Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Abstract Backgrounds Atypicalities in tactile processing are reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but it remains unknown if they precede and associate with the traits of these disorders emerging in childhood. We investigated behavioural and n...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-020-09334-1 |
| _version_ | 1818591462191792128 |
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| author | Elena Serena Piccardi Jannath Begum Ali Emily J. H. Jones Luke Mason Tony Charman Mark H. Johnson Teodora Gliga BASIS/STAARS Team |
| author_facet | Elena Serena Piccardi Jannath Begum Ali Emily J. H. Jones Luke Mason Tony Charman Mark H. Johnson Teodora Gliga BASIS/STAARS Team |
| author_sort | Elena Serena Piccardi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Backgrounds Atypicalities in tactile processing are reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but it remains unknown if they precede and associate with the traits of these disorders emerging in childhood. We investigated behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of ASD and/or ADHD compared to infants at typical likelihood of the disorders. Further, we assessed the specificity of associations between infant markers and later ASD or ADHD traits. Methods Ninety-one 10-month-old infants participated in the study (n = 44 infants at elevated likelihood of ASD; n = 20 infants at elevated likelihood of ADHD; n = 9 infants at elevated likelihood of ASD and ADHD; n = 18 infants at typical likelihood of the disorders). Behavioural and EEG responses to pairs of tactile stimuli were experimentally recorded and concurrent parental reports of tactile responsiveness were collected. ASD and ADHD traits were measured at 24 months through standardized assessment (ADOS-2) and parental report (ECBQ), respectively. Results There was no effect of infants’ likelihood status on behavioural markers of tactile sensory processing. Conversely, increased ASD likelihood associated with reduced neural repetition suppression to tactile input. Reduced neural repetition suppression at 10 months significantly predicted ASD (but not ADHD) traits at 24 months across the entire sample. Elevated tactile sensory seeking at 10 months moderated the relationship between early reduced neural repetition suppression and later ASD traits. Conclusions Reduced tactile neural repetition suppression is an early marker of later ASD traits in infants at elevated likelihood of ASD or ADHD, suggesting that a common pathway to later ASD traits exists despite different familial backgrounds. Elevated tactile sensory seeking may act as a protective factor, mitigating the relationship between early tactile neural repetition suppression and later ASD traits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T10:12:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-963db3fcf1f6407c82225ec50672aabc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1866-1947 1866-1955 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T10:12:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders |
| spelling | doaj.art-963db3fcf1f6407c82225ec50672aabc2022-12-21T22:35:32ZengBMCJournal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders1866-19471866-19552021-01-0113111810.1186/s11689-020-09334-1Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorderElena Serena Piccardi0Jannath Begum Ali1Emily J. H. Jones2Luke Mason3Tony Charman4Mark H. Johnson5Teodora Gliga6BASIS/STAARS TeamCentre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of LondonCentre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of LondonCentre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of LondonCentre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of LondonInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Psychology Department, King’s College LondonCentre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of LondonCentre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of LondonAbstract Backgrounds Atypicalities in tactile processing are reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but it remains unknown if they precede and associate with the traits of these disorders emerging in childhood. We investigated behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of ASD and/or ADHD compared to infants at typical likelihood of the disorders. Further, we assessed the specificity of associations between infant markers and later ASD or ADHD traits. Methods Ninety-one 10-month-old infants participated in the study (n = 44 infants at elevated likelihood of ASD; n = 20 infants at elevated likelihood of ADHD; n = 9 infants at elevated likelihood of ASD and ADHD; n = 18 infants at typical likelihood of the disorders). Behavioural and EEG responses to pairs of tactile stimuli were experimentally recorded and concurrent parental reports of tactile responsiveness were collected. ASD and ADHD traits were measured at 24 months through standardized assessment (ADOS-2) and parental report (ECBQ), respectively. Results There was no effect of infants’ likelihood status on behavioural markers of tactile sensory processing. Conversely, increased ASD likelihood associated with reduced neural repetition suppression to tactile input. Reduced neural repetition suppression at 10 months significantly predicted ASD (but not ADHD) traits at 24 months across the entire sample. Elevated tactile sensory seeking at 10 months moderated the relationship between early reduced neural repetition suppression and later ASD traits. Conclusions Reduced tactile neural repetition suppression is an early marker of later ASD traits in infants at elevated likelihood of ASD or ADHD, suggesting that a common pathway to later ASD traits exists despite different familial backgrounds. Elevated tactile sensory seeking may act as a protective factor, mitigating the relationship between early tactile neural repetition suppression and later ASD traits.https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-020-09334-1Autism spectrum disorderAttention deficit hyperactivity disorderTactile sensory processingTactile sensory seekingRepetition suppressionEEG |
| spellingShingle | Elena Serena Piccardi Jannath Begum Ali Emily J. H. Jones Luke Mason Tony Charman Mark H. Johnson Teodora Gliga BASIS/STAARS Team Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Autism spectrum disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Tactile sensory processing Tactile sensory seeking Repetition suppression EEG |
| title | Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| title_full | Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| title_fullStr | Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| title_short | Behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| title_sort | behavioural and neural markers of tactile sensory processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder and or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| topic | Autism spectrum disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Tactile sensory processing Tactile sensory seeking Repetition suppression EEG |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-020-09334-1 |
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