The Neurobiology of Auditory Perception in Autism

自闭症听觉感知的神经生物学

• 批准号: 6989119
• 负责人: NICOLE M GAGE
• 金额: $ 18.61万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-12-06 至 2007-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6989119
• 关键词: auditory cortex; auditory discrimination; auditory pathways; auditory stimulus; auditory threshold; autism; behavioral /social science research tag; brain electrical activity; children; clinical research; data collection; human subject; language disorders; loudness; magnetoencephalography; neural conduction; neural information processing; neurobiology; neuropsychology; psychophysiology; sound perception

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed yearly in 1/500 to 1/1000 children in the United States, is typified by delayed language and abnormal sound sensitivity. While these impairments are pervasive features of, autism, their description is based largely on clinical observations and the etiology is unknown. Progress in understanding the neural bases of language and sound processing abnormalities has been hampered by the highly variable manifestations of impairment coupled with the complexities of the human auditory system. As a result, there is at present no unitary model for or comprehensive description of auditory dysfunction in autism disorder (AD). In this application, we propose experiments that combine a relatively rare neuroimaging technique (Magnetoencephalography (MEG)) with a well-characterized sample in order to accelerate our knowledge of the pathophysiology of AD. MEG is an emergent neuroimaging technique that allows us to non-invasively measure synchronized responses of population of neurons. Importantly, MEG has been demonstrated to be well tolerated by children with AD. Recent evidence for slowed neural conduction times at the auditory brainstem in autistic children combines with our preliminary MEG data showing general prolongation in cortical evoked responses in children with AD to motivate the present investigation. Our overarching hypothesis is that language impairment and sound reactivity in AD children stem from impairments at the sensory level and may have multiple loci in the ascending auditory system. Cumulatively these data combine with observed sensory and language dysfunction in children with AD to raise several core questions. First, what is the association between perceptual acuity and cortical auditory function in children with autism? Aim 1 addresses this question by combining psychophysical experimentation with MEG recording in a within subjects design. Second, what is the correspondence between sensory reactivity observed in AD children and abnormal loudness growth? Next, how does abnormal loudness perception relate to dysfunction in neural mechanisms for decoding intensity cues? Aim 2 addresses this issue with both psychophysical and MEG testing. Finally, what is the correspondence between slowed neural conduction times at peripheral and subcortical auditory sites and those found at the level of auditory cortex? Aim 3 addresses this question using a combination of electrophysiology and MEG recording.

描述（由申请人提供）：自闭症，一种在美国每年诊断为1/500至1/1000儿童的神经发育障碍，其特征是语言延迟和声音敏感性异常。尽管这些障碍是自闭症的普遍特征，但它们的描述主要基于临床观察，病因尚不清楚。理解语言和声音处理异常的神经基础的进展受到了高度可变的障碍表现以及人类听觉系统的复杂性。结果，目前尚无自闭症障碍听觉功能障碍（AD）的统一模型或全面描述。在此应用中，我们提出了将相对罕见的神经影像学技术（MEG）（MEG）与一个良好的样品结合在一起的实验，以加速我们对AD病理生理学的了解。 MEG是一种新兴的神经影像学技术，使我们能够非侵入性地测量神经元种群的同步反应。重要的是，已证明MEG被广告儿童耐受。自闭症儿童听觉脑干上神经传导时间缓慢的最新证据与我们的初步MEG数据相结合，显示了AD的儿童的皮质诱发反应中的一般延长，以激发目前的调查。我们的总体假设是，AD儿童的语言障碍和声音反应性源于感官层面的障碍，并且在上升的听觉系统中可能有多个基因座。累积地，这些数据与AD儿童观察到的感官和语言功能障碍相结合，以提出几个核心问题。首先，自闭症儿童感知敏锐度与皮质听觉功能之间的关联是什么？ AIM 1通过将心理物理实验与MEG录制结合在主题设计中来解决这个问题。其次，在AD儿童中观察到的感觉反应性与异常的响度生长之间的对应关系是什么？接下来，异常的响度感知与解码强度提示的神经机制的功能障碍有何关系？ AIM 2通过心理物理和MEG测试解决了这个问题。最后，外周和皮层听觉部位的神经传导时间缓慢的对应关系与在听觉皮层水平上发现的对应关系是什么？ AIM 3使用电生理学和MEG记录的结合解决了这个问题。