Several common developmental disorders emerge during early to middle childhood (e.g. autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) and are associated with impairments in executive function ...(EF). Contrary to the prevailing view, I suggest that, within populations at-risk, the association with EF is found because individuals with strong EF skills are better able to compensate for atypicalities in other brain systems early in life, and are therefore less likely to receive a diagnosis later in life. I discuss evidence consistent with this view from considerations of individual variability, neuroimaging, and genetics. To the extent that this view is correct, it offers hope for remediation of some later emerging symptoms, as evidence from typical groups indicates that training programs for EF in preschoolers may be effective in improving skills.
A domain-general framework for interpreting data on human functional brain development is presented. Assumptions underlying the general theory and predictions derived from it are discussed. ...Developmental functional neuroimaging data from the domains of face processing, social cognition, word learning and reading, executive control, and brain resting states are used to assess these predictions. Finally, potential criticisms of the framework are addressed and challenges for the future presented.
The ‘eye contact effect’ is the phenomenon that perceived eye contact with another human face modulates certain aspects of the concurrent and/or immediately following cognitive processing. In ...addition, functional imaging studies in adults have revealed that eye contact can modulate activity in structures in the social brain network, and developmental studies show evidence for preferential orienting towards, and processing of, faces with direct gaze from early in life. We review different theories of the eye contact effect and advance a ‘fast-track modulator’ model. Specifically, we hypothesize that perceived eye contact is initially detected by a subcortical route, which then modulates the activation of the social brain as it processes the accompanying detailed sensory information.
Johnson and Morton (1991. Biology and Cognitive Development: The Case of Face Recognition. Blackwell, Oxford) used Gabriel Horn's work on the filial imprinting model to inspire a two-process theory ...of the development of face processing in humans. In this paper we review evidence accrued over the past two decades from infants and adults, and from other primates, that informs this two-process model. While work with newborns and infants has been broadly consistent with predictions from the model, further refinements and questions have been raised. With regard to adults, we discuss more recent evidence on the extension of the model to eye contact detection, and to subcortical face processing, reviewing functional imaging and patient studies. We conclude with discussion of outstanding caveats and future directions of research in this field.
AbstractThe atypical features of social perception and cognition observed in individuals with a diagnosis of autism have been explained in two different ways. First, domain-specific accounts are ...based on the assumption that these end-state symptoms result from specific impairments within component structures of the social brain network. Second, domain-general accounts hypothesize that rather than being localized, atypical brain structure and function are widespread, or hypothesize that the apparent social brain differences are the consequence of adaptations to earlier occurring widespread changes in brain function. Critical evidence for resolving this basic issue comes from prospective longitudinal studies of infants at risk for later diagnosis. We highlight selected studies from the newly emerging literature on infants at familial risk for autism to shed light on this issue. Despite multiple reports of possible alterations in brain function in the first year of life, overt behavioral symptoms do not emerge until the second year. Our review reveals only mixed support, within this very early period, for localized deficits in social brain network systems and instead favors the view that atypical development involving perceptual, attentional, motor, and social systems precede the emerging autism phenotype.
Autism spectrum disorders (henceforth autism) are diagnosed in around 1% of the population 1. Familial liability confers risk for a broad spectrum of difficulties including the broader autism ...phenotype (BAP) 2, 3. There are currently no reliable predictors of autism in infancy, but characteristic behaviors emerge during the second year, enabling diagnosis after this age 4, 5. Because indicators of brain functioning may be sensitive predictors, and atypical eye contact is characteristic of the syndrome 6–9 and the BAP 10, 11, we examined whether neural sensitivity to eye gaze during infancy is associated with later autism outcomes 12, 13. We undertook a prospective longitudinal study of infants with and without familial risk for autism. At 6–10 months, we recorded infants' event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to viewing faces with eye gaze directed toward versus away from the infant 14. Longitudinal analyses showed that characteristics of ERP components evoked in response to dynamic eye gaze shifts during infancy were associated with autism diagnosed at 36 months. ERP responses to eye gaze may help characterize developmental processes that lead to later emerging autism. Findings also elucidate the mechanisms driving the development of the social brain in infancy.
► Family risk for autism confers subtle differences in brain function in infants ► Atypical ERPs in infants when viewing eye gaze data associates with later autism diagnosis ► Robust prediction of autism will require an understanding of risk and protective factors
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviors. ...Symptoms of ASD likely emerge from a complex interaction between pre-existing neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities and the child's environment, modified by compensatory skills and protective factors. Prospective studies of infants at high familial risk for ASD (who have an older sibling with a diagnosis) are beginning to characterize these developmental pathways to the emergence of clinical symptoms. Here, we review the range of behavioral and neurocognitive markers for later ASD that have been identified in high-risk infants in the first years of life. We discuss theoretical implications of emerging patterns, and identify key directions for future work, including potential resolutions to several methodological challenges for the field. Mapping how ASD unfolds from birth is critical to our understanding of the developmental mechanisms underlying this disorder. A more nuanced understanding of developmental pathways to ASD will help us not only to identify children who need early intervention, but also to improve the range of interventions available to them.
An atypical pattern of eye contact behaviour is one of the most significant symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Recent empirical advances have revealed the developmental, cognitive and neural ...basis of atypical eye contact behaviour in ASD. We review different models and advance a new ‘fast-track modulator model’. Specifically, we propose that atypical eye contact processing in ASD originates in the lack of influence from a subcortical face and eye contact detection route, which is hypothesized to modulate eye contact processing and guide its emergent specialization during development.
Body Perception in Newborns Filippetti, Maria Laura; Johnson, Mark H.; Lloyd-Fox, Sarah ...
Current biology,
12/2013, Letnik:
23, Številka:
23
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Body ownership and awareness has recently become an active topic of research in adults using paradigms such as the “rubber hand illusion” and “enfacement” 1–11. These studies show that visual, ...tactile, postural, and anatomical information all contribute to the sense of body ownership in adults 12. While some hypothesize body perception from birth 13, others have speculated on the importance of postnatal experience 14, 15. Through studying body perception in newborns, we can directly investigate the factors involved prior to significant postnatal experience. To address this issue, we measured the looking behavior of newborns presented with visual-tactile synchronous and asynchronous cues, under conditions in which the visual information was either an upright (body-related stimulus; experiment 1) or inverted (non-body-related stimulus; experiment 2) infant face. We found that newborns preferred to look at the synchronous condition compared to the asynchronous condition, but only when the visual stimulus was body related. These results are in line with findings from adults and demonstrate that human newborns detect intersensory synchrony when related to their own bodies, consistent with the basic processes underlying body perception being present at birth.
•Human newborns are able to detect synchronous intersensory stimulation•Newborns prefer to look at body-related, synchronous visual-tactile stimuli•Key processes underlying body perception are present at birth
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