Neural correlates of cardiac interoceptive accuracy across development: implications for social symptoms in autism spectrum disorders

AbstractBackgroundInteroception involves the processing of sensory information relevant to physiological functioning and is integral to building self-awareness, emotional states, and modulating social behaviors. With the role of interoception in emotional processing and social functioning, there is growing interest in characterizing interoception in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet, there are mixed results regarding cardiac interoceptive accuracy in ASD.MethodsIn this study, we explored the neural basis of cardiac interoception using an fMRI heartbeat counting task in order to assess neural correlates of primary interoception. We predicted that interoceptive-specific response in the insula, a “hub” for interoception, would be related to ASD symptomatology. We investigated the relationship of insula responses during cardiac interoceptive accuracy and a self/caregiver-reported autism-related symptom scale (Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS)). Participants included 46 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (age 8-54, mean= 19.43±10.68 years) and 54 individuals with typical development for comparison (TC, age 8-53, mean= 21.43±10.41 years).ResultsWe found no significant difference in cardiac interoceptive accuracy or neural response to cardiac interoception in ASD. Several insula sudivisons had a curvilinear relationship to age, peaking in early adulthood. Interoceptive-specific insula response was associated with adult self-report SRS scores; this association differed by diagnostic group and self/other report.ConclusionsThis work suggests that 1) there is no global deficit in interoception in ASD, but that integrating interoceptive cues with social information may distinguish individuals with ASD, and 2) there is a developmental trajectory for interoceptive processing in the insula that may be relevant for socio-emotional health.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Oxford Handbook of Autism and Co-Occurring Psychiatric Conditions ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190910761.013.9 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 158-176

Author(s):

Karen Bearss ◽

Aaron J. Kaat

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Developmental Trajectory ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Functional Impairments ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Delayed Recognition

This chapter will review the available evidence on individuals with co-occurring diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This chapter contends that children diagnosed with both disorders (ASD+ADHD) are a subset of the ASD population that is at risk for delayed recognition of their ASD diagnosis, poor treatment response, and poorer functional outcomes compared to those with ASD without ADHD. Specifically, the chapter highlights the best estimates of the prevalence of the comorbidity, the developmental trajectory of people with co-occurring ASD and ADHD, how ADHD symptoms change across development, overlapping genetic and neurobiological risk factors, psychometrics of ADHD diagnostic instruments in an ASD population, neuropsychological and functional impairments associated with co-occurring ASD and ADHD, and the current state of evidence-based treatment for both ASD and ADHD symptoms. Finally, the chapter discusses fruitful avenues of research for improving understanding of this high-risk comorbidity so that mechanism-to-treatment pathways for ADHD in children with ASD can be better developed.

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Possible tics diagnosed as stereotypies in patients with severe autism spectrum disorder: a video-based evaluation

Neurological Sciences ◽

10.1007/s10072-020-04995-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cristiano Termine ◽

Enzo Grossi ◽

Valentina Anelli ◽

Ledina Derhemi ◽

Andrea E. Cavanna

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Young Patients ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Repetitive Behaviors ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

High Rate ◽

Video Recordings ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Severe Autism

Abstract Background The association of stereotypies and tics is not rare in children with severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The differential diagnosis between stereotypies and tics in this patient population can be difficult; however, it could be clinically relevant because of treatment implications. Methods A total of 108 video recordings of repetitive behaviors in young patients with stereotypies in the context of ASD were reviewed by a movement disorders expert and a trainee, in order to assess the prevalence of possible co-morbid tics. The Modified Rush Videotape Rating Scale (MRVS) was used to rate tic frequency and severity. Results Out of 27 patients with stereotypies (24 males; mean age 14 years), 18 (67%) reported possible tics. The most frequently observed tics were eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, neck bending, staring, and throat clearing. The mean MRVS score was 5, indicating mild tic severity. The only significant difference between patients with tics and patients without tics was the total number of stereotypies, which was higher in the subgroup of patients without tics (p = 0.01). Conclusions Expert review of video-recordings of repetitive behaviors in young patients with ASD and stereotypies suggests the possibility of a relatively high rate of co-morbid tics. These findings need to be integrated with a comprehensive clinical assessment focusing on the diagnostic re-evaluation of heterogeneous motor manifestations.

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Associations between autism spectrum disorder and eating disorders with and without self-induced vomiting: an empirical study

Journal of Eating Disorders ◽

10.1186/s40337-020-00359-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Noriko Numata ◽

Akiko Nakagawa ◽

Kazuko Yoshioka ◽

Kayoko Isomura ◽

Daisuke Matsuzawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

University Hospital ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Essential Difference ◽

Illness Duration ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background Although approximately 23% of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients have concomitant autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is clinically difficult to determine ASD coexistence in patients with eating disorders. Restrictive AN is more common in younger patients and self-induced vomiting usually appears during adolescence/young adulthood, in order to prevent gaining weight caused by overeating. However, some patients are tolerant of weight gain even if they start overeating. It is important to understand the essential difference between those who vomit and those who do not vomit. In this study, we hypothesised that the absence of self-induced vomiting may be associated with the presence of ASD and aimed to assess the presence of ASD traits in each eating disorder (EDs). Clarifying this association helps to consider the coexistence of ASD in the clinical setting and can lead to the next detailed ASD evaluation, and as a result, helps to determine the appropriate treatment and support individually. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 43 females aged 15–45 years who attended Chiba University Hospital between 2012 and 2016 using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) to quantify the severity of the EDs and to identify whether ASD traits were present. Results There was no difference in the AQ score between bingeing-purging type AN and restricting type AN. However, there was significant difference in the AQ score between bulimia nervosa and binge EDs (BED). Of the 4 ED subtypes, BED had the highest ASD traits. The non-vomiting group with illness duration < 4 years had a significantly higher AQ communication score than the vomiting group with illness duration ≥4 years. Conclusions There was a difference in the AQ score by the presence or absence of self-induced vomiting. The results of this study suggest an association between high scores on AQ and non-vomiting. Thus, evaluation of patients for the absence of self-induced vomiting while assessing them for EDs may help us to understand the association with ASD traits.

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The frequency, variation, and semantic integration of co-speech gesture production in verbal adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

10.31234/osf.io/qdxje ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Renáta Longauerová

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Semantic Integration ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Frequency Variation ◽

Animated Cartoon ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Gesture Production ◽

Adolescents With Asd

Gestures play an important role in communication, but for populations with atypical language development, gestures are often an area of significant difficulty, especially for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research on younger children with ASD show a significant delay in gesture production, as well as a complete absence of certain types of gestures. However, previous work leaves open the question of whether the frequency and variation of gesture production is impaired also in adolescents with ASD. Moreover, very little is known about the semantic integration of speech and gesture in this population. In the present study, 5 adolescents with ASD and 5 typically-developing adolescents completed a narrative task, in which they were asked to retell a story of 4 animated cartoon clips. The results show that while there is no significant difference between the two groups in the frequency of gesture production and the types of gestures they produce, the frequency of gesture production in the individuals with ASD significantly depends on their verbal working memory skills. Moreover, it seems that many impairments that were confirmed by earlier studies for ASD children in early and late childhood seem to be mere delays that get resolved over time, such as the usage of supplementary gestures.

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Associations Between Interoceptive Cognition and Age in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development

Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology ◽

10.1891/1945-8959.16.1.23 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 23-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Lisa E. Mash ◽

Kimberly B. Schauder ◽

Channing Cochran ◽

Sohee Park ◽

Carissa J. Cascio

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Standard Test ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Typical Development ◽

Time Intervals ◽

Atypical Development ◽

Interoceptive Accuracy ◽

Post Hoc

Interoceptive awareness is linked to emotional and social cognition, which are impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is unknown how this ability is associated with age in either typical or atypical development. We used a standard test of interoceptive accuracy (IA) to investigate these questions in children and adults with and without ASD. Perceived number of heartbeats over 4 time intervals was compared with actual heart rate to determine IA. Effects of group, age, IQ, heart rate, and mental counting ability on accuracy were assessed using multiple regression. Post hoc correlations were performed to clarify significant interactions. Age was unrelated to IA in both groups when IQ ≥115. When IQ <115, this relationship was positive in typical development and negative in ASD. These results suggest that cognitive ability moderates the effect of age on IA differently in autism and typical development.

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Evaluation of circulating miRNAs and mRNAs expression patterns in autism spectrum disorder

Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics ◽

10.1186/s43042-021-00202-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Amany H. Abdelrahman ◽

Ola M. Eid ◽

Mona H. Ibrahim ◽

Safa N. Abd El-Fattah ◽

Maha M. Eid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Gene Family ◽

Complex Disease ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Normal Volunteer ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Expression Levels ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that affects a person’s perception and socialization, resulting in problems in social interaction and communication. It has no single known cause, yet several different genes appear to be involved in autism. As a genetically complex disease, dysregulation of miRNA expression and miRNA–mRNA interactions might be a feature of autism spectrum disorder. The aim of the current study was to investigate the expression profile of circulating miRNA-128, miRNA-7 and SHANK gene family in ASD patients and to assess the possible influence of miRNA-128 and miRNA-7 on SHANK genes, which might provide an insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of ASD and introduce noninvasive molecular biomarkers for the disease diagnosis and prognosis. Quantitative real-time PCR technique was employed to determine expression levels of miRNA-128, miRNA-7 and SHANK gene family in blood samples of 40 autistic cases along with 30 age- and sex-matched normal volunteer subjects. Results Our study revealed a statistical significant upregulation of miRNA-128 expression levels in ASD cases compared to controls (p value < 0.001). A statistical significant difference in SHANK-3 expression was encountered on comparing cases to controls (p value < 0.001). However, miRNA-7 expression showed no significant difference between the studied groups. Conclusions MiRNA-128 and SHANK-3 gene are emerging players in the field of ASD. They are promising candidates as noninvasive biomarkers in autism. Future studies are needed to emphasize their pivotal role.

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Neural correlates of taste reactivity in autism spectrum disorder

NeuroImage Clinical ◽

10.1016/j.nicl.2018.04.008 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 38-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jason A. Avery ◽

John E. Ingeholm ◽

Sophie Wohltjen ◽

Meghan Collins ◽

Cameron D. Riddell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Neural Correlates ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Taste Reactivity

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Neural correlates of shared sensory symptoms in autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Brain Communications ◽

10.1093/braincomms/fcaa186 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Takashi Itahashi ◽

Junya Fujino ◽

Taku Sato ◽

Haruhisa Ohta ◽

Motoaki Nakamura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Neural Correlates ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Sensory Symptom ◽

Brain Functional Connectivity

Abstract Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder often co-occur. Among these, sensory impairment, which is a core diagnostic feature of autism spectrum disorder, is often observed in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, the underlying mechanisms of symptoms that are shared across disorders remain unknown. To examine the neural correlates of sensory symptoms that are associated with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, we analysed resting-state functional MRI data obtained from 113 people with either autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (n = 78 autism spectrum disorder, mean age = 29.5; n = 35 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mean age = 31.2) and 96 neurotypical controls (mean age = 30.6, range: 20–55 years) using a cross-sectional study design. First, we used a multi-dimensional approach to examine intrinsic brain functional connectivity related to sensory symptoms in four domains (i.e. low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity and sensation avoidance), after controlling for age, handedness and head motion. Then, we used a partial least squares correlation to examine the link between sensory symptoms related to intrinsic brain functional connectivity and neurodevelopmental symptoms measured using the Autism Spectrum Quotient and Conners’ Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale, regardless of diagnosis. To test whether observed associations were specific to sensory symptoms related to intrinsic brain functional connectivity, we conducted a control analysis using a bootstrap framework. The results indicated that transdiagnostic yet distinct intrinsic brain functional connectivity neural bases varied according to the domain of the examined sensory symptom. Partial least squares correlation analysis revealed two latent components (latent component 1: q < 0.001 and latent component 2: q < 0.001). For latent component 1, a set of intrinsic brain functional connectivity was predominantly associated with neurodevelopmental symptom-related composite score (r = 0.64, P < 0.001), which was significantly correlated with Conners’ Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale total T scores (r = −0.99, q < 0.001). For latent component 2, another set of intrinsic brain functional connectivity was positively associated with neurodevelopmental symptom-related composite score (r = 0.58, P < 0.001), which was eventually positively associated with Autism Spectrum Quotient total scores (r = 0.92, q < 0.001). The bootstrap analysis showed that the relationship between intrinsic brain functional connectivity and neurodevelopmental symptoms was relative to sensory symptom-related intrinsic brain functional connectivity (latent component 1: P = 0.003 and latent component 2: P < 0.001). The current results suggest that sensory symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have shared neural correlates. The neural correlates of the sensory symptoms were associated with the severity of both autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, regardless of diagnosis.

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