scholarly journals Brain function distinguishes female carriers and non-carriers of familial risk for autism

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam T. Eggebrecht ◽  
Ally Dworetsky ◽  
Zoë Hawks ◽  
Rebecca Coalson ◽  
Babatunde Adeyemo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Motion ◽  
Familial Risk ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Passive Viewing ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Genetic Loading ◽  
Neural Signatures

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by high population-level heritability and a three-to-one male-to-female ratio that occurs independent of sex linkage. Prior research in a mixed-sex pediatric sample identified neural signatures of familial risk elicited by passive viewing of point light motion displays, suggesting the possibility that both resilience and risk of autism might be associated with brain responses to biological motion. To confirm a relationship between these signatures and inherited risk of autism, we tested them in families enriched for genetic loading through undiagnosed (“carrier”) females. Methods Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined brain responses to passive viewing of point light displays—depicting biological versus non-biological motion—in a sample of undiagnosed adult females enriched for inherited susceptibility to ASD on the basis of affectation in their respective family pedigrees. Brain responses in carrier females were compared to responses in age-, SRS-, and IQ-matched non-carrier-females—i.e., females unrelated to individuals with ASD. We conducted a hypothesis-driven analysis focused on previously published regions of interest as well as exploratory, brain-wide analyses designed to characterize more fully the rich responses to this paradigm. Results We observed robust responses to biological motion. Notwithstanding, the 12 regions implicated by prior research did not exhibit the hypothesized interaction between group (carriers vs. controls) and point light displays (biological vs. non-biological motion). Exploratory, brain-wide analyses identified this interaction in three novel regions. Post hoc analyses additionally revealed significant variations in the time course of brain activation in 20 regions spanning occipital and temporal cortex, indicating group differences in response to point light displays (irrespective of the nature of motion) for exploration in future studies. Limitations We were unable to successfully eye-track all participants, which prevented us from being able to control for potential differences in eye gaze position. Conclusions These methods confirmed pronounced neural signatures that differentiate brain responses to biological and scrambled motion. Our sample of undiagnosed females enriched for family genetic loading enabled discovery of numerous contrasts between carriers and non-carriers of risk of ASD that may index variations in visual attention and motion processing related to genetic susceptibility and inform our understanding of mechanisms incurred by inherited liability for ASD.

scholarly journals Comparing Intersubject Correlation (ISC) Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developed Groups to Better Understand Biological Motion Processing

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (Spring 2020) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Skaribas
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Neuron Network ◽  
Specific Stimulus ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Neurological Differences

In this study, we addressed significant neurological differences between autistic and typically developed individuals, specifically when processing biological motion, using Intersubject correlation (ISC) analysis methods. ISC is a tool used to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired under naturalistic stimuli. Using ISC, it is possible to pinpoint common brain responses within a group of individuals as they react to a specific stimulus. ISC is also used to highlight the different brain responses two different groups might have while experiencing the same stimulus. In this experiment, we used two subject groups, one group of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals and one typically developed (TD) group of individuals. The participants in each group watched a ninety second clip of romantic ballet. A short clip of ballet dance was chosen as the stimulus because it had been used in past studies to specify brain responses associated with biological motion processing. Using a standard subject-wise permutation statistical test in the ISC Toolbox for analysis, we computed ISC difference maps between the ASD and TD groups. The findings suggested that during biological motion processing, lateralization of brain responses between the two groups differed; TD individuals had greater ISC in the right hemisphere while ASD individuals had greater ISC in the left hemisphere. Greater ISC in typically developed individuals was concentrated in the culmen of the cerebellum which is responsible for kinesthesia and coordination of movement and is also a component of the mirror neuron network that allows individuals to anticipate movement. These results were consistent with data from prior research that found that TD groups share more synchronized brain responses in the cerebellum, which characterizes higher prediction and anticipation of biological movement in TD groups than ASD groups. ISC within the autistic group was found in the temporal gyrus, which plays a neurological role in motion processing and has been seen to be activated in past comparative studies.

Effects of TMS over Premotor and Superior Temporal Cortices on Biological Motion Perception

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 896-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Michelle van Kemenade ◽  
Neil Muggleton ◽  
Vincent Walsh ◽  
Ayse Pinar Saygin
Keyword(s):  
Motion Perception ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Control Site ◽  
Object Motion ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Biological Motion Perception ◽  
Point Light

Using MRI-guided off-line TMS, we targeted two areas implicated in biological motion processing: ventral premotor cortex (PMC) and posterior STS (pSTS), plus a control site (vertex). Participants performed a detection task on noise-masked point-light displays of human animations and scrambled versions of the same stimuli. Perceptual thresholds were determined individually. Performance was measured before and after 20 sec of continuous theta burst stimulation of PMC, pSTS, and control (each tested on different days). A matched nonbiological object motion task (detecting point-light displays of translating polygons) served as a further control. Data were analyzed within the signal detection framework. Sensitivity (d′) significantly decreased after TMS of PMC. There was a marginally significant decline in d′ after TMS of pSTS but not of control site. Criterion (response bias) was also significantly affected by TMS over PMC. Specifically, subjects made significantly more false alarms post-TMS of PMC. These effects were specific to biological motion and not found for the nonbiological control task. To summarize, we report that TMS over PMC reduces sensitivity to biological motion perception. Furthermore, pSTS and PMC may have distinct roles in biological motion processing as behavioral performance differs following TMS in each area. Only TMS over PMC led to a significant increase in false alarms, which was not found for other brain areas or for the control task. TMS of PMC may have interfered with refining judgments about biological motion perception, possibly because access to the perceiver's own motor representations was compromised.

A Chimeric Point-Light Walker

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p5010 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M Thornton ◽  
Quoc C Vuong ◽  
Heinrich H Bülthoff
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Ambiguous Figure ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Motion Pattern ◽  
Initial Report ◽  
Constant Direction ◽  
Point Light ◽  
The Right

Ambiguity has long been used as a probe into visual processing. Here, we describe a new dynamic ambiguous figure—the chimeric point-light walker—which we hope will prove to be a useful tool for exploring biological motion. We begin by describing the construction of the stimulus and discussing the compelling finding that, when presented in a mask, observers consistently fail to notice anything odd about the walker, reporting instead that they are watching an unambiguous figure moving either to the left or right. Some observers report that the initial percept fluctuates, moving first to the left, then to the right, or vice versa; others always perceive a constant direction. All observers, when briefly shown the unmasked ambiguous figure, have no difficulty in perceiving the novel motion pattern once the mask is returned. These two findings—the initial report of unambiguous motion and the subsequent ‘primed’ perception of the ambiguity—are both consistent with an important role for top–down processing in biological motion. We conclude by suggesting several domains within the realm of biological-motion processing where this simple stimulus may prove to be useful.

scholarly journals Recognizing Biological Motion and Emotions from Point-Light Displays in Autism Spectrum Disorders

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. e44473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelien Nackaerts ◽  
Johan Wagemans ◽  
Werner Helsen ◽  
Stephan P. Swinnen ◽  
Nicole Wenderoth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Point Light

scholarly journals Ventral aspect of the visual form pathway is not critical for the perception of biological motion

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. E361-E370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Gilaie-Dotan ◽  
Ayse Pinar Saygin ◽  
Lauren J. Lorenzi ◽  
Geraint Rees ◽  
Marlene Behrmann
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Motion Perception ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Form Perception ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Extrastriate Body Area ◽  
Biological Motion Perception ◽  
Neurobiological Substrates ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Point Light

Identifying the movements of those around us is fundamental for many daily activities, such as recognizing actions, detecting predators, and interacting with others socially. A key question concerns the neurobiological substrates underlying biological motion perception. Although the ventral “form” visual cortex is standardly activated by biologically moving stimuli, whether these activations are functionally critical for biological motion perception or are epiphenomenal remains unknown. To address this question, we examined whether focal damage to regions of the ventral visual cortex, resulting in significant deficits in form perception, adversely affects biological motion perception. Six patients with damage to the ventral cortex were tested with sensitive point-light display paradigms. All patients were able to recognize unmasked point-light displays and their perceptual thresholds were not significantly different from those of three different control groups, one of which comprised brain-damaged patients with spared ventral cortex (n > 50). Importantly, these six patients performed significantly better than patients with damage to regions critical for biological motion perception. To assess the necessary contribution of different regions in the ventral pathway to biological motion perception, we complement the behavioral findings with a fine-grained comparison between the lesion location and extent, and the cortical regions standardly implicated in biological motion processing. This analysis revealed that the ventral aspects of the form pathway (e.g., fusiform regions, ventral extrastriate body area) are not critical for biological motion perception. We hypothesize that the role of these ventral regions is to provide enhanced multiview/posture representations of the moving person rather than to represent biological motion perception per se.

scholarly journals EEG frequency tagging reveals neural entrainment to people moving in synchrony

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emiel Cracco ◽  
Haeeun Lee ◽  
Goedele van Belle ◽  
Lisa Quenon ◽  
Patrick Haggard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Motion ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Body Postures ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Biological Motion Perception ◽  
Hierarchical Levels ◽  
Orientation Experiment ◽  
Neural Entrainment ◽  
The Brain

AbstractHumans and other animals have evolved to act in groups, but how does the brain distinguish multiple people moving in group from multiple people moving independently? Across three experiments, we test whether biological motion perception depends on the spatiotemporal relationships among people moving together. In Experiment 1, we apply EEG frequency tagging to apparent biological motion and show that fluently ordered sequences of body postures drive brain activity at three hierarchical levels of biological motion processing: image, body sequence, and movement. We then show that movement-, but not body- or image-related brain responses are enhanced when observing four agents moving in synchrony. Neural entrainment was strongest for fluently moving synchronous groups (Experiment 2), displayed in upright orientation (Experiment 3). Our findings show that the brain preferentially entrains to the collective movement of human agents, deploying perceptual organization principles of synchrony and common fate for the purpose of social perception.

scholarly journals Attentional networks and biological motion

Psihologija ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandramouli Chandrasekaran ◽  
Lucy Turner ◽  
Heinrich Bülthoff ◽  
Ian Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Biological Motion ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Light Stimuli ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Our ability to see meaningful actions when presented with point-light traces of human movement is commonly referred to as the perception of biological motion. While traditional explanations have emphasized the spontaneous and automatic nature of this ability, more recent findings suggest that attention may play a larger role than is typically assumed. In two studies we show that the speed and accuracy of responding to point-light stimuli is highly correlated with the ability to control selective attention. In our first experiment we measured thresholds for determining the walking direction of a masked point-light figure, and performance on a range of attention-related tasks in the same set of observers. Mask-density thresholds for the direction discrimination task varied quite considerably from observer to observer and this variation was highly correlated with performance on both Stroop and flanker interference tasks. Other components of attention, such as orienting, alerting and visual search efficiency, showed no such relationship. In a second experiment, we examined the relationship between the ability to determine the orientation of unmasked point-light actions and Stroop interference, again finding a strong correlation. Our results are consistent with previous research suggesting that biological motion processing may requite attention, and specifically implicate networks of attention related to executive control and selection.

scholarly journals Perception of Biological Motion and Emotion in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 866-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie D. Henry ◽  
Claire Thompson ◽  
Peter G. Rendell ◽  
Louise H. Phillips ◽  
Jessica Carbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Facial Affect ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Affect Recognition ◽  
Facial Affect Recognition ◽  
Visual Motion Processing ◽  
Point Light

AbstractParticipants diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia and controls completed measures that required decoding emotions from point-light displays of bodily motion, and static images of facial affect. Both of these measures tap social cognitive processes that are considered critical for social competency. Consistent with prior literature, both clinical groups were impaired on the static measure of facial affect recognition. The dementia (but not the MCI) group additionally showed difficulties interpreting biological motion cues. However, this did not reflect a specific deficit in decoding emotions, but instead a more generalized difficulty in processing visual motion (both to action and to emotion). These results align with earlier studies showing that visual motion processing is disrupted in dementia, but additionally show for the first time that this extends to the recognition of socially relevant biological motion. The absence of any MCI related impairment on the point-light biological emotion measure (coupled with deficits on the measure of facial affect recognition) also point to a potential disconnect between the processes implicated in the perception of emotion cues from static versus dynamic stimuli. For clinical (but not control) participants, performance on all recognition measures was inversely correlated with level of semantic memory impairment. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1–8)

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