High-functioning Adults Research Articles

The influence of presentation modality on the social comprehension of naturalistic scenes in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

The comprehension of dynamically unfolding social situations is made possible by the seamless integration of multimodal information merged with rich intuitions about the thoughts and behaviors of others. We examined how high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder and neurotypical controls made a complex social judgment (i.e. rating the social awkwardness of scenes from a television sitcom) across three conditions that manipulated presentation modality-visual alone, transcribed text alone, or visual and auditory together. The autism spectrum disorder and control groups collectively assigned similar mean awkwardness ratings to individual scenes. However, individual participants with autism spectrum disorder tended to respond more idiosyncratically than controls, assigning ratings that were less correlated with the ratings of the other participants in the sample. We found no evidence that this group difference was isolated to any specific presentation modality. In a comparison condition, we found no group differences when participants instead rated the happiness of characters (a more basic social judgment) in full audiovisual format. Thus, although we observed differences in the manner with which high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder make social judgments compared to controls, these group differences may be dependent on the social dimension being judged, rather than the specific modality of presentation.

A Single Dose, Randomized, Controlled Proof-Of-Mechanism Study of a Novel Vasopressin 1a Receptor Antagonist (RG7713) in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include impaired social communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. No effective pharmacotherapy for these core deficits exists. Within the domain of social communication, the vasopressin system is implicated in social cognition and social signaling deficits of ASD, and represents a potential therapeutic target. We assessed the effects of a single 20 mg intravenous dose of the arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (V1a) antagonist, RG7713, on exploratory biomarkers (eye tracking), behavioral and clinical measures of social cognition and communication (affective speech recognition (ASR), reading the mind in the eyes, olfactory identification, scripted interaction), and safety and tolerability in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of 19 high-functioning adult male subjects with DSM-IV Autistic Disorder (age 18–45 years; full scale IQ >70; ABC-Irritability subscale ⩽13). Eye-tracking showed an increase in biological motion orienting preference with RG7713 (ES=0.8, p=0.047) and a non-significant improvement in the composite score (ES=0.2, p=0.29). RG7713 reduced ability to detect lust (ES=−0.8, p=0.03) and fear (ES=−0.7, p=0.07) in ASR. However, when all eight individual emotion subscales were combined into an overall ASR performance score, the reduction was non-significant (ES=−0.1, p=0.59). Thirteen adverse events were reported in 10 subjects; all were of mild (11/13) or moderate (2/13) severity. Although interpretation should be cautious due to multiple comparisons and small sample size, these results provide preliminary evidence from experimental and behavioral biomarkers, that blockade of the V1a receptor may improve social communication in adults with high-functioning ASD. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01474278 A Study of RO5028442 in Adult Male High-Functioning Autistic Patients. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01474278

Altered effects of perspective-taking on functional connectivity during self- and other-referential processing in adults with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACTIn interactive social situations, it is often crucial to be able to take another person’s perspective when evaluating one’s own or another person’s specific trait; individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) critically lack this social skill. To examine how perspective-dependent self- and other-evaluation processes modulate functional connectivity in ASD, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in which 26 high-functioning adults with ASD and 24 typically developed (TD) controls were asked to decide whether an adjective describing a personality trait correctly described the participant himself/herself (“self”) or the participant’s mother (“other”) by taking either the first (1P) or third person (3P) perspective. We observed that functional connectivity between the left sensorimotor cortex and the left middle cingulate cortex was enhanced in TD control individuals taking the 3P perspective, this enhancement was significantly reduced in ASD, and the degree of reduction was significantly correlated with the severity of autistic traits. Furthermore, the self-reference effect on functional connectivity between the left inferior frontal cortex and frontopolar cortices was significantly enhanced in TD control individuals taking the 3P perspective, whereas such effect was reversed in ASD. These findings indicate altered effects of perspective on the functional connectivity, which may underlie the deficits in social interaction and communication observed in individuals with ASD.

Neuroanatomical Alterations in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental condition, affecting cognition and behavior throughout the life span. With recent advances in neuroimaging techniques and analytical approaches, a considerable effort has been directed toward identifying the neuroanatomical underpinnings of ASD. While gray-matter abnormalities have been found throughout cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions of affected individuals, there is currently little consistency across findings, partly due to small sample-sizes and great heterogeneity among participants in previous studies. Here, we report voxel-based morphometry of structural magnetic resonance images in a relatively large sample of high-functioning adults with ASD (n = 66) and matched typically-developing controls (n = 66) drawn from multiple studies. We found decreased gray-matter volume in posterior brain regions, including the posterior hippocampus and cuneus, as well as increased gray-matter volume in frontal brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex, superior and inferior frontal gyri, and middle temporal gyrus in individuals with ASD. We discuss our results in relation to findings obtained in previous studies, as well as their potential clinical implications.

Preserved face inversion effects in adults with autism spectrum disorder: an event-related potential study.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are impaired in face recognition and emotional expression identification. According to current models, there are at least three levels of face processing: first order (two eyes, above a nose, which is above a mouth), second order (the relative distance between features), and holistic (ability to recognize as faces images that lack distinctive facial features). Some studies have reported deficits in configural and holistic processing in individuals with ASD. We investigated the neural correlates of these phenomena by measuring event-related potentials in high-functioning adults with ASD and healthy controls, during a face decision task, using a comprehensive set of photographic, schematic and Mooney upright and inverted faces, and scrambled images. Behaviorally, ASD and healthy controls were performance matched. At the electrophysiological level, individuals with ASD showed a bilateral N170 inversion effect in latency and left lateralized in amplitude for photographic faces, with bilaterally longer latencies and left higher amplitudes (more negative) N170 for inverted than upright photographic faces, and a right lateralized N170 inversion effect in latency for schematic faces. We conclude that under performance-matched conditions, adults with ASD show preserved N170 inversion effects and associated sparing of facial configural processing. An oral presentation of this work can be consulted using the following link, Supplemental digital content 1, http://links.lww.com/WNR/A382.

Romantic Relationships and Relationship Satisfaction Among Adults With Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulties in maintaining romantic relationships. In this study high-functioning adults with ASD were examined concerning their romantic relationship interest and experience. Participants, 31 recruited via an outpatient clinic and 198 via an online survey, were asked to answer a number of self-report questionnaires. The total sample comprised 229 high-functioning adults with ASD (40% males, average age: 35 years). Of the total sample, 73% indicated romantic relationship experience and only 7% had no desire to be in a romantic relationship. ASD individuals whose partner was also on the autism spectrum were significantly more satisfied with their relationship than those with neurotypical partners. Severity of autism, schizoid symptoms, empathy skills, and need for social support were not correlated with relationship status. Our findings indicate that the vast majority of high-functioning adults with ASD are interested in romantic relationships.

Reduced Volume of the Arcuate Fasciculus in Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions.

Atypical language is a fundamental feature of autism spectrum conditions (ASC), but few studies have examined the structural integrity of the arcuate fasciculus, the major white matter tract connecting frontal and temporal language regions, which is usually implicated as the main transfer route used in processing linguistic information by the brain. Abnormalities in the arcuate have been reported in young children with ASC, mostly in low-functioning or non-verbal individuals, but little is known regarding the structural properties of the arcuate in adults with ASC or, in particular, in individuals with ASC who have intact language, such as those with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. We used probabilistic tractography of diffusion-weighted imaging to isolate and scrutinize the arcuate in a mixed-gender sample of 18 high-functioning adults with ASC (17 Asperger syndrome) and 14 age- and IQ-matched typically developing controls. Arcuate volume was significantly reduced bilaterally with clearest differences in the right hemisphere. This finding remained significant in an analysis of all male participants alone. Volumetric reduction in the arcuate was significantly correlated with the severity of autistic symptoms as measured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. These data reveal that structural differences are present even in high-functioning adults with ASC, who presented with no clinically manifest language deficits and had no reported developmental language delay. Arcuate structural integrity may be useful as an index of ASC severity and thus as a predictor and biomarker for ASC. Implications for future research are discussed.

Lower gray matter integrity is associated with greater lap time variation in high-functioning older adults

BackgroundLower integrity of cerebral gray matter is associated with higher gait variability. It is not known whether gray matter integrity is associated with higher lap time variation (LTV), a clinically accessible measure of gait variability, high levels of which have been associated with mortality. This study examines the cross-sectional association between gray matter mean diffusivity (MD) and LTV in community-dwelling older adults. MethodsStudy participants consisted of 449 high-functioning adults aged 50 and older (56.8% female) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, free of overt neurological disease. The magnitude of MD in the gray matter, a measure of impaired tissue integrity, was assessed by diffusion tensor imaging in 16 regions of interest (ROIs) involved with executive function, sensorimotor function, and memory. LTV was assessed as variability in lap time based on individual trajectories over ten 40-m laps. Age, sex, height, and weight were covariates. The model additionally adjusted for mean lap time and health conditions that may affect LTV. ResultsHigher levels of average MD across 16 ROIs were significantly associated with higher LTV after adjustment for covariates. Specifically, higher MD in the precuneus and the anterior and middle cingulate cortices was strongly associated with higher LTV, as compared to other ROIs. The association persisted after adjustment for mean lap time, hypertension, and diabetes. ConclusionsLower gray matter integrity in selected areas may underlie greater LTV in high-functioning community-dwelling older adults. Longitudinal studies are warranted to examine whether changes in gray matter integrity precede more variable gait.

Independence of Hot and Cold Executive Function Deficits in High-Functioning Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Individuals with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) display diverse deficits in social, cognitive and behavioral functioning. To date, there has been mixed findings on the profile of executive function deficits for high-functioning adults (IQ > 70) with ASD. A conceptual distinction is commonly made between “cold” and “hot” executive functions. Cold executive functions refer to mechanistic higher-order cognitive operations (e.g., working memory), whereas hot executive functions entail cognitive abilities supported by emotional awareness and social perception (e.g., social cognition). This study aimed to determine the independence of deficits in hot and cold executive functions for high-functioning adults with ASD. Forty-two adults with ASD (64% male, aged 18–66 years) and 40 age and gender matched controls were administered The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT; emotion recognition and social inference), Letter Number Sequencing (working memory) and Hayling Sentence Completion Test (response initiation and suppression). Between-group analyses identified that the ASD group performed significantly worse than matched controls on all measures of cold and hot executive functions (d = 0.54 − 1.5). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the ASD sample performed more poorly on emotion recognition and social inference tasks than matched controls after controlling for cold executive functions and employment status. The findings also indicated that the ability to recognize emotions and make social inferences was supported by working memory and response initiation and suppression processes. Overall, this study supports the distinction between hot and cold executive function impairments for adults with ASD. Moreover, it advances understanding of higher-order impairments underlying social interaction difficulties for this population which, in turn, may assist with diagnosis and inform intervention programs.

Biochemistry of the cingulate cortex in autism: An MR spectroscopy study.

Neuroimaging studies have uncovered structural and functional alterations in the cingulate cortex in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Such abnormalities may underlie neurochemical imbalance. In order to characterize the neurochemical profile, the current study examined the concentration of brain metabolites in dorsal ACC (dACC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in high-functioning adults with ASD. Twenty high-functioning adults with ASD and 20 age-and-IQ-matched typically developing (TD) peers participated in this Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) study. LCModel was used in analyzing the spectra to measure the levels of N-Acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and glutamate/glutamine (Glx) in dACC and PCC. Groups were compared using means for the ratio of each metabolite to their respective Cr levels as well as on absolute internal-water-referenced measures of each metabolite. There was a significant increase in Cho in PCC for ASD adults, with a marginal increase in dACC. A reduction in NAA/Cr in dACC was found in ASD participants, compared to their TD peers. No significant differences in Glx/Cr or Cho/Cr were found in dACC. There were no statistically significant group differences in the absolute concentration of NAA, Cr, Glx, or NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, and Glx/Cr in the PCC. Differences in the metabolic properties of dACC compared to PCC were also found. Results of this study provide evidence for possible cellular and metabolic differences in the dACC and PCC in adults with ASD. This may suggest neuronal dysfunction in these regions and may contribute to the neuropathology of ASD. Autism Res 2016, 9: 643-657. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Atypical Neural Activity in Males But Not Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPj) are highly involved in social understanding, a core area of impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used fMRI to investigate sex differences in the neural correlates of social understanding in 27 high-functioning adults with ASD and 23 matched controls. There were no differences in neural activity in the mPFC or rTPj between groups during social processing. Whole brain analysis revealed decreased activity in the posterior superior temporal sulcus in males with ASD compared to control males while processing social information. This pattern was not observed in the female sub-sample. The current study indicates that sex mediates the neurobiology of ASD, particularly with respect to processing social information.

Noticing the unusual: a self-prompt strategy for adults with autism

Purpose – There is a substantial lack of research focusing on how to support the social understanding of high-functioning adults with autism (HFA). The perspectives of three adults with HFA were used to develop and implement self-prompt systems to increase knowledge and awareness of social situations. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews and diaries were used to support individuals to reflect on video-based and real-life social situations, within a qualitative participatory case study design. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings – Participants developed and used a self-prompt system to support their social understanding in a range of situations. “Noticing the unusual” in social situations, consideration of the potential impact of others’ behavior on them personally, and guessing the intention of others were identified as useful strategies. Basing social judgments on the facial expressions of others was not useful. Research limitations/implications – This was a small-scale study with only three high-functioning participants and so the research needs to be extended to a wider group. Practical implications – There is considerable potential for this approach to be used with adults accessing support services because the strategies identified can be easily applied and personalized. Social implications – Independent, unplanned use of the self-prompt strategy enabled participants to reduce dependence on others in social situations through supporting their independent thinking and actions. Originality/value – This study moves away from a deficit-focussed model of intervention to one that seeks to uncover strengths in order to empower individuals to use their existing knowledge.

Diminished neural adaptation during implicit learning in autism

Neuroimaging studies have shown evidence of disrupted neural adaptation during learning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in several types of tasks, potentially stemming from frontal-posterior cortical underconnectivity (Schipul et al., 2012). The aim of the current study was to examine neural adaptations in an implicit learning task that entails participation of frontal and posterior regions. Sixteen high-functioning adults with ASD and sixteen neurotypical control participants were trained on and performed an implicit dot pattern prototype learning task in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session. During the preliminary exposure to the type of implicit prototype learning task later to be used in the scanner, the ASD participants took longer than the neurotypical group to learn the task, demonstrating altered implicit learning in ASD. After equating task structure learning, the two groups' brain activation differed during their learning of a new prototype in the subsequent scanning session. The main findings indicated that neural adaptations in a distributed task network were reduced in the ASD group, relative to the neurotypical group, and were related to ASD symptom severity. Functional connectivity was reduced and did not change as much during learning for the ASD group, and was related to ASD symptom severity. These findings suggest that individuals with ASD show altered neural adaptations during learning, as seen in both activation and functional connectivity measures. This finding suggests why many real-world implicit learning situations may pose special challenges for ASD.

Atypical delayed auditory feedback effect and Lombard effect on speech production in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show impaired social interaction and communication, which may be related to their difficulties in speech production. To investigate the mechanisms of atypical speech production in this population, we examined feedback control by delaying the auditory feedback of their own speech, which degraded speech fluency. We also examined feedforward control by adding loud pink noise to the auditory feedback, which led to increased vocal effort in producing speech. The results of Japanese speakers show that, compared with neurotypical (NT) individuals, high-functioning adults with ASD (including Asperger’s disorder, autistic disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified) were more affected by delayed auditory feedback but less affected by external noise. These findings indicate that, in contrast to NT individuals, those with ASD relied more on feedback control than on feedforward control in speech production, which is consistent with the hypothesis that this population exhibits attenuated Bayesian priors.

Implicit Social Biases in People With Autism

Implicit social biases are ubiquitous and are known to influence social behavior. A core diagnostic criterion of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is abnormal social behavior. We investigated the extent to which individuals with ASD might show a specific attenuation of implicit social biases, using Implicit Association Tests (IATs) involving social (gender, race) and nonsocial (nature, shoes) categories. High-functioning adults with ASD showed intact but reduced IAT effects relative to healthy control participants. We observed no selective attenuation of implicit social (vs. nonsocial) biases in our ASD population. To extend these results, we supplemented our healthy control data with data collected from a large online sample from the general population and explored correlations between autistic traits and IAT effects. We observed no systematic relationship between autistic traits and implicit social biases in our online and control samples. Taken together, these results suggest that implicit social biases, as measured by the IAT, are largely intact in ASD.

The STEP model: Characterizing simultaneous time effects on practice for flight simulator performance among middle-aged and older pilots.

Understanding the possible effects of the number of practice sessions (practice) and time between practice sessions (interval) among middle-aged and older adults in real-world tasks has important implications for skill maintenance. Prior training and cognitive ability may impact practice and interval effects on real-world tasks. In this study, we took advantage of existing practice data from 5 simulated flights among 263 middle-aged and older pilots with varying levels of flight expertise (defined by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration proficiency ratings). We developed a new Simultaneous Time Effects on Practice (STEP) model: (a) to model the simultaneous effects of practice and interval on performance of the 5 flights, and (b) to examine the effects of selected covariates (i.e., age, flight expertise, and 3 composite measures of cognitive ability). The STEP model demonstrated consistent positive practice effects, negative interval effects, and predicted covariate effects. Age negatively moderated the beneficial effects of practice. Additionally, cognitive processing speed and intraindividual variability (IIV) in processing speed moderated the benefits of practice and/or the negative influence of interval for particular flight performance measures. Expertise did not interact with practice or interval. Results indicated that practice and interval effects occur in simulated flight tasks. However, processing speed and IIV may influence these effects, even among high-functioning adults. Results have implications for the design and assessment of training interventions targeted at middle-aged and older adults for complex real-world tasks.

Reduced Efficiency and Capacity of Cognitive Control in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Cognitive control constrains mental operations to prioritize information that reaches conscious awareness and is essential to flexible, adaptive behavior under conditions of uncertainty. Cognitive control can be compromised by neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is characterized by the presence of social and communicative deficits, and restricted interests/repetitive behaviors. Although prior investigations have attempted to elucidate the nature of cognitive control in ASD, whether there is an underlying information processing deficit associated with cognitive control remains unclear. This study challenged cognitive control in 15 high-functioning adults with ASD and 15 typically developing (TD) controls using three novel tasks designed to systematically manipulate uncertainty. We aimed to investigate the efficiency of cognitive control in sequential information processing, cognitive control of nonsequential information processing across a range of cognitive loads and cognitive control capacity under time constraint. Results demonstrated that the ASD group performed less efficiently on sequential and nonsequential information processing, and had reduced cognitive control capacity under time constraint relative to the TD group. These findings suggest that inefficient cognitive control of information processing may be a fundamental deficit in ASD.

Dance mobility: a somatic and dance programme for older adults in New Zealand

This article describes the significance of Dance Mobility™, a new community dance programme that follows a New Zealand partnership research project, designed for older adults with diverse motor skill levels and dance experiences. The programme includes high-functioning older adults, some with sensory or balance impairments and others with Parkinson's disease. We discuss the benefits and challenges of facilitating a once-weekly dance practice model and the ways the programme affects individuals’ sensorial states of well-being and awareness. Somatic practices are introduced as integral to Dance Mobility™ teaching methods and dance activities. We include observations and comparisons with dance embodiment theories, cross-disciplinary goals of gerontology and exercise science/rehabilitation research to debate benefits and limitations of dance for older adults, and adaptive methods of the Dance Mobility™ approach. Somatic research is needed to build evidence-based conclusions that advance older adults’ feelings of well-being and safeguard their motivations to continue moving freely.

Autonomic and brain responses associated with empathy deficits in autism spectrum disorder.

Accumulating evidence suggests that autonomic signals and their cortical representations are closely linked to emotional processes, and that related abnormalities could lead to social deficits. Although socio‐emotional impairments are a defining feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), empirical evidence directly supporting the link between autonomic, cortical, and socio‐emotional abnormalities in ASD is still lacking. In this study, we examined autonomic arousal indexed by skin conductance responses (SCR), concurrent cortical responses measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging, and effective brain connectivity estimated by dynamic causal modeling in seventeen unmedicated high‐functioning adults with ASD and seventeen matched controls while they performed an empathy‐for‐pain task. Compared to controls, adults with ASD showed enhanced SCR related to empathetic pain, along with increased neural activity in the anterior insular cortex, although their behavioral empathetic pain discriminability was reduced and overall SCR was decreased. ASD individuals also showed enhanced correlation between SCR and neural activities in the anterior insular cortex. Importantly, significant group differences in effective brain connectivity were limited to greater reduction in the negative intrinsic connectivity of the anterior insular cortex in the ASD group, indicating a failure in attenuating anterior insular responses to empathetic pain. These results suggest that aberrant interoceptive precision, as indexed by abnormalities in autonomic activity and its central representations, may underlie empathy deficits in ASD. Hum Brain Mapp 36:3323–3338, 2015. © 2015 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published byWiley Periodicals, Inc.

Basis of Inability to Regulate Emotions in Autism Identified

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical and Research NewsFull AccessBasis of Inability to Regulate Emotions in Autism IdentifiedNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:20 Mar 2015https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2015.3a6AbstractYoung adults with autism spectrum disorder show differing brain activity from controls when trying to change their emotional perceptions of facial images.While impaired social skills, communication difficulties, and repetitive behaviors are the core features used to diagnose someone as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many parents and clinicians would say that emotional deficits such as irritability, tantrums, and aggressive behavior are also real elements of concern.Emotional outbursts like tantrums are the leading contributors to stress among parents of ASD children and are the most common reason parents seek professional treatment. The only two Food and Drug Administration–approved drugs for autism—risperidone and aripiprazole—are prescribed to treat irritability.The question at large is how two areas of deficiency—sociocommunication and emotion—overlap. Do children with ASD throw a tantrum as a result of frustrations at being unable to adequately express themselves?New findings using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) suggest that the problems with emotional regulation in ASD lie deeper. When comparing fMRI scans of 15 young adults with ASD and 15 matched controls, the study found that the brain activity of the ASD subjects was different when trying to change their emotional perception of an image.The tests carried out are known as cognitive reappraisals; after seeing an image of a face, the participants were given instructions to either “think positive” or “think negative,” which may or may not be in tune with the facial expression. As lead author Gabriel Dichter, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, told Psychiatric News, “Cognitive reappraisal measures one’s ability to take a deep breath following an emotional stimulus, as it were, and refrain from reacting inappropriately.“With fMRI, we’ve now seen that the difficulties in emotion regulation observed in people with autism have a biological basis.”Specifically, the images revealed that subjects in the ASD group had a decreased capacity to upregulate activity in the nucleus accumbens brain region when instructed to think more positively and had a decreased ability to downregulate activity in the amygdala when asked to think negatively. There were also deficits in activity in the prefrontal cortex during both regulatory conditions.Moreover, the degree to which brain activity was deficient correlated with the severity of the individual’s autism, Dichter noted.These differences were evident only in the imaging data. The ASD participants had the same subjective ratings of the faces as controls did—they could distinguish “happy,” and both groups spent the same amount of time looking at and thinking about the faces, as measured by eye trackers and pupil dilation.“This is a very good pilot study that arrives at an opportune time as clinicians have become more cognizant of how strongly emotional regulation can determine long-term independence and well-being in people with ASD,” said Antonio Hardan, M.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University Medical Center and director of the center’s Autism and Developmental Disorders Clinic. “The participants were all high-functioning adults with ASD, though, and it is important to test if these results are generalizable to the larger spectrum, especially those who have more severe autism.” As for the possibility that emotional regulation problems might be a core deficiency in ASD, Hardan noted these findings were intriguing. Nonetheless, “we need to determine if the same pathophysiology that leads to the social and communication deficits also leads to the emotional deficits, and the science is not there yet.”On a practical level, identifiable brain changes do provide a target for examining the emotional state of someone with ASD, which could be very useful in future clinical work.“A big issue in autism clinical studies is obtaining personal insight,” Dichter explained. “Unlike a depression study, where you can ask people about their mood, people with autism often have difficulty reporting how they feel. Now with fMRI we have a way to bypass those communication difficulties and look at emotional activity right at the source.”This study was published online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders as part of a special issue on emotion regulation. Funding was provided by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. ■An abstract of “Neural Mechanisms of Emotion Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder” can be accessed here. ISSUES NewArchived