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

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

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)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 11 (2020) Titre : Combined frequency-tagging EEG and eye-tracking measures provide no support for the "excess mouth/diminished eye attention" hypothesis in autism Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Sofie VETTORI, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Jannes NYS, Auteur ; Pieter MOORS, Auteur ; Tim VAN WESEMAEL, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Bruno ROSSION, Auteur ; Milena DZHELYOVA, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Scanning faces is important for social interactions. Difficulty with the social use of eye contact constitutes one of the clinical symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been suggested that individuals with ASD look less at the eyes and more at the mouth than typically developing (TD) individuals, possibly due to gaze aversion or gaze indifference. However, eye-tracking evidence for this hypothesis is mixed. While gaze patterns convey information about overt orienting processes, it is unclear how this is manifested at the neural level and how relative covert attention to the eyes and mouth of faces might be affected in ASD. METHODS: We used frequency-tagging EEG in combination with eye tracking, while participants watched fast flickering faces for 1-min stimulation sequences. The upper and lower halves of the faces were presented at 6 Hz and 7.5 Hz or vice versa in different stimulation sequences, allowing to objectively disentangle the neural saliency of the eyes versus mouth region of a perceived face. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 TD control boys, matched for age and IQ. RESULTS: Both groups looked longer at the eyes than the mouth, without any group difference in relative fixation duration to these features. TD boys looked significantly more to the nose, while the ASD boys looked more outside the face. EEG neural saliency data partly followed this pattern: neural responses to the upper or lower face half were not different between groups, but in the TD group, neural responses to the lower face halves were larger than responses to the upper part. Face exploration dynamics showed that TD individuals mostly maintained fixations within the same facial region, whereas individuals with ASD switched more often between the face parts. LIMITATIONS: Replication in large and independent samples may be needed to validate exploratory results. CONCLUSIONS: Combined eye-tracking and frequency-tagged neural responses show no support for the excess mouth/diminished eye gaze hypothesis in ASD. The more exploratory face scanning style observed in ASD might be related to their increased feature-based face processing style. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-020-00396-5 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=438 [article] Combined frequency-tagging EEG and eye-tracking measures provide no support for the "excess mouth/diminished eye attention" hypothesis in autism [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Sofie VETTORI, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Jannes NYS, Auteur ; Pieter MOORS, Auteur ; Tim VAN WESEMAEL, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Bruno ROSSION, Auteur ; Milena DZHELYOVA, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 11 (2020) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Scanning faces is important for social interactions. Difficulty with the social use of eye contact constitutes one of the clinical symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been suggested that individuals with ASD look less at the eyes and more at the mouth than typically developing (TD) individuals, possibly due to gaze aversion or gaze indifference. However, eye-tracking evidence for this hypothesis is mixed. While gaze patterns convey information about overt orienting processes, it is unclear how this is manifested at the neural level and how relative covert attention to the eyes and mouth of faces might be affected in ASD. METHODS: We used frequency-tagging EEG in combination with eye tracking, while participants watched fast flickering faces for 1-min stimulation sequences. The upper and lower halves of the faces were presented at 6 Hz and 7.5 Hz or vice versa in different stimulation sequences, allowing to objectively disentangle the neural saliency of the eyes versus mouth region of a perceived face. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 TD control boys, matched for age and IQ. RESULTS: Both groups looked longer at the eyes than the mouth, without any group difference in relative fixation duration to these features. TD boys looked significantly more to the nose, while the ASD boys looked more outside the face. EEG neural saliency data partly followed this pattern: neural responses to the upper or lower face half were not different between groups, but in the TD group, neural responses to the lower face halves were larger than responses to the upper part. Face exploration dynamics showed that TD individuals mostly maintained fixations within the same facial region, whereas individuals with ASD switched more often between the face parts. LIMITATIONS: Replication in large and independent samples may be needed to validate exploratory results. CONCLUSIONS: Combined eye-tracking and frequency-tagged neural responses show no support for the excess mouth/diminished eye gaze hypothesis in ASD. The more exploratory face scanning style observed in ASD might be related to their increased feature-based face processing style. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-020-00396-5 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=438

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

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 15 (2024) . - 23p. Titre : Discrimination sensitivity of visual shapes sharpens in autistic adults but only after explicit category learning Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 23p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Humans  Male  Adult  Female  Electroencephalography  Young Adult  Autistic Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Discrimination, Psychological  Learning  Photic Stimulation  Visual Perception  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Autism  Category learning  Discrimination sensitivity  Frequency-tagging electroencephalography Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Categorization and its influence on perceptual discrimination are essential processes to organize information efficiently. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are suggested to display enhanced discrimination on the one hand, but also to experience difficulties with generalization and ignoring irrelevant differences on the other, which underlie categorization. Studies on categorization and discrimination in ASC have mainly focused on one process at a time, however, and typically only used either behavioral or neural measures in isolation. Here, we aim to investigate the interrelationships between these perceptual processes using novel stimuli sampled from a well-controlled artificial stimulus space. In addition, we complement standard behavioral psychophysical tasks with frequency-tagging EEG (FT-EEG) to obtain a direct, non-task related neural index of discrimination and categorization. METHODS: The study was completed by 38 adults with ASC and 38 matched neurotypical (NT) individuals. First, we assessed baseline discrimination sensitivity by administering FT-EEG measures and a complementary behavioral task. Second, participants were trained to categorize the stimuli into two groups. Finally, participants again completed the neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity measures. RESULTS: Before training, NT participants immediately revealed a categorical tuning of discrimination, unlike ASC participants who showed largely similar discrimination sensitivity across the stimuli. During training, both autistic and non-autistic participants were able to categorize the stimuli into two groups. However, in the initial training phase, ASC participants were less accurate and showed more variability, as compared to their non-autistic peers. After training, ASC participants showed significantly enhanced neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity across the category boundary. Behavioral indices of a reduced categorical processing and perception were related to the presence of more severe autistic traits. Bayesian analyses confirmed overall results. LIMITATIONS: Data-collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our behavioral and neural findings indicate that adults with and without ASC are able to categorize highly similar stimuli. However, while categorical tuning of discrimination sensitivity was spontaneously present in the NT group, it only emerged in the autistic group after explicit categorization training. Additionally, during training, adults with autism were slower at category learning. Finally, this multi-level approach sheds light on the mechanisms underlying sensory and information processing issues in ASC. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-024-00604-6 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=538 [article] Discrimination sensitivity of visual shapes sharpens in autistic adults but only after explicit category learning [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur . - 23p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 15 (2024) . - 23p. Mots-clés : Humans  Male  Adult  Female  Electroencephalography  Young Adult  Autistic Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Discrimination, Psychological  Learning  Photic Stimulation  Visual Perception  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Autism  Category learning  Discrimination sensitivity  Frequency-tagging electroencephalography Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Categorization and its influence on perceptual discrimination are essential processes to organize information efficiently. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are suggested to display enhanced discrimination on the one hand, but also to experience difficulties with generalization and ignoring irrelevant differences on the other, which underlie categorization. Studies on categorization and discrimination in ASC have mainly focused on one process at a time, however, and typically only used either behavioral or neural measures in isolation. Here, we aim to investigate the interrelationships between these perceptual processes using novel stimuli sampled from a well-controlled artificial stimulus space. In addition, we complement standard behavioral psychophysical tasks with frequency-tagging EEG (FT-EEG) to obtain a direct, non-task related neural index of discrimination and categorization. METHODS: The study was completed by 38 adults with ASC and 38 matched neurotypical (NT) individuals. First, we assessed baseline discrimination sensitivity by administering FT-EEG measures and a complementary behavioral task. Second, participants were trained to categorize the stimuli into two groups. Finally, participants again completed the neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity measures. RESULTS: Before training, NT participants immediately revealed a categorical tuning of discrimination, unlike ASC participants who showed largely similar discrimination sensitivity across the stimuli. During training, both autistic and non-autistic participants were able to categorize the stimuli into two groups. However, in the initial training phase, ASC participants were less accurate and showed more variability, as compared to their non-autistic peers. After training, ASC participants showed significantly enhanced neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity across the category boundary. Behavioral indices of a reduced categorical processing and perception were related to the presence of more severe autistic traits. Bayesian analyses confirmed overall results. LIMITATIONS: Data-collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our behavioral and neural findings indicate that adults with and without ASC are able to categorize highly similar stimuli. However, while categorical tuning of discrimination sensitivity was spontaneously present in the NT group, it only emerged in the autistic group after explicit categorization training. Additionally, during training, adults with autism were slower at category learning. Finally, this multi-level approach sheds light on the mechanisms underlying sensory and information processing issues in ASC. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-024-00604-6 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=538

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)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 14 (2023) . - 16 p. Titre : Effects of multiple-dose intranasal oxytocin administration on social responsiveness in children with autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Matthijs MOERKERKE, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Annelies BAMPS, Auteur ; Edward DEBBAUT, Auteur ; Jellina PRINSEN, Auteur ; Tiffany TANG, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Kaat ALAERTS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 16 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Intranasal administration of oxytocin is increasingly explored as a new approach to facilitate social development and reduce disability associated with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The efficacy of multiple-dose oxytocin administration in children with ASD is, however, not well established. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with parallel design explored the effects of a 4-week intranasal oxytocin administration (12 IU, twice daily) on parent-rated social responsiveness (Social Responsiveness Scale: SRS-2) in pre-pubertal school-aged children (aged 8-12 years, 61 boys, 16 girls). Secondary outcomes included a questionnaire-based assessment of repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and attachment. Effects of oxytocin were assessed immediately after the administration period and at a follow-up, 4 weeks after the last administration. The double-blind phase was followed by a 4-week single-blind phase during which all participants received intranasal oxytocin. RESULTS: In the double-blind phase, both the oxytocin and placebo group displayed significant pre-to-post-improvements in social responsiveness and secondary questionnaires, but improvements were not specific to the intranasal oxytocin. Notably, in the single-blind phase, participants who were first allocated to intranasal placebo and later changed to intranasal oxytocin displayed a significant improvement in social responsiveness, over and above the placebo-induced improvements noted in the first phase. Participants receiving oxytocin in the first phase also showed a significant further improvement upon receiving a second course of oxytocin, but only at the 4-week follow-up. Further, exploratory moderator analyses indicated that children who received psychosocial trainings (3 or more sessions per month) along with oxytocin administration displayed a more pronounced improvement in social responsiveness. LIMITATIONS: Future studies using larger cohorts and more explicitly controlled concurrent psychosocial trainings are warranted to further explore the preliminary moderator effects, also including understudied populations within the autism spectrum, such as children with co-occurring intellectual disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Four weeks of oxytocin administration did not induce treatment-specific improvements in social responsiveness in school-aged children with ASD. Future studies are warranted to further explore the clinical efficacy of oxytocin administration paired with targeted psychosocial trainings that stimulate socio-communicative behaviors. Trial registration The trial was registered with the European Clinical Trial Registry (EudraCT 2018-000769-35) on June 7th, 2018 ( https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2018-000769-35/BE ). En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-023-00546-5 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=513 [article] Effects of multiple-dose intranasal oxytocin administration on social responsiveness in children with autism: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Matthijs MOERKERKE, Auteur ; Jean STEYAERT, Auteur ; Annelies BAMPS, Auteur ; Edward DEBBAUT, Auteur ; Jellina PRINSEN, Auteur ; Tiffany TANG, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Kaat ALAERTS, Auteur . - 16 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 14 (2023) . - 16 p. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Intranasal administration of oxytocin is increasingly explored as a new approach to facilitate social development and reduce disability associated with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The efficacy of multiple-dose oxytocin administration in children with ASD is, however, not well established. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with parallel design explored the effects of a 4-week intranasal oxytocin administration (12 IU, twice daily) on parent-rated social responsiveness (Social Responsiveness Scale: SRS-2) in pre-pubertal school-aged children (aged 8-12 years, 61 boys, 16 girls). Secondary outcomes included a questionnaire-based assessment of repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and attachment. Effects of oxytocin were assessed immediately after the administration period and at a follow-up, 4 weeks after the last administration. The double-blind phase was followed by a 4-week single-blind phase during which all participants received intranasal oxytocin. RESULTS: In the double-blind phase, both the oxytocin and placebo group displayed significant pre-to-post-improvements in social responsiveness and secondary questionnaires, but improvements were not specific to the intranasal oxytocin. Notably, in the single-blind phase, participants who were first allocated to intranasal placebo and later changed to intranasal oxytocin displayed a significant improvement in social responsiveness, over and above the placebo-induced improvements noted in the first phase. Participants receiving oxytocin in the first phase also showed a significant further improvement upon receiving a second course of oxytocin, but only at the 4-week follow-up. Further, exploratory moderator analyses indicated that children who received psychosocial trainings (3 or more sessions per month) along with oxytocin administration displayed a more pronounced improvement in social responsiveness. LIMITATIONS: Future studies using larger cohorts and more explicitly controlled concurrent psychosocial trainings are warranted to further explore the preliminary moderator effects, also including understudied populations within the autism spectrum, such as children with co-occurring intellectual disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Four weeks of oxytocin administration did not induce treatment-specific improvements in social responsiveness in school-aged children with ASD. Future studies are warranted to further explore the clinical efficacy of oxytocin administration paired with targeted psychosocial trainings that stimulate socio-communicative behaviors. Trial registration The trial was registered with the European Clinical Trial Registry (EudraCT 2018-000769-35) on June 7th, 2018 ( https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2018-000769-35/BE ). En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-023-00546-5 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=513

Rapid neural categorization of angry and fearful faces is specifically impaired in boys with autism spectrum disorder / Stephanie VAN DER DONCK in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61-9 (September 2020)  

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