Neural Mechanisms for Social Interactions and Eye Contact in ASD

项目总结 社会交往和交流在婴儿期就开始了，尽管这是人类的基础 功能，但对调节它们的潜在神经机制知之甚少，特别是在自闭症中 频谱障碍(ASD)。ASD是一种神经发育障碍，其特征是 语言和社交技能，以及导致这些残疾的特定神经机制仍然是活跃的话题 以供调查。新兴的理论方向集中在以眼神交流为显著组成部分的问题上 这些沟通障碍和社交障碍。然而，技术限制与两个或两个或 在自然交流和相互眼神交流中，更多的人一直是这方面的主要障碍 调查。为了克服这一技术僵局，我们采用了一种快速发展的脑成像技术， 功能近红外光谱(FNIRS)允许两个人同时进行神经成像 有效的交互作用，观察眼神接触和实际对话的神经效应。官能化近红外光谱 通过测量变化，基于血氧水平依赖(BOLD)信号检测活跃的神经组织 在与氧合血红蛋白和脱氧血红蛋白相关的吸收光谱中。因为探测器和 发射器表面安装在头上，它们对头的移动相对不敏感，因此，fNIR 非常适合于研究在两人之间积极的人际互动过程中发生的神经事件 参与者。成人非典型人际交往和眼神接触的神经机制 ASD是这项提案的重点。初步研究证实了本研究项目各方面的可行性。 将比较由邦联成员和具有典型发展(TYP)或ASD的参与者组成的二元组 在进行自然互动和交流的同时进行神经成像。我们引入了一个计算性的 基于小波分析的区域跨脑相干性量化方法 并假设自闭症患者与言语和眼神接触相关的跨脑连贯性会降低 相对于TYP队列。跨脑计算也构成了动态神经模型的基础 在通信过程中基于神经的“发送和接收”功能的进程。我们假设这些 动态的“跨脑交流”系统统一和协调了语言产生和语言表达的作用 分别为Broca区和Wernicke区，视觉接收涉及脸部特化 (梭形回)。跨脑连接效应与常规功能的计算比较 在有和没有直接眼神接触的现场交流中的连接性和分离/对比效果 提供变革性的技术、经验、计算和理论方面的进步，有助于理解 自闭症患者与社交和沟通障碍相关的动态神经机制。

PROJECT SUMMARY Social interaction and communication begin in early infancy, and, although these are fundamental human functions, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms that regulate them particularly in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant disabilities in language and social skills, and the specific neural mechanisms that lead to these disabilities remain active topics for investigation. Emerging theoretical directions converge on problems with eye-contact as a salient component of these communication and social disabilities. Technical limitations, however, associated with imaging of two or more individuals during natural communication and mutual eye contact have been a primary obstacle to these investigations. To overcome this technical impasse, we employ a rapidly developing brain imaging technology, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) allowing simultaneous neural imaging of two individuals during valid interactions to observe the neural effects of eye-to-eye contact and actual dialogue. Functional NIRS detects active neural tissue based on the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal by measuring variations in the absorption spectra associated with oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. Because detectors and emitters are surface mounted on the head, they are relatively insensitive to head movement, and, as such, fNIRS is well suited for investigations of neural events engaged during active interpersonal interactions between two participants. The neural mechanisms that underlie atypical interpersonal interactions and eye contact in adult ASD are the focus of this proposal. Pilot studies confirm the feasibility of all aspects of this research project. Dyads consisting of a confederate and a participants with typical development (TYP) or ASD will be compared during neuroimaging while engaged in natural interaction and communication. We introduce a computational approach based on wavelet analysis to quantify regional cross-brain coherence between the two participants and hypothesize that cross-brain coherence associated with speech and eye contact will be reduced in ASD relative to the TYP cohort. Cross-brain computations also form the basis for a model of dynamic neural processes based on neural “send and receive” functions during communication. We hypothesize that these dynamic “cross-brain communication” systems unify and coordinate the roles of language production and reception (Broca's and Wernicke's Areas), respectively, with visual reception involving face specializations (fusiform gyrus). Computational comparison of cross-brain connectivity effects as well as conventional functional connectivity and segregation/contrast effects during live communication both with and without direct eye contact provides a transformational technical, empirical, computational, and theoretical advance toward understanding the dynamic neural mechanisms associated with social and communication disabilities in ASD.