Quantitative Measurements of Cortical Excitability in Neurodevelopmental Disorder

 描述（由申请人提供）：神经发育障碍，如自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）和注意缺陷多动障碍（ADHD），其特征在于基线皮质兴奋性的异常，认为这是由兴奋和抑制之间的异常、系统范围的平衡引起的。越来越多的证据表明，皮质兴奋性的基线与感觉系统的异常有关。表现为对感觉刺激的过度反应和低反应，以及在大多数神经发育障碍包括ASD和ADHD中癫痫样EEG活动的高患病率。感觉系统依赖于一组特征良好的机制网络，其功能直接取决于兴奋和抑制的精确平衡。本研究的目的是使用感觉诱发反应作为一种手段，以定量评估基线皮质兴奋性在两种常见的神经发育障碍，ASD和ADHD。这些测量将通过稳态视觉和听觉诱发电位进行。将电生理学测量的感觉反应模式与通过充分表征的父母问卷和检查员管理的表现评估测量的行为超敏/低敏模式进行比较。这些测量将从40名ASD儿童，40名ADHD儿童和40名匹配的对照组中获得。该项目的直接目标是确定感觉诱发电位的特定模式是否与受干扰的感觉处理的行为指数相关。这项建议的长期目标是开发敏感和客观的皮质兴奋性的措施，用于分类神经发育障碍。检测和量化婴儿期和儿童早期皮质兴奋性的潜在变化的能力将在常见神经发育障碍的诊断、分类和治疗管理中具有重要价值。目前的建议是实现这一目标的基本步骤，这种方法是符合NIMH战略计划的发展新的方式分类精神病理学的基础上可观察到的行为和神经生物学措施的尺寸。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are characterized by abnormalities in baseline cortical excitability that are believed to be caused by an abnormal, system-wide balance between excitation and inhibition. Mounting evidence has linked baseline cortical excitability to abnormalities in the sensory systems. as manifested by both over- and hypo- reactivity to sensory stimuli and by the high prevalence of epileptiform EEG activity in the majority of neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD and ADHD. Sensory systems rely on a set of well-characterized network of mechanisms whose functioning directly depends on a precise balancing of excitation and inhibition. The aim of this investigation is to use sensory evoked responses as a means to quantitatively assess baseline cortical excitability in two common neurodevelopmental disorders, ASD and ADHD. These measurements will be made via Steady-State Visual and Auditory Evoked Potentials. Patterns sensory responses measured electrophysiologically will be compared to patterns of behavioral hyper/hyposensitivity measured via a well- characterized parental questionnaire and examiner-administered performance evaluations. These measurements will be obtained from 40 children with ASD, 40 children with ADHD and 40 matched controls. The immediate goal of the project is to determine whether specific patterns of sensory evoked potentials are associated with behavioral indices of disturbed sensory processing. The long-term goal of this proposal is to develop sensitive and objective measures of cortical excitability for use in classifying neurodevelopmental disorders. An ability to detect and quantify underlying alterations in cortical excitability in infancy and ealy childhood would be of significant value in the diagnosis, classification and treatment management of common neurodevelopmental disorders. The present proposal is a fundamental step toward the achievement of this purpose and this approach is consistent with the NIMH Strategic Plan for the development of new ways of classifying psychopathology based on dimensions of observable behavior and neurobiological measures.