RESUMEN
Recent studies have suggested that sensory processing atypicalities may share genetic influences with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To further investigate this, the adolescent/adult sensory profile (AASP) questionnaire was distributed to 85 parents of typically developing children (P-TD), 121 parents from simplex ASD families (SPX), and 54 parents from multiplex ASD families (MPX). After controlling for gender and presence of mental disorders, results showed that MPX parents significantly differed from P-TD parents in all four subscales of the AASP. Differences between SPX and MPX parents reached significance in the Sensory Sensitivity subscale and also in subsequent modality-specific analyses in the auditory and visual domains. Our finding that parents with high genetic liability for ASD (i.e., MPX) had more sensory processing atypicalities than parents with low (i.e., SPX) or no (i.e., P-TD) ASD genetic liability suggests that sensory processing atypicalities may contribute to the genetic susceptibility for ASD.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno del Espectro Autista/psicología , Padres/psicología , Sensación , Adulto , Niño , Cognición , Femenino , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Stimulus-Response Compatibility (SRC) refers to the fact that some tasks are performed easier and better than others because of the way stimuli and responses are paired with each other. To assess the brain responses to stimulus-response conflicts, we investigated the behavioral (accuracy and Reaction Times: RTs) as well as the physiological response (Lateralized Readiness Potentials: LRP) modulations in a positional blocked and a conditional mixed design in twelve university students. Results revealed that the performance was less accurate and the RTs, as well as the LRP onset, were delayed under the mixed conditional design. A greater compatibility effect was also noted on accuracy, RTs and LRP onset latency in the mixed design. Consistent with these findings, smaller peak activation at fronto-central areas suggests that more selective inhibition is needed in a mixed design context. Despite a smaller activation, the topographical distribution is similar in both designs. These results indicate that the translation time between stimulus- and response codes are greater under the mixed instruction, while the similar LRP topography suggests that common neural structures underlie LRPs in response to both type of designs.
RESUMEN
In a passive auditory oddball study the development of novelty processing was examined in 5-7 (N=26), 8-9 (N=31), 10-12 (N=30), and 18-29 (N=35) years olds. Even though the main goal of this study was to replicate the findings of an earlier one, a shorter and simplified paradigm was used in order to gather developmental reference data for non-responsive patient groups that are unable to give an overt response. As expected, this adapted procedure replicated the findings regarding the development of passive novel sound processing. Firstly, the present data indicated two novelty components, each with a different topography and a different development. Secondly, both novelty components were still not mature in 10-12 years olds. The early novelty P3 had a central focus and its amplitude became more positive with increasing age. Also, its latency did not differ between the four age groups. The focus of the late novelty P3 shifted from frontocentral in 5-7 years olds to parietal in adults. In addition, the late novelty P3 amplitude at Pz became more positive with age, while the late novelty P3 latency was longer in 5-7 and 8-9 years olds compared to 10-12 years olds and adults. Thus, it appears that the adapted paradigm is a suitable tool for assessing auditory novelty processing in non-responsive patients.
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Fisiológica/fisiología , Corteza Auditiva/crecimiento & desarrollo , Corteza Auditiva/fisiología , Percepción Auditiva/fisiología , Potenciales Evocados Auditivos/fisiología , Estimulación Acústica , Adolescente , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Niño , Preescolar , Electroencefalografía , Potenciales Relacionados con Evento P300/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Tiempo de Reacción/fisiología , Valores de ReferenciaRESUMEN
The finding that relatives of individuals with autism show mild autistic traits is referred to as the broader autism phenotype (BAP). In the current study, 25 parents with a child with high-functioning autism and 25 parents with typically developed children were compared on: (1) the Block Design Test, (2) the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), and (3) a reaction time task to examine reflexive covert visual orienting to social (eyes) and non-social (arrows) cues. The parent groups were scored similar on the Block Design Test and the AQ. However, fathers with an autistic child demonstrated a different reaction time pattern and responded slower on the social cues than control fathers. These results partly support and further elaborate on the BAP in parents with an autistic child.
Asunto(s)
Síndrome de Asperger/genética , Trastorno Autístico/genética , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas , Padres , Fenotipo , Adolescente , Adulto , Síndrome de Asperger/diagnóstico , Atención , Trastorno Autístico/diagnóstico , Trastorno Autístico/psicología , Niño , Señales (Psicología) , Aprendizaje Discriminativo , Padre , Femenino , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad/genética , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad/psicología , Humanos , Inteligencia , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Orientación , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos , Solución de Problemas , Desempeño Psicomotor , Tiempo de Reacción , Factores Sexuales , Conducta Social , Factores Socioeconómicos , Escalas de WechslerRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The relative change in amplitude of the P50 component in response to the second click compared to the first one is commonly thought to index sensory gating. Despite numerous P50 gating studies, reports about its development are scarce. The present study examined the development and gender differences of P50 sensory gating. METHODS: A standard P50 paradigm was used to study sensory gating in adults (N=31) and in children aged 10-12 years (N=29), 8-9 years (N=26) and 5-7 years (N=26). RESULTS: The speed of processing and the frontocentral scalp distribution in P50 sensory gating are already mature at the age of 5 years. However, children of 5-7 years of age had smaller amplitudes to the first response and showed less sensory gating compared to the older age groups. No gender differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: Sensory gating matures around the age of 8 years. SIGNIFICANCE: The current data help in evaluating whether abnormal P50 sensory gating is due to maturational delay. There is no need to take into account gender differences.
Asunto(s)
Electroencefalografía , Potenciales Evocados Auditivos/fisiología , Estimulación Acústica , Adolescente , Adulto , Envejecimiento/fisiología , Niño , Preescolar , Electrooculografía , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Corteza Prefrontal/fisiología , Caracteres SexualesRESUMEN
Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs almost exclusively in females. It is characterized by a progressive loss of intellectual functioning and motor skills, and the development of stereotypic hand movements, that occur after a period of normal development. Event-related potentials were recorded to a passive auditory- and visual oddball task in 17 females with Rett syndrome aged between 2 and 60 years, and age-matched controls. Overall the participants with Rett syndrome had longer ERP latencies and smaller ERP amplitudes than the Control group suggesting slowed information processing and reduced brain activation. The Rett groups also failed to show typical developmental changes in event-related brain activity and revealed a marked decline in ERP task modulation with increasing age.
Asunto(s)
Potenciales Evocados Auditivos/fisiología , Potenciales Evocados Visuales/fisiología , Síndrome de Rett/fisiopatología , Estimulación Acústica/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Niño , Preescolar , Electroencefalografía , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estimulación Luminosa/métodos , Tiempo de Reacción/fisiologíaRESUMEN
The present study investigates visual orienting to directional cues (arrow or eyes) in adults with high functioning autism (n = 19) and age matched controls (n = 19). A choice reaction time paradigm is used in which eye- or arrow direction correctly (congruent) or incorrectly (incongruent) cues target location. In typically developing participants, the visual orienting reflex is longer for eyes than for arrows. Right side cueing, but not left side cueing, induced a congruence effect for eyes, while this effect was evident for right as well as for left side arrow cues. In participants with autism the overall visual orienting reflex was not different between arrows and eyes and no laterality effect was found for eyes cueing. These findings suggest that, instead of a specific Eye Direction Detector persons with autism might have a general 'Symbol Direction Detector'.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico , Señales (Psicología) , Fijación Ocular , Percepción Visual , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Tiempo de ReacciónRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Paternal deletion and maternal uniparental disomy are the principal genetic subtypes associated with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Recent clinical findings suggest differences in phenotype between these subtypes. The present experimental study addresses this issue using a cognitive psycho-physiological setup. METHODS: Behaviour and event-related brain activity (ERP) was recorded by a continuous performance response inhibition task (CPT-AX) in adults with paternal deletion PWS (n=11), maternal uniparental disomy PWS (n=11) and normal controls (n=11). The dependent behavioural variables of the CPT-AX task were reaction time and correct scores. For the ERPs the N200 and P300 components were included which are related to early modality-specific inhibition and late general inhibition, respectively. RESULTS: The disomy group had fewer correct scores and increased reaction times as compared to the CPT-AX task than the control and deletion group. Both PWS subgroups differed significantly from the control group for the N200 amplitude. Only the control group showed the typical task modulation for the N200 amplitude. The amplitude of the P300 component was considerably smaller in the uniparental disomy group than in the deletion and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The ERP results suggest that early modality specific inhibition is impaired in both PWS genetic subtypes. Late general inhibition is impaired in the uniparental disomy group only. Thus, although the ERP data suggests a common impairment in early visual inhibition processing, uniparental disomy and parental deletion genetic PWS subtypes clearly differ in their behavioural and brain activation phenotypes. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study is the first experimental demonstration which explains the two principal genetic mechanisms that hinder the expression of the genes at 15q11-q13g in PWS result in different behavioural phenotype.
Asunto(s)
Deleción Cromosómica , Potenciales Evocados/fisiología , Fenotipo , Síndrome de Prader-Willi/genética , Disomía Uniparental , Adulto , Análisis de Varianza , Electroencefalografía/métodos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Estimulación Luminosa/métodos , Síndrome de Prader-Willi/fisiopatología , Tiempo de Reacción/fisiología , Análisis y Desempeño de TareasRESUMEN
Adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and normal controls participated in a cognitive psychophysiology study in which event-related brain activity was recorded in a visual and auditory oddball task. In both tasks, participants were instructed to press a hand key to a target stimulus. All participants had successful task performance but persons with PWS had more target omissions than controls in the visual oddball task. The event-related brain activity in the PWS group revealed an abnormal deflation of the P3 component in both the visual and auditory oddball tasks. The findings support the notion that the auditory modality is more affected than the visual modality and of a short-term memory impairment in persons with PWS.