively with aggression scores on the iTAP. Aggression was not reliably related to personal variables predicting aggression. We identified subgroups of sibling pairs with distinct provocation-aggression patterns related to differences in reported behavioral motivations and emotional states. The results highlight situational over personal variables in determining aggressive behavior on the task in this sample of healthy adults. While no direct link between sibling relationship quality and aggression was found, the overall behavior was likely influenced by the familiarity between siblings and the specific context of their relationship. Conclusion The iTAP demonstrates promise as a tool for studying reciprocal aggressive behavior. The emergence of different interaction patterns underscores the ecological validity introduced by the interactive context, which complements the standard versions of the TAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lucia Hernandez-Pena
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Charlotte Keeler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- Research Center Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Jülich, Germany
| | - Rik Sijben
- Brain Imaging Facility, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
- JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
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Rast JE, Tao S, Schott W, Shea LL, Brodkin ES, Kerns CM, Leonard CE, Murray MJ, Lee BK. Psychotropic Medication Use in Children and Youth with Autism Enrolled in Medicaid. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06182-5. [PMID: 38113012 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06182-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Children with autism frequently present with complex mental health diagnoses and psychotropic medications are often a component of comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment plans for these conditions. The purpose of this study is to provide rates and patterns of psychotropic medication use, and predictors thereof, in children and youth with autism enrolled in Medicaid across the US. This study examined national Medicaid claims from 2008 to 2016 of all children and youth with autism ages 0-21 years enrolled in Medicaid. Psychotropic medication use was examined across several child and youth characteristics, including age, co-occurring mental health conditions, sex, and race and ethnicity. About half of children and youth with autism enrolled in Medicaid had at least one psychotropic prescription in a year, a number that decreased slightly across the study period due to decreases in the prescription of antipsychotics. As new medications for autism or co-occurring conditions are developed and deployed, and as the understanding of the characteristics of the population of children with autism evolves, studying rates of medication usage helps to understand utilization patterns and differences in access to quality care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Rast
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Sha Tao
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Whitney Schott
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lindsay L Shea
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Connor M Kerns
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Charles E Leonard
- Center for Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael J Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Brian K Lee
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Philadelphia, USA
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Müller D, Habel U, Brodkin ES, Clemens B, Weidler C. HD-tDCS induced changes in resting-state functional connectivity: Insights from EF modeling. Brain Stimul 2023; 16:1722-1732. [PMID: 38008154 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) holds promise for therapeutic use in psychiatric disorders. One obstacle for the implementation into clinical practice is response variability. One way to tackle this obstacle is the use of Individualized head models. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the variability of HD-tDCS induced electric fields (EFs) and its impact on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) during different time windows. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind, and sham controlled study, seventy healthy males underwent 20 min of 1.5 mA HD-tDCS on the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) while undergoing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Individual head models and EF simulations were created from anatomical images. The effects of HD-tDCS on rsFC were assessed using a seed-to-voxel analysis. A subgroup analysis explored the relationship between EF magnitude and rsFC during different stimulation time windows. RESULTS Results highlighted significant variability in HD-tDCS-induced EFs. Compared to the sham group, the active group showed increased rsFC between the rIFG and the left prefrontal cortex, during and after stimulation. During active stimulation, EF magnitude correlated positively with rsFC between the rIFG and the left hippocampus initially, and negatively during the subsequent period. CONCLUSION This study indicated an HD-tDCS induced increase of rsFC between left and right prefrontal areas. Furthermore, an interaction between the magnitude and the duration of HD-tDCS on rsFC was observed. Due to the high EF variability that was apparent, these findings highlight the need for individualized HD-tDCS protocols and the creation of head models to optimize effects and reduce response heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Brain Structure-Function Relationships, Research Center Jülich and RWTH Aachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 10, Research Center Jülich, 52438, Jülich, Germany
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
| | - Benjamin Clemens
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Carmen Weidler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Hwang G, Wen J, Sotardi S, Brodkin ES, Chand GB, Dwyer DB, Erus G, Doshi J, Singhal P, Srinivasan D, Varol E, Sotiras A, Dazzan P, Kahn RS, Schnack HG, Zanetti MV, Meisenzahl E, Busatto GF, Crespo-Facorro B, Pantelis C, Wood SJ, Zhuo C, Shinohara RT, Shou H, Fan Y, Di Martino A, Koutsouleris N, Gur RE, Gur RC, Satterthwaite TD, Wolf DH, Davatzikos C. Assessment of Neuroanatomical Endophenotypes of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Association With Characteristics of Individuals With Schizophrenia and the General Population. JAMA Psychiatry 2023; 80:498-507. [PMID: 37017948 PMCID: PMC10157419 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Importance Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with significant clinical, neuroanatomical, and genetic heterogeneity that limits precision diagnostics and treatment. Objective To assess distinct neuroanatomical dimensions of ASD using novel semisupervised machine learning methods and to test whether the dimensions can serve as endophenotypes also in non-ASD populations. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used imaging data from the publicly available Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) repositories as the discovery cohort. The ABIDE sample included individuals diagnosed with ASD aged between 16 and 64 years and age- and sex-match typically developing individuals. Validation cohorts included individuals with schizophrenia from the Psychosis Heterogeneity Evaluated via Dimensional Neuroimaging (PHENOM) consortium and individuals from the UK Biobank to represent the general population. The multisite discovery cohort included 16 internationally distributed imaging sites. Analyses were performed between March 2021 and March 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures The trained semisupervised heterogeneity through discriminative analysis models were tested for reproducibility using extensive cross-validations. It was then applied to individuals from the PHENOM and the UK Biobank. It was hypothesized that neuroanatomical dimensions of ASD would display distinct clinical and genetic profiles and would be prominent also in non-ASD populations. Results Heterogeneity through discriminative analysis models trained on T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance images of 307 individuals with ASD (mean [SD] age, 25.4 [9.8] years; 273 [88.9%] male) and 362 typically developing control individuals (mean [SD] age, 25.8 [8.9] years; 309 [85.4%] male) revealed that a 3-dimensional scheme was optimal to capture the ASD neuroanatomy. The first dimension (A1: aginglike) was associated with smaller brain volume, lower cognitive function, and aging-related genetic variants (FOXO3; Z = 4.65; P = 1.62 × 10-6). The second dimension (A2: schizophrenialike) was characterized by enlarged subcortical volumes, antipsychotic medication use (Cohen d = 0.65; false discovery rate-adjusted P = .048), partially overlapping genetic, neuroanatomical characteristics to schizophrenia (n = 307), and significant genetic heritability estimates in the general population (n = 14 786; mean [SD] h2, 0.71 [0.04]; P < 1 × 10-4). The third dimension (A3: typical ASD) was distinguished by enlarged cortical volumes, high nonverbal cognitive performance, and biological pathways implicating brain development and abnormal apoptosis (mean [SD] β, 0.83 [0.02]; P = 4.22 × 10-6). Conclusions and Relevance This cross-sectional study discovered 3-dimensional endophenotypic representation that may elucidate the heterogeneous neurobiological underpinnings of ASD to support precision diagnostics. The significant correspondence between A2 and schizophrenia indicates a possibility of identifying common biological mechanisms across the 2 mental health diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyujoon Hwang
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Junhao Wen
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Laboratory of AI & Biomedical Science (LABS), Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey
| | - Susan Sotardi
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Ganesh B Chand
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Dominic B Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Guray Erus
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Jimit Doshi
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Pankhuri Singhal
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Dhivya Srinivasan
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Erdem Varol
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Department of Statistics, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Aristeidis Sotiras
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rene S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Hugo G Schnack
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marcus V Zanetti
- Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eva Meisenzahl
- LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf, Kliniken der Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Geraldo F Busatto
- Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- University Hospital Virgen del Rocio, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, IBiS-CIBERSAM, University of Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Chuanjun Zhuo
- Department of Psychiatric-Neuroimaging-Genetics and Co-morbidity Laboratory, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Russell T Shinohara
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Haochang Shou
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Yong Fan
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience at the New York University Child Study Center, New York
| | - Nikolaos Koutsouleris
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Daniel H Wolf
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Christos Davatzikos
- AI 2 D Center for Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics, and Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Xu B, Ho Y, Fasolino M, Medina J, O’Brien WT, Lamonica JM, Nugent E, Brodkin ES, Fuccillo MV, Bucan M, Zhou Z. Allelic contribution of Nrxn1α to autism-relevant behavioral phenotypes in mice. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010659. [PMID: 36848371 PMCID: PMC9997995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Copy number variations (CNVs) in the Neurexin 1 (NRXN1) gene, which encodes a presynaptic protein involved in neurotransmitter release, are some of the most frequently observed single-gene variants associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To address the functional contribution of NRXN1 CNVs to behavioral phenotypes relevant to ASD, we carried out systematic behavioral phenotyping of an allelic series of Nrxn1 mouse models: one carrying promoter and exon 1 deletion abolishing Nrxn1α transcription, one carrying exon 9 deletion disrupting Nrxn1α protein translation, and one carrying an intronic deletion with no observable effect on Nrxn1α expression. We found that homozygous loss of Nrxn1α resulted in enhanced aggression in males, reduced affiliative social behaviors in females, and significantly altered circadian activities in both sexes. Heterozygous or homozygous loss of Nrxn1α affected the preference for social novelty in male mice, and notably, enhanced repetitive motor skills and motor coordination in both sexes. In contrast, mice bearing an intronic deletion of Nrxn1 did not display alterations in any of the behaviors assessed. These findings demonstrate the importance of Nrxn1α gene dosage in regulating social, circadian, and motor functions, and the variables of sex and genomic positioning of CNVs in the expression of autism-related phenotypes. Importantly, mice with heterozygous loss of Nrxn1, as found in numerous autistic individuals, show an elevated propensity to manifest autism-related phenotypes, supporting the use of models with this genomic architecture to study ASD etiology and assess additional genetic variants associated with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Xu
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Province Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Medicine and Health Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation and Nephrosis, Shandong Institute of Nephrology, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yugong Ho
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Maria Fasolino
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joanna Medina
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - William Timothy O’Brien
- Preclinical Models Core, Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center (IDDRC) Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Janine M. Lamonica
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Erin Nugent
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Marc V. Fuccillo
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Maja Bucan
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Zhaolan Zhou
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Preclinical Models Core, Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center (IDDRC) Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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8
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Müller D, Habel U, Brodkin ES, Weidler C. High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) for the enhancement of working memory - A systematic review and meta-analysis of healthy adults. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:1475-1485. [PMID: 36371009 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) administers weak electric current through multiple electrodes, enabling focal brain stimulation. An increasing number of studies investigate the effects of anodal HD-tDCS on the enhancement of working memory (WM). The effectiveness of the technique is, however, still unclear. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS This systematic review analyzed the current literature on anodal HD-tDCS for WM enhancement, investigating its effectiveness and the influence of different moderators to allow for comparison with conventional tDCS. METHODS Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Sixteen single- or double-blind, sham-controlled studies were included in the review. Eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis, focusing solely on stimulation of the left prefrontal cortex (PFC). RESULTS No significant effect of anodal HD-tDCS on the left PFC for WM accuracy (g = 0.23, p = 0.08), and reaction time (g = 0.03, p = 0.75 after trim-and-fill) was found. Further analysis revealed heterogeneity in the accuracy results. Here, moderator analysis indicated a significant difference between studies that repeatedly used HD-tDCS enhanced WM training and studies with one-time use of HD-tDCS (p < 0.001), the latter having a smaller effect size. Another moderator was the research design, with differences between within-subjects-, and between-subjects designs (p < 0.05). Within-subject studies showed lower effect sizes and substantially lower heterogeneity. Qualitative analysis reinforced this finding and indicated that the motivation of the participant to engage in the task also moderates the effectiveness of HD-tDCS. CONCLUSION This review highlights the importance of inter-individual differences and the setup for the effectiveness of anodal, HD-tDCS augmented WM training. Limited evidence for increased sensitivity of HD-tDCS to these factors as compared to conventional tDCS is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, 52074, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, 52074, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52438, Jülich, Germany
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 3080, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309, USA
| | - Carmen Weidler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, 52074, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
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9
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Edgar JC, Berman JI, Liu S, Chen YH, Huang M, Brodkin ES, Roberts TPL, Bloy L. Two mechanisms facilitate regional independence between brain regions based on an examination of alpha-band activity in healthy control adult males. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 178:51-59. [PMID: 35718287 PMCID: PMC10155819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND At rest, 8 to 12 Hz alpha rhythms are the dominant rhythm in the brain, with a common peak alpha frequency (PAF = the frequency at which alpha generators show maximum power) observed across brain regions. Although a common PAF across brain regions should result in high between-region connectivity, especially connectivity measures assessing the phase-similarity between alpha generators, high inter-regional alpha connectivity has not been observed. The present study was conducted as an initial step toward identifying mechanisms that allow brain regions to maintain functional independence in the presence of a common PAF. METHODS MEG data were obtained from 16 healthy control male adults (mean age = 24 years; range 21 to 30 years). A task requiring participants to alternate between a 10 s eyes-closed condition and a 5 s eyes-open condition was used to drive parietal-occipital alpha generators, with the 10 s eyes-closed condition eliciting large-amplitude alpha activity and thus providing alpha measures with good signal-to-noise ratio for source localization. Alpha source-space measures were obtained using Vector-based Spatial-Temporal Analysis using L1-minimum-norm. In each participant, the four strongest parietal-occipital alpha generators were identified. Connectivity between sources was assessed via a measure of phase-based connectivity called inter-site phase clustering (ISPC). RESULTS Intra-class correlations (ICC) showed very high similarity in the average PAF (=computed using all eyes-closed data) between the four alpha sources (ICC single measure = 0.88, p < 0.001). Despite a common average PAF, across participants, significant ISPC was often observed no more than that expected by chance. Examination of the alpha time course data indicated that low ISPC was often due to instantaneous changes in alpha phase (phase slips). ISPC analyses removing data with phase slips indicated that low ISPC was also due to slight continuous changes in the alpha frequency, with frequency drift more likely in non-significant than significant ISPC trials. CONCLUSIONS The present exploratory effort suggested two processes underlying the lack of observed inter-regional alpha phase coherence that may help maintain regional functional independence even in the presence of a common PAF. In particular, although the alpha generators were observed to oscillate at the same rate on average, across time each alpha generator oscillated a little slower or faster, and about every one and a half seconds an alpha generator abruptly lost the beat. Because of this, functional independence among alpha generators (and thus brain regions) was the rule rather than the exception. Studies replicating these processes that allow brain regions to maintain functional independence, using different source localization methods and in different conditions (e.g., a true resting state), are warranted. IMPACT STATEMENT Using source localization to measure parietal-occipital alpha generator activity, two properties that limit between-region alpha functional connectivity are proposed. In particular, a model of alpha generator activity is offered where via transient phase slips occurring approximately every 1.5 s, as well as slight non-stationarity in the alpha frequency, brain regions retain a common alpha frequency while also maintaining regional identity and presumably functionality. Findings also suggest novel markers for use in studies examining changes in alpha activity across maturation as well as in studies examining alpha activity in patient populations where alpha abnormalities have been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Song Liu
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yu-Han Chen
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mingxiong Huang
- The University of California San Diego, Department of Radiology, San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego VA Healthcare System, Department of Radiology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Luke Bloy
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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10
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Veatch OJ, Mazzotti DR, Schultz RT, Abel T, Michaelson JJ, Brodkin ES, Tunc B, Assouline SG, Nickl-Jockschat T, Malow BA, Sutcliffe JS, Pack AI. Calculating genetic risk for dysfunction in pleiotropic biological processes using whole exome sequencing data. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:39. [PMID: 35751013 PMCID: PMC9233372 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09448-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous genes are implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD encompasses a wide-range and severity of symptoms and co-occurring conditions; however, the details of how genetic variation contributes to phenotypic differences are unclear. This creates a challenge for translating genetic evidence into clinically useful knowledge. Sleep disturbances are particularly prevalent co-occurring conditions in ASD, and genetics may inform treatment. Identifying convergent mechanisms with evidence for dysfunction that connect ASD and sleep biology could help identify better treatments for sleep disturbances in these individuals. METHODS To identify mechanisms that influence risk for ASD and co-occurring sleep disturbances, we analyzed whole exome sequence data from individuals in the Simons Simplex Collection (n = 2380). We predicted protein damaging variants (PDVs) in genes currently implicated in either ASD or sleep duration in typically developing children. We predicted a network of ASD-related proteins with direct evidence for interaction with sleep duration-related proteins encoded by genes with PDVs. Overrepresentation analyses of Gene Ontology-defined biological processes were conducted on the resulting gene set. We calculated the likelihood of dysfunction in the top overrepresented biological process. We then tested if scores reflecting genetic dysfunction in the process were associated with parent-reported sleep duration. RESULTS There were 29 genes with PDVs in the ASD dataset where variation was reported in the literature to be associated with both ASD and sleep duration. A network of 108 proteins encoded by ASD and sleep duration candidate genes with PDVs was identified. The mechanism overrepresented in PDV-containing genes that encode proteins in the interaction network with the most evidence for dysfunction was cerebral cortex development (GO:0,021,987). Scores reflecting dysfunction in this process were associated with sleep durations; the largest effects were observed in adolescents (p = 4.65 × 10-3). CONCLUSIONS Our bioinformatic-driven approach detected a biological process enriched for genes encoding a protein-protein interaction network linking ASD gene products with sleep duration gene products where accumulation of potentially damaging variants in individuals with ASD was associated with sleep duration as reported by the parents. Specifically, genetic dysfunction impacting development of the cerebral cortex may affect sleep by disrupting sleep homeostasis which is evidenced to be regulated by this brain region. Future functional assessments and objective measurements of sleep in adolescents with ASD could provide the basis for more informed treatment of sleep problems in these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia J Veatch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA.
| | - Diego R Mazzotti
- Division of Medical Informatics, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | | | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Birkan Tunc
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Susan G Assouline
- Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | | | - Beth A Malow
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James S Sutcliffe
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Allan I Pack
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Taylor SC, Smernoff ZL, Rajan M, Steeman S, Gehringer BN, Dow HC, Barzilay R, Rader DJ, Bucan M, Almasy L, Brodkin ES. Investigating the relationships between resilience, autism-related quantitative traits, and mental health outcomes among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 148:250-257. [PMID: 35151216 PMCID: PMC8799379 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Resilience is a dynamic process through which people adjust to adversity and buffer anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 global pandemic has introduced a shared source of adversity for people across the world, with detrimental implications for mental health. Despite the pronounced vulnerability of autistic adults to anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, relationships among autism-related quantitative traits, resilience, and mental health outcomes have not been examined. As such, we aimed to describe the relationships between these traits in a sample enriched in autism spectrum-related quantitative traits during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also aimed to investigate the impact of demographic and social factors on these relationships. Across three independent samples of adults, we assessed resilience factors, autism-related quantitative traits, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. One sample (recruited via the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence, n = 201) was enriched for autism traits while the other two (recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk, n = 624 and Facebook, n = 929) drew from the general population. We found resilience factors and quantitative autism-related traits to be inversely related, regardless of the resilience measure used. Additionally, we found that resilience factors moderate the relationship between autism-related quantitative traits and depression symptoms such that resilience appears to be protective. Across the neurodiversity spectrum, resilience factors may be targets to improve mental health outcomes. This approach may be especially important during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and in its aftermath.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara C. Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA,Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 140 John Morgan Bldg., 3620 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6074, USA
| | - Zoe L. Smernoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Maya Rajan
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Samantha Steeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Brielle N. Gehringer
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Holly C. Dow
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Ran Barzilay
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA,Lifespan Brain Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Daniel J. Rader
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Maja Bucan
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Clinical Research Building, 415 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6145, USA,Lifespan Brain Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA,Corresponding author. Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA
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12
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Doldur-Balli F, Imamura T, Veatch OJ, Gong NN, Lim DC, Hart MP, Abel T, Kayser MS, Brodkin ES, Pack AI. Synaptic dysfunction connects autism spectrum disorder and sleep disturbances: A perspective from studies in model organisms. Sleep Med Rev 2022; 62:101595. [PMID: 35158305 PMCID: PMC9064929 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances (SD) accompany many neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting SD is a transdiagnostic process that can account for behavioral deficits and influence underlying neuropathogenesis. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comprises a complex set of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Diagnosis of ASD is based primarily on behavioral criteria, and there are no drugs that target core symptoms. Among the co-occurring conditions associated with ASD, SD are one of the most prevalent. SD often arises before the onset of other ASD symptoms. Sleep interventions improve not only sleep but also daytime behaviors in children with ASD. Here, we examine sleep phenotypes in multiple model systems relevant to ASD, e.g., mice, zebrafish, fruit flies and worms. Given the functions of sleep in promoting brain connectivity, neural plasticity, emotional regulation and social behavior, all of which are of critical importance in ASD pathogenesis, we propose that synaptic dysfunction is a major mechanism that connects ASD and SD. Common molecular targets in this interplay that are involved in synaptic function might be a novel avenue for therapy of individuals with ASD experiencing SD. Such therapy would be expected to improve not only sleep but also other ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fusun Doldur-Balli
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
| | - Toshihiro Imamura
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Olivia J Veatch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, USA
| | - Naihua N Gong
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Diane C Lim
- Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, USA
| | - Michael P Hart
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute and Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Matthew S Kayser
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Allan I Pack
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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13
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Silverman JL, Thurm A, Ethridge SB, Soller MM, Petkova SP, Abel T, Bauman MD, Brodkin ES, Harony‐Nicolas H, Wöhr M, Halladay A. Reconsidering animal models used to study autism spectrum disorder: Current state and optimizing future. Genes Brain Behav 2022; 21:e12803. [PMID: 35285132 PMCID: PMC9189007 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), are pervasive, often lifelong disorders, lacking evidence-based interventions for core symptoms. With no established biological markers, diagnoses are defined by behavioral criteria. Thus, preclinical in vivo animal models of NDDs must be optimally utilized. For this reason, experts in the field of behavioral neuroscience convened a workshop with the goals of reviewing current behavioral studies, reports, and assessments in rodent models. Goals included: (a) identifying the maximal utility and limitations of behavior in animal models with construct validity; (b) providing recommendations for phenotyping animal models; and (c) guidelines on how in vivo models should be used and reported reliably and rigorously while acknowledging their limitations. We concluded by recommending minimal criteria for reporting in manuscripts going forward. The workshop elucidated a consensus of potential solutions to several problems, including revisiting claims made about animal model links to ASD (and related conditions). Specific conclusions included: mice (or other rodent or preclinical models) are models of the neurodevelopmental insult, not specifically any disorder (e.g., ASD); a model that perfectly recapitulates a disorder such as ASD is untenable; and greater attention needs be given to validation of behavioral testing methods, data analysis, and critical interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill L. Silverman
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of California Davis School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping ServiceNational Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Sarah B. Ethridge
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping ServiceNational Institute of Mental HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Makayla M. Soller
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of California Davis School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Stela P. Petkova
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of California Davis School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and PharmacologyIowa Neuroscience Institute, University of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Melissa D. Bauman
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of California Davis School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Department of PsychiatryPerelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research LaboratoryPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Hala Harony‐Nicolas
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and TreatmentIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research Unit Brain and Cognition, Laboratory of Biological PsychologySocial and Affective Neuroscience Research Group, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium,Leuven Brain InstituteKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium,Faculty of Psychology, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Behavioral NeurosciencePhilipps‐University of MarburgMarburgGermany,Center for Mind, Brain, and BehaviorPhilipps‐University of MarburgMarburgGermany
| | - Alycia Halladay
- Autism Science FoundationUSA,Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyRutgers UniversityPiscatawayNew JerseyUSA
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14
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Smidt SDE, Gooneratne N, Brodkin ES, Bucan M, Mitchell JA. Sufficient sleep duration in autistic children and the role of physical activity. Autism 2022; 26:814-826. [PMID: 34991371 PMCID: PMC9010343 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211053671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Higher levels of physical activity may be associated with improved sleep in children, but this relationship is still being determined, especially in autistic children. In this study, we used existing data from the 2018 National Survey of Children's Health. Caregivers of children 6-17 years old, including caregivers of autistic children, completed a questionnaire that included questions about physical activity (days active in the past week) and sleep duration. We then determined if children were obtaining the recommended hours of sleep for their age (i.e. sufficient sleep). We found that higher physical activity levels were associated with sufficient sleep duration, but this finding was weaker in autistic children. In particular, this association was not observed in autistic children with more severe autism spectrum disorder, female autistic children, and autistic children 6-12 years old. In conclusion, physical activity is a promising approach to help children obtain sufficient sleep duration. However, more personalized approaches to improving sleep may be needed for certain groups of autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey D Elkhatib Smidt
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA.,JFK University Medical Center, USA.,University of Pennsylvania, USA
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15
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Elkhatib Smidt SD, Ghorai A, Taylor SC, Gehringer BN, Dow HC, Langer A, Rawot E, Zhang J, Mitchell JA, Rader DJ, Almasy L, Brodkin ES, Bućan M. The relationship between autism spectrum and sleep-wake traits. Autism Res 2021; 15:641-652. [PMID: 34967137 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Autistic children and adults often have sleep disturbances, which may affect their and their family's quality of life. Yet, the relationship between sleep-wake patterns and autism spectrum traits is understudied. Identifying such relationships could lead to future research elucidating common mechanistic underpinnings. Thus, we aimed to determine whether sleep-wake patterns, specifically related to sleep, physical activity, and the daily sleep-wake rhythm (i.e., circadian rhythm), are associated with autism spectrum-related traits. Accelerometer-derived sleep-wake parameters were estimated in individuals with autistic spectrum traits and their family members (N = 267). We evaluated autism spectrum traits using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) to assess the presence and severity of social impairment and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to assess executive function. The linear multivariate regression analysis (using SOLAR-Eclipse) showed that in adults, increased core autism spectrum traits and executive dysfunction were associated with disruption of several sleep-wake parameters, particularly related to the daily sleep-wake rhythm, and that executive dysfunction was associated with disrupted sleep quality and level of physical activity. We highlight the interplay between daytime function and disrupted sleep-wake patterns, specifically related to the daily sleep-wake rhythm, that could guide future research into common mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey D Elkhatib Smidt
- Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Sleep Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Division of Sleep Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Arpita Ghorai
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sara C Taylor
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brielle N Gehringer
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Holly C Dow
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Allison Langer
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eric Rawot
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jing Zhang
- Graduate Group in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan A Mitchell
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel J Rader
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Lifespan Brain Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maja Bućan
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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Taylor SC, Steeman S, Gehringer BN, Dow HC, Langer A, Rawot E, Perez L, Goodman M, Smernoff Z, Grewal M, Eshraghi O, Pallathra AA, Oksas C, Mendez M, Gur RC, Rader DJ, Bucan M, Almasy L, Brodkin ES. Heritability of quantitative autism spectrum traits in adults: A family-based study. Autism Res 2021; 14:1543-1553. [PMID: 34245229 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a multi-dimensional set of quantitative behavioral traits expressed along a continuum in autistic and neurotypical individuals. ASD diagnosis-a dichotomous trait-is known to be highly heritable and has been used as the phenotype for most ASD genetic studies. But less is known about the heritability of autism spectrum quantitative traits, especially in adults, an important prerequisite for gene discovery. We sought to measure the heritability of many autism-relevant quantitative traits in adults high in autism spectrum traits and their extended family members. Among adults high in autism spectrum traits (n = 158) and their extended family members (n = 245), we calculated univariate and bivariate heritability estimates for 19 autism spectrum traits across several behavioral domains. We found nearly all tested autism spectrum quantitative traits to be significantly heritable (h2 = 0.24-0.79), including overall ASD traits, restricted repetitive behaviors, broader autism phenotype traits, social anxiety, and executive functioning. The degree of shared heritability varied based on method and specificity of the assessment measure. We found high shared heritability for the self-report measures and for most of the informant-report measures, with little shared heritability among performance-based cognition tasks. These findings suggest that many autism spectrum quantitative traits would be good, feasible candidates for future genetics studies, allowing for an increase in the power of autism gene discovery. Our findings suggest that the degree of shared heritability between traits depends on the assessment method (self-report vs. informant-report vs. performance-based tasks), as well as trait-specificity. LAY SUMMARY: We found that the scores from questionnaires and tasks measuring different types of behaviors and abilities related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were heritable (strongly influenced by gene variants passed down through a family) among autistic adults and their family members. These findings mean that these scores can be used in future studies interested in identifying specific genes and gene variants that are associated with different behaviors and abilities related with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara C Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Samantha Steeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Brielle N Gehringer
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Holly C Dow
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Allison Langer
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Eric Rawot
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Leat Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Matthew Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Zoe Smernoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Mahip Grewal
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Oceania Eshraghi
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ashley A Pallathra
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Catherine Oksas
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa Mendez
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel J Rader
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Maja Bucan
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.,Lifespan Brain Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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17
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Mailey C, Day-Watkins J, Pallathra AA, Eckerman DA, Brodkin ES, Connell JE. Using Adaptive Computer-based Instruction to Teach Staff to Implement a Social Skills Intervention. J Organ Behav Manage 2021; 41:2-15. [PMID: 34239214 DOI: 10.1080/01608061.2020.1776807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness of an adaptive, computer-based staff training software program called Train-to-Code (TTC) to teach the administration of a social skills intervention. The software program actively trained participants to identify whether video models illustrated each step of the procedure effectively or ineffectively. Multiple exemplars of each step of the social skills task analysis were represented. Most-to-least prompting as well as feedback and error correction were embedded into the software program and prompts were faded through seven levels as the participant reached criterion accuracy. A multiple-probe across participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of this program by comparing pre- and post-training in vivo probes conducted with a confederate learner. All participant scores increased from pre-training to post-training, indicating that Train-to-Code was effective at teaching administration of the social skills intervention. These results have implications for training staff in applied community settings. Due to Train-to-Code's ability to be internet-based and to measure actual viewing performance, it has the potential for "distance training" deliveries.
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18
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Greene RK, Parish-Morris J, Sullivan M, Kinard JL, Mosner MG, Turner-Brown LM, Penn DL, Wiesen CA, Pallathra AA, Brodkin ES, Schultz RT, Dichter GS. Dynamic Eye Tracking as a Predictor and Outcome Measure of Social Skills Intervention in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:1173-1187. [PMID: 32656738 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04594-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate an eye tracking task as a predictor and outcome measure of treatment response for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) social skills interventions, adolescents and young adults with ASD completed the eye tracking task before, immediately after, and two months after completing Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A). The study compared SCIT-A participants (n = 20) to participants with ASD who received treatment as usual (TAU; n = 21). Overall, increased visual attention to faces and background objects and decreased attention to hands playing with toys at baseline were associated with improved social functioning immediately following intervention, suggesting this eye tracking task may reliably predict ASD social intervention outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K Greene
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Institute on Development and Disability, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Miranda Sullivan
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jessica L Kinard
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Maya G Mosner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lauren M Turner-Brown
- TEACCH Autism Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David L Penn
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Ashley A Pallathra
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gabriel S Dichter
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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19
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Schnakenberg P, Jo HG, Stickel S, Habel U, Eickhoff SB, Brodkin ES, Goecke TW, Votinov M, Chechko N. The early postpartum period - Differences between women with and without a history of depression. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 136:109-116. [PMID: 33588224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Depression is a highly recurrent disorder. When in remission, it affords an important opportunity to understand the state-independent neurobiological alterations, as well as the socio-demographic characteristics, that likely contribute to the recurrence of major depressive disorder (MDD). The present study examined 110 euthymic women in their early postpartum period. A comparison was made between participants with (n = 20) and without (n = 90) a history of MDD by means of a multimodal approach including an fMRI experiment, assessment of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and a clinical anamnestic interview. Women with a personal history of MDD were found to have decreased resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the lateral parietal cortex (LPC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and their Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores were significantly higher shortly after childbirth. More often than not, these women also had a family history of MDD. While women with no history of depression showed a negative association between hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and gray matter volume (GMV) in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), the opposite trend was seen in women with a history of depression. This implies that women with remitted depression show distinctive neural phenotypes with subclinical residual symptoms, which likely predispose them to later depressive episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Schnakenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Han-Gue Jo
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; School of Computer, Information and Communication Engineering, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, South Korea
| | - Susanne Stickel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - 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
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Mikhail Votinov
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Natalia Chechko
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine: JARA-Institute Brain Structure Function Relationship (INM 10), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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20
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Ferri SL, Dow HC, Schoch H, Lee JY, Brodkin ES, Abel T. Age- and sex-specific fear conditioning deficits in mice lacking Pcdh10, an Autism Associated Gene. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 178:107364. [PMID: 33340671 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PCDH10 is a gene associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is involved in the growth of thalamocortical projections and dendritic spine elimination. Previously, we characterized Pcdh10 haploinsufficient mice (Pcdh10+/- mice) and found male-specific social deficits and dark phase hypoactivity. Pcdh10+/- males exhibit increased dendritic spine density of immature morphology, decreased NMDAR expression, and decreased gamma synchronization in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Here, we further characterize Pcdh10+/- mice by testing for fear memory, which relies on BLA function. We used both male and female Pcdh10+/- mice and their wild-type littermates at two ages, juvenile and adult, and in two learning paradigms, cued and contextual fear conditioning. We found that males at both ages and in both assays exhibited fear conditioning deficits, but females were only impaired as adults in the cued condition. These data are further evidence for male-specific alterations in BLA-related behaviors in Pcdh10+/- mice and suggest that these mice may be a useful model for dissecting male specific brain and behavioral phenotypes relevant to social and emotional behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Ferri
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 169 Newton Road, 2312 Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Holly C Dow
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31(st) Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Hannah Schoch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane, WA, 99202, USA
| | - Ji Youn Lee
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 169 Newton Road, 2312 Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31(st) Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 169 Newton Road, 2312 Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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21
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Soleilhavoup C, Travaglio M, Patrick K, Garção P, Boobalan E, Adolfs Y, Spriggs RV, Moles-Garcia E, Dhiraj D, Oosterveen T, Ferri SL, Abel T, Brodkin ES, Pasterkamp RJ, Brooks BP, Panman L. Nolz1 expression is required in dopaminergic axon guidance and striatal innervation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3111. [PMID: 32561725 PMCID: PMC7305235 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16947-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic (DA) axons make long longitudinal projections towards the striatum. Despite the importance of DA striatal innervation, processes involved in establishment of DA axonal connectivity remain largely unknown. Here we demonstrate a striatal-specific requirement of transcriptional regulator Nolz1 in establishing DA circuitry formation. DA projections are misguided and fail to innervate the striatum in both constitutive and striatal-specific Nolz1 mutant embryos. The lack of striatal Nolz1 expression results in nigral to pallidal lineage conversion of striatal projection neuron subtypes. This lineage switch alters the composition of secreted factors influencing DA axonal tract formation and renders the striatum non-permissive for dopaminergic and other forebrain tracts. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis of wild-type and Nolz1−/− mutant striatal tissue led to the identification of several secreted factors that underlie the observed guidance defects and proteins that promote DA axonal outgrowth. Together, our data demonstrate the involvement of the striatum in orchestrating dopaminergic circuitry formation. The mechanisms regulating midbrain dopaminergic innervation during development are unclear. Here, the authors showed that Nolz1 is required for axonal guidance of dopaminergic neurons during embryonic development of the mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clement Soleilhavoup
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Marco Travaglio
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Kieran Patrick
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Pedro Garção
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Elangovan Boobalan
- Ophthalmic Genetics & Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Youri Adolfs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ruth V Spriggs
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Emma Moles-Garcia
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Dalbir Dhiraj
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Tony Oosterveen
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Sarah L Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3403, USA
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Brian P Brooks
- Ophthalmic Genetics & Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Lia Panman
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Hodgkin Building, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK.
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22
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Elkhatib Smidt SD, Ghorai A, Gehringer B, Dow HC, Smernoff Z, Taylor SC, Zhang J, Rader DJ, Almasy L, Brodkin ES, Bucan M. 0974 Family-Based Study Of Sleep In Autism Spectrum Disorder Without Intellectual Disability. Sleep 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Sleep problems are a common concern in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that can persist into adulthood. This study aims to further explore sleep in ASD without intellectual disability (ASD w/o ID).
Methods
We recruited individuals with ASD w/o ID (probands) and relatives as part of the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE) at the University of Pennsylvania. Actimetry data were collected via a wrist-worn tri-axial accelerometer for 21 days. Data from 212 participants were considered. We analyzed sleep data using the algorithms GGIR, ChronoSapiens, and PennZzz. The sleep traits of proband and sibling pairs were compared using paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We used the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2) to assess social impairment and restricted/repetitive traits. We compared SRS-2 scores to sleep traits using partial Spearman or Pearson correlations adjusting for age (171 participants).
Results
Probands demonstrated later sleep onset (p = 0.03), decreased M10 average (10-hour period of highest activity/day; p = 0.006), decreased relative amplitude (measure of rest-activity rhythm; p<0.001), and decreased total daytime activity (p = 0.005) compared to siblings. Regarding social function and restricted/repetitive traits, adult males showed an inverse correlation between SRS-2 total score and sleep efficiency (r = -0.2, p= 0.04) and a positive correlation between SRS-2 total score and intradaily variability (r = 0.3, p = 0.02). Adult females showed an inverse correlation between SRS-2 total score and M10 average (r = -0.3, p = 0.02) and between SRS-2 total score and relative amplitude (self-report r = -0.4, p = 0.001; informant r = -0.3, p = 0.005).
Conclusion
This study focuses on the analysis of sleep traits in ASD including the relationship between social function and sleep. Thus far, the most robust findings are decreased daytime activity and relative amplitude in individuals with ASD w/o ID compared to siblings. We have also shown that ASD social impairment may be related to sleep dysfunction.
Support
NIH T32HL07713, anonymous donor, and the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Elkhatib Smidt
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - A Ghorai
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - B Gehringer
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - H C Dow
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Z Smernoff
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - S C Taylor
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - J Zhang
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - D J Rader
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - L Almasy
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - E S Brodkin
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - M Bucan
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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23
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Matsuzaki J, Ku M, Dipiero M, Chiang T, Saby J, Blaskey L, Kuschner ES, Kim M, Berman JI, Bloy L, Chen YH, Dell J, Liu S, Brodkin ES, Embick D, Roberts TPL. Delayed Auditory Evoked Responses in Autism Spectrum Disorder across the Life Span. Dev Neurosci 2020; 41:223-233. [PMID: 32007990 DOI: 10.1159/000504960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The M50 and M100 auditory evoked responses reflect early auditory processes in the primary/secondary auditory cortex. Although previous M50 and M100 studies have been conducted on individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and indicate disruption of encoding simple sensory information, analogous investigations of the neural correlates of auditory processing through development from children into adults are very limited. Magnetoencephalography was used to record signals arising from the left and right superior temporal gyrus during auditory presentation of tones to children/adolescents and adults with ASD as well as typically developing (TD) controls. One hundred and thirty-two participants (aged 6-42 years) were included into the final analyses (children/adolescents: TD, n = 36, 9.21 ± 1.6 years; ASD, n = 58, 10.07 ± 2.38 years; adults: TD, n = 19, 26.97 ± 1.29 years; ASD, n = 19, 23.80 ± 6.26 years). There were main effects of group on M50 and M100 latency (p < 0.001) over hemisphere and frequency. Delayed M50 and M100 latencies were found in participants with ASD compared to the TD group, and earlier M50 and M100 latencies were associated with increased age. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant association between language ability and both M50 and M100 latencies. Importantly, differences in M50 and M100 latencies between TD and ASD cohorts, often reported in children, persisted into adulthood, with no evidence supporting latency convergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Matsuzaki
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew Ku
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marissa Dipiero
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Taylor Chiang
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joni Saby
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lisa Blaskey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Emily S Kuschner
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mina Kim
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jeffrey I Berman
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Luke Bloy
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yu-Han Chen
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John Dell
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David Embick
- Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, .,Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA,
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Ferri SL, Pallathra AA, Kim H, Dow HC, Raje P, McMullen M, Bilker WB, Siegel SJ, Abel T, Brodkin ES. Sociability development in mice with cell-specific deletion of the NMDA receptor NR1 subunit gene. Genes Brain Behav 2019; 19:e12624. [PMID: 31721416 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Social affiliative behavior is an important component of everyday life in many species and is likely to be disrupted in disabling ways in various neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Therefore, determining the mechanisms involved in these processes is crucial. A link between N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function and social behaviors has been clearly established. The cell types in which NMDA receptors are critical for social affiliative behavior, however, remain unclear. Here, we use mice carrying a conditional allele of the NMDA R1 subunit to address this question. Mice bearing a floxed NMDAR1 (NR1) allele were crossed with transgenic calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase IIα (CaMKIIα)-Cre mice or parvalbumin (PV)-Cre mice targeting postnatal excitatory forebrain or PV-expressing interneurons, respectively, and assessed using the three-chambered Social Approach Test. We found that deletion of NR1 in PV-positive interneurons had no effect on social sniffing, but deletion of NR1 in glutamatergic pyramidal cells resulted in a significant increase in social approach behavior, regardless of age or sex. Therefore, forebrain excitatory neurons expressing NR1 play an important role in regulating social affiliative behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Ferri
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Ashley A Pallathra
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Hyong Kim
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Holly C Dow
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Praachi Raje
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mary McMullen
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Warren B Bilker
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Steven J Siegel
- Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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25
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Gaetz W, Rhodes E, Bloy L, Blaskey L, Jackel CR, Brodkin ES, Waldman A, Embick D, Hall S, Roberts TPL. Evaluating motor cortical oscillations and age-related change in autism spectrum disorder. Neuroimage 2019; 207:116349. [PMID: 31726253 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is primarily characterized by impairments in social communication and the appearance of repetitive behaviors with restricted interests. Increasingly, evidence also points to a general deficit of motor tone and coordination in children and adults with ASD; yet the neural basis of motor functional impairment in ASD remains poorly characterized. In this study, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to (1) assess potential group differences between typically developing (TD) and ASD participants in motor cortical oscillatory activity observed on a simple button-press task and (2) to do so over a sufficiently broad age-range so as to capture age-dependent changes associated with development. Event-related desynchronization was evaluated in Mu (8-13 Hz) and Beta (15-30 Hz) frequency bands (Mu-ERD, Beta-ERD). In addition, post-movement Beta rebound (PMBR), and movement-related gamma (60-90 Hz) synchrony (MRGS) were also assessed in a cohort of 123 participants (63 typically developing (TD) and 59 with ASD) ranging in age from 8 to 24.9 years. We observed significant age-dependent linear trends in Beta-ERD and MRGS power with age for both TD and ASD groups; which did not differ significantly between groups. However, for PMBR, in addition to a significant effect of age, we also observed a significant reduction in PMBR power in the ASD group (p < 0.05). Post-hoc tests showed that this omnibus group difference was driven by the older cohort of children >13.2 years (p < 0.001) and this group difference was not observed when assessing PMBR activity for the younger PMBR groups (ages 8-13.2 years; p = 0.48). Moreover, for the older ASD cohort, hierarchical regression showed a significant relationship between PMBR activity and clinical scores of ASD severity (Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS T scores)), after regressing out the effect of age (p < 0.05). Our results show substantial age-dependent changes in motor cortical oscillations (Beta-ERD and MRGS) occur for both TD and ASD children and diverge only for PMBR, and most significantly for older adolescents and adults with ASD. While the functional significance of PMBR and reduced PMBR signaling remains to be fully elucidated, these results underscore the importance of considering age as a factor when assessing motor cortical oscillations and group differences in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Gaetz
- Lurie Family Foundations' MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Edward Rhodes
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Luke Bloy
- Lurie Family Foundations' MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Blaskey
- Lurie Family Foundations' MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Carissa R Jackel
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy Waldman
- Division of Neurology, Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David Embick
- Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen Hall
- Brain Research and Imaging Centre, University of Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations' MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Baker-Ericzén MJ, Brookman-Frazee L, Brodkin ES. Accelerating research on treatment and services for transition age youth and adults on the autism spectrum. Autism 2019; 22:2-5. [PMID: 29369717 DOI: 10.1177/1362361317738646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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27
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Parish-Morris J, Pallathra AA, Ferguson E, Maddox BB, Pomykacz A, Perez LS, Bateman L, Pandey J, Schultz RT, Brodkin ES. Adaptation to different communicative contexts: an eye tracking study of autistic adults. J Neurodev Disord 2019; 11:5. [PMID: 30981277 PMCID: PMC6461820 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-019-9265-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Learning through social observation (i.e., watching other people interact) lays the foundation for later social skills and social cognition. However, social situations are often complex, and humans are only capable of attending to one aspect of a scene at a time. How do people choose where to allocate their visual resources when viewing complex social scenarios? For typically developing (TD) individuals, faces are often given priority. Depending upon context, however, it may be more useful to attend to other aspects of the environment, such as hands, tools, or background objects. Previous studies reported reduced face looking in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but modulation of visual attention in response to contextual differences (e.g., according to social richness, or the presence/absence of communicative behaviors between two people) has only briefly been explored. In this study, we used eye-tracking technology to test the extent to which ASD adults and TD adults use social context to guide their gaze behavior. Methods Fifty-five adults participated (28 with ASD). The location and duration of participants’ gaze were recorded while they watched a series of naturalistic social videos. Half of the videos depicted two people engaging in non-verbal communication (rich social scenes) while playing with toys. The other half depicted two people playing with toys separately, not interacting with each other (lean social scenes). Results ASD and TD adults both increased their attention to faces in communicative contexts (rich social scenes) as compared to non-communicative contexts (lean social scenes). However, TD adults increased their attention to faces significantly more when watching two people communicate than did ASD adults, who increased their attention to a lesser degree. Further analysis revealed that ASD adults persisted in looking at hands and toys, even when observing two people communicate in a rich social scene. Conclusions Diminished gaze to faces when observing two people communicating may lead to fewer opportunities for social learning and subsequent reductions in social knowledge. Naturalistic measures of contextual modulation could help identify areas of need for individuals learning about the social world and could become treatment targets to improve everyday social learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Ashley A Pallathra
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 20064, USA
| | - Emily Ferguson
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Brenna B Maddox
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Alison Pomykacz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Leat S Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Leila Bateman
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Juhi Pandey
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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28
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de Marchena A, Kim ES, Bagdasarov A, Parish-Morris J, Maddox BB, Brodkin ES, Schultz RT. Atypicalities of Gesture Form and Function in Autistic Adults. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:1438-1454. [PMID: 30523479 PMCID: PMC6451661 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3829-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
While well-represented on clinical measures, co-speech gesture production has never been formally studied in autistic adults. Twenty-one verbally fluent autistic adults and 21 typically developing controls engaged in a controlled conversational task. Group differences were observed in both semantic/pragmatic and motoric features of spontaneously produced co-speech gestures. Autistic adults prioritized different functions of co-speech gesture. Specifically, they used gesture more than controls to facilitate conversational turn-taking, demonstrating a novel nonverbal strategy for regulating conversational dynamics. Autistic adults were more likely to gesture unilaterally than bilaterally, a motoric feature of gesture that was individually associated with autism symptoms. Co-speech gestures may provide a link between nonverbal communication symptoms and known differences in motor performance in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- A de Marchena
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of the Sciences, 600 S 43rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - E S Kim
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - A Bagdasarov
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 425 S. University Avenue, Steven A. Levin Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - J Parish-Morris
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - B B Maddox
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - E S Brodkin
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Translational Research Laboratory, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - R T Schultz
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research, Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3401 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is a perceived shortage of evidence-based treatment programs for adults on the autism spectrum. This article reviews the recent research literature on psychosocial/behavioral interventions targeting social functioning in autistic adults without intellectual disability. RECENT FINDINGS We identified only 41 peer-reviewed studies published from 1980 to 2017 that tested intervention programs focused on one or more of the behavioral components of social functioning (i.e., social motivation, social anxiety, social cognition, and social skills) in more than one adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The studies demonstrated substantial variability in treatment objectives, intervention procedures, assessment methods, and methodologic quality. The results indicate a strong need for additional research to develop and rigorously test interventions for autistic adults that target the many behavioral components of social functioning and that include procedures to promote generalization of knowledge and skills to community settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A. Pallathra
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Lucero Cordero
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Kennedy Wong
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
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30
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Maddox BB, Kang-Yi CD, Brodkin ES, Mandell DS. Treatment Utilization by Adults with Autism and Co-Occurring Anxiety or Depression. Res Autism Spectr Disord 2018; 51:32-37. [PMID: 30319709 PMCID: PMC6181232 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While a growing body of research suggests that talk therapies can reduce anxiety and depression in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we know little about what community treatment for these disorders looks like for them. The present study investigated whether treatment utilization differs between adults with and without ASD who have anxiety or depression. METHOD Using Pennsylvania Medicaid claims data, adults aged 18-65 years diagnosed with ASD and depression or anxiety (n = 268) were matched 1:4 to adults with depression or anxiety disorder without ASD (n = 1,072). Chi-square tests and generalized linear models were used to estimate differences in diagnoses and psychiatric treatment between groups. RESULTS While the proportion of people prescribed benzodiazepine and antidepressants did not differ between groups, the ASD group had more days per month prescribed for all medications. Adults with ASD also were more likely to be prescribed multiple medications concurrently and to use case management. Adults without ASD were more likely to receive talk therapy for anxiety/depression. Among those receiving talk therapy, adults with ASD averaged more individual visits per month. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that therapists may need more session time for adults with ASD, although it is unclear if this time is dedicated to anxiety or depression treatment. The greater use of psychotropic medications among adults with ASD may suggest unresponsiveness to the talk therapy they receive or greater clinical complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenna B. Maddox
- Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
| | - Christina D. Kang-Yi
- Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
| | - David S. Mandell
- Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
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31
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Neurodevelopmental disorders disproportionately affect males. The mechanisms underlying male vulnerability or female protection are not known and remain understudied. Determining the processes involved is crucial to understanding the etiology and advancing treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we review current findings and theories that contribute to male preponderance of neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on autism. RECENT FINDINGS Recent work on the biological basis of the male preponderance of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders includes discussion of a higher genetic burden in females and sex-specific gene mutations or epigenetic changes that differentially confer risk to males or protection to females. Other mechanisms discussed are sex chromosome and sex hormone involvement. Specifically, fetal testosterone is involved in many aspects of development and may interact with neurotransmitter, neuropeptide, or immune pathways to contribute to male vulnerability. Finally, the possibilities of female underdiagnosis and a multi-hit hypothesis are discussed. This review highlights current theories of male bias in developmental disorders. Topics include environmental, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms; theories of sex chromosomes, hormones, neuroendocrine, and immune function; underdiagnosis of females; and a multi-hit hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Ferri
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, 169 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, 169 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2202, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
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32
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Pallathra AA, Calkins ME, Parish-Morris J, Maddox BB, Perez LS, Miller J, Gur RC, Mandell DS, Schultz RT, Brodkin ES. Defining behavioral components of social functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder as targets for treatment. Autism Res 2018; 11:488-502. [PMID: 29341497 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing recognition that adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) would benefit from treatment to improve social functioning, a key factor in adults' overall quality of life. However, the various behavioral components of social functioning (i.e., categories of behaviors underlying social functioning), including social motivation, social anxiety, social cognition, and social skills, have not all been assessed together in any sample of adults with ASD, making it difficult to know the relative levels of impairment in these various categories, the relationships among these categories, or promising targets for treatments. We hypothesized there would be significant correlations among measures within the same category, but fewer correlations of measures between categories, indicating the heterogeneity of impairments in adults with ASD. Twenty-nine adults with ASD without co-occurring intellectual disability completed multiple assessments measuring social motivation, social anxiety, social cognition, and social skills, as well as measures of overall ASD symptom levels and community functioning. Results revealed significant positive correlations among measures within most categories; positive correlations between measures of social motivation and all other categories, except for social cognition; as well as positive cross-domain correlations between measures of anxiety and ASD phenotype; measures of social skills and community functioning; and measures of social skills and ASD phenotype. Further studies are warranted to determine causal relationships among these behavioral categories, across developmental stages. However, the lack of correlations between many categories suggests the potential importance of multidimensional treatments that target the particular components of social functioning most in need of improvement in individuals. Autism Res 2018, 11: 488-502. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY The goal of this study was to measure behaviors that contribute to social functioning difficulties in adults with ASD, with the ultimate goal of guiding treatment development. We found that motivation to interact with others was significantly related to social anxiety and social skill. Our results suggest that motivation may be important to target in treatment, and that treatments should be tailored to the areas most in need of improvement in each individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Pallathra
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Monica E Calkins
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brenna B Maddox
- and the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Leat S Perez
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Judith Miller
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - David S Mandell
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,and the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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33
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Abstract
The present study used behavior skills training (BST) to teach three adult participants to implement a video modeling intervention aimed at teaching social skills to adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). During baseline trials, participants were given access to written instructions before role-play with two actors (who simulated a quiet conversation) and one confederate (who played the role of an adult with ASD). During treatment, participants were given a video model with voiceover instruction depicting how to implement the video modeling intervention to teach social skills, repeated roleplay trials, and feedback following their performance. All participant scores (percentage of steps correctly implemented in each session) increased from baseline to treatment, and generalization was demonstrated with an actual consumer diagnosed with ASD. Additionally, after training participants to use a video model to teach one social skill, there was generalization to teaching as many as three additional novel social skills. Participants showed maintenance of skills during a treatment study that involved training adult clients with ASD to engage in the social skills.
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Port RG, Gajewski C, Krizman E, Dow HC, Hirano S, Brodkin ES, Carlson GC, Robinson MB, Roberts TPL, Siegel SJ. Protocadherin 10 alters γ oscillations, amino acid levels, and their coupling; baclofen partially restores these oscillatory deficits. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 108:324-338. [PMID: 28844789 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately one in 45 children have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which is characterized by social/communication impairments. Recent studies have linked a subset of familial ASD to mutations in the Protocadherin 10 (Pcdh10) gene. Additionally, Pcdh10's expression pattern, as well as its known role within protein networks, implicates the gene in ASD. Subsequently, the neurobiology of mice heterozygous for Pcdh10 (Pcdh10+/-) has been investigated as a proxy for ASD. Male Pcdh10+/- mice have demonstrated sex-specific deficits in social behavior, recapitulating the gender bias observed in ASD. Furthermore, in vitro slice preparations of these Pcdh10+/- mice demonstrate selective decreases to high frequency electrophysiological responses, mimicking clinical observations. The direct in vivo ramifications of such decreased in vitro high frequency responses are unclear. As such, Pcdh10+/- mice and their wild-type (WT) littermates underwent in vivo electrocorticography (ECoG), as well as ex vivo amino acid concentration quantification using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Similar to the previously observed reductions to in vitro high frequency electrophysiological responses in Pcdh10+/- mice, male Pcdh10+/- mice exhibited reduced gamma-band (30-80Hz), but not lower frequency (10 and 20Hz), auditory steady state responses (ASSR). In addition, male Pcdh10+/- mice exhibited decreased signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) for high gamma-band (60-100Hz) activity. These gamma-band perturbations for both ASSR and SNR were not observed in females. Administration of a GABAB agonist remediated these electrophysiological alterations among male Pcdh10+/-mice. Pcdh10+/- mice demonstrated increased concentrations of GABA and glutamine. Of note, a correlation of auditory gamma-band responses with underlying GABA concentrations was observed in WT mice. This correlation was not present in Pcdh10+/- mice. This study demonstrates the role of Pcdh10 in the regulation of excitatory-inhibitory balance as a function of GABA in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell G Port
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher Gajewski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Elizabeth Krizman
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pediatric, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Holly C Dow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shinji Hirano
- Department of Cell Biology, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gregory C Carlson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael B Robinson
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pediatric, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Systems Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Steven J Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Schoch H, Kreibich AS, Ferri SL, White RS, Bohorquez D, Banerjee A, Port RG, Dow HC, Cordero L, Pallathra AA, Kim H, Li H, Bilker WB, Hirano S, Schultz RT, Borgmann-Winter K, Hahn CG, Feldmeyer D, Carlson GC, Abel T, Brodkin ES. Sociability Deficits and Altered Amygdala Circuits in Mice Lacking Pcdh10, an Autism Associated Gene. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:193-202. [PMID: 27567313 PMCID: PMC5161717 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been attributed to abnormal neuronal connectivity, but the molecular bases of these behavioral and brain phenotypes are largely unknown. Human genetic studies have implicated PCDH10, a member of the δ2 subfamily of nonclustered protocadherin genes, in ASD. PCDH10 expression is enriched in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region implicated in the social deficits of ASD. Previous reports indicate that Pcdh10 plays a role in axon outgrowth and glutamatergic synapse elimination, but its roles in social behaviors and amygdala neuronal connectivity are unknown. We hypothesized that haploinsufficiency of Pcdh10 would reduce social approach behavior and alter the structure and function of amygdala circuits. METHODS Mice lacking one copy of Pcdh10 (Pcdh10+/-) and wild-type littermates were assessed for social approach and other behaviors. The lateral/basolateral amygdala was assessed for dendritic spine number and morphology, and amygdala circuit function was studied using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. Expression of Pcdh10 and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunits was assessed in postsynaptic density fractions of the amygdala. RESULTS Male Pcdh10+/- mice have reduced social approach behavior, as well as impaired gamma synchronization, abnormal spine morphology, and reduced levels of NMDAR subunits in the amygdala. Social approach deficits in Pcdh10+/- male mice were rescued with acute treatment with the NMDAR partial agonist d-cycloserine. CONCLUSIONS Our studies reveal that male Pcdh10+/- mice have synaptic and behavioral deficits, and establish Pcdh10+/- mice as a novel genetic model for investigating neural circuitry and behavioral changes relevant to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Schoch
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 10-170, Building 421, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Arati S. Kreibich
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Sarah L. Ferri
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 10-133, Building 421, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Rachel S. White
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Dominique Bohorquez
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Anamika Banerjee
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Russell G. Port
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Holly C. Dow
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Lucero Cordero
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Ashley A. Pallathra
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Hyong Kim
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Honghze Li
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA
| | - Warren B. Bilker
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA
| | - Shinji Hirano
- Department of Cell Biology, Kansai Medical University, 2-5-1 Shinmachi, Hirakata City, Osaka 573-1010, Japan
| | - Robert T. Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karin Borgmann-Winter
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chang-Gyu Hahn
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Dirk Feldmeyer
- Forschungzentrum Julich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, INM-2, D-52425, Julich, Germany,RWTH Aachen University, Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Gregory C. Carlson
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, Room 10-133, Building 421, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
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Port RG, Gaetz W, Bloy L, Wang DJ, Blaskey L, Kuschner ES, Levy SE, Brodkin ES, Roberts TPL. Exploring the relationship between cortical GABA concentrations, auditory gamma-band responses and development in ASD: Evidence for an altered maturational trajectory in ASD. Autism Res 2016; 10:593-607. [PMID: 27696740 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is hypothesized to arise from imbalances between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission (E/I imbalance). Studies have demonstrated E/I imbalance in individuals with ASD and also corresponding rodent models. One neural process thought to be reliant on E/I balance is gamma-band activity (Gamma), with support arising from observed correlations between motor, as well as visual, Gamma and underlying GABA concentrations in healthy adults. Additionally, decreased Gamma has been observed in ASD individuals and relevant animal models, though the direct relationship between Gamma and GABA concentrations in ASD remains unexplored. This study combined magnetoencephalography (MEG) and edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in 27 typically developing individuals (TD) and 30 individuals with ASD. Auditory cortex localized phase-locked Gamma was compared to resting Superior Temporal Gyrus relative cortical GABA concentrations for both children/adolescents and adults. Children/adolescents with ASD exhibited significantly decreased GABA+/Creatine (Cr) levels, though typical Gamma. Additionally, these children/adolescents lacked the typical maturation of GABA+/Cr concentrations and gamma-band coherence. Furthermore, children/adolescents with ASD additionally failed to exhibit the typical GABA+/Cr to gamma-band coherence association. This altered coupling during childhood/adolescence may result in Gamma decreases observed in the adults with ASD. Therefore, individuals with ASD exhibit improper local neuronal circuitry maturation during a childhood/adolescence critical period, when GABA is involved in configuring of such circuit functioning. Provocatively a novel line of treatment is suggested (with a critical time window); by increasing neural GABA levels in children/adolescents with ASD, proper local circuitry maturation may be restored resulting in typical Gamma in adulthood. Autism Res 2017, 10: 593-607. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell G Port
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - William Gaetz
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Luke Bloy
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Dah-Jyuu Wang
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lisa Blaskey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Emily S Kuschner
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Susan E Levy
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Timothy P L Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Ferri SL, Kreibich AS, Torre M, Piccoli CT, Dow H, Pallathra AA, Li H, Bilker WB, Gur RC, Abel T, Brodkin ES. Activation of basolateral amygdala in juvenile C57BL/6J mice during social approach behavior. Neuroscience 2016; 335:184-94. [PMID: 27520082 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is a strong need to better understand the neurobiology of juvenile sociability (tendency to seek social interaction), a phenotype of central relevance to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although numerous genetic mouse models of ASD showing reduced sociability have been reported, and certain brain regions, such as the amygdala, have been implicated in sociability, there has been little emphasis on delineating brain structures and circuits activated during social interactions in the critical juvenile period of the mouse strain that serves as the most common genetic background for these models-the highly sociable C57BL/6J (B6) strain. We measured expression of the immediate early genes Fos and Egr-1 to map activation of brain regions following the Social Approach Test (SAT) in juvenile male B6 mice. We hypothesized that juvenile B6 mice would show activation of the amygdala during social interactions. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) was activated by social exposure in highly sociable, 4-week-old B6 mice. In light of these data, and the many lines of evidence indicating alteration of amygdala circuits in human ASD, future studies are warranted to assess structural and functional alterations in the BLA, particularly at BLA synapses, in various mouse models of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Ferri
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Arati S Kreibich
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Matthew Torre
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Cara T Piccoli
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Holly Dow
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Ashley A Pallathra
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
| | - Hongzhe Li
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA
| | - Warren B Bilker
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 10 Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA.
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Abstract
This update provides a brief overview of the principles underlying quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and of the usefulness of this analysis as a new tool for psychiatric ge netics. We review the criteria by which inbred rodent strains are chosen for QTL analysis; the various breeding protocols that may be used in QTL analysis; the principles underlying the phenotyping and genotyping of animals; the statistical analysis by which genetic loci are identified; and, finally, the challenge of discovering the specific genes within the identified loci that affect the trait of interest. QTL analysis offers promise for advancing our understanding of the genetics of mammalian behavior and, ultimately, of the etiology of psychiatric disorders. NEUROSCIENTIST 4:317-323, 1998
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Wood KH, Johnson BS, Welsh SA, Lee JY, Cui Y, Krizman E, Brodkin ES, Blendy JA, Robinson MB, Bartolomei MS, Zhou Z. Tagging methyl-CpG-binding domain proteins reveals different spatiotemporal expression and supports distinct functions. Epigenomics 2016; 8:455-73. [PMID: 27066839 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2015-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM DNA methylation is recognized by methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) proteins. Multiple MBDs are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders in humans and mice. However, the functions of MBD2 are poorly understood. We characterized Mbd2 knockout mice and determined spatiotemporal expression of MBDs and MBD2-NuRD (nucleosome remodeling deacetylase) interactions. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES We analyzed behavioral phenotypes, generated biotin-tagged MBD1 and MBD2 knockin mice, and performed biochemical studies of MBD2-NuRD. RESULTS Most behavioral measures are minimally affected in Mbd2 knockout mice. In contrast to other MBDs, MBD2 shows distinct expression patterns. CONCLUSION Unlike most MBDs, MBD2 is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues examined and appears dispensable for brain functions measured in this study. We provide novel genetic tools and reveal new directions to investigate MBD2 functions in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen H Wood
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Brian S Johnson
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sarah A Welsh
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jun Y Lee
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yue Cui
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Elizabeth Krizman
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julie A Blendy
- Department of Pharmacology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael B Robinson
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marisa S Bartolomei
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhaolan Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Liu J, Richmond TS, Raine A, Cheney R, Brodkin ES, Gur RC, Gur RE. The Healthy Brains and Behavior Study: objectives, design, recruitment, and population coverage. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2013; 22:204-16. [PMID: 25931327 PMCID: PMC5667643 DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Revised: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Violence is increasingly viewed as a public health issue that may be ameliorated by health-based interventions. The Healthy Brains and Behavior Study (HBBS) aims to identify environmental and biological risk factors for aggression in late childhood and to reduce aggression through psychological and nutritional treatments. Utilizing a cross-disciplinary collaborative research approach, the HBBS has both human and animal components. The human component has two stages consisting of risk assessment followed by treatment. The risk assessment is based on 451 community-residing children aged 11-12 years and their caregivers, during which genetic, brain imaging, neuroendocrine, psychophysiology, environment toxicology, neurocognitive, nutrition, psychological, social and demographic risk variables are collected. Children who met criteria (N = 219) for problematic aggressive behaviors were assigned to one of four treatment groups: cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) alone, nutritional supplements alone, both CBT and nutrition, or treatment-as-usual. Treatment duration was 12 weeks and all children whether in treatment or not were followed-up at three, six, and 12 months. The animal component assessed the effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on the development of aggression. This study contributes knowledge on how biological factors interact with social factors in shaping proactive and reactive aggression and assesses the efficacy of treatment approaches to reduce childhood aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghong Liu
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Fairless AH, Katz JM, Vijayvargiya N, Dow HC, Kreibich AS, Berrettini WH, Abel T, Brodkin ES. Development of home cage social behaviors in BALB/cJ vs. C57BL/6J mice. Behav Brain Res 2012; 237:338-47. [PMID: 22982070 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Revised: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J inbred mouse strains have been proposed as useful models of low and high levels of sociability (tendency to seek social interaction), respectively, based primarily on behaviors of ∼30-day-old mice in the Social Approach Test (SAT). In the SAT, approach and sniffing behaviors of a test mouse toward an unfamiliar stimulus mouse are measured in a novel environment. However, it is unclear whether such results generalize to a familiar environment with a familiar social partner, such as with a littermate in a home cage environment. We hypothesized that C57BL/6J mice would show higher levels of social behaviors than BALB/cJ mice in the home cage environment, particularly at 30 days-of-age. We measured active and passive social behaviors in home cages by pairs of BALB/cJ or C57BL/6J littermates at ages 30, 41, and 69 days. The strains did not differ robustly in their active social behaviors. C57BL/6J mice were more passively social than BALB/cJ mice at 30 days, and C57BL/6J levels of passive social behaviors declined to BALB/cJ levels by 69 days. The differences in passive social behaviors at 30 days-of-age were primarily attributable to differences in huddling. These results indicate that different test conditions (SAT conditions vs. home cage conditions) elicit strain differences in distinct types of behaviors (approach/sniffing vs. huddling behaviors, respectively). Assessment of the more naturalistic social interactions in the familiar home cage environment with a familiar littermate will provide a useful component of a comprehensive assessment of social behaviors in mouse models relevant to autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Fairless
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
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Chevallier C, Kohls G, Troiani V, Brodkin ES, Schultz RT. The social motivation theory of autism. Trends Cogn Sci 2012; 16:231-9. [PMID: 22425667 PMCID: PMC3329932 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2012.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1081] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2012] [Revised: 02/24/2012] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The idea that social motivation deficits play a central role in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has recently gained increased interest. This constitutes a shift in autism research, which has traditionally focused more intensely on cognitive impairments, such as theory-of-mind deficits or executive dysfunction, and has granted comparatively less attention to motivational factors. This review delineates the concept of social motivation and capitalizes on recent findings in several research areas to provide an integrated account of social motivation at the behavioral, biological and evolutionary levels. We conclude that ASD can be construed as an extreme case of diminished social motivation and, as such, provides a powerful model to understand humans' intrinsic drive to seek acceptance and avoid rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Chevallier
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Kim S, Pickup S, Fairless AH, Ittyerah R, Dow HC, Abel T, Brodkin ES, Poptani H. Association between sociability and diffusion tensor imaging in BALB/cJ mice. NMR Biomed 2012; 25:104-112. [PMID: 21618305 PMCID: PMC4188421 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.1722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2010] [Revised: 02/03/2011] [Accepted: 03/10/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to use high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the association between DTI metrics and sociability in BALB/c inbred mice. The sociability of prepubescent (30-day-old) BALB/cJ mice was operationally defined as the time that the mice spent sniffing a stimulus mouse in a social choice test. High-resolution ex vivo DTI data on 12 BALB/cJ mouse brains were acquired using a 9.4-T vertical-bore magnet. Regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between DTI metrics and sociability. Significant positive regression (p < 0.001) between social sniffing time and fractional anisotropy was found in 10 regions located in the thalamic nuclei, zona incerta/substantia nigra, visual/orbital/somatosensory cortices and entorhinal cortex. In addition, significant negative regression (p < 0.001) between social sniffing time and mean diffusivity was found in five areas located in the sensory cortex, motor cortex, external capsule and amygdaloid region. In all regions showing significant regression with either the mean diffusivity or fractional anisotropy, the tertiary eigenvalue correlated negatively with the social sniffing time. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using DTI to detect brain regions associated with sociability in a mouse model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungheon Kim
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Fairless AH, Dow HC, Kreibich AS, Torre M, Kuruvilla M, Gordon E, Morton EA, Tan J, Berrettini WH, Li H, Abel T, Brodkin ES. Sociability and brain development in BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J mice. Behav Brain Res 2011; 228:299-310. [PMID: 22178318 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Revised: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Sociability--the tendency to seek social interaction--propels the development of social cognition and social skills, but is disrupted in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J inbred mouse strains are useful models of low and high levels of juvenile sociability, respectively, but the neurobiological and developmental factors that account for the strains' contrasting sociability levels are largely unknown. We hypothesized that BALB/cJ mice would show increasing sociability with age but that C57BL/6J mice would show high sociability throughout development. We also hypothesized that littermates would resemble one another in sociability more than non-littermates. Finally, we hypothesized that low sociability would be associated with low corpus callosum size and increased brain size in BALB/cJ mice. Separate cohorts of C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice were tested for sociability at 19-, 23-, 31-, 42-, or 70-days-of-age, and brain weights and mid-sagittal corpus callosum area were measured. BALB/cJ sociability increased with age, and a strain by age interaction in sociability between 31 and 42 days of age suggested strong effects of puberty on sociability development. Sociability scores clustered according to litter membership in both strains, and perinatal litter size and sex ratio were identified as factors that contributed to this clustering in C57BL/6J, but not BALB/cJ, litters. There was no association between corpus callosum size and sociability, but smaller brains were associated with lower sociability in BALB/cJ mice. The associations reported here will provide directions for future mechanistic studies of sociability development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Fairless
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA
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Gillihan SJ, Rao H, Brennan L, Wang DJJ, Detre JA, Sankoorikal GMV, Brodkin ES, Farah MJ. Serotonin transporter genotype modulates the association between depressive symptoms and amygdala activity among psychiatrically healthy adults. Psychiatry Res 2011; 193:161-7. [PMID: 21764567 PMCID: PMC3156965 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2011.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2010] [Revised: 02/16/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent attempts to understand the biological bases of depression vulnerability have revealed that both the short allele of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and activity in the amygdala are associated with depression. Other studies have reported amygdala hyperactivity associated with the 5-HTTLPR short allele, linking the genetic and neuroimaging lines of research and suggesting a mechanism whereby the short allele confers depression risk. However, fewer investigations have examined the associations among depression, 5-HTTLPR variability, and amygdala activation in a single study. The current study thus investigated whether 5-HTTLPR genotype modulates the association between depressive symptoms and amygdala activity among psychiatrically healthy adults. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured with perfusion fMRI during a task-free scan. We hypothesized differential associations between depressive symptoms and amygdala activity among individuals homozygous for the short allele and individuals homozygous for the long allele. Both whole brain analyses and region-of-interest analyses confirmed this prediction, revealing a significant negative association among the long allele group and a trend of positive association among the short allele group. These results complement existing reports of short allele related amygdala hyperactivity and suggest an additional neurobiological mechanism whereby the 5-HTTLPR is associated with psychiatric outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth J Gillihan
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Fairless AH, Shah RY, Guthrie AJ, Li H, Brodkin ES. Deconstructing sociability, an autism-relevant phenotype, in mouse models. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2011; 294:1713-25. [PMID: 21905241 DOI: 10.1002/ar.21318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2010] [Accepted: 11/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Reduced sociability is a core feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and is highly disabling, poorly understood, and treatment refractory. To elucidate the biological basis of reduced sociability, multiple laboratories are developing ASD-relevant mouse models in which sociability is commonly assessed using the Social Choice Test. However, various measurements included in that test sometimes support different conclusions. Specifically, measurements of time the "test" mouse spends near a confined "stimulus" mouse (chamber scores) sometimes support different conclusions from measurements of time the test mouse sniffs the cylinder containing the stimulus mouse (cylinder scores). This raises the question of which type of measurements are best for assessing sociability. We assessed the test-retest reliability and ecological validity of chamber and cylinder scores. Compared with chamber scores, cylinder scores showed higher correlations between test and retest measurements, and cylinder scores showed higher correlations with time spent in social interaction in a more naturalistic phase of the test. This suggests that cylinder scores are more reliable and valid measures of sociability in mouse models. Cylinder scores are reported less commonly than chamber scores, perhaps because little work has been done to establish automated software systems for measuring the former. In this study, we found that a particular automated software system performed at least as well as human raters at measuring cylinder scores. Our data indicate that cylinder scores are more reliable and valid than chamber scores, and that the former can be measured very accurately using an automated video analysis system in ASD-relevant models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Fairless
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, Philadelphia, USA
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Mandell DS, Lawer LJ, Branch K, Brodkin ES, Healey K, Witalec R, Johnson DN, Gur RE. Prevalence and correlates of autism in a state psychiatric hospital. Autism 2011; 16:557-67. [PMID: 21846667 DOI: 10.1177/1362361311412058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study estimated the ASD prevalence in a psychiatric hospital and evaluated the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) combined with other information for differential diagnosis. Chart review, SRS and clinical interviews were collected for 141 patients at one hospital. Diagnosis was determined at case conference. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the SRS as a screening instrument. Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) analysis estimated the role of other variables, in combination with the SRS, in separating cases and non-cases. Ten percent of the sample had ASD. More than other patients, their onset was prior to 12 years of age, they had gait problems and intellectual disability, and were less likely to have a history of criminal involvement or substance abuse. Sensitivity (0.86) and specificity (0.60) of the SRS were maximized at a score of 84. Adding age of onset < 12 years and cigarette use among those with SRS <80 increased sensitivity to 1.00 without lowering specificity. Adding a history substance abuse among those with SRS >80 increased specificity to 0.90 but dropped sensitivity to 0.79. Undiagnosed ASD may be common in psychiatric hospitals. The SRS, combined with other information, may discriminate well between ASD and other disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Mandell
- Center for Autism Research, 3535 Market Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Dow HC, Kreibich AS, Kaercher KA, Sankoorikal GMV, Pauley ED, Lohoff FW, Ferraro TN, Li H, Brodkin ES. Genetic dissection of intermale aggressive behavior in BALB/cJ and A/J mice. Genes Brain Behav 2011; 10:57-68. [PMID: 20731721 PMCID: PMC3017637 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2010.00640.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behaviors are disabling, treatment refractory, and sometimes lethal symptoms of several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, currently available treatments for patients are inadequate, and the underlying genetics and neurobiology of aggression is only beginning to be elucidated. Inbred mouse strains are useful for identifying genomic regions, and ultimately the relevant gene variants (alleles) in these regions, that affect mammalian aggressive behaviors, which, in turn, may help to identify neurobiological pathways that mediate aggression. The BALB/cJ inbred mouse strain exhibits relatively high levels of intermale aggressive behaviors and shows multiple brain and behavioral phenotypes relevant to neuropsychiatric syndromes associated with aggression. The A/J strain shows very low levels of aggression. We hypothesized that a cross between BALB/cJ and A/J inbred strains would reveal genomic loci that influence the tendency to initiate intermale aggressive behavior. To identify such loci, we conducted a genomewide scan in an F2 population of 660 male mice bred from BALB/cJ and A/J inbred mouse strains. Three significant loci on chromosomes 5, 10 and 15 that influence aggression were identified. The chromosome 5 and 15 loci are completely novel, and the chromosome 10 locus overlaps an aggression locus mapped in our previous study that used NZB/B1NJ and A/J as progenitor strains. Haplotype analysis of BALB/cJ, NZB/B1NJ and A/J strains showed three positional candidate genes in the chromosome 10 locus. Future studies involving fine genetic mapping of these loci as well as additional candidate gene analysis may lead to an improved biological understanding of mammalian aggressive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly C. Dow
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
| | - Arati Sadalge Kreibich
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
| | - Kristin A. Kaercher
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
| | - Geena Mary V. Sankoorikal
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
| | - Eric D. Pauley
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
| | - Falk W. Lohoff
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
| | - Thomas N. Ferraro
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
| | - Hongzhe Li
- Statistical Genetics and Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021 USA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31 Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403 USA
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Lohoff FW, Ferraro TN, Brodkin ES, Weller AE, Bloch PJ. Association between polymorphisms in the metallophosphoesterase (MPPE1) gene and bipolar disorder. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2010; 153B:830-6. [PMID: 19859903 PMCID: PMC3029019 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.31042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Genetic linkage studies in bipolar disorder (BPD) suggest that a susceptibility locus exists on chromosome 18p11. The metallophosphoesterase (MPPE1) gene maps to this region. Dysregulation of protein phosphorylation and subsequent abnormal cellular signaling has been postulated to be involved in neuropsychiatric disorders thus making MPPE1 a plausible biological candidate gene for BPD. In this study, we hypothesized that genetic variation in the MPPE1 gene contributes to BPD. We tested this hypothesis by genotyping four SNPs (rs871044; rs3974590; rs593713; rs602201) in BPD patients (n = 570) and healthy controls (n = 725). Genotypes and allele frequencies were compared between groups using Chi square contingency analysis. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between markers was calculated and estimated haplotype frequencies were compared between groups. Single marker analysis revealed an association of rs3974590 with BPD (P = 0.009; permutation corrected P = 0.046). Haplotype analysis did not show any significant association with disease after permutation correction. Our results provide evidence of an association between a polymorphism in the MPPE1 gene and BPD. Additional studies are necessary to confirm and elucidate the role of MPPE1 as a susceptibility gene for BPD on chromosome 18p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk W. Lohoff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
,Corresponding Author: Falk W. Lohoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychaitry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2213, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Office: (215) 573-4582, Fax: (215) 573-2041,
| | - Thomas N. Ferraro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward S. Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew E. Weller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Paul J. Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Gillihan SJ, Rao H, Wang J, Detre JA, Breland J, Sankoorikal GMV, Brodkin ES, Farah MJ. Serotonin transporter genotype modulates amygdala activity during mood regulation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2009; 5:1-10. [PMID: 19858108 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsp035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have implicated the short allele of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) in depression vulnerability, particularly in the context of stress. Several neuroimaging studies have shown that 5-HTTLPR genotype predicts amygdala reactivity to negatively valenced stimuli, suggesting a mechanism whereby the short allele confers depression risk. The current study investigated whether 5-HTTLPR genotype similarly affects neural activity during an induced sad mood and during recovery from sad mood. Participants were 15 homozygous short (S) and 15 homozygous long (L) individuals. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured with perfusion functional magnetic resonance imaging during four scanning blocks: baseline, sad mood, mood recovery and following return to baseline. Comparing mood recovery to baseline, both whole brain analyses and template-based region-of-interest analyses revealed greater amygdala activity for the S vs the L-group. There were no significant amygdala differences found during the induced sad mood. These results demonstrate the effect of the S allele on amygdala activity during intentional mood regulation and suggest that amygdala hyperactivity during recovery from a sad mood may be one mechanism by which the S allele confers depression risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth J Gillihan
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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