Children and Adolescents with Autism Exhibit Reduced MEG Steady-State Gamma Responses

Wilson, Tony W.; Rojas, Donald C.; Reite, Martin; Teale, Peter; Rogers, Sally J.

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.07.002

Cited by 300 publications

(318 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Our finding that the subjects with autism are less able to detect speech features when the task is manipulated in the temporal domain points to deficient left-hemisphere processing. This is in line with converging evidence from structural, ERP and MEG studies that point to other left hemisphere deficits in autism as well (Bruneau et al 2003;Lepisto et al 2006;Flagg et al 2005;Wilson et al 2006;Murias et al 2007) Compared with the pink noise condition, the ripple signal separation task was extended significantly in the spectral domain (see Methods section), which required additional right hemisphere involvement. The higher detection thresholds in this condition suggest that resolving the spectral components was the main bottleneck to perform the task, and equally so in both subject groups.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Intact Spectral but Abnormal Temporal Processing of Auditory Stimuli in Autism

Groen

Orsouw

Huurne

et al. 2009

J Autism Dev Disord

102

105

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The perceptual pattern in autism has been related to either a specific localized processing deficit or a pathway-independent, complexity-specific anomaly. We examined auditory perception in autism using an auditory disembedding task that required spectral and temporal integration. 23 children with high-functioning-autism and 23 matched controls participated. Participants were presented with two-syllable words embedded in various auditory backgrounds (pink noise, moving ripple, amplitude-modulated pink noise, amplitude-modulated moving ripple) to assess speech-in-noise-reception thresholds. The gain in signal perception of pink noise with temporal dips relative to pink noise without temporal dips was smaller in children with autism (p = 0.008). Thus, the autism group was less able to integrate auditory information present in temporal dips in background sound, supporting the complexity-specific perceptual account.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Intact Spectral but Abnormal Temporal Processing of Auditory Stimuli in Autism

Groen

Orsouw

Huurne

et al. 2009

J Autism Dev Disord

102

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…14,15 Widespread abnormalities in GABA A receptor activity was recently demonstrated in postmortem brain tissue samples from individuals with autism, with affected regions including parietal and frontal cortices and the cerebellum. 22 These findings are also consistent with neural connectivity studies suggesting a reduction of inhibitory cells in autism, 23,24 which operate as 'GABA-gated pacemakers for neocortical oscillatory activity' (Wilson et al 24 …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

A preliminary transcranial magnetic stimulation study of cortical inhibition and excitability in high‐functioning autism and Asperger disorder

Enticott

Rinehart

Tonge

et al. 2010

Develop Med Child Neuro

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AIM Controversy surrounds the distinction between high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger disorder, but motor abnormalities are associated features of both conditions. This study examined motor cortical inhibition and excitability in HFA and Asperger disorder using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).METHOD Participants were diagnosed by experienced clinicians strictly according to DSM-IV criteria. Participants with HFA (nine males, two females; mean age 16y 8mo, SD 4y 5mo) or Asperger disorder (11 males, three females; mean age 19y 1mo, SD 4y 2mo) and neurotypical participants (eight males, three females; mean age 19y 0mo, SD 3y 1mo) were administered a paired-pulse TMS paradigm intended to assess motor cortical inhibition and excitability. Responses to TMS were recorded by electromyography. RESULTSCortical inhibition was significantly reduced in the HFA group compared with both the Asperger disorder (p<0.001) and neurotypical (p<0.001) groups, suggesting disruption of activity at gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA A ) receptors. There was no group difference in cortical excitability.INTERPRETATION Cortical inhibition deficits may underlie motor dysfunction in autism, and perhaps even relate to specific clinical symptoms (e.g. repetitive behaviours). These findings provide novel evidence for a possible neurobiological dissociation between HFA and Asperger disorder based on GABAergic function.Both autism and Asperger disorder involve social, communicative, motor, and behavioural disturbances (including stereotyped and repetitive behaviours), but there is controversy surrounding their clinical distinction, 1 coupled with a relatively limited neurobiological understanding of the disorders. These conditions are primarily differentiated on the basis of language and communication delay, which must be present in autism but, by definition, is absent in Asperger disorder. 2 In addition, although intelligence in individuals with Asperger disorder is typically within the average range, the majority of individuals with autism have intellectual disability. However, clinical research has demonstrated that the psychosocial profile of typical intelligent individuals with autism (i.e. highfunctioning autism [HFA]) is convergent with that of individuals with Asperger disorder. 3 Such findings form the basis of the argument that autism and Asperger disorder are not clinically distinct disorders, but are clinical labels that can be used interchangeably. By contrast, others have argued that the initial significant language delays that characterize autism (but not Asperger disorder) place the two disorders on separate neurodevelopmental trajectories. 4 The hypothesis that autism and Asperger disorder are clinically separate disorders with distinct neurobiological underpinnings has been supported by neuropsychological and neurophysiological research that shows dissociations in visual perception, language, attention, executive function, and motor function. 5 The neural circuitry involved in motor control is reasonably well defined...

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“…Whitham and colleagues have suggested that frequency oscillations[20 Hz reflect myogenic artifacts [11]. Considering that our EEG epochs were carefully selected (i.e., free of myogenic artifacts), we believe that our results reflect an actual difference in gamma power between ASD and healthy controls, as was the case of several other studies investigating gamma activity in ASD [5,12,13]. Furthermore, when performing the analysis on the parietal and central electrodes only, electrodes less associated with myogenic artifacts, similar results were obtained.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Increased power of resting-state gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorder detected by routine electroencephalography

Diessen

Senders

Jansen

et al. 2014

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci

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Experimental studies suggest that increased resting-state power of gamma oscillations is associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To extend the clinical applicability of this finding, we retrospectively investigated routine electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of 19 patients with ASD and 19 age-and gender-matched controls. Relative resting-state condition gamma spectral power was variable, but on average significantly increased in children with ASD. This effect remained when excluding electrodes associated with myogenic gamma activity. These findings further indicate that increased resting-state gamma activity characterizes a subset of ASD and may also be detected by routine EEG as a clinically accessible and well-tolerated investigation.

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Children and Adolescents with Autism Exhibit Reduced MEG Steady-State Gamma Responses

Cited by 300 publications

References 55 publications

Intact Spectral but Abnormal Temporal Processing of Auditory Stimuli in Autism

Intact Spectral but Abnormal Temporal Processing of Auditory Stimuli in Autism

A preliminary transcranial magnetic stimulation study of cortical inhibition and excitability in high‐functioning autism and Asperger disorder

Increased power of resting-state gamma oscillations in autism spectrum disorder detected by routine electroencephalography

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