Neurophysiological and Behavioral Correlates of Sensory and Communication Dysfunction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

项目总结/摘要 自自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的第一次报告以来，已经描述了感觉异常。 这种感觉功能障碍现在被认为是ASD的核心症状，并且有可能非常严重。 削弱并阻碍这一人群的沟通技能的发展。然而，尽管有这些事实， 关于异常感觉处理的潜在机制及其具体机制， 影响社会沟通。需要调查感觉异常的根源及其 现实世界的后果是巨大的，因为在这些领域增加知识可能会导致可观的 改善患者的生活。感觉相关大脑皮层的感觉处理异常， 超模态神经生理过程，如预测感觉事件的能力下降，可能是 对感官刺激的厌恶反应和交流障碍。小脑与 在ASD中反复出现，与皮质感觉系统高度相关，在 感觉输入和语言处理的预测。因此，本建议旨在审查 ASD患者的感觉网络、小脑和语言网络的连通性及其 与感觉反应、感觉预测和社会交流的行为测量的联系。本 最后，首先，我们将评估上述网络的静息状态功能连接，以及它与 在一个大型的、先前收集的、开放的数据库中对社会交往的行为测量 ASD患者（n = 83; ABIDE II数据库）。我们还将招募30名被诊断为ASD的儿童， 年龄在6 - 11岁之间，年龄和性别匹配的对照组（n = 30）， 孩子这些参与者将接受静息状态fMRI扫描和行为测试，包括 感官反应、感官预测和社会交流的测量。静息态功能 感觉网络内部以及这些网络、小脑和社交网络之间的连接 通信网络将被计算并与行为测量的结果相关联。我们假设 感觉皮层会显示出增强的局部连通性，这表明这些皮层的活动增强了。 此外，我们的假设认为，小脑和社会沟通网络将是低连接的， 感觉皮层这样的结果与之前发现的长距离连接性下降是一致的 在ASD中，可能反映了感觉预测能力的可能缺陷，以及 异常的感觉处理和交流最后，我们预测，观察到的功能的变化， 连通性将与行为测量的分数显著相关。拟议研究的结果 有可能导致治疗目标的识别，并加强临床诊断/亚 分类方法

Project Summary/Abstract Sensory abnormalities have been described since the first reports of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This sensory dysfunction is now recognized as a core symptom of ASD and has the potential to be extremely debilitating and hinder the development of communication skills in this population. Yet, despite these facts, relatively little is known about the underlying mechanisms of abnormal sensory processing and its specific impacts on social communication. The need for investigation into the roots of sensory abnormalities and their real-world consequences is great, in that increased knowledge in these areas could lead to appreciable improvements in patients’ lives. Abnormal sensory processing in sensory-related cerebral cortex as well as supramodal neurophysiologic processes, such as decreased ability to predict sensory events, may underlie both aversive reactions to sensory stimuli and communication deficits. The cerebellum has been implicated repeatedly in ASD, is highly connected to the cortical sensory systems, and plays an important role in prediction of sensory input and language processing. Therefore, this proposal aims to examine the functional connectivity of sensory networks, the cerebellum, and language networks in individuals with ASD and its connection to behavioral measures of sensory reactivity, sensory prediction, and social communication. To this end, first, we will evaluate the resting state functional connectivity of the above networks, and its connection to behavioral measures of social communication in a large, previously collected, and openly-available database of individuals with ASD (n = 83; ABIDE II database). We will also recruit 30 children with diagnosed ASD between the ages of 6-11, and an age- and gender-matched control group (n=30) of typically developing children. These participants will each undergo a resting state fMRI scan and behavioral testing—including measures of sensory reactivity, sensory prediction, and social communication. Resting state functional connectivity within sensory networks and between these networks, the cerebellum, and a social communication network will be calculated and correlated with results on behavioral measures. We hypothesize that sensory cortices will show increased local connectivity, suggesting intensified activity in these cortices. Also, our hypothesis holds that the cerebellum and social communication network will be hypo-connected with sensory cortices. Such results would be consistent with previous findings of decreased long-range connectivity in ASD, and could reflect possible deficiencies in sensory prediction capability, as well as a link between abnormal sensory processing and communication. Finally, we project that the variation in observed functional connectivity will be significantly associated with scores on behavioral measures. Results of the proposed study have the potential to lead to identification of treatment targets and enhance clinical diagnostic / sub- classification methods.