scholarly journals Atypical Resting State Functional Neural Network in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Graph Theory Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiki Soma ◽  
Tetsu Hirosawa ◽  
Chiaki Hasegawa ◽  
Kyung-min An ◽  
Masafumi Kameya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graph Theory ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
Functional Brain Networks

Measuring whole brain networks is a promising approach to extract features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a brain disorder of widespread regions. Objectives of this study were to evaluate properties of resting-state functional brain networks in children with and without ASD and to evaluate their relation with social impairment severity. Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data were recorded for 21 children with ASD (7 girls, 60–89 months old) and for 25 typically developing (TD) control children (10 girls, 60–91 months old) in a resting state while gazing at a fixation cross. After signal sources were localized onto the Desikan–Killiany brain atlas, statistical relations between localized activities were found and evaluated in terms of the phase lag index. After brain networks were constructed and after matching with intelligence using a coarsened exact matching algorithm, ASD and TD graph theoretical measures were compared. We measured autism symptoms severity using the Social Responsiveness Scale and investigated its relation with altered small-worldness using linear regression models. Children with ASD were found to have significantly lower small-worldness in the beta band (p = 0.007) than TD children had. Lower small-worldness in the beta band of children with ASD was associated with higher Social Responsiveness Scale total t-scores (p = 0.047). Significant relations were also inferred for the Social Awareness (p = 0.008) and Social Cognition (p = 0.015) sub-scales. Results obtained using graph theory demonstrate a difference between children with and without ASD in MEG-derived resting-state functional brain networks, and the relation of that difference with social impairment. Combining graph theory and MEG might be a promising approach to establish a biological marker for ASD.

scholarly journals Effects of a Motor Imagery Task on Functional Brain Network Community Structure in Older Adults: Data from the Brain Networks and Mobility Function (B-NET) Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Blake R. Neyland ◽  
Christina E. Hugenschmidt ◽  
Robert G. Lyday ◽  
Jonathan H. Burdette ◽  
Laura D. Baker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Graph Theory ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Functional Brain ◽  
Network Community ◽  
Functional Brain Networks ◽  
The Brain

Elucidating the neural correlates of mobility is critical given the increasing population of older adults and age-associated mobility disability. In the current study, we applied graph theory to cross-sectional data to characterize functional brain networks generated from functional magnetic resonance imaging data both at rest and during a motor imagery (MI) task. Our MI task is derived from the Mobility Assessment Tool–short form (MAT-sf), which predicts performance on a 400 m walk, and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Participants (n = 157) were from the Brain Networks and Mobility (B-NET) Study (mean age = 76.1 ± 4.3; % female = 55.4; % African American = 8.3; mean years of education = 15.7 ± 2.5). We used community structure analyses to partition functional brain networks into communities, or subnetworks, of highly interconnected regions. Global brain network community structure decreased during the MI task when compared to the resting state. We also examined the community structure of the default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and the dorsal attention network (DAN) across the study population. The DMN and SMN exhibited a task-driven decline in consistency across the group when comparing the MI task to the resting state. The DAN, however, displayed an increase in consistency during the MI task. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use graph theory and network community structure to characterize the effects of a MI task, such as the MAT-sf, on overall brain network organization in older adults.

scholarly journals A randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial shows that intranasal vasopressin improves social deficits in children with autism

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (491) ◽  
pp. eaau7356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Parker ◽  
Ozge Oztan ◽  
Robin A. Libove ◽  
Noreen Mohsin ◽  
Debra S. Karhson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Chemistry ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Target Dose ◽  
Preclinical Research ◽  
Social Impairments ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social

The social impairments of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a major impact on quality of life, yet there are no medications that effectively treat these core social behavior deficits. Preclinical research suggests that arginine vasopressin (AVP), a neuropeptide involved in promoting mammalian social behaviors, may be a possible treatment for ASD. Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel study design, we tested the efficacy and tolerability of a 4-week intranasal AVP daily treatment in 30 children with ASD. AVP-treated participants aged 6 to 9.5 years received the maximum daily target dose of 24 International Units (IU); participants aged 9.6 to 12.9 years received the maximum daily target dose of 32 IU. Intranasal AVP treatment compared to placebo enhanced social abilities as assessed by change from baseline in this phase 2 trial’s primary outcome measure, the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd Edition total score (SRS-2 T score; F1,20 = 9.853; P = 0.0052; ηp2 = 33.0%; Cohen’s d = 1.40). AVP treatment also diminished anxiety symptoms and some repetitive behaviors. Most of these findings were more pronounced when we accounted for pretreatment AVP concentrations in blood. AVP was well tolerated with minimal side effects. No AVP-treated participants dropped out of the trial, and there were no differences in the rate of adverse events reported between treatment conditions. Last, no changes from baseline were observed in vital signs, electrocardiogram tracings, height and body weight, or clinical chemistry measurements after 4 weeks of AVP treatment. These preliminary findings suggest that AVP has potential for treating social impairments in children with ASD.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Social Motivation in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Uljarević ◽  
Thomas W. Frazier ◽  
Booil Jo ◽  
Jennifer M. Phillips ◽  
Wesley Billingham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Motivation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Simons Simplex Collection ◽  
The Social ◽  
Multiplex Families

Impairment in social motivation (SM) has been suggested as a key mechanism underlying social communication deficits observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the factors accounting for variability in SM remain poorly described and understood. The current study aimed to characterize the relationship between parental and proband SM. Data from 2,759 children with ASD (Mage = 9.03 years, SDage = 3.57, 375 females) and their parents from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) project was included in this study. Parental and proband SM was assessed using previously identified item sets from the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Children who had parents with low SM scores (less impairments) showed significantly lower impairments in SM compared to children who had either one or both parents with elevated SM scores. No parent-of-origin effect was identified. No significant interactions were found involving proband sex or intellectual disability (ID) status (presence/absence of ID) with paternal or maternal SM. This study establishes that low SM in children with ASD may be driven, in part, by lower SM in one or both parents. Future investigations should utilize larger family pedigrees, including simplex and multiplex families, evaluate other measures of SM, and include other related, yet distinct constructs, such as social inhibition and anhedonia. This will help to gain finer-grained insights into the factors and mechanisms accounting for individual differences in sociability among typically developing children as well as those with, or at risk, for developing ASD.

Social Communication Symptoms in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Predicting Comorbid Anxiety Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 942-953
Author(s):  
Patricia D. Cleinmark ◽  
Ashley N. M. Freeman ◽  
Elizabeth L. W. McKenney ◽  
LeAnna Kehl ◽  
Stephen D. A. Hupp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Symptom Presentation ◽  
Comorbid Anxiety ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

Relatively few measures have been examined for their psychometric properties when assessing anxiety among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the relationship between ASD and anxiety symptoms remains poorly understood. This study examined the relationship between ASD symptoms on the Social Responsiveness Scale ( SRS) and comorbid clinical anxiety. In a sample of 2,435 participants, parents of children with ASD and comorbid anxiety endorsed more frequent or severe ASD symptoms than parents of children without comorbid anxiety. Severity of ASD symptoms was a significant predictor of anxiety status and approached clinical significance. Implications for measurement of anxiety among children with ASD are discussed, including that areas of symptom presentation should be carefully evaluated, and that the onset or worsening of anxiety may affect ASD symptom presentation.

DSM-5 Changes: Understanding the Social Challenges in Children with ASD

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Patricia Prelock
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
Communication Challenges ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

This article describes the changes made to the DSM-5 criteria, with specific attention to the social communication and social interaction challenges described for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). An explanation of the broader impact of social impairment on social cognition is emphasized and implications for addressing the social cognition and social communication challenges in children with ASD are highlighted.

scholarly journals Utility of Teacher-Report Assessments of Autistic Severity in Japanese School Children

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko Kamio ◽  
Aiko Moriwaki ◽  
Naoko Inada
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Measure ◽  
Teacher Ratings ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Social Deviance ◽  
Teacher Report ◽  
Local Schools ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social

Recent studies suggest that many children with milder autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are undiagnosed, untreated, and being educated in mainstream classes without support and that school teachers might be the best persons to identify a child’s social deviance. At present, only a few screening measures using teacher ratings of ASD have been validated. The aim of this study was to examine the utility of teacher ratings on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), a quantitative measure of ASD. We recruited 130 participants aged 4 to 17 years from local schools or local pediatric outpatient clinics specializing in neurodevelopmental disorders that included 70 children with ASD. We found that the teacher-report SRS can be reliably and validly applied to children as a screening tool or for other research purposes, and it also has cross-cultural comparability. Although parent-teacher agreement was satisfactory overall, a discrepancy existed for children with ASD, especially for girls with ASD. To improve sensitivity in children at higher risk, especially girls, we cannot overstate the importance of using standardized norms specific to gender, informant, and culture.

scholarly journals Atypical Resting-State Functional Connectivity of Intra/Inter-Sensory Networks is Related to Symptom Severity in Young Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Wang ◽  
Xiaomin Wang ◽  
Runshi Wang ◽  
Xujun Duan ◽  
Heng Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Connectivity Pattern ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Visual Network

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder, has been reported with an altered brain connectivity pattern in the sensory network using resting-state functional magnetic imaging (rs-fMRI) compared to typical developing participants (TDs). However, there is still no consistent conclusion. In the current study, we investigated the alterations of the intra-network and inter-network connectivity pattern relating to sensory in children with ASD compared with TDs, and further assessed whether these alterations are associated with autistic behavioral symptoms. Methods rs-fMRI was used to assess young boys with ASD (N=29) and TD (N=29), aged 3-7-years. Groups were matched for age and handiness. Spatial patterns of the sensory rest state networks (RSNs) were obtained using group Independent component analysis (ICA) method, and between-groups differences were evaluated within each sensory network. Then, the time series of each RSN were extracted from each participant preprocessed data. Correlation analysis was assessed among intra- and inter-network functional connectivity (FC) and symptom severity in children with ASD. Results Four sensory components were identified, including auditory network (AN), higher visual network (HVN), primary visual network (PVN) and sensorimotor network (SMN). Functional images revealed two sensory networks exhibiting significant increased FCs in ASD group, located within AN and SMN. Higher positive connectivity between PVN and HVN in ASD group is associated with symptom severity. Conclusion Current study might shed light that the abnormal connectivity patterns of sensory network regions may underlie impaired higher-order multisensory integration in ASD children, and social impairment of ASD are caused probably by aberrant FCs involving inter/intra- sensory network.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Context

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

Individual Differences in Intrinsic Brain Networks Predict Symptom Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 681-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Peng Kiat Pua ◽  
Phoebe Thomson ◽  
Joseph Yuan-Mou Yang ◽  
Jeffrey M Craig ◽  
Gareth Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Face Perception ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Monozygotic Twins ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract The neurobiology of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is still unknown. We hypothesized that differences in subject-level properties of intrinsic brain networks were important features that could predict individual variation in ASD symptom severity. We matched cases and controls from a large multicohort ASD dataset (ABIDE-II) on age, sex, IQ, and image acquisition site. Subjects were matched at the individual level (rather than at group level) to improve homogeneity within matched case–control pairs (ASD: n = 100, mean age = 11.43 years, IQ = 110.58; controls: n = 100, mean age = 11.43 years, IQ = 110.70). Using task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging, we extracted intrinsic functional brain networks using projective non-negative matrix factorization. Intrapair differences in strength in subnetworks related to the salience network (SN) and the occipital-temporal face perception network were robustly associated with individual differences in social impairment severity (T = 2.206, P = 0.0301). Findings were further replicated and validated in an independent validation cohort of monozygotic twins (n = 12; 3 pairs concordant and 3 pairs discordant for ASD). Individual differences in the SN and face-perception network are centrally implicated in the neural mechanisms of social deficits related to ASD.

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