scholarly journals Atypical visual-auditory predictive coding in autism spectrum disorder: Electrophysiological evidence from stimulus omissions

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1849-1859
Author(s):  
Thijs van Laarhoven ◽  
Jeroen J Stekelenburg ◽  
Mart LJM Eussen ◽  
Jean Vroomen
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Predictive Coding ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder Group

Autism spectrum disorder is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that has been linked to a range of perceptual processing alterations, including hypo- and hyperresponsiveness to sensory stimulation. A recently proposed theory that attempts to account for these symptoms, states that autistic individuals have a decreased ability to anticipate upcoming sensory stimulation due to overly precise internal prediction models. Here, we tested this hypothesis by comparing the electrophysiological markers of prediction errors in auditory prediction by vision between a group of autistic individuals and a group of age-matched individuals with typical development. Between-group differences in prediction error signaling were assessed by comparing event-related potentials evoked by unexpected auditory omissions in a sequence of audiovisual recordings of a handclap in which the visual motion reliably predicted the onset and content of the sound. Unexpected auditory omissions induced an increased early negative omission response in the autism spectrum disorder group, indicating that violations of the prediction model produced larger prediction errors in the autism spectrum disorder group compared to the typical development group. The current results show that autistic individuals have alterations in visual-auditory predictive coding, and support the notion of impaired predictive coding as a core deficit underlying atypical sensory perception in autism spectrum disorder. Lay abstract Many autistic individuals experience difficulties in processing sensory information (e.g. increased sensitivity to sound). Here we show that these difficulties may be related to an inability to process unexpected sensory stimulation. In this study, 29 older adolescents and young adults with autism and 29 age-matched individuals with typical development participated in an electroencephalography study. The electroencephalography study measured the participants’ brain activity during unexpected silences in a sequence of videos of a handclap. The results showed that the brain activity of autistic individuals during these silences was increased compared to individuals with typical development. This increased activity indicates that autistic individuals may have difficulties in processing unexpected incoming sensory information, and might explain why autistic individuals are often overwhelmed by sensory stimulation. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the different sensory perception experienced by autistic individuals.

scholarly journals Sensory processing of children and students with autism spectrum disorder and typical development in relation to gender and age

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-201
Author(s):  
Ana Roknić ◽  
Sanja Vuković
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Educational Plan ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Sensory Profiles

Introduction. Sensory processing is a neurobiological process in which a person uses their senses, sends information to an appropriate reception and processing center, and responds to environmental stimulations. Previous research has shown that sensory processing difficulties are more common among people with autism spectrum disorder than among people of the typical population. Objectives. The aim of this paper was to determine the patterns of sensory processing in subjects of the typical population and subjects with autism spectrum disorder, as well as gender and age differences in sensory profiles in these groups of subjects. Methods. Using The Child Sensory Profile 2 as the measuring instrument, the characteristics of sensory processing were examined in 120 subjects of both genders, 60 subjects with autism spectrum disorder and 60 subjects of typical development, ages three to 13 years and 11 months. Results. The obtained results show that there are differences between the two groups of respondents and that these differences occur in all nine subscales of the instrument. It was found that subjects with autismspectrumdisorder hadmore difficulty in processing sensory information compared to subjects of the typical population, especially in the domain of tactile perception. The results also show that the quality of sensory information processing in both groups of respondents improved with age. In relation to the respondents' gender, the obtained differences were significant in the domain of the total score of the instrument, in favor of the boys, but this was not observed in the measurements on all subscales. Conclusion. In accordance with the above findings, when creating an individual educational plan, it is necessary to take into account all the specifics of sensory processing of children with autism spectrum disorder.

scholarly journals Neural features of sustained emotional information processing in autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 941-953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla A Mazefsky ◽  
Amanda Collier ◽  
Josh Golt ◽  
Greg J Siegle
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder Group

Emotion dysregulation is common in autism spectrum disorder; a better understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms could inform treatment development. The tendency toward repetitive cognition in autism spectrum disorder may also increase susceptibility to perseverate on distressing stimuli, which may then increase emotion dysregulation. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanisms of sustained processing of negative information in brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used an event-related task that alternated between emotional processing of personally relevant negative words, neutral words, and a non-emotional task. A priori criteria were developed to define heightened and sustained emotional processing, and feature conjunction analysis was conducted to identify all regions satisfying these criteria. Participants included 25 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and 23 IQ-, age-, and gender-matched typically developing controls. Regions satisfying all a priori criteria included areas in the salience network and the prefrontal dorsolateral cortex, which are areas implicated in emotion regulation outside of autism spectrum disorder. Collectively, activity in the identified regions accounted for a significant amount of variance in emotion dysregulation in the autism spectrum disorder group. Overall, these results may provide a potential neural mechanism to explain emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder, which is a significant risk factor for poor mental health. Lay abstract Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder struggle with emotions that are intense and interfering, which is referred to as emotion dysregulation. Prior research has established that individuals with autism may be more likely than individuals who are not autistic to have repetitive thoughts. It is possible that persistent thoughts about negative or distressing stimuli may contribute to emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder. This study aimed to identify areas of the brain with evidence of persistent processing of negative information via functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging. We used a task that alternated between emotional processing of personally relevant negative words, neutral words, and a non-emotional task. Criteria were developed to define heightened and persistent emotional processing, and analyses were conducted to identify all brain regions satisfying these criteria. Participants included 25 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and 23 typically developing adolescents who were similar to the autism spectrum disorder group in IQ, age, and gender ratios. Brain regions identified as having greater and continued processing following negative stimuli in the autism spectrum disorder group as compared with the typically developing group included the salience network and the prefrontal dorsolateral cortex. These areas have been previously implicated in emotion dysregulation outside of autism spectrum disorder. Collectively, brain activity in the identified regions was associated with parent-reported emotion dysregulation in the autism spectrum disorder group. These results help to identify a potential process in the brain associated with emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder. This information may be useful for the development of treatments to decrease emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder.

scholarly journals Dysregulated Oscillatory Connectivity in the Visual System in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.A. Seymour ◽  
G. Rippon ◽  
G. Gooding-Williams ◽  
J.M. Schoffelen ◽  
K. Kessler
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Predictive Coding ◽  
Gamma Oscillations ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Alpha Band ◽  
Feedback Information ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder Group

AbstractAutism Spectrum Disorder is increasingly associated with atypical perceptual and sensory symptoms. Here we explore the hypothesis that aberrant sensory processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder could be linked to atypical intra- (local) and inter-regional (global) brain connectivity. To elucidate oscillatory dynamics and connectivity in the visual domain we used magnetoencephalography and a simple visual grating paradigm with a group of 18 adolescent autistic participants and 18 typically developing controls. Both groups showed similar increases in gamma (40-80Hz) and decreases in alpha (8-13Hz) frequency power in occipital cortex. However, systematic group differences emerged when analysing intra- and inter-regional connectivity in detail. Firstly, directed connectivity was estimated using non-parametric Granger causality between visual areas V1 and V4. Feedforward V1-to-V4 connectivity, mediated by gamma oscillations, was equivalent between Autism Spectrum Disorder and control groups, but importantly, feedback V4-to-V1 connectivity, mediated by alpha (8-13Hz) oscillations, was significantly reduced in the Autism Spectrum Disorder group. This reduction was positively correlated with autistic quotient scores, consistent with an atypical visual hierarchy in autism, characterised by reduced top-down modulation of visual input via alpha-band oscillations. Secondly, at the local level in V1, coupling of alpha-phase to gamma amplitude (alpha-gamma phase amplitude coupling, PAC) was reduced in the Autism Spectrum Disorder group. This implies dysregulated local visual processing, with gamma oscillations decoupled from patterns of wider alpha-band phase synchrony (i.e. reduced PAC), possibly due to an excitation-inhibition imbalance. More generally, these results are in agreement with predictive coding accounts of neurotypical perception and indicate that visual processes in autism are less modulated by contextual feedback information.

scholarly journals Self-reported social impairments predict depressive disorder in adults with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talena C Day ◽  
Kathryn A McNaughton ◽  
Adam J Naples ◽  
James C McPartland
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Social Impairments ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder Group

In adults with autism spectrum disorder, co-occurring psychiatric conditions are prevalent, and depression is one of the most common co-occurring disorders. This study examined the relationship between depression and cognitive ability, autism symptom severity, and self-reported social impairments in autism spectrum disorder. A total of 33 adults with autism spectrum disorder and 28 adults with typical development completed a standardized psychiatric interview, cognitive test, measure of clinician-rated autism symptom severity, and self-report of social impairments. Nine participants with autism spectrum disorder (27%) met the criteria for a depressive disorder (autism spectrum disorder + depressive disorder). Relatively more females with autism spectrum disorder had a co-occurring depressive disorder. The typical development group had a higher intelligence quotient than the autism spectrum disorder group, but the autism spectrum disorder + depressive disorder group did not differ from the typical development or autism spectrum disorder group. While the autism spectrum disorder + depressive disorder group had lower clinician-rated autism symptom severity than the autism spectrum disorder group, the autism spectrum disorder + depressive disorder group reported more social impairments than the autism spectrum disorder group. Self-reported social impairments predicted depression in adults with autism spectrum disorder when accounting for symptom severity and cognitive ability. These findings suggest that more self-perceived social impairments are related to depressive disorders in autism spectrum disorder, and may help clinicians identify individuals who are vulnerable in developing a co-occurring depressive disorder. Future directions include follow-up studies with larger cohorts and longitudinal designs to support inferences regarding directionality of these relationships.

scholarly journals Computer vision analysis captures atypical attention in toddlers with autism

Autism ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Campbell ◽  
Kimberly LH Carpenter ◽  
Jordan Hashemi ◽  
Steven Espinosa ◽  
Samuel Marsan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Computer Vision ◽  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Social Orienting ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder Group ◽  
Automated Coding

To demonstrate the capability of computer vision analysis to detect atypical orienting and attention behaviors in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder. One hundered and four toddlers of 16–31 months old (mean = 22) participated in this study. Twenty-two of the toddlers had autism spectrum disorder and 82 had typical development or developmental delay. Toddlers watched video stimuli on a tablet while the built-in camera recorded their head movement. Computer vision analysis measured participants’ attention and orienting in response to name calls. Reliability of the computer vision analysis algorithm was tested against a human rater. Differences in behavior were analyzed between the autism spectrum disorder group and the comparison group. Reliability between computer vision analysis and human coding for orienting to name was excellent (intra-class coefficient 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.67–0.91). Only 8% of toddlers with autism spectrum disorder oriented to name calling on >1 trial, compared to 63% of toddlers in the comparison group (p = 0.002). Mean latency to orient was significantly longer for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (2.02 vs 1.06 s, p = 0.04). Sensitivity for autism spectrum disorder of atypical orienting was 96% and specificity was 38%. Older toddlers with autism spectrum disorder showed less attention to the videos overall (p = 0.03). Automated coding offers a reliable, quantitative method for detecting atypical social orienting and reduced sustained attention in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder.

Are there anthropometric and body composition differences between children with autism spectrum disorder and children with typical development? Analysis by age and spectrum severity in a school population

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132098772
Author(s):  
Patricia Esteban-Figuerola ◽  
Paula Morales-Hidalgo ◽  
Victoria Arija-Val ◽  
Josefa Canals-Sans
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Height Ratio ◽  
Waist Height Ratio

Overweight and obesity have been reported to be more prevalent in populations with autism spectrum disorder than in children with typical development. The aim of this study was to compare the anthropometric status of children with autism spectrum disorder (diagnosed and subclinical) and children with typical development and analyse which variables can affect the anthropometric and health status of children with autism spectrum disorder. We present a two-phase epidemiological study in a school population of two age groups which assesses autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, anthropometric data and bioelectrical impedance analysis. From an initial sample of 3,713 children, 79 with autism spectrum disorder, 42 with subclinical autism spectrum disorder and 350 with typical development participated in the study. Pre-schoolers with autism spectrum disorder were taller than pre-schoolers with typical development. School-age children with autism spectrum disorder showed a significantly higher body mass index and rate of overweight/obesity than children with typical development (63.4% vs 46.3%). No significant differences were found for bioelectrical impedance analysis, but school-age children with autism spectrum disorder showed a significantly higher waist circumference, waist/height ratio and cardiovascular risk than children with typical development. The quality of the diet was lower in children with autism spectrum disorder than in children with typical development. Multiple regression analyses showed that having autism spectrum disorder and internalizing psychological problems were associated with waist/height ratio and high cardiovascular risk in school-age children. Lay abstract This study makes a comparison between the growth status of pre-school and school-age children with autism spectrum disorder and typical development children. Pre-schoolers with autism spectrum disorder were taller than children with typical development. School-age children with autism spectrum disorder were more overweight/obese, had more body fat and a greater waist circumference and waist/height ratio than children with typical development. The presence of autism spectrum disorder and internalizing problems was associated with cardiovascular risk in school-age children.

scholarly journals A novel automated autism spectrum disorder detection system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Lih Oh ◽  
V. Jahmunah ◽  
N. Arunkumar ◽  
Enas W. Abdulhay ◽  
Raj Gururajan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Developmental Disorder ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nonlinear Features ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Future Work

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life. Autism is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Lack of social interaction, communication problems, and a limited range of behaviors and interests are possible characteristics of autism in children, alongside other symptoms. Electroencephalograms provide useful information about changes in brain activity and hence are efficaciously used for diagnosis of neurological disease. Eighteen nonlinear features were extracted from EEG signals of 40 children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and 37 children with no diagnosis of neuro developmental disorder children. Feature selection was performed using Student’s t test, and Marginal Fisher Analysis was employed for data reduction. The features were ranked according to Student’s t test. The three most significant features were used to develop the autism index, while the ranked feature set was input to SVM polynomials 1, 2, and 3 for classification. The SVM polynomial 2 yielded the highest classification accuracy of 98.70% with 20 features. The developed classification system is likely to aid healthcare professionals as a diagnostic tool to detect autism. With more data, in our future work, we intend to employ deep learning models and to explore a cloud-based detection system for the detection of autism. Our study is novel, as we have analyzed all nonlinear features, and we are one of the first groups to have uniquely developed an autism (ASD) index using the extracted features.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-37 ◽  
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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