Increased Dendritic Orientation Dispersion in the Left Occipital Gyrus is Associated with Atypical Visual Processing in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 5617-5625
Author(s):  
Kiwamu Matsuoka ◽  
Manabu Makinodan ◽  
Soichiro Kitamura ◽  
Masato Takahashi ◽  
Hiroaki Yoshikawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Left Middle Temporal Gyrus

Abstract In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the complexity-specific hypothesis explains that atypical visual processing is attributable to selective functional changes in visual pathways. We investigated dendritic microstructures and their associations with functional connectivity (FC). Participants included 28 individuals with ASD and 29 typically developed persons. We explored changes in neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and brain areas whose FC was significantly correlated with NODDI parameters in the explored regions of interests. Individuals with ASD showed significantly higher orientation dispersion index (ODI) values in the left occipital gyrus (OG) corresponding to the secondary visual cortex (V2). FC values between the left OG and the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) were significantly negatively correlated with mean ODI values. The mean ODI values in the left OG were significantly positively associated with low registration of the visual quadrants of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP), resulting in a significant positive correlation with passive behavioral responses of the AASP visual quadrants; additionally, the FC values between the left OG and the left MTG were significantly negatively associated with reciprocal social interaction. Our results suggest that abnormal V2 dendritic arborization is associated with atypical visual processing by altered intermediation in the ventral visual pathway.

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Parent Reported Quality of Life Pre and Post Vision Therapy in a Population with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
pp. 195-207
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Behavior ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Vision Therapy

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is characterized in part by atypical behavior in the communication, social, and visual domains. Success in vision therapy is judged not only by changes in optometric findings, but through improvement in quality of life involving communication, social behavior and visual behavior. It would therefore be beneficial to have a validated questionnaire to assess parent reported quality of life pre and post vision therapy specific to patients with autism spectrum disorder. To our knowledge, a questionnaire of this nature has not been previously published in the literature. Methods: Questionnaire items were generated through surveying medical literature based on symptoms in three different categories: visual behavior, social behavior and communication. A pool of 34 questions was developed initially and then with thorough discussion with other experts, a 20-point questionnaire was developed with each item reflected in the construct concept. A draft of 20 questions was then sent to 10 subject experts with clinical experience in the field for more than 20 years, to review the pooled items. Validity and reliability was established prior to assessing the psychometric properties of the ASD/QOL-VT. Prospective observational study was conducted for a duration of 18 months. The study included individuals undergoing vision therapy in the age range of 3 to 15 years who had been diagnosed with ASD. The questionnaire was administered to parents of these children prior to the start of vision therapy. All subjects completed a minimum of 60 vision therapy sessions. The questionnaire was readministered after completing 60 sessions of vision therapy. Results: Cronbach’s alpha value for this questionnaire was 0.93, which reflected very good internal consistency. Factorial analysis yielded four factors with an Eigen value exceeding 1.0 which accounted for 68% variation in the model. The Cronbach alpha value for subscales identified by factorial analysis is 0.97 indicating excellent internal reliability. The mean pre vision therapy social behavior, communication and visual behavior score was 12.0±3.21, 17.07±4.57 and 26.97±6.41 respectively. The mean post vision therapy scores for social behavior, communication and visual behavior was 8.27±4.16, 11.33±5.27 and 17.93±6.52 respectively. On paired t test, the mean difference in score was statistically significant with P<0.001 in all three subcategories. Conclusions: Our study presents the development of a valid and reliable parent questionnaire, the ASD/QOL-VT, that judges communication, social behavior, and visual behavior in autism. Results of the study conducted indicate that vision therapy can result in significant improvements in the quality of life of patients with ASD as judged by their parents. This is evidenced by statistically significant changes in psychometric properties of the ASD/QOL-VT in social behavior, communication and visual behavior.

scholarly journals Sensory Processing and Aggressive Behavior in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 95
Author(s):  
Frank van den Boogert ◽  
Bram Sizoo ◽  
Pascalle Spaan ◽  
Sharon Tolstra ◽  
Yvonne H. A. Bouman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Aggressive Behavior ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Sensory Sensitivity ◽  
Aggression Questionnaire ◽  
Adults With Asd

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be accompanied by aggressive behavior and is associated with sensory processing difficulties. The present study aims to investigate the direct association between sensory processing and aggressive behavior in adults with ASD. A total of 101 Dutch adult participants with ASD, treated in outpatient or inpatient facilities, completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP), the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), and the Aggression Questionnaire—Short Form (AQ-SF). Results revealed that sensory processing difficulties are associated with more aggressive behavior (f2=0.25), more proactive (f2=0.19) and reactive aggression (f2=0.27), more physical (f2=0.08) and verbal aggression (f2=0.13), and more anger (f2=0.20) and hostility (f2=0.12). Evidence was found for an interaction of the neurological threshold and behavioral response on total aggression and hostility. Participants with higher scores in comparison to the norm group in sensory sensitivity had the highest risk of aggressive behavior. In conclusion, clinical practice may benefit from applying detailed diagnostics on sensory processing difficulties when treating aggressive behavior in adults with ASD.

scholarly journals Implication of the Sensory Environment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from School

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7670
Author(s):  
Ana Gentil-Gutiérrez ◽  
José Luis Cuesta-Gómez ◽  
Paula Rodríguez-Fernández ◽  
Jerónimo Javier González-Bernal
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Children With Asd

(1) Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently have difficulties in processing sensory information, which is a limitation when participating in different contexts, such as school. The objective of the present study was to compare the sensory processing characteristics of children with ASD in the natural context of school through the perception of professionals in the field of education, in comparison with neurodevelopmental children (2) Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study as conducted with study population consisting of children between three and ten years old, 36 of whom were diagnosed with ASD and attended the Autismo Burgos association; the remaining 24 had neurotypical development. The degree of response of the children to sensory stimuli at school was evaluated using the Sensory Profile-2 (SP-2) questionnaire in its school version, answered by the teachers. (3) Results: Statistically significant differences were found in sensory processing patterns (p = 0.001), in sensory systems (p = 0.001) and in school factors (p = 0.001). Children with ASD who obtained worse results. (4) Conclusions: Children with ASD are prone to present sensory alterations in different contexts, giving nonadapted behavioral and learning responses.

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