Typically Developing Control Group Research Articles

The production of relative clauses in Italian-speaking children with DLD

Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) have been shown to struggle with the acquisition of complex structures requiring structural embedding and movement of a sentential element from its original position. This study examines the production of subject and object relative clauses (RCs) by Italian children, investigating whether: i) seven-year-old children with DLD are impaired in embedding or movement operations; ii) specific factors, such as animacy of the arguments, affect the production of sentences with movement and embedding, iii) the linguistic profile of children with DLD is qualitatively different from that of typically developing (TD) children. We elicited the production of RCs with animate and inanimate arguments in 12 Italian-speaking children with DLD (mean age = 7;2) and in two TD control groups: age matched (AM) and language matched (LM). Children with DLD produced fewer RCs than either control group and made different errors, showing a slightly different developmental path. Animacy mismatch did not improve RC production in any group. Results suggest that seven-year-old children with DLD are in a transitional stage: they can use embedding but still have difficulties with movement operations, especially in object RCs. This indicates that the language competence of children with DLD improves with age, but long-distance dependencies continue to be challenging.

Psychological health of mothers and siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders during COVID-19 pandemic: new evidence in Italian families.

Psychological challenges are well recognized in families with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Instead, less is known about the effects of traumatic scenarios, such as COVID-19, on the psychological health of these families. The main aim of this research was to study the psychological health of both mothers and typically developing (TD) siblings of children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, we investigated the relationship between the mothers' psychological resources and their children psychological well-being. The sample included 52 mothers and their children: 15 with one child with ASD and at least one TD child (aged 4-14) (ASD-siblings group) and 37 with one or more TD child (aged 4-14) (TD control group). The data were collected through an online platform; four standardized questionnaires (GAD-7, BDI-II, CD-RISC 25 and CBCL) were administered. The analyses revealed more internalizing and total behavioral symptoms in the siblings of children with ASD, compared to TD control group. Regarding the mothers, we did not find differences in depression and anxious symptoms between the two groups. However, the results reported a lower level of resilience in the mothers of children with ASD relative to mothers of TD children. Finally, the psychological well-being of the TD children was associated with the level of mothers' anxiety only in the ASD-siblings group. Overall, our data show that the COVID-19 outbreak may had been particularly challenging for families of children with ASD, and highlight the importance of intensifying psychological support to families.

EEG Microstates as Markers for Cognitive Impairments in Fragile X Syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is one of the most common inherited causes of intellectual disabilities. While there is currently no cure for FXS, EEG is considered an important method to investigate the pathophysiology and evaluate behavioral and cognitive treatments. We conducted EEG microstate analysis to investigate resting brain dynamics in FXS participants. Resting-state recordings from 70 FXS participants and 71 chronological age-matched typically developing control (TDC) participants were used to derive microstates via modified k-means clustering. The occurrence, mean global field power (GFP), and global explained variance (GEV) of microstate C were significantly higher in the FXS group compared to the TDC group. The mean GFP was significantly negatively correlated with non-verbal IQ (NVIQ) in the FXS group, where lower NVIQ scores were associated with greater GFP. In addition, the occurrence, mean duration, mean GFP, and GEV of microstate D were significantly greater in the FXS group than the TDC group. The mean GFP and occurrence of microstate D were also correlated with individual alpha frequencies in the FXS group, where lower IAF frequencies accompanied greater microstate GFP and occurrence. Alterations in microstates C and D may be related to the two well-established cognitive characteristics of FXS, intellectual disabilities and attention impairments, suggesting that microstate parameters could serve as markers to study cognitive impairments and evaluate treatment outcomes in this population. Slowing of the alpha peak frequency and its correlation to microstate D parameters may suggest changes in thalamocortical dynamics in FXS, which could be specifically related to attention control. (250 words).

Cerebral blood flow characteristics of drug-naïve attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with social impairment: Evidence for region-symptom specificity.

Social deficits are among the most important functional impairments in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the relationship between social impairment and ADHD core symptoms as well as the underlying cerebral blood flow (CBF) characteristics remain unclear. A total of 62 ADHD subjects with social deficits (ADHD + SD), 100 ADHD subjects without social deficits (ADHD-SD) and 81 age-matched typically developing controls (TDC) were enrolled. We first examined the correlation between the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-1) and ADHD core symptoms (inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsion) and then explored categorical and dimensional ADHD-related regional CBF by arterial spin labeling (ASL). For the categorical analysis, a voxel-based comparison of CBF maps between the ADHD + SD, ADHD-SD, and TDC groups was performed. For the dimensional analysis, the whole-brain voxel-wise correlation between CBF and ADHD symptoms (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and total scores) was evaluated in three groups. Finally, correlations between the SRS-1 and ADHD-related regional CBF were investigated. We applied Gaussian random field (GRF) for the correction of multiple comparisons in imaging results (voxel-level P < 0.01, and cluster-level P < 0.05). The clinical characteristics analysis showed that social deficits positively correlated with ADHD core symptoms, especially in social communication and autistic mannerisms domains. In the categorical analysis, we found that CBF in the left middle/inferior temporal gyrus in ADHD groups was higher than TDCs and was negatively correlated with the social motivation scores. Moreover, in dimensional analysis, we found that CBF in the left middle frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with the inattention scores, SRS total scores and autistic mannerisms scores in ADHD + SD subjects. The present study shows that inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity may be responsible for the occurrence of social deficits in ADHD, with autistic traits being another significant contributing factor. Additionally, CBF in the left middle/inferior temporal gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus might represent the corresponding physiological mechanisms underlying social deficits in ADHD.

Disequilibrium in the Thioredoxin Reductase-1/Thioredoxin-1 Redox Couple Is Associated with Increased T-Cell Apoptosis in Children with Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuropsychiatric childhood disorder that affects social skill and language development, and is characterized by persistent stereotypic behaviors, restricted social interests, and impaired language/social skills. ASD subjects have dysregulated immune responses due to impairment in inflammatory and antioxidant signaling in immune cells, such as T cells. Thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR1) and thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) play a crucial role in the maintenance of redox equilibrium in several immune cells, including T cells. T-cell apoptosis plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases. However, it remains to be explored how the TrxR1/Trx1 redox couple affects T-cells apoptosis in ASD and typically developing control (TDC) groups. Therefore, this single-center cross-sectional study explored the expression/activity of TrxR1/Trx1, and Bcl2, 7-AAD/annexin V immunostaining in T cells of ASD (n = 25) and TDC (n = 22) groups. Further, effects of the LPS were determined on apoptosis in TDC and ASD T cells. Our data show that T cells have increased TrxR1 expression, while having decreased Trx1 expression in the ASD group. Further, TrxR enzymatic activity was also elevated in T cells of the ASD group. Furthermore, T cells of the ASD group had a decreased Bcl2 expression and an increased % of annexin V immunostaining. Treatment of T cells with LPS caused greater apoptosis in the ASD group than the TDC group, with same treatment. These data reveal that the redox couple TrxR1/Trx1 is dysregulated in T cells of ASD subjects, which is associated with decreased Bcl2 expression and increased apoptosis. This may lead to decreased survival of T cells in ASD subjects during chronic inflammation. Future studies should investigate environmental factors, such as gut dysbiosis and pollutants, that may cause abnormal immune responses in the T cells of ASD subjects due to chronic inflammation.

Altered white matter connectivity in children with congenital heart disease with single ventricle physiology

Children born with congenital heart disease (CHD) have seen a dramatic decrease in mortality thanks to surgical innovations. However, there are numerous risk factors associated with CHD that can disrupt neurodevelopment. Recent studies have found that psychological deficits and structural brain abnormalities persist into adulthood. The goal of the current study was to investigate white matter connectivity in early school-age children (6–11 years), born with complex cyanotic CHD (single ventricle physiology), who have undergone Fontan palliation, compared to a group of heart-healthy, typically developing controls (TPC). Additionally, we investigated associations between white matter tract connectivity and measures on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery within each group. Our results suggest CHD patients exhibit widespread decreases in white matter connectivity, and the extent of these decreases is related to performance in several cognitive domains. Analysis of network topology showed that hub distribution was more extensive and bilateral in the TPC group. Our results are consistent with previous studies suggesting perinatal ischemia leads to white matter lesions and delayed maturation.

Brain white matter microstructure abnormalities in children with optimal outcome from autism: a four-year follow-up study

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder, with only a small proportion of people obtaining optimal outcomes. We do not know if children with ASD exhibit abnormalities in the white matter (WM) microstructure or if this pattern would predict ASD prognosis in a longitudinal study. 182 children with ASD were recruited for MRI and clinical assessment; 111 completed a four-year follow-up visit (30 with optimal outcomes, ASD−; 81 with persistent diagnosis, ASD+). Additionally, 72 typically developing controls (TDC) were recruited. The microstructural integrity of WM fiber tracts was revealed using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and probabilistic tractography analyses. We examined the neuroimaging abnormality associated with ASD and its relationship to ASD with optimal outcome. The ASD+ and TDC groups were propensity score matched to the ASD− group in terms of age, gender, and IQ. TBSS indicated that children with ASD exhibited abnormalities in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and extending to the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) and cingulum; whereas the ASD+ group showed more severe abnormalities than the ASD- group. Probabilistic tractography analysis revealed that ASD+ group exhibited lower Fractional Anisotropy (FA) of the left superior thalamic radiation (STR L) than ASD− group, and that FA value of the STR L was a significant predictor of optimal outcome (EX(B), 6.25; 95% CI 2.50—15.63; p < 0.001). Children with ASD showed significant variations in SLF_L and STR_L, and STR_L was a predictor of ‘ASD with optimal outcome’. Our findings may aid in comprehension of the mechanisms of ‘ASD with optimal outcome’.

Quality of family environment predicts child perceptions of competence 12 months after pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Demographic and environmental factors can affect child recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI); however, little is known about their role in predicting child perceptions of competence (i.e., subjective judgments of ability or a sense of adequacy). This prospective, cohort study examined the contribution of participant sex, age at assessment, socioeconomic status, parent-reported change in academic performance post-injury, and the quality of a child's relationship with their family (i.e., family affective involvement, intimacy, integration, and the nature of family roles) to child perceptions of global and academic competence 12 months after pediatric TBI. Participants included 127 children, 84 with a TBI (53 mild, 31 moderate-severe TBI; injury age: 5-15 years) and 43 age-matched typically developing (TD) controls. Children rated their perceptions of global and academic competence and degree of family intimacy and integration. Parents completed questionnaires measuring socioeconomic status, family affective involvement, and the nature of family roles. Parents also indicated whether they perceived a change in their child's post-injury academic performance. Child perceptions of academic competence were significantly lower for children with moderate-severe TBI relative to TD children. In contrast, child perceptions of global competence were comparable between TBI and TD control groups. Socioeconomic status, age at assessment, parent-reported relative change in academic performance post-TBI, and family roles were associated with child perceptions of academic competence. Degree of family integration was the sole predictor of child perceptions of global competence. Child perceptions of academic competence are vulnerable to the effects of moderate-severe TBI, particularly among older children and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Well-defined family roles and greater integration of family units might enhance perceptions of global and academic competence in children with TBI.

Maladaptive Laterality in Cortical Networks Related to Social Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Neuroimaging studies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) consistently find an aberrant pattern of reduced laterality in brain networks that support functions related to social communication and language. However, it is unclear how the underlying functional organization of these brain networks is altered in ASD individuals. We tested four models of reduced laterality in a social communication network in 70 ASD individuals (14 females) and a control group of the same number of tightly matched typically developing (TD) individuals (19 females) using high-quality resting-state fMRI data and a method of measuring patterns of functional laterality across the brain. We found that a functionally defined social communication network exhibited the typical pattern of left laterality in both groups, whereas there was a significant increase in within- relative to across-hemisphere connectivity of homotopic regions in the right hemisphere in ASD individuals. Furthermore, greater within- relative to across-hemisphere connectivity in the left hemisphere was positively correlated with a measure of verbal ability in both groups, whereas greater within- relative to across-hemisphere connectivity in the right hemisphere in ASD, but not TD, individuals was negatively correlated with the same verbal measure. Crucially, these differences in patterns of laterality were not found in two other functional networks and were specifically correlated to a measure of verbal ability but not metrics of other core components of the ASD phenotype. These results suggest that previous reports of reduced laterality in social communication regions in ASD is because of the two hemispheres functioning more independently than seen in TD individuals, with the atypical right-hemisphere network component being maladaptive.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A consistent neuroimaging finding in individuals with ASD is an aberrant pattern of reduced laterality of the brain networks that support functions related to social communication and language. We tested four models of reduced laterality in a social communication network in ASD individuals and a TD control group using high-quality resting-state fMRI data. Our results suggest that reduced laterality of social communication regions in ASD may be because of the two hemispheres functioning more independently than seen in TD individuals, with atypically greater within- than across-hemisphere connectivity in the right hemisphere being maladaptive.

Aberrant intrinsic hippocampal and orbitofrontal connectivity in drug-naive adolescent patients with major depressive disorder.

Alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) have been highly implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD) and the researches have penetrated to the subregional level. However, relatively little is known about the intrinsic connectivity patterns of these two regions in adolescent MDD (aMDD), especially that of their functional subregions. Therefore, in the current study, we recruited 68 first-episode drug-naive aMDD patients and 43 matched typically developing controls (TDC) to characterize the alterations of whole-brain rsFC patterns in hippocampus and OFC at both regional and subregional levels in aMDD. The definition of specific functional subregions in hippocampus and OFC were based on the prior functional clustering-analysis results. Furthermore, the relationship between rsFC alterations and clinical features was also explored. Compared to TDC group, aMDD patients showed decreased connectivity of the left whole hippocampus with bilateral OFC and right inferior temporal gyrus at the regional level and increased connectivity between one of the right hippocampal subregions and right posterior insula at the subregional level. Reduced connectivity of OFC was only found in the subregion of left OFC with left anterior insula extending to lenticula in aMDD patients relative to TDC group. Our study identifies that the aberrant hippocampal and orbitofrontal rsFC was predominantly located in the insular cortex and could be summarized as an altered hippo-orbitofrontal-insular circuit in aMDD, which may be the unique features of brain network dysfunction in depression at this particular age stage. Moreover, we observed the distinct rsFC alterations in adolescent depression at the subregional level, especially the medial and lateral OFC.

Unique Pain Responses in Different Etiological Subgroups of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

We studied whether there exist variations in pain responses between different intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) etiologies. Self-reports and facial expressions (Facial Action Coding System = FACS) were recorded during experimental pressure stimuli and compared among 31 individuals with IDD-13 with cerebral palsy (CP), nine with Down syndrome (DS), nine with unspecified origin (UIDD)-and among 15 typically developing controls (TDCs). The CP and DS groups had higher pain ratings and FACS scores compared to the UIDD and TDC groups, and steeper stimulus-response functions. The DS group exhibited the most diverse facial expressions. There were variations in the foci of facial expressions between groups. It appears that different IDD etiologies display distinct pain responses.

Figure-Disembedding Is Inferior in Non-autistic Compared to Autistic Individuals but Can Be Improved by Training.

BackgroundFigure-disembedding is one of the most discussed visuo-cognitive functions, in which individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been reported to outperform non-autistic individuals. A local processing bias has been assumed to underlie such superior performance patterns. The aim of the current study is to investigate whether processing preferences can be modified by procedural priming.MethodThe current study used a procedural priming task (Navon figures) to induce more local or global processing in 25 autistic and 21 typically developing (TD) control participants, using hierarchical figures preceding the figure-disembedding task.ResultsParticipants with ASD outperformed non-autistic individuals in the unprimed baseline task version. The performance was not modulated by priming in either direction (toward a local or global processing style) in both groups. However, the performance of TD control participants was improved by training to the same level as that observed in the ASD group.ConclusionFigure-disembedding performance in ASD is superior to that in TD control participants and robust against procedural priming or training. In contrast, performance in the TD control group can be improved up to the level of the ASD group. Any studies reporting superiority in individuals with ASD in figure-disembedding should consider training effects when evaluating group differences.

Maltreatment history and reasons for self-injurious behavior among adolescents engaged in non-suicidal self-injury versus adolescents who attempted suicide.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a significant public health concern in the United States, especially among adolescents with histories of maltreatment. This study compared maltreatment characteristics and reasons for SIB between three homogenous samples of adolescents with either: (1) non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI); (2) suicide attempt/s (SA), and (3) typically developing controls (TDC). Participants (N=124) aged 13-17 years completed questionnaires about their maltreatment and SIB histories. Maltreatment rates were as follows: 90% NSSI group, 76% SA group, and 40% TDC group. Adolescents in the NSSI group reported significantly higher rates of emotional neglect compared to the SA group. Maltreated adolescents in the NSSI and SA groups reported the same top three SIB reasons: (1) get rid of bad feelings, (2) mental state at the time, and (3) problems with family. However, maltreated NSSI participants were significantly more likely to engage in SIB for emotion regulation reasons than maltreated SA participants, who were more likely to engage in SIB for interpersonal reasons. Physical neglect and physical abuse also arose as significant predictors of specific SIB reasons. Our findings help elucidate the maltreatment profiles and reasons for SIB among adolescents engaged in NSSI or SA. Specific maltreatment experiences may also influence the reasons why adolescents engaged in SIB.

Rat Model of Late Gestational Alcohol Exposure Produces Similar Life-Long Changes in Thalamic Nucleus Reuniens Following Moderate- Versus High-Dose Insult.

Recent studies have recognized that thalamic nucleus reuniens (Re) undergoes substantial neuron loss following alcohol exposure (AE) during the brain growth spurt (BGS). As all previous studies have utilized high-dose AE paradigms, we tested whether moderate-dose AE is capable of damaging Re to a similar degree as high-dose AE. We used a rat model of third-trimester binge AE (relative to human pregnancy) to administer ethanol to rat pups at either a high (5.25g/kg/day) or moderate (3.00g/kg/day) dose during the BGS (postnatal days [PD] 4-9) via intragastric intubation. In adulthood (i.e. PD72), we quantified the volume of Re as well as the total number of neurons and non-neuronal cells in the nucleus (which were further divided into microglia versus 'other' non-neurons), using unbiased stereological estimation of cells identified with immunofluorescent markers (i.e. nuclear label Hoechst, neuron-specific protein NeuN, and microglia-specific protein Iba1). Data were analyzed both between-treatment and correlated with peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC). We observed significant neuronal and non-neuronal cell loss in both the high-dose and moderate-dose AE groups (relative to both procedural control and typically-developing control groups), which mediated reductions in Re volume. Outcomes did not correlate with peak BAC, further supporting that Re is vulnerable to AE-induced neurodegeneration at lower doses than previously suspected. Given the role that Re has in coordinating prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, the current study highlights the role that thalamic damage may play in the range of behavioral alterations observed in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Visual attention and inhibitory control in children, teenagers and adults with autism without intellectual disability: results of oculomotor tasks from a 2-year longitudinal follow-up study (InFoR)

BackgroundInhibitory control and attention processing atypicalities are implicated in various diseases, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These cognitive functions can be tested by using visually guided saccade-based paradigms in children, adolescents and adults to determine the time course of such disorders.MethodsIn this study, using Gap, Step, Overlap and Antisaccade tasks, we analyzed the oculomotor behavior of 82 children, teenagers and adults with high functioning ASD and their peer typically developing (TD) controls in a two-year follow-up study under the auspices of the InFoR-Autism project. Analysis of correlations between oculomotors task measurements and diagnostic assessment of attentional (ADHD-RS and ADHD comorbidity indices) and executive functioning (BRIEF scales) were conducted in order to evaluate their relationship with the oculomotor performance of participants with ASD.ResultsAs indicated by the presence of a Gap and Overlap effects in all age groups, the oculomotor performances of ASD participants showed a preserved capability in overt attention switching. In contrast, the difference in performances of ASD participants in the Antisaccade task, compared to their TD peers, indicated an atypical development of inhibition and executive functions. From correlation analysis between our oculomotor data and ADHD comorbidity index, and scores of attention and executive function difficulties, our findings support the hypothesis that a specific dysfunction of inhibition skills occurs in ASD participants that is independent of the presence of ADHD comorbidity.LimitationsThese include the relatively small sample size of the ASD group over the study’s two-year period, the absence of an ADHD-only control group and the evaluation of a TD control group solely at the study’s inception.ConclusionsChildren and teenagers with ASD have greater difficulty in attention switching and inhibiting prepotent stimuli. Adults with ASD can overcome these difficulties, but, similar to teenagers and children with ASD, they make more erroneous and anticipatory saccades and display a greater trial-to-trial variability in all oculomotor tasks compared to their peers. Our results are indicative of a developmental delay in the maturation of executive and attentional functioning in ASD and of a specific impairment in inhibitory control.

Pain Behavior of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Coded with the New PAIC-15 and Validation of Its Arabic Translation.

Pain management necessitates assessment of pain; the gold standard being self-report. Among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), self-report may be limited and therefore indirect methods for pain assessment are required. A new, internationally agreed upon and user-friendly observational tool was recently published—the Pain Assessment in Impaired Cognition (PAIC-15). The current study’s aims were: to test the use of the PAIC-15 in assessing pain among people with IDD and to translate the PAIC-15 into Arabic for dissemination among Arabic-speaking professionals. Pain behavior following experimental pressure stimuli was analyzed among 30 individuals with IDD and 15 typically developing controls (TDCs). Translation of the PAIC followed the forward–backward approach; and reliability between the two versions and between raters was calculated. Observational scores with the PAIC-15 exhibited a stimulus–response relationship with pressure stimulation. Those of the IDD group were greater than those of the TDC group. The overall agreement between the English and Arabic versions was high (ICC = 0.89); single items exhibited moderate to high agreement levels. Inter-rater reliability was high (ICC = 0.92). Both versions of the PAIC-15 are feasible and reliable tools to record pain behavior in individuals with IDD. Future studies using these tools in clinical settings are warranted.

Analysis of Brain Functional Connectivity Neural Circuits in Children With Autism Based on Persistent Homology

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder with a complex and unknown etiology. Statistics demonstrate that the number of people diagnosed with ASD is increasing in countries around the world. Currently, although many neuroimaging studies indicate that ASD is characterized by abnormal functional connectivity (FC) patterns within brain networks rather than local functional or structural abnormalities, the FC characteristics of ASD are still poorly understood. In this study, a Vietoris-Rips (VR) complex filtration model of the brain functional network was established by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of children aged 6–13 years old [including 54 ASD patients and 52 typical development (TD) controls] from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) public database. VR complex filtration barcodes are calculated by using persistent homology to describe the changes in the FC neural circuits of brain networks. The number of FC neural circuits with different length ranges at different threshold values is calculated by using the barcodes, the different brain regions participating in FC neural circuits are discussed, and the connectivity characteristics of brain FC neural circuits in the two groups are compared and analyzed. Our results show that the number of FC neural circuits with lengths of 8–12 is significantly decreased in the ASD group compared with the TD control group at threshold values of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9, and there is no significant difference in the number of FC neural circuits with lengths of 4–7 and 13–16 and lengths 16. When the thresholds are 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9, the number of FC neural circuits in some brain regions, such as the right orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus, the left supplementary motor area, the left hippocampus, and the right caudate nucleus, involved in the study is significantly decreased in the ASD group compared with the TD control group. The results of this study indicate that there are significant differences in the FC neural circuits of brain networks in the ASD group compared with the TD control group.

Differential Recruitment of Brain Networks in the Gambling Task

Although accumulating neuroimaging studies have reported that social behavior deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are commonly attributed to the dysfunction of social brain regions underlying social cognition, the dynamic interaction within the social brain network and its association with social deficits remain unclear. Here, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (I and II) were analyzed in 105 children with ASD and 102 demographically matched typically developing controls (TDCs) (age range: 7–12 years old). Term-based meta-analysis combined the prior reference and anatomical labeling were used to define the regions of interests of the social brain network, and multivariate Granger causality analysis with blind deconvolution was employed to assess the effective connectivity within the social brain network in the ASD and TDC groups. Between-group comparison revealed significantly attenuated effective connectivity from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the bilateral amygdala in children with the ASD group compared with TDC group. In addition, raw values of the effective connectivity from the mPFC to the bilateral amygdala were used to predict social deficits in ASD. Our findings indicate the impaired mPFC–amygdala pathway and its association with social deficits in children with ASD and provide a new perspective into the neuropathology of the developing autistic brain.

Attenuated link between the medial prefrontal cortex and the amygdala in children with autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from effective connectivity within the “social brain”

Although accumulating neuroimaging studies have reported that social behavior deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are commonly attributed to the dysfunction of social brain regions underlying social cognition, the dynamic interaction within the social brain network and its association with social deficits remain unclear. Here, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (I and II) were analyzed in 105 children with ASD and 102 demographically matched typically developing controls (TDCs) (age range: 7–12 years old). Term-based meta-analysis combined the prior reference and anatomical labeling were used to define the regions of interests of the social brain network, and multivariate Granger causality analysis with blind deconvolution was employed to assess the effective connectivity within the social brain network in the ASD and TDC groups. Between-group comparison revealed significantly attenuated effective connectivity from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the bilateral amygdala in children with the ASD group compared with TDC group. In addition, raw values of the effective connectivity from the mPFC to the bilateral amygdala were used to predict social deficits in ASD. Our findings indicate the impaired mPFC–amygdala pathway and its association with social deficits in children with ASD and provide a new perspective into the neuropathology of the developing autistic brain.

Sleep Disturbances in Young Adults with Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: Relationship with Fatigue, Depression, and Quality of Life

ABSTRACT Objective This study assessed the consequences of childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) on sleep, fatigue, depression, and quality of life (QoL) outcomes and explored the relationships between these variables at 20 years following childhood TBI. Participants We followed up 54 young adults with mild, moderate, and severe TBI, and 13 typically developing control (TDC) participants, recruited at the time of TBI. Methods Sleep was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and actigraphy. Results At 20 years postinjury, results showed no significant difference between whole TBI group and TDC participants on subjective sleep quality; however, the moderate TBI group reported significantly poorer subjective sleep quality compared to those with severe TBI. Poorer subjective sleep was associated with increased symptoms of fatigue, depression, and poorer perceptions of General Health in the TBI group. Actigraphic sleep efficiency, fatigue, depression, and QoL outcomes were not significantly different between TBI and TDC or among TBI severity groups. Conclusions These preliminary findings underscore associations between subjective sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression, and QoL in this TBI sample, and mostly comparable outcomes in sleep, fatigue, depression, and QoL between the TBI and TDC groups. Further research is required to clarify these findings.