Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Mostrar: 20 | 50 | 100
Resultados 1 - 20 de 58
Filtrar
Más filtros

Bases de datos
Tipo del documento
Intervalo de año de publicación
1.
Somatosens Mot Res ; : 1-16, 2023 Dec 23.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38140831

RESUMEN

Purpose/Aim. Autistic individuals may show either hyper- or hypo- responsiveness to touch compared to non-autistic individuals. These behavioural responses depend on perceptual and evaluative mechanisms, which unfold sequentially and thus can be distinguished by exploring the timing of neural responses. In this study, we examined neural response timing to pleasant, unpleasant, and affectively neutral textures, to determine whether these perceptual versus evaluative subprocesses differ in autism and how each subprocess contributes to behavioural responses.Materials and Methods. Our sample included n = 13 autistic and n = 14 non-autistic adults who completed functional magnetic resonance imaging. We analysed early, intermediate, and late phases of the tactile response, derived from studies of noxious tactile stimulation, to three different textures.Results. The autistic group showed distinct differences from the non-autistic group to each of the textures, showing earlier, somatosensory differences in response to the pleasantly and unpleasantly rated textures and later, frontomotor differences in response to the neutrally rated texture. Further, reduced early phase response to the pleasant texture correlated with increased sensory seeking behaviour.Conclusions. While preliminary, these results suggest distinct patterns between autistic and non-autistic individuals in how the neural response to touch unfolds and its correspondence with the perceived pleasantness of tactile experience. The findings suggest perceptual differences in response to affectively charged textures and evaluative differences in response to neutral, ambiguous textures. These temporal properties may inform future studies of tactile processing in autism, lending a better understanding of how individuals differ in their sensory experiences across contexts.

2.
Cereb Cortex ; 31(11): 5188-5205, 2021 10 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34195789

RESUMEN

It has been challenging to elucidate the differences in brain structure that underlie behavioral features of autism. Prior studies have begun to identify patterns of changes in autism across multiple structural indices, including cortical thickness, local gyrification, and sulcal depth. However, common approaches to local gyrification indexing used in prior studies have been limited by low spatial resolution relative to functional brain topography. In this study, we analyze the aforementioned structural indices, utilizing a new method of local gyrification indexing that quantifies this index adaptively in relation to specific sulci/gyri, improving interpretation with respect to functional organization. Our sample included n = 115 autistic and n = 254 neurotypical participants aged 5-54, and we investigated structural patterns by group, age, and autism-related behaviors. Differing structural patterns by group emerged in many regions, with age moderating group differences particularly in frontal and limbic regions. There were also several regions, particularly in sensory areas, in which one or more of the structural indices of interest either positively or negatively covaried with autism-related behaviors. Given the advantages of this approach, future studies may benefit from its application in hypothesis-driven examinations of specific brain regions and/or longitudinal studies to assess brain development in autism.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Trastorno Autístico , Adolescente , Adulto , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/diagnóstico por imagen , Trastorno Autístico/diagnóstico por imagen , Encéfalo , Corteza Cerebral , Niño , Preescolar , Humanos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto Joven
3.
Compr Psychiatry ; 113: 152291, 2022 02.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34952304

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Sensory over-responsivity (SOR) refers to excessively intense and/or prolonged behavioral responses to environmental stimuli typically perceived as non-aversive. SOR is prevalent in several neurodevelopmental disorders, including chronic tic disorders (CTDs) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Few studies have examined the extent and clinical correlates of SOR across disorders, limiting insights into the phenomenon's transdiagnostic clinical and biological relevance. Such cross-disorder comparisons are of particular interest for CTDs and OCD given their frequent co-occurrence. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the magnitude of SOR between adults with CTD and adults with OCD and to identify the clinical factors most strongly associated with SOR across these disorders. METHODS: We enrolled 207 age- and sex-matched participants across four diagnostic categories: CTD without OCD (designated "CTD/OCD-"; n = 37), CTD with OCD ("CTD/OCD+"; n = 32), OCD without tic disorder ("OCD"; n = 69), and healthy controls (n = 69). Participants completed a self-report battery of rating scales assessing SOR (Sensory Gating Inventory, SGI), obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, DOCS), inattention and hyperactivity (Adult ADHD Self-Report Screening Scale for DSM-5, ASRS-5), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). CTD participants were also administered the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS). To examine between-group differences in SOR, we compared SGI score across all groups and between pairs of groups. To examine the relationship of SOR with other clinical factors, we performed multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: CTD/OCD-, CTD/OCD+, and OCD participants were 86.7%, 87.6%, and 89.5%, respectively, more likely to have higher SGI total scores than healthy controls. SGI total score did not differ between CTD/OCD-, CTD/OCD+, and OCD groups. In the regression model of log-transformed SGI total score, OCD diagnosis, DOCS score, and ASRS-5 score each contributed significantly to model goodness-of-fit, whereas CTD diagnosis and YGTSS total tic score did not. CONCLUSION: SOR is prevalent in adults with CTD and in adults with OCD but does not significantly differ in magnitude between these disorders. Across CTD, OCD, and healthy control adult populations, SOR is independently associated with both obsessive-compulsive and ADHD symptoms, suggesting a transdiagnostic relationship between these sensory and psychiatric manifestations. Future cross-disorder, longitudinal, and translational research is needed to clarify the role and prognostic import of SOR in CTDs, OCD, and other neurodevelopmental disorders.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo , Trastornos de Tic , Adulto , Ansiedad , Comorbilidad , Manual Diagnóstico y Estadístico de los Trastornos Mentales , Humanos , Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo/diagnóstico , Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo/epidemiología , Trastornos de Tic/diagnóstico , Trastornos de Tic/epidemiología
4.
Brain Topogr ; 28(6): 895-903, 2015 Nov.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26016951

RESUMEN

The goal of this study was to explore neural response to touch in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Patterns of reduced (hypo-responsiveness) and enhanced (hyper-responsiveness) behavioral reaction to sensory input are prevalent in ASD, but their neural mechanisms are poorly understood. We measured event-related potentials (ERP) to a puff of air on the fingertip and collected parent report of tactile hypo- and hyper-responsiveness in children with ASD (n = 21, mean (SD) age 11.25 (3.09), 2 female), and an age-matched typically developing comparison group (n = 28, mean (SD) age 10.1 (3.08, 2 female). A global measure of ERP response strength approximately 220-270 ms post-stimulus was associated with tactile hypo-responsiveness in ASD, while tactile hyper-responsiveness was associated with earlier neural response (approximately 120-220 ms post-stimulus) in both groups. These neural responses also related to autism severity. These results suggest that, in ASD, tactile hypo- and hyper-responsiveness may reflect different waypoints in the neural processing stream of sensory input. The timing of the relationship for hyper-responsiveness is consistent with somatosensory association cortical response, while that for hypo-responsiveness is more consistent with later processes that may involve allocation of attention or emotional valence to the stimulus.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista/patología , Potenciales Evocados Somatosensoriales/fisiología , Corteza Somatosensorial/fisiopatología , Tacto/fisiología , Adolescente , Mapeo Encefálico , Niño , Preescolar , Potenciales Evocados Somatosensoriales/efectos de los fármacos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Padres/psicología , Estimulación Física , Psicofísica , Tiempo de Reacción/fisiología , Factores de Tiempo
5.
J Exp Child Psychol ; 131: 193-200, 2015 Mar.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25498876

RESUMEN

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been associated with various sensory atypicalities across multiple domains. Interoception, the ability to detect and attend to internal bodily sensations, has been found to moderate the experience of body ownership, a known difference in ASD that may affect social function. However, interoception has not been empirically examined in ASD. In the current study, 45 children (21 with ASD and 24 controls) ages 8 to 17 years completed a heartbeat perception paradigm as a measure of interoceptive ability. A subset of these children also completed the rubber hand illusion task, a multisensory paradigm probing the malleability of perceived body ownership. Although the heartbeat perception paradigm yielded comparable interoceptive awareness (IA) overall across both groups, children with ASD were superior at mentally tracking their heartbeats over longer intervals, suggesting increased sustained attention to internal cues in ASD. In addition, IA was negatively correlated with rubber hand illusion susceptibility in both groups, supporting a previously demonstrated inverse relationship between internal awareness and one's ability to incorporate external stimuli into one's perception of self. We propose a trade-off between attention to internal cues and attention to external cues, whereby attentional resources are disproportionately allocated to internal, rather than external, sensory cues in ASD.


Asunto(s)
Atención , Concienciación , Imagen Corporal/psicología , Trastornos Generalizados del Desarrollo Infantil/psicología , Autoimagen , Percepción Visual , Adolescente , Niño , Señales (Psicología) , Femenino , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Humanos , Ilusiones/psicología , Masculino
6.
J Neurosci ; 33(19): 8243-9, 2013 May 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23658163

RESUMEN

Atypical perceptual processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is well documented. In addition, growing evidence supports the hypothesis that an excitatory/inhibitory neurochemical imbalance might underlie ASD. Here we investigated putative behavioral consequences of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in the context of visual motion perception. As stimulus size increases, typical observers exhibit marked impairments in perceiving motion of high-contrast stimuli. This result, termed "spatial suppression," is believed to reflect inhibitory motion-processing mechanisms. Motion processing is also affected by gain control, an inhibitory mechanism that underlies saturation of neural responses at high contrast. Motivated by these behavioral correlates of inhibitory function, we investigated motion perception in human children with ASD (n = 20) and typical development (n = 26). At high contrast, both groups exhibited similar impairments in motion perception with increasing stimulus size, revealing no apparent differences in spatial suppression. However, there was a substantial enhancement of motion perception in ASD: children with ASD exhibited a consistent twofold improvement in perceiving motion. Hypothesizing that this enhancement might indicate abnormal weakening of response gain control, we repeated our measurements at low contrast, where the effects of gain control should be negligible. At low contrast, we indeed found no group differences in motion discrimination thresholds. These low-contrast results, however, revealed weaker spatial suppression in ASD, suggesting the possibility that gain control abnormalities in ASD might have masked spatial suppression differences at high contrast. Overall, we report a pattern of motion perception abnormalities in ASD that includes substantial enhancements at high contrast and is consistent with an underlying excitatory/inhibitory imbalance.


Asunto(s)
Trastornos Generalizados del Desarrollo Infantil/complicaciones , Inhibición Psicológica , Percepción de Movimiento/fisiología , Trastornos de la Percepción/etiología , Adolescente , Niño , Sensibilidad de Contraste/fisiología , Discriminación en Psicología , Humanos , Masculino , Trastornos de la Percepción/diagnóstico , Estimulación Luminosa/métodos
7.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry ; 55(2): 162-71, 2014.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24117668

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Restricted interests are a class of repetitive behavior in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) whose intensity and narrow focus often contribute to significant interference with daily functioning. While numerous neuroimaging studies have investigated executive circuits as putative neural substrates of repetitive behavior, recent work implicates affective neural circuits in restricted interests. We sought to explore the role of affective neural circuits and determine how restricted interests are distinguished from hobbies or interests in typical development. METHODS: We compared a group of children with ASD to a typically developing (TD) group of children with strong interests or hobbies, employing parent report, an operant behavioral task, and functional imaging with personalized stimuli based on individual interests. RESULTS: While performance on the operant task was similar between the two groups, parent report of intensity and interference of interests was significantly higher in the ASD group. Both the ASD and TD groups showed increased BOLD response in widespread affective neural regions to the pictures of their own interest. When viewing pictures of other children's interests, the TD group showed a similar pattern, whereas BOLD response in the ASD group was much more limited. Increased BOLD response in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex distinguished the ASD from the TD group, and parent report of the intensity and interference with daily life of the child's restricted interest predicted insula response. CONCLUSIONS: While affective neural network response and operant behavior are comparable in typical and restricted interests, the narrowness of focus that clinically distinguishes restricted interests in ASD is reflected in more interference in daily life and aberrantly enhanced insula and anterior cingulate response to individuals' own interests in the ASD group. These results further support the involvement of affective neural networks in repetitive behaviors in ASD.


Asunto(s)
Afecto/fisiología , Corteza Cerebral/fisiopatología , Trastornos Generalizados del Desarrollo Infantil/fisiopatología , Pasatiempos/psicología , Adolescente , Niño , Giro del Cíngulo/fisiopatología , Humanos , Masculino , Red Nerviosa/fisiopatología
8.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev ; 162: 105684, 2024 Jul.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38710425

RESUMEN

Facial expression is a critical form of nonverbal social communication which promotes emotional exchange and affiliation among humans. Facial expressions are generated via precise contraction of the facial muscles, guided by sensory feedback. While the neural pathways underlying facial motor control are well characterized in humans and primates, it remains unknown how tactile and proprioceptive information reaches these pathways to guide facial muscle contraction. Thus, despite the importance of facial expressions for social functioning, little is known about how they are generated as a unique sensorimotor behavior. In this review, we highlight current knowledge about sensory feedback from the face and how it is distinct from other body regions. We describe connectivity between the facial sensory and motor brain systems, and call attention to the other brain systems which influence facial expression behavior, including vision, gustation, emotion, and interoception. Finally, we petition for more research on the sensory basis of facial expressions, asserting that incomplete understanding of sensorimotor mechanisms is a barrier to addressing atypical facial expressivity in clinical populations.


Asunto(s)
Expresión Facial , Humanos , Retroalimentación Sensorial/fisiología , Músculos Faciales/fisiología , Animales , Emociones/fisiología , Encéfalo/fisiología
9.
Autism ; 27(1): 145-157, 2023 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35403453

RESUMEN

LAY ABSTRACT: Quality of Life an outcome that both researchers and autistic advocates agree is extremely important to consider when implementing services, interventions, and supports for autistic people. However, there has been little research on the topic of how quality of life can best be measured in autistic people or whether existing quality of life questionnaires are appropriate for use in the autistic population. This study aimed to validate an established quality of life measure, the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global-10, in a large sample of autistic adults recruited online. We created a new way to score the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global-10 scale and generate a "General quality of life" score specific to autistic adults. This new score performed very well in this sample, showing very little measurement error and relating in expected ways to similar constructs, such as physical health and emotional distress. Exploratory analyses found that lower quality of life was associated with female sex and self-identification as a sexual or gender minority (i.e. LGBTQ + identity). These findings suggest that the new Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global-10 quality of life score is a reliable and valid measure of quality of life in autistic adults, although additional studies are necessary to further explore its measurement properties in other subsets of the autistic population, such as individuals with intellectual disabilities. This measure is freely available for use as an outcome in both research and clinical practice, and an online score calculator is available to support the use of this measure in real-world applications.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Trastorno Autístico , Adulto , Humanos , Femenino , Calidad de Vida/psicología , Trastorno Autístico/psicología , Psicometría , Proyectos de Investigación , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/psicología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados
10.
J Autism Dev Disord ; 53(6): 2540-2547, 2023 Jun.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34853956

RESUMEN

In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), medical conditions in infancy could be predictive markers for later ASD diagnosis. In this study, electronic medical records of 579 autistic individuals and 1897 matched controls prior to age 2 were analyzed for potential predictive conditions. Using a novel tool, the relative association of each condition in the autistic group was compared to the control group using logistic regressions across medical records. Generalized convulsive epilepsy, nystagmus, lack of normal physiological development, delayed milestones, and strabismus were more likely in those later diagnosed with ASD while perinatal jaundice was less likely to be associated. Lesser-known conditions, such as strabismus and nystagmus, may point to novel predictive co-occurring condition profiles which could improve screening practices for ASD.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Trastorno Autístico , Femenino , Embarazo , Humanos , Niño , Preescolar , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/diagnóstico , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/epidemiología , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/complicaciones , Trastorno Autístico/complicaciones , Comorbilidad
11.
Multisens Res ; 36(3): 263-288, 2023 01 19.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36731524

RESUMEN

Autistic youth demonstrate differences in processing multisensory information, particularly in temporal processing of multisensory speech. Extensive research has identified several key brain regions for multisensory speech processing in non-autistic adults, including the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and insula, but it is unclear to what extent these regions are involved in temporal processing of multisensory speech in autistic youth. As a first step in exploring the neural substrates of multisensory temporal processing in this clinical population, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a simultaneity-judgment audiovisual speech task. Eighteen autistic youth and a comparison group of 20 non-autistic youth matched on chronological age, biological sex, and gender participated. Results extend prior findings from studies of non-autistic adults, with non-autistic youth demonstrating responses in several similar regions as previously implicated in adult temporal processing of multisensory speech. Autistic youth demonstrated responses in fewer of the multisensory regions identified in adult studies; responses were limited to visual and motor cortices. Group responses in the middle temporal gyrus significantly interacted with age; younger autistic individuals showed reduced MTG responses whereas older individuals showed comparable MTG responses relative to non-autistic controls. Across groups, responses in the precuneus covaried with task accuracy, and anterior temporal and insula responses covaried with nonverbal IQ. These preliminary findings suggest possible differences in neural mechanisms of audiovisual processing in autistic youth while highlighting the need to consider participant characteristics in future, larger-scale studies exploring the neural basis of multisensory function in autism.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico , Percepción del Habla , Adulto , Humanos , Adolescente , Percepción del Habla/fisiología , Trastorno Autístico/diagnóstico por imagen , Mapeo Encefálico , Habla , Encéfalo/fisiología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Percepción Visual/fisiología , Estimulación Acústica , Percepción Auditiva/fisiología , Estimulación Luminosa
12.
J Autism Dev Disord ; 53(3): 947-962, 2023 Mar.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35819587

RESUMEN

Interoception, the body's perception of its own internal states, is thought to be altered in autism, though results of empirical studies have been inconsistent. The current study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the extant literature comparing interoceptive outcomes between autistic (AUT) and neurotypical (NT) individuals, determining which domains of interoception demonstrate robust between-group differences. A three-level Bayesian meta-analysis compared heartbeat counting performance, heartbeat discrimination performance, heartbeat counting confidence ratings, and self-reported interoceptive attention between AUT and NT groups (15 studies; nAUT = 467, nNT = 478). Autistic participants showed significantly reduced heartbeat counting performance [g = - 0.333, CrI95% (- 0.535, - 0.138)] and higher confidence in their heartbeat counting abilities [g = 0.430, CrI95% (0.123, 0.750)], but groups were equivalent on other meta-analyzed outcomes. Implications for future interoception research in autism are discussed.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Trastorno Autístico , Interocepción , Humanos , Teorema de Bayes , Atención , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Concienciación
13.
Res Sq ; 2023 Jan 10.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36712092

RESUMEN

Background Differences in responding to sensory stimuli, including sensory hyperreactivity (HYPER), hyporeactivity (HYPO), and sensory seeking (SEEK) have been observed in autistic individuals across sensory modalities, but few studies have examined the structure of these "supra-modal" traits in the autistic population. Methods Leveraging a combined sample of 3,868 autistic youth drawn from 12 distinct data sources (ages 3-18 years and representing the full range of cognitive ability), the current study used modern psychometric and meta-analytic techniques to interrogate the latent structure and correlates of caregiver-reported HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK within and across sensory modalities. Bifactor statistical indices were used to both evaluate the strength of a "general response pattern" factor for each supra-modal construct and determine the added value of "modality-specific response pattern" scores (e.g., Visual HYPER). Bayesian random-effects integrative data analysis models were used to examine the clinical and demographic correlates of all interpretable HYPER, HYPO and SEEK (sub)constructs. Results All modality-specific HYPER subconstructs could be reliably and validly measured, whereas certain modality-specific HYPO and SEEK subconstructs were psychometrically inadequate when measured using existing items. Bifactor analyses unambiguously supported the validity of a supra-modal HYPER construct (ω H = .800), whereas a coherent supra-modal HYPO construct was not supported (ω H = .611), and supra-modal SEEK models suggested a more limited version of the construct that excluded some sensory modalities (ω H = .799; 4/7 modalities). Within each sensory construct, modality-specific subscales demonstrated substantial added value beyond the supra-modal score. Meta-analytic correlations varied by construct, although sensory features tended to correlate most strongly with other domains of core autism features and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms. Certain subconstructs within the HYPO and SEEK domains were also associated with lower adaptive behavior scores. Limitations: Conclusions may not be generalizable beyond the specific pool of items used in the current study, which was limited to parent-report of observable behaviors and excluded multisensory items that reflect many "real-world" sensory experiences. Conclusion Psychometric issues may limit the degree to which some measures of supra-modal HYPO/SEEK can be interpreted. Depending on the research question at hand, modality-specific response pattern scores may represent a valid alternative method of characterizing sensory reactivity in autism.

14.
Mol Autism ; 14(1): 31, 2023 08 28.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37635263

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Differences in responding to sensory stimuli, including sensory hyperreactivity (HYPER), hyporeactivity (HYPO), and sensory seeking (SEEK) have been observed in autistic individuals across sensory modalities, but few studies have examined the structure of these "supra-modal" traits in the autistic population. METHODS: Leveraging a combined sample of 3868 autistic youth drawn from 12 distinct data sources (ages 3-18 years and representing the full range of cognitive ability), the current study used modern psychometric and meta-analytic techniques to interrogate the latent structure and correlates of caregiver-reported HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK within and across sensory modalities. Bifactor statistical indices were used to both evaluate the strength of a "general response pattern" factor for each supra-modal construct and determine the added value of "modality-specific response pattern" scores (e.g., Visual HYPER). Bayesian random-effects integrative data analysis models were used to examine the clinical and demographic correlates of all interpretable HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK (sub)constructs. RESULTS: All modality-specific HYPER subconstructs could be reliably and validly measured, whereas certain modality-specific HYPO and SEEK subconstructs were psychometrically inadequate when measured using existing items. Bifactor analyses supported the validity of a supra-modal HYPER construct (ωH = .800) but not a supra-modal HYPO construct (ωH = .653), and supra-modal SEEK models suggested a more limited version of the construct that excluded some sensory modalities (ωH = .800; 4/7 modalities). Modality-specific subscales demonstrated significant added value for all response patterns. Meta-analytic correlations varied by construct, although sensory features tended to correlate most with other domains of core autism features and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms (with general HYPER and speech HYPO demonstrating the largest numbers of practically significant correlations). LIMITATIONS: Conclusions may not be generalizable beyond the specific pool of items used in the current study, which was limited to caregiver report of observable behaviors and excluded multisensory items that reflect many "real-world" sensory experiences. CONCLUSION: Of the three sensory response patterns, only HYPER demonstrated sufficient evidence for valid interpretation at the supra-modal level, whereas supra-modal HYPO/SEEK constructs demonstrated substantial psychometric limitations. For clinicians and researchers seeking to characterize sensory reactivity in autism, modality-specific response pattern scores may represent viable alternatives that overcome many of these limitations.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico , Adolescente , Humanos , Teorema de Bayes , Cognición , Análisis de Datos , Fenotipo
15.
Front Psychol ; 13: 897901, 2022.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35936331

RESUMEN

Misophonia is a newly described disorder of sound tolerance characterized by strong negative emotional reactions to specific "trigger" sounds, resulting in significant distress, pathological avoidance, and impairment in daily life. Research on misophonia is still in its infancy, and most existing psychometric tools for assessing misophonia symptoms have not been extensively validated. The purpose of the current study was to introduce and psychometrically validate the duke-vanderbilt Misophonia Screening Questionnaire (DVMSQ), a novel self-report measure of misophonia symptoms that can be used to determine misophonia "caseness" in clinical and research settings. Employing large online samples of general population adults (n = 1403) and adults on the autism spectrum (n = 936), we rigorously evaluated the internal structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance of the DVMSQ. Results indicated that 17 of the 20 original DVMSQ items fit well to a bifactor structure with one "general misophonia" factor and four specific factors (anger/aggression, distress/avoidance, impairment, and global impact). DVMSQ total and subscale scores were highly reliable in both general population and autistic adult samples, and the measure was found to be approximately invariant across age, sex, education level, and autism status. DVMSQ total scores also correlated strongly with another measure of misophonia symptoms (Duke Misophonia Questionnaire-Symptom Scale), with correlations between these two measures being significantly stronger than correlations between the DVMSQ and scales measuring other types of sound intolerance (Inventory of Hyperacusis Symptoms [General Loudness subscale] and DSM-5 Severity Measure for Specific Phobia [modified for phonophobia]). Additionally, DVMSQ items were used to operationalize diagnostic criteria for misophonia derived from the Revised Amsterdam Criteria, which were further updated to reflect a recent consensus definition of misophonia (published after the development of the DVMSQ). Using the new DVMSQ algorithm, 7.3% of general population adults and 35.5% of autistic adults met criteria for clinically significant misophonia. Although additional work is needed to further investigate the psychometric properties of the DVMSQ and validate its theory-based screening algorithm using best-estimate clinical diagnoses, this novel measure represents a potentially useful tool to screen for misophonia and quantify symptom severity and impairment in both autistic adults and the general population.

16.
J Neurodev Disord ; 14(1): 43, 2022 08 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35915404

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether atypical patterns of facial expression production metrics in autism reflect the dynamic and nuanced nature of facial expressions across people or a true diagnostic difference. Furthermore, the heterogeneity observed across autism symptomatology suggests a need for more adaptive and personalized social skills programs. Towards this goal, it would be useful to have a more concrete and empirical understanding of the different expressiveness profiles within the autistic population and how they differ from neurotypicals. METHODS: We used automated facial coding and an unsupervised clustering approach to limit inter-individual variability in facial expression production that may have otherwise obscured group differences in previous studies, allowing an "apples-to-apples" comparison between autistic and neurotypical adults. Specifically, we applied k-means clustering to identify subtypes of facial expressiveness in an autism group (N = 27) and a neurotypical control group (N = 57) separately. The two most stable clusters from these analyses were then further characterized and compared based on their expressiveness and emotive congruence to emotionally charged stimuli. RESULTS: Our main finding was that a subset of autistic adults in our sample show heightened spontaneous facial expressions irrespective of image valence. We did not find evidence for greater incongruous (i.e., inappropriate) facial expressions in autism. Finally, we found a negative trend between expressiveness and emotion recognition within the autism group. CONCLUSION: The results from our previous study on self-reported empathy and current expressivity findings point to a higher degree of facial expressions recruited for emotional resonance in autism that may not always be adaptive (e.g., experiencing similar emotional resonance regardless of valence). These findings also build on previous work indicating that facial expression intensity is not diminished in autism and suggest the need for intervention programs to focus on emotion recognition and social skills in the context of both negative and positive emotions.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Trastorno Autístico , Adulto , Trastorno del Espectro Autista/psicología , Trastorno Autístico/complicaciones , Emociones , Empatía , Expresión Facial , Humanos
17.
Front Psychiatry ; 13: 914897, 2022.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35800022

RESUMEN

Background: Interoception refers to the sensing, interpretation, integration, and regulation of signals about the body's internal physiological state. Interoceptive sensibility is the subjective evaluation of interoceptive experience, as assessed by self-report measures, and is abnormal in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. Research examining interoceptive sensibility in individuals with chronic tic disorders (CTDs), however, has yielded conflicting results, likely due to methodologic differences between studies and small sample sizes. Objective: We sought to compare interoceptive sensibility between adults with CTD and healthy controls, adjusting for co-occurring psychiatric symptoms, and to examine the relationship of interoceptive sensibility with other CTD clinical features, in particular, premonitory urge. Methods: We recruited adults with CTDs and sex- and age-matched healthy controls to complete the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 (MAIA-2), as well as a battery of measures assessing psychiatric symptoms prevalent in CTD populations. CTD participants additionally completed scales quantifying tic severity, premonitory urge severity, and health-related quality of life. We conducted between-group contrasts (Wilcoxon rank-sum test) for each MAIA-2 subscale, analyzed the effect of psychiatric symptoms on identified between-group differences (multivariable linear regression), and examined within-group relationships between MAIA-2 subscales and other clinical measures (Spearman rank correlations, multivariable linear regression). Results: Between adults with CTD (n = 48) and healthy controls (n = 48), MAIA-2 Noticing and Not-Worrying subscale scores significantly differed. After adjusting for covariates, lower MAIA-2 Not-Worrying subscale scores were significantly associated with female sex (ß = 0.42, p < 0.05) and greater severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (ß = -0.028, p < 0.01), but not with CTD diagnosis. After adjusting for severity of tics and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, a composite of MAIA-2 Noticing, Attention Regulation, Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, Body Listening, and Trusting subscales (ß = 2.52, p < 0.01) was significantly associated with premonitory urge. Conclusion: Study results revealed three novel findings: adults with CTD experience increased anxiety-associated somatization and increased general body awareness relative to healthy controls; anxiety-associated somatization is more closely associated with sex and obsessive-compulsive symptoms than with CTD diagnosis; and increased general body awareness is associated with greater severity of premonitory urges.

18.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33845169

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects many aspects of life, from social interactions to (multi)sensory processing. Similarly, the condition expresses at a variety of levels of description, from genetics to neural circuits and interpersonal behavior. We attempt to bridge between domains and levels of description by detailing the behavioral, electrophysiological, and putative neural network basis of peripersonal space (PPS) updating in ASD during a social context, given that the encoding of this space relies on appropriate multisensory integration, is malleable by social context, and is thought to delineate the boundary between the self and others. METHODS: Fifty (20 male/30 female) young adults, either diagnosed with ASD or age- and sex-matched individuals, took part in a visuotactile reaction time task indexing PPS, while high-density electroencephalography was continuously recorded. Neural network modeling was performed in silico. RESULTS: Multisensory psychophysics demonstrates that while PPS in neurotypical individuals shrinks in the presence of others-as to "give space"-this does not occur in ASD. Likewise, electroencephalography recordings suggest that multisensory integration is altered by social context in neurotypical individuals but not in individuals with ASD. Finally, a biologically plausible neural network model shows, as a proof of principle, that PPS updating may be inflexible in ASD owing to the altered excitatory/inhibitory balance that characterizes neural circuits in animal models of ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are conceptually in line with recent statistical inference accounts, suggesting diminished flexibility in ASD, and further these observations by suggesting within an example relevant for social cognition that such inflexibility may be due to excitatory/inhibitory imbalances.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista , Trastorno Autístico , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Redes Neurales de la Computación , Espacio Personal , Medio Social
19.
J Autism Dev Disord ; 2022 Nov 28.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36441431

RESUMEN

Early differences in sensory responsiveness may contribute to difficulties with communication among autistic children; however, this theory has not been longitudinally assessed in infants at increased familial versus general population-level likelihood for autism (Sibs-autism vs. Sibs-NA) using a comprehensive battery of sensory responsiveness and communication. In a sample of 40 infants (20 Sibs-autism, of whom six were later diagnosed with autism; 20 Sibs-NA), we tested (a) associations between sensory responsiveness at 12-18 months and communication 9 months later and (b) evaluated whether such associations were moderated by sibling group, autism diagnosis, or age. We found negative zero-order correlations between sensory responsiveness (i.e., caregiver reported hyperresponsiveness and hyporesponsiveness; an observational measure of hyperresponsiveness) and later communication. Additionally, caregiver reported sensory seeking was negatively associated with later expressive communication only in Sibs-NA. Limitations include our relatively small sample size of infants diagnosed with autism. Implications for future research are discussed.

20.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev ; 121: 1-17, 2021 02.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33285160

RESUMEN

Atypical behavioral responses to environmental sounds are common in autistic children and adults, with 50-70 % of this population exhibiting decreased sound tolerance (DST) at some point in their lives. This symptom is a source of significant distress and impairment across the lifespan, contributing to anxiety, challenging behaviors, reduced community participation, and school/workplace difficulties. However, relatively little is known about its phenomenology or neurocognitive underpinnings. The present article synthesizes a large body of literature on the phenomenology and pathophysiology of DST-related conditions to generate a comprehensive theoretical account of DST in autism. Notably, we argue against conceptualizing DST as a unified construct, suggesting that it be separated into three phenomenologically distinct conditions: hyperacusis (the perception of everyday sounds as excessively loud or painful), misophonia (an acquired aversive reaction to specific sounds), and phonophobia (a specific phobia of sound), each responsible for a portion of observed DST behaviors. We further elaborate our framework by proposing preliminary neurocognitive models of hyperacusis, misophonia, and phonophobia that incorporate neurophysiologic findings from studies of autism.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico , Adulto , Ansiedad , Trastornos de Ansiedad , Niño , Humanos , Hiperacusia , Sonido
SELECCIÓN DE REFERENCIAS
DETALLE DE LA BÚSQUEDA