自閉症児における周辺視野の視覚情報処理特性

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The objective of this study is to investigate whether parentally-reported gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms are increased in a population-derived sample of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) compared to controls. Participants included 132 children with ASD and 81 with special educational needs (SEN) but no ASD, aged 10-14years plus 82 typically developing (TD) children. Data were collected on GI symptoms, diet, cognitive abilities, and developmental histories. Nearly half (weighted rate 46.5%) of children with ASD had at least one individual lifetime GI symptom compared with 21.8% of TD children and 29.2% of those with SEN. Children with ASD had more past and current GI symptoms than TD or SEN groups although fewer current symptoms were reported in all groups compared with the past. The ASD group had significantly increased past vomiting and diarrhoea compared with the TD group and more abdominal pain than the SEN group. The ASD group had more current constipation (when defined as bowel movement less than three times per week) and soiling than either the TD or SEN groups. No association was found between GI symptoms and intellectual ability, ASD severity, ASD regression or limited or faddy diet. Parents report more GI symptoms in children with ASD than children with either SEN or TD children but the frequency of reported symptoms is greater in the past than currently in all groups.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often exhibit difficulties in sensory processing, including visual hypersensitivity such as photophobia. This study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying photophobia in participants with ASD by analyzing pupillary responses. To achieve this, we examined the amplitude and velocity gradient (latency) of these responses. Pupillary responses were recorded using an eye-tracking system in participants with ASD (n = 17) and typically developing (TD) (n = 23). Stimuli alternated between bright (89.03 cd/m2) and dark (0.07 cd/m2) conditions following a dim state (2.75 cd/m2) with intervals of five seconds in Experiment 1 and 30 seconds in Experiment 2. The sensory profile test (AASP-J) showed that hypersensitivity was significantly defined in the ASD group than in the TD group. The pupillary response in the ASD group often featured missing values due to blinking during rapid alternation between bright and dark conditions, resulting in a decrease in the total number of participants. Specifically, only eight of the 17 participants in the ASD group and 20 of the 23 participants in the TD group remained for analysis in Experiment 1, and in Experiment 2, 15 of the 17 participants in the ASD group and 20 of the 23 participants in the TD group remained for analysis. In the dim state, pupillary diameter was large in the ASD and TD group in both experiments, while the pupil diameter decreased in the TD group in Experiment 2. In both experiments, maximum amplitude and its latency showed no significant differences between the two groups. However, the velocity gradient for the early mydriatic process in the dark condition was significantly faster in the ASD group. ASD individuals with hypersensitivity tend to have large pupil diameters under the dim state, as well as rapid dilation in the dark condition. These results may suggest a problem in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls pupil constriction.

Robots are becoming a part of humans' social life as assistants, companionbots, therapists, and entertainers. One promising application of the socially assistive robots is in autism therapy, where robots are employed to enhance verbal and nonverbal skills (e.g. eye-gaze attention, facial expression mimicry) of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One important question is How the gaze responses of individuals with ASD differ from that of Typically Developing (TD) peers when interacting with a robot? We present the results of our recent studies for modeling and analyzing the gaze pattern of children with ASD when they interact with a robot called NAO. This paper reports the differences of gaze responses of TD and ASD group in two conversational contexts: Speaking versus Listening. We used Variable-order Markov Model (VMM) to discover the temporal gaze directional patterns of ASD and TD groups. The results reveal that the gaze responses of the TD individuals in speaking and listening contexts, can be best modeled by VMM with order zero and three, respectively. As we expected, the result show that the temporal gaze patterns of typically developed children are varying when the role in the conversational context is changed. However for the ASD individuals for both conversational contexts the VMM with order one could best fit the data. Overall, the results conclude that VMM is a powerful technique to model different gaze responses of TD and ASD individuals in speaking and listening contexts.

ObjectiveThe present study used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the difference in the relationship between gray matter structure and age in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) subjects.MethodsAfter screening T1 structural images from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database, 111 children and adolescents (7–18 years old) with high-functioning ASD and 151 TD subjects matched for age, sex and full IQ were included in the current study. By using the voxel-based morphological analysis method, gray matter volume/density (GMV/GMD) maps were obtained for each participant. Then, a multiple regression analysis was performed for ASD and TD groups, respectively to estimate the relationship between GMV/GMD and age with gender, education, site, and IQ scores as covariates. Furthermore, a z-test was used to compare such relationship difference between the groups.ResultsResults showed that compared with TD, the GMD of ASD showed stronger positive correlations with age in the prefrontal cortex, and a stronger negative correlation in the left inferior parietal lobule, and a weaker positive correlation in the right inferior parietal lobule. The GMV of ASD displayed stronger positive correlations with age in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum.ConclusionThese findings may provide evidence to support that the brain structure abnormalities underlying ASD during childhood and adolescence may differ from each other.

Hemispheric asymmetry in the power spectrum of low-frequency spontaneous hemodynamic fluctuations has been previously observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This observation may imply a specific narrow-frequency band in which individuals with ASD could show more significant alteration in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). To test this assumption, we evaluated narrowband RSFC at several frequencies for functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals recorded from the bilateral temporal lobes on 25 children with ASD and 22 typically developing (TD) children. In several narrow-frequency bands, we observed altered interhemispheric RSFC in ASD. However, in the band of 0.01–0.02 Hz, more mirrored channel pairs (or cortical sites) showed significantly weaker RSFC in the ASD group. Receiver operating characteristic analysis further demonstrated that RSFC in the narrowband of 0.01–0.02 Hz might have better differentiation ability between the ASD and TD groups. This may indicate that the narrowband RSFC could serve as a characteristic for the prediction of ASD.

BackgroundThe incidence rate of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been rising; this study aimed to explore the relationship between nutritional intake and neurodevelopment in children with ASDs.MethodsThis study is a case–control cross-sectional comparison including 50 children with ASDs and 50 typically developing controls. A total of 500 children with neurodevelopmental disorders and 500 typically developing (TD) children were recruited based on clinical diagnosis to compare levels of inflammation. Among them, 50 children were diagnosed with ASDs based on DSM-5 criteria by experienced developmental behavioral pediatricians. A total of 50 typically developing children were matched with the 50 children with ASDs. Dietary surveys, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and physical development evaluations were conducted on these 100 children.ResultsThe children’s dietary inflammatory index (C-DII), systemic immune inflammatory index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) in the ASD group were significantly higher compared to the TD group (p<0.05). A positive correlation was observed between C-DII and SII (r = 0.323, p = 0.022), as well as SIRI (r = 0.283, p = 0.046). The dietary diversity in the ASD group was lower than that of the TD group, with a higher prevalence of picky eating behaviors in the ASD group. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, the C-DII may be correlated with ASD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.842, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.114 ~ 3.046, p = 0.017].ConclusionChildren with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) displayed higher C-DII scores. The results of this study suggest that there may be a correlation between C-DII and the neurodevelopment of children with ASD, not causality. Inflammatory dietary patterns may represent a modifiable factor linked to neurodevelopmental outcomes.

To describe the quality of life (QOL) of South African parents caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as compared with parents of typically developing (TD) children from the same community. A cross-sectional study was done evaluating the QOL of parents of 52 children (26 parents of children with ASD versus 26 parents of TD children) using a structured measure, (World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-BREF). The mean age of the children with ASD was 64.9 months (SD 14.5) versus 60.1 months (SD 13.5) for TD group. There was a male predominance among group of children with ASD (48 boys, four girls). The mean parental age of the ASD group was 32.9 years (SD 7.8) compared with 33.8 years (SD 6.8) for the TD group. As compared with parents of the TD children, parents of children with ASD had lower mean QOL scores in the four QOL domains: physical, psychological, social and environmental health (p<0.0001). the domain where the discrepancy between groups was greatest was the physical domain Where the mean score was 52.1 (SD 18.7) in the ASD group and 92 (SD 10.4) in the TD group. Lower income, severity level of ASD and lack of access to school placement of children with ASD were found significantly associated with parents' QOL domains. QOL of parents of children with ASD is significant lower than that of the parents of their TD peers across all domains and is an important component in management of the family which needs to be explored and addressed.

Recent proposals have suggested the potential for neural biomarkers to improve clinical trial processes in neurodevelopmental conditions; however, few efforts have identified whether chronological age-based adjustments will be necessary (as used in standardized behavioral assessments). Event-related potentials (ERPs) demonstrate early differences in the processing of faces vs. objects in the visual processing system by 4 years of age and age-based improvement (decreases in latency) through adolescence. Additionally, face processing has been proposed to be related to social skills as well as autistic social-communication traits. While previous reports suggest delayed latency in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), extensive individual and age based heterogeneity exists. In this report, we utilize a sample of 252 children with ASD and 118 children with typical development (TD), to assess the N170 and P100 ERP component latencies (N170L and P100L, respectively), to upright faces, the face specificity effect (difference between face and object processing), and the inversion effect (difference between face upright and inverted processing) in relation to age. First, linear mixed models (LMMs) were fitted with fixed effect of age at testing and random effect of participant, using all available data points to characterize general age-based development in the TD and ASD groups. Second, LMM models using only the TD group were used to calculate age-based residuals in both groups. The purpose of residualization was to assess how much variation in ASD participants could be accounted for by chronological age-related changes. Our data demonstrate that the N170L and P100L responses to upright faces appeared to follow a roughly linear relationship with age. In the ASD group, the distribution of the age-adjusted residual values suggest that ASD participants were more likely to demonstrate slower latencies than would be expected for a TD child of the same age, similar to what has been identified using unadjusted values. Lastly, using age-adjusted values for stratification, we found that children who demonstrated slowed age-adjusted N170L had lower verbal and non-verbal IQ and worse face memory. These data suggest that age must be considered in assessing the N170L and P100L response to upright faces as well, and these adjusted values may be used to stratify children within the autism spectrum.

IntroductionThere has been a growing effort to characterize the time‐varying functional connectivity of resting state (RS) fMRI brain networks (RSNs). Although voxel‐wise connectivity studies have examined different sliding window lengths, nonsequential volume‐wise approaches have been less common.MethodsInspired by earlier co‐activation pattern (CAP) studies, we applied hierarchical clustering (HC) to classify the image volumes of the RS‐fMRI data on 28 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their 27 typically developing (TD) controls. We compared the distribution of the ASD and TD groups' volumes in CAPs as well as their voxel‐wise means. For simplification purposes, we conducted a group independent component analysis to extract 14 major RSNs. The RSNs' average z‐scores enabled us to meaningfully regroup the RSNs and estimate the percentage of voxels within each RSN for which there was a significant group difference. These results were jointly interpreted to find global group‐specific patterns.ResultsWe found similar brain state proportions in 58 CAPs (clustering interval from 2 to 30). However, in many CAPs, the voxel‐wise means differed significantly within a matrix of 14 RSNs. The rest‐activated default mode‐positive and default mode‐negative brain state properties vary considerably in both groups over time. This division was seen clearly when the volumes were partitioned into two CAPs and then further examined along the HC dendrogram of the diversifying brain CAPs. The ASD group network activations followed a more heterogeneous distribution and some networks maintained higher baselines; throughout the brain deactivation state, the ASD participants had reduced deactivation in 12/14 networks. During default mode‐negative CAPs, the ASD group showed simultaneous visual network and either dorsal attention or default mode network overactivation.ConclusionNonsequential volume gathering into CAPs and the comparison of voxel‐wise signal changes provide a complementary perspective to connectivity and an alternative to sliding window analysis.

Infants' representation of events: Studies in imitation, cross-modal perception, and categorization

Intelligence plays a significant role in determining the severity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), thus understanding intelligence among children with ASD is important to guide planning of appropriate interventions. Scores on IQ tests as well as intelligence sub-components between ASD and typically developed (TD) children, reflect distinct underlying cognitive processes. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation of the neuropsychological aspects of children ASD may better refine our understanding of the cognitive abilities among children with ASD. The current cross-sectional study investigated differences in intelligence profiles and executive function among children with TD children and children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD). A total of 34 participants met criteria for inclusion with 24 participants in the TD group, and 10 in the HFASD. Some of the measures which were used included the SB-LM, Executive Function Indonesia (EFI), and Autism Spectrum Quotient: Children's Version (AQ-Child). Data were analysed using Spearman correlation and Mann-Whitney test. Results showed no differences in the intelligence profile in both groups, yet significant differences were found in the composite EF, Inhibitory Control, and Cognitive Flexibility. Additionally, there was a difference in the correlation of intelligence and EF variables between the two groups. Thus, it can be concluded that both groups show qualitatively different cognitive processes. A recommendation derived from these results is that comprehensive EF assessment and treatment should be conducted as part of the global evaluation of ASD patients, primarily to design an intervention to enhance their academic domain.

Previous research demonstrates an uneven pattern of cognitive abilities in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study examined whether this uneven pattern exists in preschool children. Participants include 24 children with high-functioning ASD and 28 typically developing (TD) children aged 4 to 6 with comparable average age and development level. No significant group difference in cognitive abilities was found between the ASD and TD group on the MANOVA. Patterns of cognitive functioning found include better performance on memory, weaker performance on language comprehension and expression, fine motor and speed of processing. Nonverbal and visual motor abilities were comparable between groups. Language expression was less impaired than language comprehension, and fine motor abilities were correlated with more cognitive abilities.

Background:Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key factor in neurodevelopment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet the variability of peripheral BDNF levels in ASD remains debated. We sought to investigate the relationship between circulating oxidative stress and peripheral BDNF in children with ASD.Methods:We analyzed plasma BDNF levels and redox status in both plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) among children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children aged 2–5 years. We generated an autism-like mouse model via prenatal exposure to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). To modulate circulating redox balance, we employed tyrosine kinase–driven lentiviral expression of superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation with Sod2 overexpression. We then assessed circulating redox balance, gene expression, epigenetic changes, peripheral BDNF levels, and autism-like behaviours in offspring.Results:We included 78 children in the ASD group and 63 children in the TD group. Children with ASD exhibited elevated plasma BDNF levels and an altered redox balance compared with TD controls. In the mouse model, MPA-exposed autism-like offspring demonstrated increased peripheral BDNF levels and heightened oxidative stress in hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial cells, and PBMCs. Tyrosine kinase–Sod2 lentiviral expression in the endothelium fully normalized peripheral BDNF levels, while HSC transplantation with Sod2 overexpression not only reduced plasma BDNF levels, but also alleviated autism-like behaviours.Limitations:This study’s cross-sectional data limit causal inference between oxidative stress and BDNF levels among children with ASD. The mouse model, while informative, may not fully recapitulate human ASD heterogeneity.Conclusion:In ASD, elevated peripheral BDNF levels are associated with circulating oxidative stress. Prenatal progestin exposure induces both increased peripheral BDNF and oxidative stress, effects that can be completely reversed through SOD2 modulation in circulation among mouse offspring.

Recent studies have revealed that atypical sensory perception is common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is considered a potential cause of social difficulties. Self-reports by individuals with ASD have provided great insights into atypical perception from the first-person point of view and indicated its dependence on the environment. This study aimed to investigate the patterns and environmental causes of atypical auditory perception in individuals with ASD. Qualitative data from subject reports are inappropriate for statistical analysis, and reporting subjective sensory experiences is not easy for every individual. To cope with such challenges, we employed audio signal processing methods to simulate the potential patterns of atypical auditory perception. The participants in our experiment were able to select and adjust the strength of the processing methods to manipulate the sounds in the videos to match their experiences. Thus, the strength of atypical perception was recorded quantitatively and then analyzed to assess its correlation with the audio-visual stimuli contained in the videos the participants observed. In total, 22 participants with ASD and 22 typically developed (TD) participants were recruited for the experiment. The results revealed several common patterns of atypical auditory perception: Louder sounds perceived in a quiet environment, noise perception induced by intense and unsteady audio-visual stimuli, and echo perception correlated with movement and variation in sound level. The ASD group reported atypical perceptions more frequently than the control group. However, similar environmental causes were shared by the ASD and TD groups. The results help us infer the potential neural and physiological mechanisms of sensory processing in ASD.