scholarly journals Aberrant dynamics of cognitive control and motor circuits predict distinct restricted and repetitive behaviors in children with autism

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaustubh Supekar ◽  
Srikanth Ryali ◽  
Percy Mistry ◽  
Vinod Menon
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Control Circuit ◽  
Clinical Feature ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Motor Circuit ◽  
Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Brain Circuit

AbstractRestricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a defining clinical feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). RRBs are highly heterogeneous with variable expression of circumscribed interests (CI), insistence of sameness (IS) and repetitive motor actions (RM), which are major impediments to effective functioning in individuals with ASD; yet, the neurobiological basis of CI, IS and RM is unknown. Here we evaluate a unified functional brain circuit model of RRBs and test the hypothesis that CI and IS are associated with aberrant cognitive control circuit dynamics, whereas RM is associated with aberrant motor circuit dynamics. Using task-free fMRI data from 96 children, we first demonstrate that time-varying cross-network interactions in cognitive control circuit are significantly reduced and inflexible in children with ASD, and predict CI and IS symptoms, but not RM symptoms. Furthermore, we show that time-varying cross-network interactions in motor circuit are significantly greater in children with ASD, and predict RM symptoms, but not CI or IS symptoms. We confirmed these results using cross-validation analyses. Moreover, we show that brain-clinical symptom relations are not detected with time-averaged functional connectivity analysis. Our findings provide neurobiological support for the validity of RRB subtypes and identify dissociable brain circuit dynamics as a candidate biomarker for a key clinical feature of ASD.

Rigidity coincides with reduced cognitive control to affective cues in children with autism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dienke J. Bos ◽  
Melanie R. Silverman ◽  
Eliana L. Ajodan ◽  
Cynthia Martin ◽  
Benjamin Silver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Repetitive Behavior ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Insistence On Sameness ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Affective Cues

The present study tested whether salient affective cues would negatively influence cognitive control in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 100 children aged 6-12 years who were either typically developing or had ASD performed a novel go/nogo task to cues of their interest versus cues of non-interest. Using Linear Mixed-Effects models group differences in hit rate, false alarms and d-prime were tested. Caregivers completed the Repetitive Behavior Scale - Revised (RBS-R) to test associations between repetitive behaviors and task performance. Children with ASD had reduced cognitive control towards their interests compared to typically developing children. Further, children with ASD showed reduced cognitive control to interests as compared to their own non-interests, a pattern not observed in typically developing children. Decreased cognitive control towards interests was associated with higher insistence on sameness behavior in ASD, but there was no association between sameness behavior and cognitive control for non-interests. Together, children with ASD demonstrated decreased cognitive flexibility in the context of increased affective salience related to interests. These results provide a mechanism for how salient affective cues, such as interests, interfere with daily functioning and social communication in ASD. Further, the findings have broader clinical implications for understanding how affective cues can drive interactions between restricted patterns of behavior and cognitive control.

scholarly journals Developmental trajectories of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in children with autism spectrum disorders

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Richler ◽  
Marisela Huerta ◽  
Somer L. Bishop ◽  
Catherine Lord
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Insistence On Sameness ◽  
Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Over Time

AbstractThis study examined how restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBs) developed over time in a sample of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One hundred ninety-two children referred for a diagnosis of autism at age 2, and 22 children with nonspectrum development disorders were evaluated with a battery of cognitive and diagnostic measures at age 2 and subsequently at ages 3, 5, and 9. Factor analysis of the RRB items on the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised revealed two RRB factors at each wave of data collection, one comprising “repetitive sensorimotor” (RSM) behaviors and the other “insistence on sameness” (IS) behaviors. For children with ASD, RSM scores remained relatively high over time, indicating consistent severity, whereas IS scores started low and increased over time, indicating worsening. Having a higher nonverbal intelligence (NVIQ) at age 2 was associated with milder concurrent RSM behaviors and with improvement in these behaviors over time. There was no relationship between NVIQ at age 2 and IS behaviors. However, milder social/communicative impairment, at age 2 was associated with more severe concurrent IS behaviors. Trajectory analysis revealed considerable heterogeneity in patterns of change over time for both kinds of behaviors. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of RRBs in ASD and other disorders, making prognoses about how RRBs will develop in children with ASD as they get older, and using RRBs to identify ASD phenotypes in genetic studies.

scholarly journals Hyper-connectivity of the striatum related to restricted and repetitive behaviors’ severity in children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Dupong ◽  
Adriana Di Martino
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Score ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Occipital Area ◽  
Repetitive Behaviour ◽  
Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Potential Biomarker ◽  
Intrinsic Connectivity ◽  
Core Feature

AbstractRestricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). But little is known about the underlying neurobiology of the disorder, preventing from having specific therapeutic targets. Based on the literature, we explored the correlates between a clinical score of RRB, using the Repetitive Behaviour Scale – Revised, and the intrinsic connectivity of seven striatal regions in a sample of 157 children with ASD. The sample was acquired from the ABIDE consortium. We found a significant correlation between the severity of our clinical scale and several cortico-striatal networks. Specifically, stronger connections were found between striatal seeds and two cortical areas, an occipital area and a frontal area in the left hemisphere. Intrinsic functional connectivity of the striatum could serve as a potential biomarker for improved detection of RRB severity.

scholarly journals Longitudinal change in restricted and repetitive behaviors from 8-36 months

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Sifre ◽  
Daniel Berry ◽  
Jason J. Wolff ◽  
Jed T. Elison
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Factor Score ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Repetitive Motor ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and one of the earliest behavioral signs of ASD. However, RRBs are also present in typically developing (TD) infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children. Past work suggests that examining change in these behaviors over time is essential to distinguish between normative manifestations of these behaviors and behaviors that denote risk for a neurodevelopmental disorder. One challenge in examining changes in these behaviors over time is that most measures of RRBs have not established longitudinal measurement invariance. The aims of this study were to (1) establish measurement invariance in the Repetitive Behavior Scales for Early Childhood (RBS-EC), a parent-report questionnaire of RRBs, and (2) model developmental change in RRBs from 8 to 36 months. Methods We collected RBS-EC responses from parents of TD infants (n = 180) from 8 to 36 months (n = 606 responses, with participants contributing an average of 3-time points). We leverage a novel methodological approach to measurement invariance testing (Bauer, Psychological Models, 22(3), 507–526, 2017), moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA), to determine whether the RBS-EC was invariant across age and sex. We then generated adjusted factor score estimates for each subscale of the RBS-EC (repetitive motor, self-directed, and higher-order behaviors), and used linear mixed effects models to estimate between- and within-person changes in the RBS-EC over time. Results The RBS-EC showed some non-invariance as a function of age. We were able to adjust for this non-invariance in order to more accurately model changes in the RBS-EC over time. Repetitive motor and self-directed behaviors showed a linear decline from 8 to 36 months, while higher-order behaviors showed a quadratic trajectory such that they began to decline later in development at around 18 months. Using adjusted factor scores as opposed to unadjusted raw mean scores provided a number of benefits, including increased within-person variability and precision. Conclusions The RBS-EC is sensitive enough to measure the presence of RRBs in a TD sample, as well as their decline with age. Using factor score estimates of each subscale adjusted for non-invariance allowed us to more precisely estimate change in these behaviors over time.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Etiology among Parents of Children with ASD

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6774
Author(s):  
Wei-Ju Chen ◽  
Zihan Zhang ◽  
Haocen Wang ◽  
Tung-Sung Tseng ◽  
Ping Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Parental Perceptions ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Religious Factors

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and restricted or repetitive behaviors. Parental perceptions of the etiology of their child’s ASD can affect provider–client relationships, bonding between parents and their children, and the prognosis, treatment, and management of children with ASD. Thus, this study sought to examine the perceptions of ASD etiology of parents of children with ASD. Methods: Forty-two parents of children diagnosed with ASD were recruited across Texas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually. All interviews were recorded and later transcribed verbatim for content analysis utilizing NVivo 12.0 (QSR International, Doncaster, Australia). Results: The content analysis identified the following themes regarding parental perceptions of ASD etiology: Genetic factors (40.5%), environmental factors (31.0%), problems that occurred during pregnancy or delivery (23.8%), vaccinations (16.7%), other health problems (7.1%), parental age at the time of pregnancy (4.8%), and spiritual or religious factors (2.4%). Conclusions: The parental perceptions of ASD etiology were diverse, but several views, such as vaccinations and spiritual or religious factors, were not based on scientific evidence. Health professionals and researchers can use these findings to develop and provide targeted education to parents who have children with ASD. Our findings also support policymakers in developing campaigns designed to increase parental ASD awareness and knowledge.

scholarly journals Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors as Predictors of Outcome in Autism Spectrum Disorders

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 1282-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Troyb ◽  
Kelley Knoch ◽  
Lauren Herlihy ◽  
Michael C. Stevens ◽  
Chi-Ming Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Predictors Of Outcome ◽  
Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

scholarly journals Sex differences in brain structure: An autism twin study on restricted and repetitive behaviors

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelies van’t Westeinde ◽  
Élodie Cauvet ◽  
Roberto Toro ◽  
Ralf Kuja-Halkola ◽  
Janina Neufeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Autism Symptoms ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Restricted And Repetitive Behaviors

AbstractFemales with autism spectrum disorder have been reported to exhibit fewer and less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests compared to males. This difference might indicate sex specific alterations of brain networks involved in autism symptom domains, especially within cortico-striatal and sensory integration networks. This study used a well-controlled twin design to examine sex differences in brain anatomy in relation to repetitive behaviors. In 75 twin pairs (n=150, 62 females, 88 males) enriched for autism spectrum disorder (n=32), and other neurodevelopmental disorders (n =32), we explored the association of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests – operationalized by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (C domain) and the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior subscale), with cortical volume, surface area and thickness of neocortical, sub-cortical and cerebellar networks. Cotwin control analyses revealed within-pair associations between RRBI symptoms and the right intraparietal sulcus and right orbital gyrus in females only. These findings endorse the importance of investigating sex differences in the neurobiology of autism symptoms, and indicate different etiological pathways underlying restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in females and males.

Aura

2018 ◽  
pp. 142-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marva Angélica Mora Lumbreras ◽  
Méndez-Trejo María de Lourdes ◽  
Sanluis-Ramírez Ariel
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Nonverbal Communication ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Gps Data ◽  
Mobile Augmented Reality ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Augmented Reality Application ◽  
Age Range

A person with autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. Augmented reality (AR) combines reality with virtual aspects such as sound, video, graphics, or GPS data. Specifically, Aura is a mobile augmented reality application applied in the learning of children with ASD with the purpose of helping them in their relationships with the outside world and especially in their learning. Aura consists of five modules and 42 activities. The modules are Learn Basic Shapes, Repeat Basic Habits, Draw, Learn to Write, and Learn Values and Empathy. This project was tested by children of the Angelitos Mios Foundation, located in Apizaco Tlaxcala. The test showed favorable results. Tests were conducted with students in the age range of 4-8 years with ASD. The foundation is currently working on the acquisition of mobile devices for the implementation of Aura.

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