scholarly journals Right temporoparietal junction underlies avoidance of moral transgression in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
pp. JN-RM-1237-20
Author(s):  
Yang Hu ◽  
Alessandra M. Pereira ◽  
Xiaoxue Gao ◽  
Brunno M. Campos ◽  
Edmund Derrington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Right Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Moral Transgression

scholarly journals A single- and paired-pulse TMS-EEG investigation of the N100 and long interval cortical inhibition in autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Kirkovski ◽  
Aron T Hill ◽  
Nigel C Rogasch ◽  
Takashi Saeki ◽  
Bernadette M Fitzgibbon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cortical Inhibition ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Stimulus Interval ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Adults With Asd

Background: There is evidence to suggest a disruption of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but findings are mixed. Concurrent electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS-EEG) provides a novel method by which to probe GABA-mediated cortical inhibition. Methods: With a particular focus on GABAB-ergic mechanisms, we investigated the N100 peak of the TMS evoked potential (TEP), as well as long interval cortical inhibition (LICIEEG) in adults with ASD (n = 23; 12 female) without intellectual disability, and a neurotypical comparison group (n =22; 12 female) matched for age, sex, and IQ. Seventy-five single- (spTMS) and 75 paired- (ppTMS; 100 ms inter-stimulus-interval) pulses were applied to the right primary motor cortex (M1), right temporoparietal junction (TPJ), and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) while EEG was recorded from 20 scalp electrodes. Additionally, electromyography (EMG) was used to investigate corticospinal inhibition following ppTMS to M1 (LICIEMG). Results: There were no group differences in the N100 amplitude or latency following spTMS. LICI outcomes following ppTMS, as measured by either EEG or EMG, also did not differ between groups. These findings were further supported by Bayesian analyses, which provided weak-moderate support for the null hypothesis. Limitations: Data presented here reflect adults without intellectual disability, and the generalisability of these results is therefore limited. Conclusions: The findings of this study argue against GABAB-ergic impairment in adults with ASD without intellectual disability, at least at the cortical regions examined. Further research investigating these mechanisms in ASD at various ages, with varying degrees of symptomatology, and at different brain sites is an important factor in understating the role of GABA in the neuropathophysiology of ASD.

scholarly journals Decreased grey matter volumes in unaffected mothers of individuals with autism spectrum disorder reflect the broader autism endophenotype

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyung-min An ◽  
Takashi Ikeda ◽  
Tetsu Hirosawa ◽  
Ken Yaoi ◽  
Yuko Yoshimura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Middle Temporal ◽  
Matter Volume

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with an early onset and a strong genetic origin. Unaffected relatives may present similar but subthreshold characteristics of ASD. This broader autism phenotype is especially prevalent in the parents of individuals with ASD, suggesting that it has heritable factors. Although previous studies have demonstrated brain morphometry differences in ASD, they are poorly understood in parents of individuals with ASD. Here, we estimated grey matter volume in 45 mothers of children with ASD (mASD) and 46 age-, sex-, and handedness-matched controls using whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis. The mASD group had smaller grey matter volume in the right middle temporal gyrus, temporoparietal junction, cerebellum, and parahippocampal gyrus compared with the control group. Furthermore, we analysed the correlations of these brain volumes with ASD behavioural characteristics using autism spectrum quotient (AQ) and systemizing quotient (SQ) scores, which measure general autistic traits and the drive to systemize. Smaller volumes in the middle temporal gyrus and temporoparietal junction correlated with higher SQ scores, and smaller volumes in the cerebellum and parahippocampal gyrus correlated with higher AQ scores. Our findings suggest that atypical grey matter volumes in mASD may represent one of the neurostructural endophenotypes of ASD.

scholarly journals The role of the amygdala in naturalistic mentalising in typical development and in autism spectrum disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 208 (6) ◽  
pp. 556-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Rosenblau ◽  
Dorit Kliemann ◽  
Benjamin Lemme ◽  
Henrik Walter ◽  
Hauke R. Heekeren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Amygdala Activity

BackgroundThe substantial discrepancy between mentalising in experimental settings v. real-life social interactions hinders the understanding of the neural basis of real-life social cognition and of social impairments in psychiatric disorders.AimsTo determine the neural mechanisms underlying naturalistic mentalising in individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder.MethodWe investigated mentalising with a new video-based functional magnetic resonance imaging task in 20 individuals with autism spectrum disorder and 22 matched healthy controls.ResultsNaturalistic mentalising implicated regions of the traditional mentalising network (medial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction), and additionally the insula and amygdala. Moreover, amygdala activity predicted implicit mentalising performance on an independent behavioural task. Compared with controls, the autism spectrum disorder group did not show differences in neural activity within classical mentalising regions. They did, however, show reduced amygdala activity and a reduced correlation between amygdala activity and mentalising accuracy on the behavioural task, compared with controls.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the crucial role of the amygdala in making accurate implicit mental state inferences in typical development and in the social cognitive impairments of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

scholarly journals Emotional ego- and altercentric biases in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: Behavioral and neurophysiological evidence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Hartmann ◽  
Lukas Lengersdorff ◽  
Hannah H Hitz ◽  
Philipp Stepnicka ◽  
Giorgia Silani
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
The Right

Self-other distinction is a crucial aspect of social cognition, as it allows us to differentiate our own mental and emotional states from those of others. Research suggests that this ability might be impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but convincing evidence of self-other distinction deficits in the emotional domain is lacking. Here we aimed at evaluating emotional self-other distinction abilities in adults with and without ASD, in two behavioral pilot studies and one fMRI study. By using a newly developed virtual ball-tossing game that induced simultaneous positive and negative emotional states in each participant and another person, we were able to measure emotional egocentric and altercentric biases (namely the tendency to ascribe self-/other-related emotions to others/ourselves, respectively). Despite no behavioral differences, individuals with ASD showed decreased activation 1) in the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) during active overcoming of the emotional egocentric bias vs. passive game viewing, and 2) in the right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG) during ego- vs. altercentric biases, compared to neurotypical participants. These results suggest a different recruitment of these two regions in ASD when dealing with conflicting emotional states of oneself and another person. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering different control conditions when interpreting the involvement of rTPJ and rSMG during self-other distinction processes.

Development of Neural Structure and Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential Implications for Learning Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1783-1797
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Coburn ◽  
Diane L. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Intervention ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Neural Structure ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
And Function

Purpose Neurodevelopmental processes that begin during gestation and continue throughout childhood typically support language development. Understanding these processes can help us to understand the disruptions to language that occur in neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method For this tutorial, we conducted a focused literature review on typical postnatal brain development and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electroencephalography studies of the neurodevelopmental differences that occur in ASD. We then integrated this knowledge with the literature on evidence-based speech-language intervention practices for autistic children. Results In ASD, structural differences include altered patterns of cortical growth and myelination. Functional differences occur at all brain levels, from lateralization of cortical functions to the rhythmic activations of single neurons. Neuronal oscillations, in particular, could help explain disrupted language development by elucidating the timing differences that contribute to altered functional connectivity, complex information processing, and speech parsing. Findings related to implicit statistical learning, explicit task learning, multisensory integration, and reinforcement in ASD are also discussed. Conclusions Consideration of the neural differences in autistic children provides additional scientific support for current recommended language intervention practices. Recommendations consistent with these neurological findings include the use of short, simple utterances; repetition of syntactic structures using varied vocabulary; pause time; visual supports; and individualized sensory modifications.

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