scholarly journals Common and dissociable contributions of alexithymia and autism to domain-specific interoceptive dysregulations – a dimensional neuroimaging approach

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jialin Li ◽  
Lei Xu ◽  
Xiaoxiao Zheng ◽  
Meina Fu ◽  
Feng Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Association ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Empathy Deficits ◽  
Affective Pain ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Neural Reactivity ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAlexithymia represents a transdiagnostic marker across psychiatric entities associated with emotional impairments, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Accumulating evidence suggests that interoceptive dysfunctions that underpin the core symptomatic emotion recognition and empathy deficits in ASD may be contributed to by high levels of alexithymia rather than autistic symptoms per se. However, previous findings are hampered by generally elevated alexithymia in ASD patients, and thus were not able to differentiate common and distinct contributions across the entire spectrum of variations of autism and alexithymia. Moreover, the multi-factorial nature of the domains affected, such as distinct neural reactivity towards perceiving physical and affective pain, has not been accounted for. Against this background the present fMRI study employed a dimensional trait approach in n = 242 healthy subjects to determine common and distinct associations between both traits and pain empathic responses towards physical and affective pain. Higher levels of alexithymia associated with increased left anterior insula pain empathic reactivity. Disentangling these effects revealed a positive association during perceived physical pain, but a negative one during affective pain. No significant associations with trait autism were found, but an interaction effect between the trait dimensions was observed in the mid-cingulate cortex. Moderation analysis demonstrated that trait autism only impacted mid-cingulate reactivity towards physical pain in high alexithymia subjects, whereas reactivity towards affective pain was specifically associated with trait autism in low alexithymia subjects. Findings confirm previous patient studies suggesting that alexithymia rather than autism per se may drive altered insula pain empathic reactivity. Importantly, the present approach allowed for the first time to demonstrate that the impact of alexithymia on insula reactivity varies as a function of the pain empathic domain and that effects on other core empathy nodes evolve in interaction with trait autism.

scholarly journals Implementation of a pre- and in-scan system to minimize head motion in pediatric participants undergoing fMRI scans

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Horien ◽  
Scuddy Fontenelle ◽  
Kohrissa Joseph ◽  
Nicole Powell ◽  
Chaela Nutor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Head Motion ◽  
Attention Task ◽  
Fmri Study ◽  
Replication Group ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Primary Measure ◽  
Detailed Protocol ◽  
Scan Protocol

AbstractBackgroundPerforming fMRI scans of children can be a difficult task, as participants tend to move while being scanned. Head motion represents a significant confound in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) connectivity analyses, and methods to limit the impact of movement on data quality are needed. One approach has been to use shorter MRI protocols, though this potentially reduces the reliability of the results.ObjectiveHere we describe steps we have taken to limit head motion in an ongoing fMRI study of children undergoing a 60 minute MRI scan protocol. Specifically, we have used a mock scan protocol that trains participants to lie still while being scanned. We provide a detailed protocol and describe other in-scanner measures we have implemented, including an incentive system and the use of a weighted blanket.Materials and methodsParticipants who received a formal mock scan (n = 12) were compared to participants who had an informal mock scan (n = 7). A replication group of participants (n = 16), including five with autism spectrum disorder, who received a formal mock scan were also compared to the informal mock scan group. The primary measure of interest was the mean frame-to-frame displacement across eight functional runs during the fMRI protocol.ResultsParticipants in the formal mock scan and replication group tended to exhibit more low-motion functional scans than the informal mock scan group (P < 0.05). Across different functional scan conditions (i.e. while watching movie clips, performing an attention task, and during resting-state scans), effect sizes tended to be large (Hedge’s g > 0.8).ConclusionResults indicate that with appropriate measures, it is possible to achieve low-motion fMRI data in younger participants undergoing a long scan protocol.

Emotions and health: The impact of emotions, emotions regulation, music, and acculturation on health

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Bongard ◽  
Volker Hodapp ◽  
Sonja Rohrmann
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Anger Expression ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Cardiovascular Stress ◽  
Expression Behavior ◽  
Cardio Vascular ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Our unit investigates the relationship of emotional processes (experience, expression, and coping), their physiological correlates and possible health outcomes. We study domain specific anger expression behavior and associated cardio-vascular loads and found e.g. that particularly an open anger expression at work is associated with greater blood pressure. Furthermore, we demonstrated that women may be predisposed for the development of certain mental disorders because of their higher disgust sensitivity. We also pointed out that the suppression of negative emotions leads to increased physiological stress responses which results in a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. We could show that relaxation as well as music activity like singing in a choir causes increases in the local immune parameter immunoglobuline A. Finally, we are investigating connections between migrants’ strategy of acculturation and health and found e.g. elevated cardiovascular stress responses in migrants when they where highly adapted to the German culture.

Aviation and the Microbiome

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 651-661
Author(s):  
Joshua T. Davis ◽  
Hilary A. Uyhelji
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Aviation Safety ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Microbial Colonization ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Aerospace Medicine ◽  
Medical Certification ◽  
Physical Disorders ◽  
The Impact

INTRODUCTION: Although the impact of microorganisms on their hosts has been investigated for decades, recent technological advances have permitted high-throughput studies of the collective microbial genomes colonizing a host or habitat, also known as the microbiome. This literature review presents an overview of microbiome research, with an emphasis on topics that have the potential for future applications to aviation safety. In humans, research is beginning to suggest relationships of the microbiome with physical disorders, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease. The microbiome also has been associated with psychological health, including depression, anxiety, and the social complications that arise in autism spectrum disorders. Pharmaceuticals can alter microbiome diversity, and may lead to unintended consequences both short and long-term. As research strengthens understanding of the connections between the microbiota and human health, several potential applications for aerospace medicine and aviation safety emerge. For example, information derived from tests of the microbiota has potential future relevance for medical certification of pilots, accident investigation, and evaluation of fitness for duty in aerospace operations. Moreover, air travel may impact the microbiome of passengers and crew, including potential impacts on the spread of disease nationally and internationally. Construction, maintenance, and cleaning regimens that consider the potential for microbial colonization in airports and cabin environments may promote the health of travelers. Altogether, the mounting knowledge of microbiome effects on health presents several opportunities for future research into how and whether microbiome-based insights could be used to improve aviation safety.Davis JT, Uyhelji HA. Aviation and the microbiome. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(8):651–661.

The impact of Airbnb on a non-touristic city. A Case study of short-term rentals in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain)

Erdkunde ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-204
Author(s):  
Marcus Hübscher ◽  
Juana Schulze ◽  
Felix zur Lage ◽  
Johannes Ringel
Keyword(s):  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Rental Market ◽  
Rural Space ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Web Scraping ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Per Se ◽  
The Impact

Short-term rentals such as Airbnb have become a persistent element of today’s urbanism around the globe. The impacts are manifold and differ depending on the context. In cities with a traditionally smaller accommodation market, the impacts might be particularly strong, as Airbnb contributes to ongoing touristification processes. Despite that, small and medium-sized cities have not been in the centre of research so far. This paper focuses on Santa Cruz de Tenerife as a medium-sized Spanish city. Although embedded in the touristic region of the Canary Islands, Santa Cruz is not a tourist city per se but still relies on touristification strategies. This paper aims to expand the knowledge of Airbnb’s spatial patterns in this type of city. The use of data collected from web scraping and geographic information systems (GIS) demonstrates that Airbnb has opened up new tourism markets outside of the centrally established tourist accommodations. It also shows that the price gap between Airbnb and the housing rental market is broadest in neighbourhoods that had not experienced tourism before Airbnb entered the market. In the centre the highest prices and the smallest units are identified, but two peripheral quarters stand out. Anaga Mountains, a natural and rural space, has the highest numbers of Airbnb listings per capita. Suroeste, a suburban quarter, shows the highest growth rates on the rental market, which implies a linkage between Airbnb and suburbanization processes.

scholarly journals Mapping domain characteristics influencing Analytics initiatives: The example of Supply Chain Analytics

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Tino Herden
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: Analytics research is increasingly divided by the domains Analytics is applied to. Literature offers little understanding whether aspects such as success factors, barriers and management of Analytics must be investigated domain-specific, while the execution of Analytics initiatives is similar across domains and similar issues occur. This article investigates characteristics of the execution of Analytics initiatives that are distinct in domains and can guide future research collaboration and focus. The research was conducted on the example of Logistics and Supply Chain Management and the respective domain-specific Analytics subfield of Supply Chain Analytics. The field of Logistics and Supply Chain Management has been recognized as early adopter of Analytics but has retracted to a midfield position comparing different domains.Design/methodology/approach: This research uses Grounded Theory based on 12 semi-structured Interviews creating a map of domain characteristics based of the paradigm scheme of Strauss and Corbin.Findings: A total of 34 characteristics of Analytics initiatives that distinguish domains in the execution of initiatives were identified, which are mapped and explained. As a blueprint for further research, the domain-specifics of Logistics and Supply Chain Management are presented and discussed.Originality/value: The results of this research stimulates cross domain research on Analytics issues and prompt research on the identified characteristics with broader understanding of the impact on Analytics initiatives. The also describe the status-quo of Analytics. Further, results help managers control the environment of initiatives and design more successful initiatives.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies for Improving Adaptive Behavior and Motor Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1726
Author(s):  
Leonardo Zoccante ◽  
Michele Marconi ◽  
Marco Luigi Ciceri ◽  
Silvia Gagliardoni ◽  
Luigi Alberto Gozzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Adaptive Behavior ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Parental Distress ◽  
Effective Option ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Equine Assisted

Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) have been suggested to improve adaptive behavior, and possibly motor function, in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study investigated the effects of EAAT on adaptive behavior and motor function in 15 children with ASD (13 males) aged 7–15 years as well as the impact of EAAT on the magnitude of stress in the parent–child system and the evolution in the child interaction with both the trained therapist and the therapeutic animal through the 20 weekly sessions of EAAT. EAAT were associated with greater adaptive behavior and coordination (all p ≤ 0.01) as well as a progressive improvement in the child’s abilities to respond to the increasing complexity of such form of positive behavioral support (all p < 0.001). However, EAAT did not prove to be effective in reducing parental distress. Collectively, preliminary evidence presented here may have important public health implications and gives reason to hope that EAAT could possibly be an effective option in ASD, warranting further investigation of its potential benefits in clinical trials among larger samples.

Supporting Youth With Autism Learning Social Competence: A Comparison of Game- and Nongame-Based Activities in 3D Virtual World

2021 ◽  
pp. 073563312110220
Author(s):  
Xianhui Wang ◽  
Wanli Xing
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Competence ◽  
Central Element ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Behavior Patterns ◽  
Interaction Behavior ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

This study explored youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) learning social competence in the context of innovative 3D virtual learning environment and the effects of gaming as a central element of the learning experience. The empirical study retrospectively compared the social interactions of 11 adolescents with ASD in game-and nongame-based 3D collaborative learning activities in the same social competence training curriculum. We employed a learning analytics approach - association rule mining to uncover the associative rules of verbal social interaction and nonverbal social interaction contributors from the large dataset of the coded social behaviors. By comparing the rules across the game and nongame activities, we found a significant difference in youth with ASD’s social performance. The results of the group comparison study indicated that the co-occurrence of verbal and nonverbal behaviors is much stronger in the game-based learning activities. The game activities also yielded more diverse social interaction behavior patterns. On the other hand, in the nongame activities, students’ social interaction behavior patterns are much more limited. Furthermore, the impact of game design principles on learning is then discussed in this paper.

Smo-Shh signaling activator purmorphamine ameliorates neurobehavioral, molecular, and morphological alterations in an intracerebroventricular propionic acid-induced experimental model of autism

2021 ◽  
pp. 096032712110134
Author(s):  
S Rahi ◽  
R Gupta ◽  
A Sharma ◽  
S Mehan
Keyword(s):  
Propionic Acid ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Neuronal Cell Death ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disease ◽  
Shh Pathway ◽  
Apoptotic Markers ◽  
The Impact

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disease characterized by cognitive and sensorimotor impairment. Numerous research findings have consistently shown that alteration of Smo-Shh (smoothened-sonic hedgehog) signaling during the developmental process plays a significant role in ASD and triggers neuronal changes by promoting neuroinflammation and apoptotic markers. Purmorphamine (PUR), a small purine-derived agonist of the Smo-Shh pathway, shows resistance to hippocampal neuronal cell oxidation and decreases neuronal cell death. The goal of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective potential of PUR in brain intoxication induced by intracerebroventricular-propionic acid (ICV-PPA) in rats, with a focus on its effect on Smo-Shh regulation in the brain of rats. In addition, we analyze the impact of PUR on myelin basic protein (MBP) and apoptotic markers such as Caspase-3, Bax (pro-apoptotic), and Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic) in rat brain homogenates. Chronic ICV-PPA infusion was administered consecutively for 11 days to induce autism in rats. In order to investigate behavioral alterations, rats were tested for spatial learning in the Morris Water Maze (MWM), locomotive alterations using actophotometer, and beam crossing task, while Forced Swimming Test (FST) for depressive behavior. PUR treatment with 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg (i.p.) was administered from day 12 to 44. Besides cellular, molecular and neuroinflammatory analyses, neurotransmitter levels and oxidative markers have also been studied in brain homogenates. The results of this study have shown that PUR increases the level of Smo-Shh and restores the neurochemical levels, and potentially prevents morphological changes, including demyelination.

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