Neural networks for attention to internal and external sensory cues in ASD

描述（由申请人提供）：对基本感觉输入的反应性改变是自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的一种研究不足的症状，可能对发育产生深远影响，尽管这些影响尚未得到很好的理解。虽然术语“感觉”通常意味着身体外部的刺激，但在身体内也有大量的感觉信息，包括内脏和本体感受信号。对外部感觉刺激的低反应性显示出与核心临床症状非常强的关联，并且比高反应性更好地将ASD与其他发育障碍区分开。该项目中描述的实验旨在研究这种反应不足的可能机制，并试图将这些与越来越多的证据相协调，这些证据表明ASD患者在与外部线索竞争时表现出对内部感觉信号的依赖性增强。我们预测，内部（内感受性）和外部感官线索的基本感官知觉在ASD中不会有差异，但预计高阶神经网络会有差异，这些神经网络会整合这些信号，并比较竞争信号的显着性，以分配注意力。该项目将强调显着性网络，包括前岛叶和前扣带皮层，整合内部和外部线索与边缘系统输入，以确定其相对的情感意义。我们假设，这个系统是参与过度关注内部的感觉线索，在外部输入的代价，在ASD。我们进一步预测，神经和行为相关的增强注意内部感觉输入相对于外部将积极相关的社会赤字和感觉低反应性ASD。如果这些预测得到支持，显着性网络中的神经差异可以作为ASD的新生物标志物，行为差异可以被用于改进的治疗方法，包括基于正念的疗法，可以利用现有的力量来关注内部感官线索。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Altered responsiveness to basic sensory input is an under-studied symptom in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that likely has far-reaching effects on development, although these effects are not well understood. While the term "sensory" typically connotes stimuli external to the body, there is copious sensory information within the body as well, including visceral and proprioceptive signals. Hypo-responsiveness to external sensory stimuli shows very strong association with core clinical symptoms, and differentiates ASD from other developmental disorders better than hyper-responsiveness. The experiments described in this project are designed to investigate possible mechanisms for this under-responsiveness, and attempts to reconcile these with growing evidence that individuals with ASD show enhanced reliance on internal sensory signals when they are in competition with external cues. We predict that basic sensory perception of internal (interoceptive) and external sensory cues will not differ in ASD, but expect differences in higher order neural networks that integrate these signals and compare competing signals for salience in order to allocate attention. The project will emphasize the salience network, comprising anterior insular and anterior cingulate cortices, which integrate both internal and external cues with limbic input to determine their relative affective significance. We hypothesize that this system is involved in excessive focus on internal sensory cues, at the expense of external input, in ASD. We further predict that the neural and behavioral correlates of enhanced attention to internal sensory input relative to external will positively relate to social deficits and sensory hypo-responsiveness in ASD. If these predictions are supported, neural differences in the salience network could serve as novel biomarkers for ASD and behavioral differences could be parlayed into improved therapeutic approaches, including mindfulness-based therapies that could capitalize on an existing strength in attending to internal sensory cues.