Differences in Performance of ASD and ADHD Subjects Facing Cognitive Loads in an Innovative Reasoning Experiment.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Papaioannou A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8615740 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:ObjectiveWe aim to investigate whether EEG dynamics differ in adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders), ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), compared with healthy subjects during the performance of an innovative cognitive task: Aristotle's valid and invalid syllogisms. We follow the Neuroanatomical differences type of criterion in assessing the results of our study in supporting or not the dual-process theory of Kahneman, 2011) (Systems I & II of thinking).MethodWe recorded EEGs from 14 scalp electrodes in 30 adults with ADHD, 30 with ASD and 24 healthy, normal subjects. The subjects were exposed in a set of innovative cognitive tasks (inducing varying cognitive loads), the Aristotle's four types of syllogism mentioned above. The multiscale entropy (MSE), a nonlinear information-theoretic measure or tool was computed to extract features that quantify the complexity of the EEG.ResultsThe dynamics of the curves of the grand average of MSE values of the ADHD and ASD participants was significantly in higher levels for the majority of time scales, than the healthy subjects over a number of brain regions (electrodes locations), during the performance of both valid and invalid types of syllogism. This result is seemingly not in accordance of the broadly accepted 'theory' of complexity loss in 'pathological' subjects, but actually this is not the case as explained in the text. ADHD subjects are engaged in System II of thinking, for both Valid and Invalid syllogism, ASD and Control in System I for valid and invalid syllogism, respectively. A surprising and 'provocative' result of this paper, as shown in the next sections, is that the Complexity-variability of ASD and ADHD subjects, when they face Aristotle's types of syllogisms, is higher than that of the control subjects. An explanation is suggested as described in the text. Also, in the case of invalid type of Aristotelian syllogisms, the linguistic and visuo-spatial systems are both engaged ONLY in the temporal and occipital regions of the brain, respectively, of ADHD subjects. In the case of valid type, both above systems are engaged in the temporal and occipital regions of the brain, respectively, of both ASD and ADHD subjects, while in the control subjects only the visuo-spatial type is engaged (Goel et al., 2000; Knauff, 2007).ConclusionBased on the results of the analysis described in this work, the differences in the EEG complexity between the three groups of participants lead to the conclusion that cortical information processing is changed in ASD and ADHD adults, therefore their level of cortical activation may be insufficient to meet the peculiar cognitive demand of Aristotle's reasoning.SignificanceThe present paper suggest that MSE, is a powerful and efficient nonlinear measure in detecting neural dysfunctions in adults with ASD and ADHD characteristics, when they are called on to perform in a very demanding as well as innovative set of cognitive tasks, that can be considered as a new diagnostic 'benchmark' in helping detecting more effectively such type of disorders. A linear measure alone, as the typical PSD, is not capable in making such a distinction. The work contributes in shedding light on the neural mechanisms of syllogism/reasoning of Aristotelian type, as well as toward understanding how humans reason logically and why 'pathological' subjects deviate from the norms of formal logic.
| S-EPMC8477216 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show significant behavioural and genetic overlap. Both ADHD and ASD are characterised by poor performance on a range of cognitive tasks. In particular, increased response time variability (RTV) is a promising indicator of risk for both ADHD and ASD. However, it is not clear whether different indices of RTV and changes to RTV according to task conditions are able to discriminate between the two disorders.MethodsChildren with ASD (n = 19), ADHD (n = 18), ASD + ADHD (n = 29) and typically developing controls (TDC; n = 26) performed a four-choice RT task with slow-baseline and fast-incentive conditions. Performance was characterised by mean RT (MRT), standard deviation of RT (SD-RT), coefficient of variation (CV) and ex-Gaussian distribution measures of Mu, Sigma and Tau.ResultsIn the slow-baseline condition, categorical diagnoses and trait measures converged to indicate that children with ADHD-only and ASD + ADHD demonstrated increased MRT, SD-RT, CV and Tau compared to TDC and ASD-only. Importantly, greater improvement in MRT, SD-RT and Tau was demonstrated in ADHD and ASD + ADHD from slow-baseline to fast-incentive conditions compared to TDC and ASD-only.ConclusionsSlower and more variable RTs are markers of ADHD compared to ASD and typically developing controls during slow and less rewarding conditions. Energetic factors and rewards improve task performance to a greater extent in children with ADHD compared to children with ASD. These findings suggest that RTV can be distinguished in ASD, ADHD and ASD + ADHD based on the indices of variability used and the conditions in which they are elicited. Further work identifying neural processes underlying increased RTV is warranted, in order to elucidate disorder-specific and disorder-convergent aetiological pathways.
| S-EPMC5132150 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAttention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are child-onset neurodevelopmental disorders frequently accompanied by cognitive difficulties. In the current study, we aim to examine the genetic overlap between ADHD and ASD and cognitive measures of working memory (WM) and attention performance among schoolchildren using a polygenic risk approach.MethodsA total of 1667 children from a population-based cohort aged 7-11 years with data available on genetics and cognition were included in the analyses. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were calculated for ADHD and ASD using results from the largest GWAS to date (N = 55 374 and N = 46 351, respectively). The cognitive outcomes included verbal and numerical WM and the standard error of hit reaction time (HRTSE) as a measure of attention performance. These outcomes were repeatedly assessed over 1-year period using computerized version of the Attention Network Test and n-back task. Associations were estimated using linear mixed-effects models.ResultsHigher polygenic risk for ADHD was associated with lower WM performance at baseline time but not over time. These findings remained significant after adjusting by multiple testing and excluding individuals with an ADHD diagnosis but were limited to boys. PRS for ASD was only nominally associated with an increased improvement on verbal WM over time, although this association did not survive multiple testing correction. No associations were observed for HRTSE.ConclusionsCommon genetic variants related to ADHD may contribute to worse WM performance among schoolchildren from the general population but not to the subsequent cognitive-developmental trajectory assessed over 1-year period.
| S-EPMC9157306 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Reasoning may help solving problems and understanding personal experiences. Ruminative reasoning, however, is inconclusive, repetitive, and usually regards negative thoughts. We asked how reasoning as manifested in oral autobiographical narratives might differ when it is ruminative versus when it is adaptive by comparing two constructs from the fields of psychotherapy research and narrative research that are potentially beneficial: innovative moments (IMs) and autobiographical reasoning (AR). IMs captures statements in that elaborate on changes regarding an earlier personal previous problem of the narrator, and AR capture the connecting of past events with other parts of the narrator's life or enduring aspects of the narrator. A total of N = 94 university students had been selected from 492 students to differ maximally on trait rumination and trait adaptive reflection, and were grouped as ruminators (N = 38), reflectors (N = 37), and a group with little ruminative and reflective tendencies ("unconcerned," N = 19). Participants narrated three negative personal experiences (disappointing oneself, harming someone, and being rejected) and two self-related experiences of more mixed valence (turning point and lesson learnt). Reflectors used more IMs and more negative than positive autobiographical arguments (AAs), but not more overall AAs than ruminators. Group differences were not moderated by the valence of memories, and groups did not differ in the positive effect of narrating on mood. Trait depression/anxiety was predicted negatively by IMs and positively by AAs. Thus, IMs are typical for reflectors but not ruminators, whereas the construct of AR appears to capture reasoning processes irrespective of their ruminative versus adaptive uses.
| S-EPMC7982801 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The dopaminergic system (DS) is one of the most important neuromodulator systems involved in complex functions that are compromised in both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conditions that frequently occur in overlap. This evidence suggests that both disorders might have common neurobiological pathways involving the DS. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the DRD1 and DRD2 dopamine receptor single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as potential risk factors for ASD, ADHD, and ASD/ADHD overlap. Genetic data were obtained from four groups: 75 ASD patients, 75 ADHD patients, 30 patients with ASD/ADHD overlap, and 75 healthy controls. All participants were between 2 and 17 years old. We compared the genotypic and allelic frequency of 18 SNPs among all of the study groups. Moreover, in the case of statistically significant differences, odds ratios (OR) were obtained to evaluate if the presence of SNPs might be a risk factor of developing a specific clinical phenotype. This study found that DRD1 and DRD2 receptors SNPs might be considered as potential risk factors for ASD and ADHD. However, only DRD2-12 (rs7131465) was significantly associated with a higher risk for the ASD/ADHD overlap. These data support the hypothesis of the genetic neuromodulation of the DS in the neurobiology of these conditions.
| S-EPMC8511701 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which frequently co-occur, are both rising. The causes of ASD and ADHD remain elusive, even as both appear to involve perturbation of the gut-brain-immune axis. CD103 is an integrin and E-cadherin receptor most prominently expressed on CD8 T cells that reside in gut, brain, and other tissues. CD103 deficiency is well-known to impair gut immunity and resident T cell function, but it's impact on neurodevelopmental disorders has not been examined. We show here that CD8 T cells influence neural progenitor cell function, and that CD103 modulates this impact both directly and potentially by controlling CD8 levels in brain. CD103 knockout (CD103KO) mice exhibited a variety of behavioral abnormalities, including superior cognitive performance coupled with repetitive behavior, aversion to novelty and social impairment in females, with hyperactivity with delayed learning in males. Brain protein markers in female and male CD103KOs coincided with known aspects of ASD and ADHD in humans, respectively. Surprisingly, CD103 deficiency also decreased age-related cognitive decline in both sexes, albeit by distinct means. Together, our findings reveal a novel role for CD103 in brain developmental function, and identify it as a unique factor linking ASD and ADHD etiology. Our data also introduce a new animal model of combined ASD and ADHD with associated cognitive benefits, and reveal potential therapeutic targets for these disorders and age-related cognitive decline.
| S-EPMC7786306 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Sequences of eye movements during performance of a reasoning task has provided insights into the strategies individuals use to solve that specific task; however, prior studies have not examined whether eye gaze metrics reflect cognitive abilities in a way that transcends a specific task. Thus, our study aimed to explore the relationship between eye movement sequences and other behavioral measures. Here, we present two studies that related different eye gaze metrics in a matrix reasoning task with performance on a different test of fluid reasoning and tests of planning, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Additionally, we related gaze metrics to self-reported executive functioning in daily life, as measured by BRIEF-A. To perform this, we classified the participants' eye gaze in each item of the matrices test using an algorithm and then used LASSO regression models with the cognitive abilities as the dependent variable to select eye-tracking metrics to predict it. Overall, specific and distinct eye gaze metrics predicted 57% variance in the fluid reasoning scores; 17% variance in the planning scores; and 18% variance in the working memory scores. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that the selected eye-tracking metrics reflect cognitive abilities that transcend specific tasks.
| S-EPMC10145645 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A review of the literature on moral issues indicates that none of the empirical approaches to moral reasoning proposes an experimental approach which controls for such object-related experimental variables as: knowledge, motivation, acceptance of moral norms and consequences of human behavior in moral situations in a single research procedure. A unique element of the proposed experimental method is a multi-stage model determining morality indicators. In the two-phase design experiment, psychology students were asked to create model ethical stories and then conduct an overall assessment of each of these stories. As a result, a base of ethical stories was created with empirical moral indicators (positive, negative, neutral). The patterns in the moral evaluation of ethical stories were determined by identifying three processes (selection, differentiation and integration). The final result is a confirmed design of the experiment and a set of formulas that can be used in education and research on morality reasoning.
| S-EPMC8191952 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) and autism spectrum (ASD) disorders often co-occur. In both cases, response inhibition deficits and inhibition-related atypical brain activation have been reported, although less consistently in ASD. Research exploring the overlap/distinctiveness between ADHD and ASD has significantly increased in recent years, but direct comparison of the inhibition-related neuronal correlates between these disorders are scarce in the literature. This study aimed at disentangling the shared and specific inhibitory brain dysfunctions in ASD and ADHD. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain activity was compared between children with ADHD, ASD and typically developing (TD) children aged 8-12 years during an inhibition stop-signal task, using stringent inclusion criteria. At the behavioural level, only children with ADHD exhibited inhibition deficits when compared with the TD group. Distinct patterns of brain activity were observed during successful inhibition. In children with ADHD, motor inhibition was associated with right inferior parietal activation, whereas right frontal regions were activated in children with ASD. Between-group comparisons disclosed higher middle frontal activation in the ASD group compared with the ADHD and the TD groups. Our results evidence different patterns of activation during inhibition in these two disorders, recruiting different regions of the fronto-parietal network associated to inhibition. Besides brain activity differences, behavioural inhibition deficits found only in children with ADHD further suggest that reactive inhibition is one of the core deficits in ADHD, but not in ASD. Our findings provide further evidence contributing to disentangle the shared and specific inhibitory dysfunctions in ASD and ADHD.
| S-EPMC7026183 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In previous studies, children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been found to have more difficulties with processing speed, working memory, and attentional tasks. The present study aimed to compare the cognitive variables (working memory and processing speed) and the attentional profiles of a sample of students with and without ADHD, using scales from the WISC-IV, and the virtual reality-based attentional test known as 'Aula Nesplora'; and determine the extent to which the aforementioned variables may predict student group membership. A total of 88 students took part in this study (66 males and 22 females), aged from 6 to 16 years (M = 10.20; SD = 2.79). The sample was divided into two groups: an ADHD group (n = 50) and a Control group (n = 38). Students in the ADHD group obtained lower scores in working memory and in processing speed, as well as demonstrating poorer performance in Aula Nesplora than did their peers. Working memory, and the number of omissions, were both shown to be reliable predictors of group membership. This study revealed the importance of obtaining data from attentional variables differentiated by modality when considering cognitive variables, in order to better characterize the difficulties experienced by individuals diagnosed with ADHD.
| S-EPMC6093610 | biostudies-literature