Alterations in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus in autism and associations with visual processing: a diffusion-weighted MRI study / Bart BOETS in Molecular Autism, 9 (2018)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 9 (2018) . - 10p. Titre : Alterations in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus in autism and associations with visual processing: a diffusion-weighted MRI study Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Bart BOETS, Auteur ; L. VAN EYLEN, Auteur ; K. SITEK, Auteur ; P. MOORS, Auteur ; I. NOENS, Auteur ; J. STEYAERT, Auteur ; S. SUNAERT, Auteur ; J. WAGEMANS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 10p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder  Diffusion-weighted imaging  Inferior longitudinal fasciculus  Structural connectivity  Visual processing Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: One of the most reported neural features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the alteration of multiple long-range white matter fiber tracts, as assessed by diffusion-weighted imaging and indexed by reduced fractional anisotropy (FA). Recent methodological advances, however, have shown that this same pattern of reduced FA may be an artifact resulting from excessive head motion and poorer data quality and that aberrant structural connectivity in children with ASD is confined to the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). This study aimed at replicating the observation of reduced FA along the right ILF in ASD, while controlling for group differences in head motion and data quality. In addition, we explored associations between reduced FA in the right ILF and quantitative ASD characteristics, and the involvement of the right ILF in visual processing, which is known to be altered in ASD. Method: Global probabilistic tractography was performed on diffusion-weighted imaging data of 17 adolescent boys with ASD and 17 typically developing boys, matched for age, performance IQ, handedness, and data quality. Four tasks were administered to measure various aspects of visual information processing, together with questionnaires assessing ASD characteristics. Group differences were examined and the neural data were integrated with previously published findings using Bayesian statistics to quantify evidence for replication and to pool data and thus increase statistical power. (Partial) correlations were calculated to investigate associations between measures. Results: The ASD group showed consistently reduced FA only in the right ILF and slower performance on the visual search task. Bayesian statistics pooling data across studies confirmed that group differences in FA were confined to the right ILF only, with the evidence for altered FA in the left ILF being indecisive. Lower FA in the right ILF tended to covary with slower visual search and a more fragmented part-oriented processing style. Individual differences in FA of the right ILF were not reliably associated with the severity of ASD traits after controlling for clinical status. Conclusion: Our findings support the growing evidence for reduced FA along a specific fiber tract in ASD, the right ILF. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-018-0188-6 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=354 [article] Alterations in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus in autism and associations with visual processing: a diffusion-weighted MRI study [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Bart BOETS, Auteur ; L. VAN EYLEN, Auteur ; K. SITEK, Auteur ; P. MOORS, Auteur ; I. NOENS, Auteur ; J. STEYAERT, Auteur ; S. SUNAERT, Auteur ; J. WAGEMANS, Auteur . - 10p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 9 (2018) . - 10p. Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder  Diffusion-weighted imaging  Inferior longitudinal fasciculus  Structural connectivity  Visual processing Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: One of the most reported neural features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the alteration of multiple long-range white matter fiber tracts, as assessed by diffusion-weighted imaging and indexed by reduced fractional anisotropy (FA). Recent methodological advances, however, have shown that this same pattern of reduced FA may be an artifact resulting from excessive head motion and poorer data quality and that aberrant structural connectivity in children with ASD is confined to the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). This study aimed at replicating the observation of reduced FA along the right ILF in ASD, while controlling for group differences in head motion and data quality. In addition, we explored associations between reduced FA in the right ILF and quantitative ASD characteristics, and the involvement of the right ILF in visual processing, which is known to be altered in ASD. Method: Global probabilistic tractography was performed on diffusion-weighted imaging data of 17 adolescent boys with ASD and 17 typically developing boys, matched for age, performance IQ, handedness, and data quality. Four tasks were administered to measure various aspects of visual information processing, together with questionnaires assessing ASD characteristics. Group differences were examined and the neural data were integrated with previously published findings using Bayesian statistics to quantify evidence for replication and to pool data and thus increase statistical power. (Partial) correlations were calculated to investigate associations between measures. Results: The ASD group showed consistently reduced FA only in the right ILF and slower performance on the visual search task. Bayesian statistics pooling data across studies confirmed that group differences in FA were confined to the right ILF only, with the evidence for altered FA in the left ILF being indecisive. Lower FA in the right ILF tended to covary with slower visual search and a more fragmented part-oriented processing style. Individual differences in FA of the right ILF were not reliably associated with the severity of ASD traits after controlling for clinical status. Conclusion: Our findings support the growing evidence for reduced FA along a specific fiber tract in ASD, the right ILF. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-018-0188-6 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=354

Altered category learning and reduced generalization in autistic adults / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK ; Birte GEUSENS ; Bart BOETS ; Johan WAGEMANS in Autism Research, 18-2 (February 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 18-2 (February 2025) . - p.295-311 Titre : Altered category learning and reduced generalization in autistic adults : Autism Research Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.295-311 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism categorization electroencephalography generalization intolerance to uncertainty perceptual learning predictive processing Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) are suggested to experience difficulties with categorization and generalization. However, empirical studies have mainly focused on one process at a time, and neglected underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we investigated categorization and generalization at a behavioral and neural level in 38 autistic and 38 neurotypical (NT) adults. By presenting shapes sampled from an artificial multidimensional stimulus space, we investigated (1) behavioral and neural underpinnings of category learning and (2) behavioral generalization of trained categorization to both an extended version of the stimulus space and a novel stimulus space. Our previous findings showed that individuals with autism were slower in category learning. In this study, we demonstrate that this slower learning in autism was not related to differences in applied categorization strategy. In contrast, electroencephalography recordings during training did reveal a reduced amplitude of the N1 component in the right occipital temporal cortex after stimulus presentation in autistic participants, which suggests atypical categorical proficiency. In addition, we observed delayed and higher activation in the frontal regions after receiving (negative) feedback in the autistic group, potentially suggesting more explicit feedback processing or a higher salience of prediction errors in autism. Finally, autistic and NT individuals were able to generalize their learned categorization after training. However, when generalizing to a novel set of shapes, autistic individuals were significantly less accurate. Reduced generalization significantly correlated with increased intolerance to uncertainty scores. This multi-level approach reveals behavioral and neural differences in learning and generalization that could be related to clinical symptoms in autism. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3286 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=547 [article] Altered category learning and reduced generalization in autistic adults : Autism Research [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur . - p.295-311. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 18-2 (February 2025) . - p.295-311 Mots-clés : autism categorization electroencephalography generalization intolerance to uncertainty perceptual learning predictive processing Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) are suggested to experience difficulties with categorization and generalization. However, empirical studies have mainly focused on one process at a time, and neglected underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we investigated categorization and generalization at a behavioral and neural level in 38 autistic and 38 neurotypical (NT) adults. By presenting shapes sampled from an artificial multidimensional stimulus space, we investigated (1) behavioral and neural underpinnings of category learning and (2) behavioral generalization of trained categorization to both an extended version of the stimulus space and a novel stimulus space. Our previous findings showed that individuals with autism were slower in category learning. In this study, we demonstrate that this slower learning in autism was not related to differences in applied categorization strategy. In contrast, electroencephalography recordings during training did reveal a reduced amplitude of the N1 component in the right occipital temporal cortex after stimulus presentation in autistic participants, which suggests atypical categorical proficiency. In addition, we observed delayed and higher activation in the frontal regions after receiving (negative) feedback in the autistic group, potentially suggesting more explicit feedback processing or a higher salience of prediction errors in autism. Finally, autistic and NT individuals were able to generalize their learned categorization after training. However, when generalizing to a novel set of shapes, autistic individuals were significantly less accurate. Reduced generalization significantly correlated with increased intolerance to uncertainty scores. This multi-level approach reveals behavioral and neural differences in learning and generalization that could be related to clinical symptoms in autism. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3286 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=547

Autism as a disconnection syndrome: A qualitative and quantitative review of diffusion tensor imaging studies / Margot HOPPENBROUWERS in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8-4 (April 2014)  

Public ISBD [article]  inResearch in Autism Spectrum Disorders > 8-4 (April 2014) . - p.387-412 Titre : Autism as a disconnection syndrome: A qualitative and quantitative review of diffusion tensor imaging studies Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Margot HOPPENBROUWERS, Auteur ; Maaike VANDERMOSTEN, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.387-412 Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder  Diffusion tensor imaging  Review  Brain connectivity  Fibre tracking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : This review aims at evaluating the leading hypothesis of lower long-range and greater short-range cortical connectivity in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by the available literature on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies. DTI, coupled with tractography, assesses the structural connections between cortical regions and quantifies their white matter integrity. First, we provide an extensive qualitative overview of DTI findings in ASD. Next, to reveal convergence between studies, results are quantitatively analyzed using Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) and fibre tracking is performed to visualize the white matter tracts running through the obtained ALE clusters. Finally, findings from DTI research are related to specific symptoms characteristic of ASD. Overall, the qualitative analysis yields a widespread disruption of white matter integrity in the brain of individuals with ASD as compared to typically developing controls. This is the case for both the long-range and the local short-range connections, partially contradicting the leading hypothesis. However, several studies investigating very young children with ASD report greater structural connectivity, suggesting a developmental switch in white matter integrity in the ASD brain. Based on the combined qualitative and quantitative analysis, the corpus callosum and the ventral tracts emerge as particularly affected connections in individuals with ASD. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2013.12.018 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=226 [article] Autism as a disconnection syndrome: A qualitative and quantitative review of diffusion tensor imaging studies [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Margot HOPPENBROUWERS, Auteur ; Maaike VANDERMOSTEN, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur . - p.387-412. in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders > 8-4 (April 2014) . - p.387-412 Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder  Diffusion tensor imaging  Review  Brain connectivity  Fibre tracking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : This review aims at evaluating the leading hypothesis of lower long-range and greater short-range cortical connectivity in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by the available literature on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies. DTI, coupled with tractography, assesses the structural connections between cortical regions and quantifies their white matter integrity. First, we provide an extensive qualitative overview of DTI findings in ASD. Next, to reveal convergence between studies, results are quantitatively analyzed using Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) and fibre tracking is performed to visualize the white matter tracts running through the obtained ALE clusters. Finally, findings from DTI research are related to specific symptoms characteristic of ASD. Overall, the qualitative analysis yields a widespread disruption of white matter integrity in the brain of individuals with ASD as compared to typically developing controls. This is the case for both the long-range and the local short-range connections, partially contradicting the leading hypothesis. However, several studies investigating very young children with ASD report greater structural connectivity, suggesting a developmental switch in white matter integrity in the ASD brain. Based on the combined qualitative and quantitative analysis, the corpus callosum and the ventral tracts emerge as particularly affected connections in individuals with ASD. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2013.12.018 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=226

Behavioral effects of multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with long-term follow-up / Sylvie BERNAERTS in Molecular Autism, 11 (2020)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 11 (2020) . - 6 p. Titre : Behavioral effects of multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with long-term follow-up Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Sylvie BERNAERTS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Guy BOSMANS, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Kaat ALAERTS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 6 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Attachment  Autism spectrum disorder  Oxytocin  Repetitive and restricted behavior  Social responsiveness Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Intranasal administration of the "prosocial" neuropeptide oxytocin is increasingly explored as a potential treatment for targeting the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, long-term follow-up studies, evaluating the possibility of long-lasting retention effects, are currently lacking. METHODS: Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, this pilot clinical trial explored the possibility of long-lasting behavioral effects of 4 weeks of intranasal oxytocin treatment (24 International Units once daily in the morning) in 40 adult men with ASD. To do so, self-report and informant-based questionnaires assessing core autism symptoms and characterizations of attachment were administered at baseline, immediately after 4 weeks of treatment (approximately 24 h after the last nasal spray administration), and at two follow-up sessions, 4 weeks and 1 year post-treatment. RESULTS: No treatment-specific effects were identified in the primary outcome assessing social symptoms (Social Responsiveness Scale, self- and informant-rated). In particular, with respect to self-reported social responsiveness, improvements were evident both in the oxytocin and in the placebo group, yielding no significant between-group difference (p = .37). Also informant-rated improvements in social responsiveness were not significantly larger in the oxytocin, compared to the placebo group (between-group difference: p = .19). Among the secondary outcome measures, treatment-specific improvements were identified in the Repetitive Behavior Scale and State Adult Attachment Measure, indicating reductions in self-reported repetitive behaviors (p = .04) and reduced feelings of avoidance toward others (p = .03) in the oxytocin group compared to the placebo group, up to 1 month and even 1 year post-treatment. Treatment-specific effects were also revealed in screenings of mood states (Profile of Mood States), indicating higher reports of "vigor" (feeling energetic, active, lively) in the oxytocin, compared to the placebo group (p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: While no treatment-specific improvements were evident in terms of core social symptoms, the current observations of long-term beneficial effects on repetitive behaviors and feelings of avoidance are promising and suggestive of a therapeutic potential of oxytocin treatment for ASD. However, given the exploratory nature of this pilot study, future studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term effects of OT administration further. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the European Clinical Trial Registry (Eudract 2014-000586-45) on January 22, 2014 (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2014-000586-45/BE). En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-020-0313-1 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=427 [article] Behavioral effects of multiple-dose oxytocin treatment in autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with long-term follow-up [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Sylvie BERNAERTS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Guy BOSMANS, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Kaat ALAERTS, Auteur . - 6 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 11 (2020) . - 6 p. Mots-clés : Attachment  Autism spectrum disorder  Oxytocin  Repetitive and restricted behavior  Social responsiveness Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Intranasal administration of the "prosocial" neuropeptide oxytocin is increasingly explored as a potential treatment for targeting the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, long-term follow-up studies, evaluating the possibility of long-lasting retention effects, are currently lacking. METHODS: Using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design, this pilot clinical trial explored the possibility of long-lasting behavioral effects of 4 weeks of intranasal oxytocin treatment (24 International Units once daily in the morning) in 40 adult men with ASD. To do so, self-report and informant-based questionnaires assessing core autism symptoms and characterizations of attachment were administered at baseline, immediately after 4 weeks of treatment (approximately 24 h after the last nasal spray administration), and at two follow-up sessions, 4 weeks and 1 year post-treatment. RESULTS: No treatment-specific effects were identified in the primary outcome assessing social symptoms (Social Responsiveness Scale, self- and informant-rated). In particular, with respect to self-reported social responsiveness, improvements were evident both in the oxytocin and in the placebo group, yielding no significant between-group difference (p = .37). Also informant-rated improvements in social responsiveness were not significantly larger in the oxytocin, compared to the placebo group (between-group difference: p = .19). Among the secondary outcome measures, treatment-specific improvements were identified in the Repetitive Behavior Scale and State Adult Attachment Measure, indicating reductions in self-reported repetitive behaviors (p = .04) and reduced feelings of avoidance toward others (p = .03) in the oxytocin group compared to the placebo group, up to 1 month and even 1 year post-treatment. Treatment-specific effects were also revealed in screenings of mood states (Profile of Mood States), indicating higher reports of "vigor" (feeling energetic, active, lively) in the oxytocin, compared to the placebo group (p = .03). CONCLUSIONS: While no treatment-specific improvements were evident in terms of core social symptoms, the current observations of long-term beneficial effects on repetitive behaviors and feelings of avoidance are promising and suggestive of a therapeutic potential of oxytocin treatment for ASD. However, given the exploratory nature of this pilot study, future studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term effects of OT administration further. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with the European Clinical Trial Registry (Eudract 2014-000586-45) on January 22, 2014 (https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2014-000586-45/BE). En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-020-0313-1 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=427

Can repeated intranasal oxytocin administration affect reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in autism? A randomized controlled trial / Matthijs MOERKERKE in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64-11 (November 2023)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 64-11 (November 2023) . - p.1583-1595 Titre : Can repeated intranasal oxytocin administration affect reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in autism? A randomized controlled trial Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Matthijs MOERKERKE, Auteur ; Nicky DANIELS, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Laura TIBERMONT, Auteur ; Tiffany TANG, Auteur ; Edward DEBBAUT, Auteur ; Annelies BAMPS, Auteur ; Jellina PRINSEN, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Kaat ALAERTS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1583-1595 Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties in social communication and interaction. Crucial for efficient social interaction is the ability to quickly and accurately extract information from a person's face. Frequency-tagging electroencephalography (EEG) is a novel tool to quantify face-processing sensitivity in a robust and implicit manner. In terms of intervention approaches, intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT) is increasingly considered as a potential pharmacological approach for improving socio-communicative difficulties in ASD, through enhancing social salience and/or reducing (social) stress and anxiety. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, mechanistic pharmaco-neuroimaging clinical trial, we implemented frequency-tagging EEG to conduct an exploratory investigation into the impact of repeated OT administration (4?weeks, 12?IU, twice daily) on neural sensitivity towards happy and fearful facial expressions in children with ASD (8-12?years old; OT: n=29; placebo: n=32). Neural effects were assessed at baseline, post-nasal spray (24?hr after the last nasal spray) and at a follow-up session, 4?weeks after the OT administration period. At baseline, neural assessments of children with ASD were compared with those of an age- and gender-matched cohort of neurotypical (NT) children (n=39). Results Children with ASD demonstrated reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces, as compared to NT children. Upon nasal spray administration, children with ASD displayed a significant increase in neural sensitivity at the post- and follow-up sessions, but only in the placebo group, likely reflecting an implicit learning effect. Strikingly, in the OT group, neural sensitivity remained unaffected from the baseline to the post-session, likely reflecting a dampening of an otherwise typically occurring implicit learning effect. Conclusions First, we validated the robustness of the frequency-tagging EEG approach to assess reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in children with ASD. Furthermore, in contrast to social salience effects observed after single-dose administrations, repeated OT administration dampened typically occurring learning effects in neural sensitivity. In line with OT's social anxiolytic account, these observations possibly reflect a predominant (social) stress regulatory effect towards emotionally evocative faces after repeated OT administration. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13850 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=512 [article] Can repeated intranasal oxytocin administration affect reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in autism? A randomized controlled trial [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Matthijs MOERKERKE, Auteur ; Nicky DANIELS, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Laura TIBERMONT, Auteur ; Tiffany TANG, Auteur ; Edward DEBBAUT, Auteur ; Annelies BAMPS, Auteur ; Jellina PRINSEN, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Kaat ALAERTS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur . - p.1583-1595. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 64-11 (November 2023) . - p.1583-1595 Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties in social communication and interaction. Crucial for efficient social interaction is the ability to quickly and accurately extract information from a person's face. Frequency-tagging electroencephalography (EEG) is a novel tool to quantify face-processing sensitivity in a robust and implicit manner. In terms of intervention approaches, intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT) is increasingly considered as a potential pharmacological approach for improving socio-communicative difficulties in ASD, through enhancing social salience and/or reducing (social) stress and anxiety. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, mechanistic pharmaco-neuroimaging clinical trial, we implemented frequency-tagging EEG to conduct an exploratory investigation into the impact of repeated OT administration (4?weeks, 12?IU, twice daily) on neural sensitivity towards happy and fearful facial expressions in children with ASD (8-12?years old; OT: n=29; placebo: n=32). Neural effects were assessed at baseline, post-nasal spray (24?hr after the last nasal spray) and at a follow-up session, 4?weeks after the OT administration period. At baseline, neural assessments of children with ASD were compared with those of an age- and gender-matched cohort of neurotypical (NT) children (n=39). Results Children with ASD demonstrated reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces, as compared to NT children. Upon nasal spray administration, children with ASD displayed a significant increase in neural sensitivity at the post- and follow-up sessions, but only in the placebo group, likely reflecting an implicit learning effect. Strikingly, in the OT group, neural sensitivity remained unaffected from the baseline to the post-session, likely reflecting a dampening of an otherwise typically occurring implicit learning effect. Conclusions First, we validated the robustness of the frequency-tagging EEG approach to assess reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in children with ASD. Furthermore, in contrast to social salience effects observed after single-dose administrations, repeated OT administration dampened typically occurring learning effects in neural sensitivity. In line with OT's social anxiolytic account, these observations possibly reflect a predominant (social) stress regulatory effect towards emotionally evocative faces after repeated OT administration. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13850 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=512

Chronic oxytocin improves neural decoupling at rest in children with autism: an exploratory RCT / Matthijs MOERKERKE ; Nicky DANIELS ; Qianqian ZHANG ; Ricchiuti GRAZIA ; Jean STEYAERT ; Jellina PRINSEN ; Bart BOETS in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 65-10 (October 2024)  

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Cognitive flexibility in autism spectrum disorder: Explaining the inconsistencies? / Lien VAN EYLEN in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5-4 (October-December 2011)  

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Combined frequency-tagging EEG and eye-tracking measures provide no support for the "excess mouth/diminished eye attention" hypothesis in autism / Sofie VETTORI in Molecular Autism, 11 (2020)  

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Corrigendum to “Cognitive flexibility in autism spectrum disorder: Explaining the inconsistencies?” [Res. Autism Spectr. Disord. 5 (2011) 1390–1401] / Lien VAN EYLEN in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 23 (March 2016)  

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Discrimination sensitivity of visual shapes sharpens in autistic adults but only after explicit category learning / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE in Molecular Autism, 15 (2024)  

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Effects of multiple-dose intranasal oxytocin administration on social responsiveness in children with autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial / Matthijs MOERKERKE ; Jean STEYAERT ; Annelies BAMPS ; Edward DEBBAUT ; Jellina PRINSEN ; Tiffany TANG ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK ; Bart BOETS ; Kaat ALAERTS in Molecular Autism, 14 (2023)  

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Executive functioning and local-global visual processing: candidate endophenotypes for autism spectrum disorder? / Lien VAN EYLEN in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58-3 (March 2017)  

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Fast Periodic Visual Stimulation EEG Reveals Reduced Neural Sensitivity to Fearful Faces in Children with Autism / S. VAN DER DONCK in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49-11 (November 2019)  

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Fragile Spectral and Temporal Auditory Processing in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Early Language Delay / Bart BOETS in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45-6 (June 2015)  

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Intact neural representations of affective meaning of touch but lack of embodied resonance in autism: a multi-voxel pattern analysis study / H. LEE MASSON in Molecular Autism, 10 (2019)  

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