Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in Autism
Objective: Biological motion perception (BMP) correlating with a mirror neuron system (MNS) is attenuated in underage individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While BMP in typically-developing controls (TDCs) encompasses interconnected MNS structures, ASD data hint at segregated form and mot...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/4/408 |
| _version_ | 1797298504054341632 |
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| author | Julia Siemann Anne Kroeger Stephan Bender Muthuraman Muthuraman Michael Siniatchkin |
| author_facet | Julia Siemann Anne Kroeger Stephan Bender Muthuraman Muthuraman Michael Siniatchkin |
| author_sort | Julia Siemann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Biological motion perception (BMP) correlating with a mirror neuron system (MNS) is attenuated in underage individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While BMP in typically-developing controls (TDCs) encompasses interconnected MNS structures, ASD data hint at segregated form and motion processing. This coincides with less fewer long-range connections in ASD than TDC. Using BMP and electroencephalography (EEG) in ASD, we characterized directionality and coherence (mu and beta frequencies). Deficient BMP may stem from desynchronization thereof in MNS and may predict social-communicative deficits in ASD. Clinical considerations thus profit from brain–behavior associations. Methods: Point-like walkers elicited BMP using 15 white dots (walker vs. scramble in 21 ASD (mean: 11.3 ± 2.3 years) vs. 23 TDC (mean: 11.9 ± 2.5 years). Dynamic Imaging of Coherent Sources (DICS) characterized the underlying EEG time-frequency causality through time-resolved Partial Directed Coherence (tPDC). Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification validated the group effects (ASD vs. TDC). Results: TDC showed MNS sources and long-distance paths (both feedback and bidirectional); ASD demonstrated distinct from and motion sources, predominantly local feedforward connectivity, and weaker coherence. Brain–behavior correlations point towards dysfunctional networks. SVM successfully classified ASD regarding EEG and performance. Conclusion: ASD participants showed segregated local networks for BMP potentially underlying thwarted complex social interactions. Alternative explanations include selective attention and global–local processing deficits. Significance: This is the first study applying source-based connectivity to reveal segregated BMP networks in ASD regarding structure, cognition, frequencies, and temporal dynamics that may explain socio-communicative aberrancies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:35:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8097d7192b5431698098e43b89e5c05 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:35:45Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8097d7192b5431698098e43b89e5c052024-02-23T15:13:49ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182024-02-0114440810.3390/diagnostics14040408Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in AutismJulia Siemann0Anne Kroeger1Stephan Bender2Muthuraman Muthuraman3Michael Siniatchkin4Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel, Evangelical Hospital Bielefeld, 33617 Bielefeld, GermanyClinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt am Main, 60389 Frankfurt, GermanyClinic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Goethe-University of Frankfurt am Main, 60389 Frankfurt, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, Neural Engineering with Signal Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (NESA-AI), University Clinic Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, GermanyDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bethel, Evangelical Hospital Bielefeld, 33617 Bielefeld, GermanyObjective: Biological motion perception (BMP) correlating with a mirror neuron system (MNS) is attenuated in underage individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While BMP in typically-developing controls (TDCs) encompasses interconnected MNS structures, ASD data hint at segregated form and motion processing. This coincides with less fewer long-range connections in ASD than TDC. Using BMP and electroencephalography (EEG) in ASD, we characterized directionality and coherence (mu and beta frequencies). Deficient BMP may stem from desynchronization thereof in MNS and may predict social-communicative deficits in ASD. Clinical considerations thus profit from brain–behavior associations. Methods: Point-like walkers elicited BMP using 15 white dots (walker vs. scramble in 21 ASD (mean: 11.3 ± 2.3 years) vs. 23 TDC (mean: 11.9 ± 2.5 years). Dynamic Imaging of Coherent Sources (DICS) characterized the underlying EEG time-frequency causality through time-resolved Partial Directed Coherence (tPDC). Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification validated the group effects (ASD vs. TDC). Results: TDC showed MNS sources and long-distance paths (both feedback and bidirectional); ASD demonstrated distinct from and motion sources, predominantly local feedforward connectivity, and weaker coherence. Brain–behavior correlations point towards dysfunctional networks. SVM successfully classified ASD regarding EEG and performance. Conclusion: ASD participants showed segregated local networks for BMP potentially underlying thwarted complex social interactions. Alternative explanations include selective attention and global–local processing deficits. Significance: This is the first study applying source-based connectivity to reveal segregated BMP networks in ASD regarding structure, cognition, frequencies, and temporal dynamics that may explain socio-communicative aberrancies.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/4/408autismbiological motion perceptioncoherencesegregationtime-resolved Partial Directed Coherence |
| spellingShingle | Julia Siemann Anne Kroeger Stephan Bender Muthuraman Muthuraman Michael Siniatchkin Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in Autism Diagnostics autism biological motion perception coherence segregation time-resolved Partial Directed Coherence |
| title | Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in Autism |
| title_full | Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in Autism |
| title_fullStr | Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in Autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in Autism |
| title_short | Segregated Dynamical Networks for Biological Motion Perception in the Mu and Beta Range Underlie Social Deficits in Autism |
| title_sort | segregated dynamical networks for biological motion perception in the mu and beta range underlie social deficits in autism |
| topic | autism biological motion perception coherence segregation time-resolved Partial Directed Coherence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/4/408 |
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