scholarly journals Mirroring and Mentalizing in Autism - Detection of Different Types of Movements and Emotions in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Marx
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Approach ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Associated Functions ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Social Encounters

Two different neural systems and their associated functions have been identified by social neuroscience as important factors of social interaction: the mirror neuron system (MNS) and the mentalizing system (MENT), mirroring and mentalizing, respectively. Since anomalies in social behavior are core to autism spectrum disorder, observation of impairments in this disease is particularly interesting for research on those functions. Yet, the majority of studies concentrated respectively on one of the two networks or associated abilities or did not take into account clinical populations to learn more about the synergy of both during social encounters. This study is the first to examine those complex skills between two diagnostic groups using an appropriate behavioral approach. A new set of stimuli allowed to compare mirroring and mentalizing by addressing both recognition abilities with the same visual input, controlling for potentially confounding variables.Results indicate anomalies in the detection of mood, but not in the detection of actions in autism, suggesting impairments in mentalizing but normal functioning of mirroring abilities. Since no differences between mirroring and mentalizing in the group of healthy control participants were detected, findings can be interpreted as an indication for a primal separation of both functions or neural networks, respectively. However, a synergy seems to be probable, but needs to be clarified by further research. Additionally, a significantly higher number of unanswered trials was observed in persons with autism, indicating a tendency of avoidance of uncertainty in autism.

Autism spectrum disorder

2015 ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Brüne
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Empirical Testing ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Stereotyped Behaviours

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits, impaired social interaction, and restricted and stereotyped behaviours and interests. The typical onset is during early childhood. Behaviourally, people with ASD have difficulties in tolerating proximity. Insecure attachment is frequently observed. At the cognitive level, people with ASD have selective difficulties in mentalizing or ‘theory of mind’, possibly related to a dysfunctional mirror neuron system and alterations of the oxytocin system. Conversely, many with ASD (particularly those formerly diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome) have superior technical skills. It has been hypothesized that the brains of individuals with ASD are skewed to maleness, possibly linked to genomic imprinting of paternal genes. The preservation of genes that predispose to ASD may have undergone sexual selection fostering ‘slow’ life-history strategies. None of the evolutionary hypotheses on ASD is conclusive so far, but open to empirical testing.

scholarly journals Selected forms of therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-23
Author(s):  
Ewa Dudzinska ◽  
Kinga Szymona ◽  
Anna Pacian ◽  
Teresa Kulik
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Early Therapy ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Pharmacological Method

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition of multiple origins. It is characterised by a range of behaviour patterns, in addition to disturbed social and emotional functioning. Of note, early therapy is conducive to better treatment results. A few recently discussed therapies have a particularly positive impact on children with ASD. Corbett et al. [2] proposed Sense Theatre. This involves instilling appropriate behaviours and communication patterns into the afflicted individual through acting. Role-playing and other similar techniques also offer an opportunity for children with ASD to improve their areas of empathy and social cooperation. With regard to bio-feedback-related techniques, Friedrich et al. [3] was noted for developing the Brain-computer method, a system of game interface connected to an external device. The method targets the mirror neuron system (MNS) in order to enhance cognitive, emotional and behavioural functions through neurofeedback. An approach put forward by Solomon et al. [10] is called ‘Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters (PLAY) Project Home Consultation’. Herein, volunteers visit patients’ homes on a regular basis to engage the children in play and games, after which they discuss with parents, the issues that came up. The PLAY reduces guardians’ stress levels and improves children’s skills. A pharmacological method is that of administering sulphoraphane [9], which reduces damaging effects. As others claim [8,1,7], other dietary approaches prove efficient as well. In summation, an early intervention and the employment of a multimodal treatment approach can be of importance for enhancing the life of ASD-affected children.

Altered Cortical Thickness and Tract Integrity of the Mirror Neuron System and Associated Social Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiang-Yun Chien ◽  
Susan Shur-Fen Gau ◽  
Yung-Chin Hsu ◽  
Yu-Jen Chen ◽  
Yu-Chun Lo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neuron System

scholarly journals The mirror neuron system compensates for amygdala dysfunction-associated social deficits in individuals with higher autistic traits

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Xu ◽  
Xiaoxiao Zheng ◽  
Shuxia Yao ◽  
Jialin Li ◽  
Meina Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Deficits ◽  
Neuron System ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
The Social

The amygdala is a core node in the social brain which exhibits structural and functional abnormalities in Autism spectrum disorder and there is evidence that the mirror neuron system (MNS) can functionally compensate for impaired emotion processing following amygdala lesions. In the current study, we employed an fMRI paradigm in 241 subjects investigating MNS and amygdala responses to observation, imagination and imitation of dynamic facial expressions and whether these differed in individuals with higher as opposed to lower autistic traits. Results indicated that individuals with higher compared to lower autistic traits showed reduced left amygdala responses to imitation and enhanced responses in the left superior temporal sulcus (STS) of the MNS to observation, imagination and imitation. Additionally, functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the left STS as well as some other MNS regions was increased in individuals with higher autistic traits, especially during imitation of fearful expressions. The amygdala-MNS connectivity significantly moderated autistic group differences on recognition memory for fearful faces and real-life social network indices, indicating that increased amygdala-MNS connectivity could diminish the social behavioral differences between higher and lower autistic trait groups. Overall, findings demonstrate decreased imitation-related amygdala activity in individuals with higher autistic traits in the context of increased cortical MNS activity and amygdala-MNS connectivity which may functionally compensate for amygdala dysfunction and social deficits. Training targeting the MNS may capitalize on this compensatory mechanism for therapeutic benefits in Autism spectrum disorder.

scholarly journals Investigation of circulating serum microRNA-328-3p and microRNA-3135a expression as promising novel biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
NT Popov ◽  
DS Minchev ◽  
MM Naydenov ◽  
IN Minkov ◽  
TI Vachev
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Circulating Mirnas ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Serum Mirnas ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Novel Biomarkers

Abstract Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as promising diagnostic biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but their usefulness for detecting ASD remains unclear. Nowadays, development of promising biomarkers for ASD remains a challenge. Recently, dysregulation of the miRNAs expression in postmortem brain tissue, serum and peripheral blood, have been associated with ASD. Circulating miRNAs are known to be secreted by a number of different cells and can interpose delivery of information into receiver cells, thus affecting their functions. Based on this fact, it is supposed that serum miRNAs could be a novel class of biomarkers for prognosis or diagnosis of pathological disorders including ASD. In the current research, we investigated whether the expression patterns of circulating miRNAs showed dysregulation in subjects diagnosed with ASD. Expression levels of serum miR-328-3p and miR-3135a were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method of subjects diagnosed with ASD in comparison with healthy control subjects. Our data showed that miR-328-3p and miR-3135a were substantially down-regulated in ASD patients than in those of healthy control subjects. Moreover, target gene analysis of altered serum miRNAs displayed that these molecules targeted 162 genes denoted as unique validated targets in the miRWalk database, 71 of which appear to participate in biological pathways involved in synaptic pathways and neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer, Huntington and Parkinson diseases. Finally, the results strongly suggested that dys-regulated serum miRNAs might be involved in molecular pathways associated with ASD and miR-328-3p and miR-3135a have the potential to be promising novel biomarkers for ASD.

scholarly journals Atypical Social Rank Recognition in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shino Ogawa ◽  
Mayuko Iriguchi ◽  
Young-A Lee ◽  
Sakiko Yoshikawa ◽  
Yukiori Goto
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Normal Children ◽  
Robust Recognition ◽  
Group Members

Abstract Social animals, including humans, structure social groups where social hierarchy exists. Recognizing social rank of other group members is a crucial ability to subsist in such environments. Here we show preliminary evidence with a relatively small number of samples that children with autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder involving social dysfunction, exhibit atypical, and more robust recognition of social rank than normal children, which may be developed to compensate deficits of the neural systems processing social information.

scholarly journals Autism spectrum disorder is associated with gut microbiota disorder in children

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hairong Sun ◽  
Zhong You ◽  
Libo Jia ◽  
Fang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Stable State ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
16S Sequencing ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and clinical characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) associated to the stable state of the gut microbiota. Methods A total of 9 children with ASD and 6 healthy children used as control were selected and feces samples were collected from all of them. The 16S gene ribosomal RNA sequencing was used to analyze the difference in gut microbiota between healthy control children and ASD patients. Results The results of 16S sequencing based on operational taxonomic units (OTUs) analysis showed that the ASD group and the healthy control (HC) group had a large difference in the abundance of microbiota at the level of family, genus and species. The abundance of Bacteroidales and Selenomonadales was significantly lower in the ASD group than in the HC group (p = 0.0110 and p = 0.0076, respectively). The abundance of Ruminococcaceae in the ASD group was higher than that in the HC group (p = 0.0285), while the amount of Prevotellaceae was significantly lower in the ASD group than in the HC group (p = 0.0111). The Tax4Fun analysis based on Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) data indicated differentially expressed functional pathway between the ASD group and healthy control group associated to the nervous system, environmental information processing and cellular processing. Conclusions The abundance of gut microbiota in the ASD group is different from that in the healthy control children. These differences affect the biological function of the host. These results suggest that a disorder in the gut microbiota may be associated, at least in part, with ASD in children.

Mirror Neuron Activity Associated with Social Impairments but not Age in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2012 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 427-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter G. Enticott ◽  
Hayley A. Kennedy ◽  
Nicole J. Rinehart ◽  
Bruce J. Tonge ◽  
John L. Bradshaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mirror Neuron ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neuron Activity ◽  
Social Impairments
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document