Differences in Performance of ASD and ADHD Subjects Facing Cognitive Loads in an Innovative Reasoning Experiment.
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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: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: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
Project description:Background: In recent years, the potential usefulness of cognitive training procedures in normal aging and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have received increased attention.Objective: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the face-to-face cognitive virtual reality rehabilitation system (VRRS) and to compare it to that of face-to-face cognitive treatment as usual for individuals with MCI. Moreover, we assessed the possibility of prolonging the effects of treatment with a telerehabilitation system.Methods: A total of 49 subjects with MCI were assigned to 1 of 3 study groups in a randomized controlled trial design: (a) those who received face-to-face cognitive VRRS (12 sessions of individualized cognitive rehabilitation over 4 weeks) followed by telerehabilitation (36 sessions of home-based cognitive VRRS training, three sessions for week); (b) those who received face-to-face cognitive VRRS followed by at-home unstructured cognitive stimulation (36 sessions of home-based unstructured cognitive stimulation, three sessions for week); and (c) those who received face-to-face cognitive treatment as usual (12 sessions of face-to-face cognitive treatment as usual).Results: An improvement in memory, language and visuo-constructional abilities was observed after the end of face-to-face VRRS treatment compared to face-to-face treatment as usual. The application of home-based cognitive VRRS telerehabilitation seems to induce more maintenance of the obtained gains than home-based unstructured stimulation.Discussion: The present study provides preliminary evidence in support of individualized VRRS treatment and telerehabilitation delivery for cognitive rehabilitation and should pave the way for future studies aiming at identifying optimal cognitive treatment protocols in subjects with MCI.Clinical trial registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03486704.
| S-EPMC7701275 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe aim of this study was to assess cognitive differences between male and female adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).MethodsPatients with an ADHD diagnosis according to the DSM-IV guidelines were included in a cross-sectional study evaluating cognitive measures. 28 women and 41 men from ages 19 to 56 completed self-report questionnaires and performed a computer-based test of attentional performance (TAP). The TAP assesses cognitive functions highly affected in ADHD patients, including working memory, alertness and attention as well as behavioral control and response inhibition.ResultsThere were no measurable differences in self-report scales assessing current symptomology between the sexes, however men scored higher on the scale for childhood symptoms. Performance measures for general wakefulness were comparable between men and women, while working memory and behavioral control test results differed. Females reacted significantly slower and more unstable for both the TAP Go/NoGo paradigm and working memory subtest, while also making more errors in the latter.ConclusionsWe found gender-specific effects regarding working memory and behavioral control in this sample of adult patients with ADHD. Further studies are warranted, examining whether these differences relate to differences in clinical presentation and comorbidity patterns between men and women.
| S-EPMC7561166 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The data presented here were collected from 301 grade 11 students selected from six public secondary schools within one district. These students participated in a quasi-experimental study whose aim was to investigate the effects of the Student-Teams Achievement Division (STAD) on students' mathematical reasoning. Six intact classes from the participating schools were selected using a cluster random sampling method, three of which were randomly assigned to the control group while the other three were randomly assigned to the experimental group. Respondents' demographic information (identity, gender, school type, and age) are presented alongside their raw scores on pretest and posttest measures. The mathematical reasoning test (MRT) items presented to students aimed at assessing their conjecturing, justifying and mathematizing abilities. Student scores from each of these three mathematical reasoning dimensions were aggregated to form a total score for both the pretest and posttest measures. These data can provide some insights into the extent to which different learning conditions can support the development of reasoning among the learners of school mathematics. The MRT items presented in the supplementary data files can also act as a basis for the formulation of new tasks aimed at assessing students' mathematical reasoning skills.
| S-EPMC7176821 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe association patterns of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with educational attainment (EA) are complex; children with ADHD and ASD are at risk of poor academic outcomes, and parental EA has been associated with risk of ADHD/ASD in the offspring. Little is known on the causal links between ADHD, ASD, EA and the potential contribution of cognitive ability.MethodsUsing the latest genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data on ADHD, ASD and EA, we applied two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the effects of genetic liability to ADHD and ASD on EA. Reverse direction analyses were additionally performed. Multivariable MR was performed to estimate any effects independent of cognitive ability.ResultsGenetic liability to ADHD had a negative effect on EA, independently of cognitive ability (MVMRIVW: -1.7 months of education per doubling of genetic liability to ADHD; 95% CI: -2.8 to -0.7), whereas genetic liability to ASD a positive effect (MVMRIVW: 30 days per doubling of the genetic liability to ASD; 95% CI: 2 to 53). Reverse direction analyses suggested that genetic liability to higher EA had an effect on lower risk of ADHD, independently of cognitive ability (MVMRIVWOR: 0.33 per SD increase; 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.43) and increased risk of ASD (MRIVWOR: 1.51 per SD increase; 95% CI: 1.29 to 1.77), which was partly explained by cognitive ability (MVMRIVWOR per SD increase: 1.24; 95%CI: 0.96 to 1.60).ConclusionsGenetic liability to ADHD and ASD is likely to affect educational attainment, independently of underlying cognitive ability.
| S-EPMC8743131 | biostudies-literature