scholarly journals Overt social interaction and resting state in young adult males with autism: core and contextual neural features

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Jasmin ◽  
Stephen J. Gotts ◽  
Y. Xu ◽  
S. Liu ◽  
Cameron Riddell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Temporal Correlation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Social Demand ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Social Processing

AbstractConversation is an important and ubiquitous social behavior. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (autism) without intellectual disability often have normal structural language abilities but deficits in social aspects of communication like pragmatics, prosody, and eye contact. Previous studies of resting state activity suggest that intrinsic connections among neural circuits involved with social processing are disrupted in autism, but to date no neuroimaging study has examined neural activity during the most commonplace yet challenging social task: spontaneous conversation. Here we used functional MRI to scan autistic males (N=19) without intellectual disability and age- and IQ-matched typically developing controls (N=20) while they engaged in a total of 193 face-to-face interactions. Participants completed two kinds of tasks: Conversation, which had high social demand, and Repetition, which had low social demand. Autistic individuals showed abnormally increased task-driven inter-regional temporal correlation relative to controls, especially among social processing regions and during high social demand. Furthermore, these increased correlations were associated with parent ratings of participants’ social impairments. These results were then compared with previously-acquired resting-state data (56 Autism, 62 Control participants). While some inter-regional correlation levels varied by task or rest context, others were strikingly similar across both task and rest, namely increased correlation among the thalamus, dorsal and ventral striatum, somatomotor, temporal and prefrontal cortex in the autistic individuals, relative to the control groups. These results suggest a basic distinction. Autistic cortico-cortical interactions vary by context, tending to increase relative to controls during Task and decrease during Rest. In contrast, striato- and thalamocortical relationships with socially engaged brain regions are increased in both Task and Rest, and may be core to the condition of autism.

scholarly journals Graph Ricci Curvatures Reveal Disease-related Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavithra Elumalai ◽  
Yasharth Yadav ◽  
Nitin Williams ◽  
Emil Saucan ◽  
Jürgen Jost ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Resting State Fmri ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
The Brain

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a set of neurodevelopmental disorders that pose a significant global health burden. Measures from graph theory have been used to characterise ASD-related changes in resting-state fMRI functional connectivity networks (FCNs), but recently developed geometry-inspired measures have not been applied so far. In this study, we applied geometry-inspired graph Ricci curvatures to investigate ASD-related changes in resting-state fMRI FCNs. To do this, we applied Forman-Ricci and Ollivier-Ricci curvatures to compare networks of ASD and healthy controls (N = 1112) from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I (ABIDE-I) dataset. We performed these comparisons at the brain-wide level as well as at the level of individual brain regions, and further, determined the behavioral relevance of region-specific differences with Neurosynth meta-analysis decoding. We found brain-wide ASD-related differences for both Forman-Ricci and Ollivier-Ricci curvatures. For Forman-Ricci curvature, these differences were distributed across 83 of the 200 brain regions studied, and concentrated within the Default Mode, Somatomotor and Ventral Attention Network. Meta-analysis decoding identified the brain regions showing curvature differences as involved in social cognition, memory, language and movement. Notably, comparison with results from previous non-invasive stimulation (TMS/tDCS) experiments revealed that the set of brain regions showing curvature differences overlapped with the set of brain regions whose stimulation resulted in positive cognitive or behavioural outcomes in ASD patients. These results underscore the utility of geometry-inspired graph Ricci curvatures in characterising disease-related changes in ASD, and possibly, other neurodevelopmental disorders.

scholarly journals Sex-dependent and sex-independent brain resting-state functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Di ◽  
Bharat B Biswal
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Main Effects

Background: Males are more likely to suffer from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than females. As to whether females with ASD have similar brain alterations remain an open question. The current study aimed to examine sex-dependent as well as sex-independent alterations in resting-state functional connectivity in individuals with ASD compared with typically developing (TD) individuals. Method: Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE). Subjects between 6 to 20 years of age were included for analysis. After matching the intelligence quotient between groups for each dataset, and removing subjects due to excessive head motion, the resulting effective sample contained 28 females with ASD, 49 TD females, 129 males with ASD, and 141 TD males, with a two (diagnosis) by two (sex) design. Functional connectivity among 153 regions of interest (ROIs) comprising the whole brain was computed. Two by two analysis of variance was used to identify connectivity that showed diagnosis by sex interaction or main effects of diagnosis. Results: The main effects of diagnosis were found mainly between visual cortex and other brain regions, indicating sex-independent connectivity alterations. We also observed two connections whose connectivity showed diagnosis by sex interaction between the precuneus and medial cerebellum as well as the precunes and dorsal frontal cortex. While males with ASD showed higher connectivity in these connections compared with TD males, females with ASD had lower connectivity than their counterparts. Conclusions: Both sex-dependent and sex-independent functional connectivity alterations are present in ASD.

scholarly journals Default Mode and Fronto-Parietal Network Associations with IQ Development Across Childhood in Autism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua K Lee ◽  
An Chuen Billy Cho ◽  
Derek S Andrews ◽  
Sally Ozonoff ◽  
Sally J Rogers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Distance Matrix ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Low Iq

Abstract Background: Intellectual disability affects approximately one third of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (autism), yet a major unresolved question remains concerning the neurobiology that differentiates autistic individuals with and without intellectual disability. IQ is highly variable during childhood. We previously identified subgroups of autistic children with different trajectories of intellectual development from early childhood (2-3½ yeas) up to middle childhood (9-12 years): (a) Persistently-High: Individuals whose intelligence quotients (IQs) remained in the average or better range during this period, (b) Persistently-Low: Individuals whose IQs remained in the range of intellectual disability (IQ < 70) throughout development, and (c) Changers: Individuals whose IQs began in the range of intellectual disability but increased to the borderline or normal IQ range by middle childhood. In the present research, we sought to identify neurobiology that differentiates these trajectory-defined groups within our autism cohort in two brain networks with established links to intellectual functioning and its impairment in (1) the frontoparietal network (FPN), and (2) the default mode network (DMN). Methods: We conducted multivariate distance matrix regression (MDMR) and effect size analyses to examine the volumes of 22 brain regions (11 regions x 2 hemispheres) within the FPN and 24 (12 regions x 2 hemispheres) within the DMN in 48 Persistently-High (18 female), 108 Persistently-Low (32 female), and 109 Changers (39 female) using structural MRI that had been acquired at baseline, and IQ measurements from up to three time points spanning early to middle childhood (Mean Age Time 1: 3.2 years; Time 2: 5.4 years; Time 3: 11.3 years). FPN and DMN network regions of interest were defined on the basis of the large-scale networks defined in Smith et al., (2009).Results: Changers exhibited different DMN network structure from both Persistently-Low and Persistently-High trajectory groups at baseline, but the Persistently-High did not differ from the Persistently-Low group, suggesting that DMN structure may be an early predictor for change in IQ trajectory across childhood. In contrast, Persistently-High exhibited differences in the FPN from both Persistently-Low and Changers groups at baseline, suggesting a difference related more to concurrent IQ and the absence of intellectual disability. Conclusions: Within autism, DMN structure at baseline may differentiate individuals with persistently low IQ from those with more transitory low IQ that improves to the borderline range or better through early childhood, potentially indicating compensatory mechanisms which may be targeted by future interventions. The brain structure differences between these three IQ-based subgroups may be indicative of distinct neural underpinnings of autism phenotypic subtypes.

Staff awareness training: improving knowledge and confidence of autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities in a locked rehabilitation unit

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Anne Hatton
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Rehabilitation Unit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a training package which was delivered to improve staff members’ knowledge and confidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID). Design/methodology/approach The training was facilitated in a locked rehabilitation unit for adult males, many of whom had diagnoses of ASD and/or ID. With all staff receiving an invite, 25 attended which was the majority of the staff team. This included staff from housekeeping, nursing and catering. Findings To evaluate the effectiveness of the training, a survey and short assessment was administered before and after training. This revealed an improvement in both perceived knowledge and confidence of ASD and ID, as well as actual knowledge. Follow-up interviews also revealed some evidence of sustained learning and practice changes. Research limitations/implications Based on these findings, it is recommended that further face-to-face training is delivered at this locked rehabilitation unit to further improve professional practice. Originality/value This paper provides value to other inpatient settings as it highlights to practitioners how face-to-face training can significantly improve staff members knowledge and confidence of developmental disorders.

scholarly journals Shared Characteristics of Intrinsic Connectivity Networks Underlying Interoceptive Awareness and Empathy

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodora Stoica ◽  
Brendan Depue
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Interoceptive Awareness ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
Intrinsic Connectivity Networks ◽  
The Right

Awareness of internal bodily sensations (interoceptive awareness; IA) and its connection to complex socioemotional abilities like empathy has been postulated, yet the functional neural circuitry they share remains poorly understood. The present fMRI study employs independent component analysis (ICA) to investigate which empathy facet (Cognitive or Affective) shares resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and/or BOLD variability (rsBOLD) with IA. Healthy participants viewed an abstract nonsocial movie demonstrated to evoke strong rsFC in brain networks resembling rest (InScapes), and resultant rsFC and rsBOLD data were correlated with self-reported empathy and IA questionnaires. We demonstrate a bidirectional behavioral and neurobiological relationship between empathy and IA, depending on the type of empathy interrogated: Affective empathy and IA share both rsFC and rsBOLD, while Cognitive empathy and IA only share rsBOLD. Specifically, increased rsFC in the right inferior frontal operculum (rIFO) of a larger attention network was associated with increased vicarious experience but decreased awareness of inner body sensations. Furthermore, increased rsBOLD between brain regions of an interoceptive network was related to increased sensitivity to internal sensations along with decreased Affective empathy. Finally, increased rsBOLD between brain regions subserving a mentalizing network related to not only an improved ability to take someone’s perspective, but also a better sense of mind-body interconnectedness. Overall, these findings suggest that the awareness of one’s own internal body changes (IA) is related to the socioemotional ability of feeling and understanding another’s emotional state (empathy) and critically, that this relationship is reflected in the brain’s resting state neuroarchitecture. Methodologically, this work highlights the importance of utilizing rsBOLD as a complementary window alongside rsFC to better understand neurological phenomena. Our results may be beneficial in aiding diagnosis in clinical populations such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), where participants may be unable to complete tasks or questionnaires due to the severity of their symptoms.

scholarly journals Resting state EEG in youth with ASD: age, sex, and relation to phenotype

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Neuhaus ◽  
Sarah J. Lowry ◽  
Megha Santhosh ◽  
Anna Kresse ◽  
Laura A. Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Repetitive Behavior ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Alpha Power ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Biological Sex ◽  
Research Risks

Abstract Background Identification of ASD biomarkers is a key priority for understanding etiology, facilitating early diagnosis, monitoring developmental trajectories, and targeting treatment efforts. Efforts have included exploration of resting state encephalography (EEG), which has a variety of relevant neurodevelopmental correlates and can be collected with minimal burden. However, EEG biomarkers may not be equally valid across the autism spectrum, as ASD is strikingly heterogeneous and individual differences may moderate EEG-behavior associations. Biological sex is a particularly important potential moderator, as females with ASD appear to differ from males with ASD in important ways that may influence biomarker accuracy. Methods We examined effects of biological sex, age, and ASD diagnosis on resting state EEG among a large, sex-balanced sample of youth with (N = 142, 43% female) and without (N = 138, 49% female) ASD collected across four research sites. Absolute power was extracted across five frequency bands and nine brain regions, and effects of sex, age, and diagnosis were analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression models. Exploratory partial correlations were computed to examine EEG-behavior associations in ASD, with emphasis on possible sex differences in associations. Results Decreased EEG power across multiple frequencies was associated with female sex and older age. Youth with ASD displayed decreased alpha power relative to peers without ASD, suggesting increased neural activation during rest. Associations between EEG and behavior varied by sex. Whereas power across various frequencies correlated with social skills, nonverbal IQ, and repetitive behavior for males with ASD, no such associations were observed for females with ASD. Conclusions Research using EEG as a possible ASD biomarker must consider individual differences among participants, as these features influence baseline EEG measures and moderate associations between EEG and important behavioral outcomes. Failure to consider factors such as biological sex in such research risks defining biomarkers that misrepresent females with ASD, hindering understanding of the neurobiology, development, and intervention response of this important population.

scholarly journals Shared Characteristics of Intrinsic Connectivity Networks Underlying Interoceptive Awareness and Empathy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Stoica ◽  
B.E. Depue
Keyword(s):  
Resting State ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Strong Connectivity ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
Intrinsic Connectivity Networks ◽  
The Right

AbstractAwareness of internal bodily sensations (interoception, IA) and its connection to complex socioemotional phenomena like empathy have been postulated, yet its neural basis remains poorly understood. The present fMRI study employs independent component analysis (ICA) to investigate whether the Cognitive or Affective facets of empathy and IA share resting state network connectivity and/or variability (SDBOLD). Healthy participants viewed an abstract movie demonstrated to evoke strong connectivity in resting state brain networks (InScapes), and resultant connectivity and variability data was correlated with self-reported empathy and IA questionnaires. We demonstrate a bidirectional behavioral and neurobiological relationship between empathy and IA, depending on the type of empathy interrogated: Affective empathy and IA share both connectivity and variability, while Cognitive empathy and IA only share variability. Specifically, increased connectivity in the right inferior frontal operculum (rIFO) of a larger attention network was associated with increased vicarious experience but decreased awareness of inner body sensations. Furthermore, increased variability between brain regions of an interoceptive network was related to increased sensitivity to internal sensations along with discomfort alleviation arising from witnessing another’s distress. Finally, increased variability between brain regions subserving a mentalizing network related to not only an improved ability to take someone’s perspective, but also a better sense of mind-body interconnectedness. Overall, these findings suggest that the awareness of one’s own internal body changes (IA) is related to the ability to feel and understand another’s emotional state (empathy) and critically, that this relationship is not task-dependent, but is reflected in the brain’s resting state neuroarchitecture. Methodologically, this work highlights the importance of utilizing network variability as a complementary window alongside functional connectivity to better understand neurological phenomena. Our results may be beneficial in aiding diagnosis in clinical populations such as autism spectrum disorder, where participants may be unable to complete tasks or questionnaires due to the severity of their socioemotional symptoms.

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