Divergence and Variability of Language Maps in Autism

自闭症语言图谱的分歧和变异

• 批准号: 6654977
• 负责人: Ralph-Axel Mueller
• 金额: $ 26.94万
• 依托单位: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-09-01 至 2007-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6654977
• 关键词: Asperger syndrome; autism; behavior test; brain mapping; clinical research; functional magnetic resonance imaging; gender difference; human subject; language; neural plasticity; neuroimaging; neuropathology; neuropsychological tests; neuropsychology; phonology; semantics; vocabulary

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Despite a general consensus that autism has biological causes, the specific links between brain loci of abnormality and cognitive-behavioral impairments remain unknown. Functional neuroimaging studies do not provide a clear picture, possibly due to etiological heterogeneity of autism samples. We will explore potential abnormalities of functional brain organization in autism with specific focus on individual variability, using functional MRI (fMRI) -- an imaging technique with sufficient power for individual analyses. Thirty verbal individuals with autism, 24 subjects with Asperger syndrome (AS), and age, gender, and handedness-matched controls will be studied. Our project will focus on language -- a domain which not only differentiates autism and AS in terms of delay and deficit, but is also characterized by a wide spectrum of abilities within the adult autistic population. FMRI will be performed during auditory and phonological discrimination, and lexical semantic association. Several complementary data analysis paths (groupwise and intraindividually; in normalized and native space) will enable us: (i) to identify consistent abnormalities of functional maps for autism and AS groups; (ii) to quantify activation foci in each subject in terms of spatial divergence from normal and individual variability within patient groups; (iii) to relate varying patterns of abnormal functional maps with measures of language skill; and (iv) to distinguish effects of pathological disturbance of functional maps from those of compensatory plasticity. We will test hypotheses, according to which in autism (and to a lesser extent in AS) pathological disturbance of neural differentiation and impoverished interactive language experience during critical developmental periods result in aberrant neurofunctional maps and abnormally pronounced individual variability. Language delay in autism is further hypothesized to be associated with atypical hemispheric dominance for language. Finally, we expect that individually variable patterns of abnormal functional maps will be correlated with level of language outcome. Identifying such links between brain maps and level of functioning achieved in adults will elucidate the significance of individual variation in autism in terms of different pathways of etiology and abnormal development.

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管普遍认为自闭症 具有生物学原因，异常的大脑位点之间的特定联系 认知行为障碍仍然未知。功能神经影像学 研究没有提供清晰的图片，可能是由于病因学 自闭症样本的异质性。我们将探讨潜在的异常情况 自闭症患者的功能性大脑组织，特别关注个体 变异性，使用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）——一种成像技术 足够的能力进行单独分析。三十个言语个体 自闭症、24 名阿斯伯格综合症 (AS) 受试者以及年龄、性别和 将研究用手习惯匹配的控制。我们的项目将重点关注语言 ——这个领域不仅在延迟方面区分自闭症和 AS 缺陷，但也具有广泛的能力范围 成人自闭症人群。 FMRI 将在听觉和听觉过程中进行 语音辨别和词汇语义关联。一些 补充数据分析路径（分组和个体内；在 规范化和本机空间）将使我们能够：（i）识别一致的 自闭症和 AS 群体的功能图谱异常； (二) 量化 每个受试者的激活焦点与正常和 患者群体内的个体差异； (iii) 将不同的模式联系起来 异常功能图与语言技能测量； (iv) 至 区分功能图的病理干扰的影响 的补偿可塑性。我们将测试假设，根据该假设 自闭症（以及较小程度的 AS）神经病理性紊乱 差异化和贫乏的互动语言体验 关键的发育时期会导致神经功能图谱异常 异常明显的个体差异。自闭症的语言发育迟缓是 进一步假设与非典型半球优势有关 语言。最后，我们期望异常的个体变量模式 功能图将与语言结果水平相关。识别 大脑图谱与成人所达到的功能水平之间的这种联系将 阐明自闭症个体差异的重要性 病因和异常发育的不同途径。