•fNIRS is well tolerated by infants and well suited to localizing brain responses to pre-recorded, multi-modal social stimuli.•fNIRS is a promising methodology for measuring infant brain activity ...during naturalistic social interactions.•Recommendations for the use of fNIRS to study infants in naturalistic social situations are provided.•An interactive social neuroscience approach may be particularly well suited to studying infants at risk for autism.
Typically developing infants rapidly acquire a sophisticated array of social skills within the first year of life. These social skills are largely learned within the context of day-to-day interactions with caregivers. While social neuroscience has made great gains in our knowledge of the underlying neural circuitry of social cognition and behavior, much of this work has focused on experiments that sacrifice ecological validity for experimental control. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a promising methodology for measuring brain activity in the context of naturalistic social interactions. Here, we review what we have learned from fNIRS studies that have used traditional experimental stimuli to study social development during infancy. We then discuss recent infant fNIRS studies that have utilized more naturalistic social stimuli, followed by a discussion of applications of this methodology to the study of atypical social development, with a focus on infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder. We end with recommendations for applying fNIRS to studies of typically developing and at-risk infants in naturalistic social situations.
This longitudinal study investigated whether variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and early parent-child interactions predicted later empathic behavior in 84 toddlers at high or low ...familial risk for autism spectrum disorder. Two well-studied OXTR single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs53576 and rs2254298, were examined. Parent-child interaction was measured at 15 and 18 months of age during free play sessions. Empathy was measured at 24 and 30 months using a response to parental distress paradigm. While there was no direct association between parent-child interaction quality or OXTR and empathy, rs53576 moderated the relation between interaction quality and empathy. Results suggest that the interplay between OXTR and early parent-child interactions predicts individual differences in empathy in children at varying risk for atypical social development. Findings are consonant with a differential susceptibility model in which an OXTR variant may increase the social salience of interaction processes for specific allele carriers. These results increase our understanding of predictors of empathy development in young children with a wide range of social outcomes.
Background
While the cerebellum is traditionally known for its role in sensorimotor control, emerging research shows that particular subregions, such as right Crus I (RCrusI), support language and ...social processing. Indeed, cerebellar atypicalities are commonly reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by socio‐communicative impairments. However, the cerebellum’s contribution to early socio‐communicative development remains virtually unknown.
Methods
Here, we characterized functional connectivity within cerebro‐cerebellar networks implicated in language/social functions in 9‐month‐old infants who exhibit distinct 3‐year socio‐communicative developmental profiles. We employed a data‐driven clustering approach to stratify our sample of infants at high (n = 82) and low (n = 37) familial risk for ASD into three cohorts—Delayed, Late‐Blooming, and Typical—who showed unique socio‐communicative trajectories. We then compared the cohorts on indices of language and social development. Seed‐based functional connectivity analyses with RCrusI were conducted on infants with fMRI data (n = 66). Cohorts were compared on connectivity estimates from a‐priori regions, selected on the basis of reported coactivation with RCrusI during language/social tasks.
Results
The three trajectory‐based cohorts broadly differed in social communication development, as evidenced by robust differences on numerous indices of language and social skills. Importantly, at 9 months, the cohorts showed striking differences in cerebro‐cerebellar circuits implicated in language/social functions. For all regions examined, the Delayed cohort exhibited significantly weaker RCrusI connectivity compared to both the Late‐Blooming and Typical cohorts, with no significant differences between the latter cohorts.
Conclusions
We show that hypoconnectivity within distinct cerebro‐cerebellar networks in infancy predicts altered socio‐communicative development before delays overtly manifest, which may be relevant for early detection and intervention. As the cerebellum is implicated in prediction, our findings point to probabilistic learning as a potential intermediary mechanism that may be disrupted in infancy, cascading into alterations in social communication.
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization can add significant stress to the postpartum period. Parents experience isolation and uncertainty, which can affect their capacity to bond with ...their new baby. Understanding how stress is shaped by and changes following a NICU experience will help in developing supports for these families. We examined patterns of parenting stress over the first year of life following a NICU stay to better understand changes in stress, differences in maternal and paternal stress, and how medical and developmental variables impact parent stress. Parents of infants (n = 51) who had experienced a NICU hospitalization and met criteria for California’s High-Risk Infant Follow-Up program completed assessments at 6, 9, and 12 months. A comparison group (n = 38) from a historic dataset included parents of infants born full term without medical complications. NICU parents reported higher levels of parenting stress at 6 months, but not 12 months, with mothers and fathers reporting similar stress levels. Parenting-related stress was found to be relatively stable and consistent over this period. Among NICU parents, lower developmental level at 12 months was associated with more distress in interacting with their child. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring parenting stress following discharge from the NICU and developing interventions for supporting parents of NICU graduates showing developmental delays.
Functional brain connectivity is altered in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Functional disruption during infancy could provide earlier markers of ASD, thus providing a ...crucial opportunity to improve developmental outcomes. Using a whole-brain multivariate approach, we asked whether electroencephalography measures of neural connectivity at 3 months of age predict autism symptoms at 18 months.
Spontaneous electroencephalography data were collected from 65 infants with and without familial risk for ASD at 3 months of age. Neural connectivity patterns were quantified using phase coherence in the alpha range (6-12 Hz). Support vector regression analysis was used to predict ASD symptoms at age 18 months, with ASD symptoms quantified by the Toddler Module of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition.
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores predicted by support vector regression algorithms trained on 3-month electroencephalography data correlated highly with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores measured at 18 months (r = .76, p = .02, root-mean-square error = 2.38). Specifically, lower frontal connectivity and higher right temporoparietal connectivity at 3 months predicted higher ASD symptoms at 18 months. The support vector regression model did not predict cognitive abilities at 18 months (r = .15, p = .36), suggesting specificity of these brain patterns to ASD.
Using a data-driven, unbiased analytic approach, neural connectivity across frontal and temporoparietal regions at 3 months predicted ASD symptoms at 18 months. Identifying early neural differences that precede an ASD diagnosis could promote closer monitoring of infants who show signs of neural risk and provide a crucial opportunity to mediate outcomes through early intervention.
The TAND (Tuberous Sclerosis Complex TSC-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders) Checklist was developed as a clinical screener for neurodevelopmental disorders in TSC. Most studies have described ...patterns in older children and adults. This study sought to better understand behavioral concerns as measured by the TAND Checklist in young children with TSC.
We examined patterns of caregiver responses to the TAND Checklist in 90 toddlers with TSC (12 to 23 months n = 60; 24 to 36 months n = 30) through data collected during baseline visits across two TSC early intervention studies.
Over 90% of caregivers reported at least one behavioral concern related to TAND. The number of concerns increased with age. Delayed language was the most frequently reported concern across ages (12 to 23 months: 58.3%, 24 to 36 months: 86.7%). Questions related to behavioral concerns were largely relevant in this age range, but questions in other areas, such as neuropsychological or academic function, were not.
TAND symptoms are very common in toddlers with TSC, and these symptoms may increase with age. The TAND Checklist is a useful tool for identifying behavioral concerns efficiently, but several items and sections are not suited to younger children. Results support the development of an abbreviated form of the TAND Checklist for toddlers.
Abstract
Background
Chronic disease is the leading cause of premature death globally, and many of these deaths are preventable by modifying some key behavioural and metabolic risk factors. This study ...examines changes in health behaviours among men and women at risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease (CVD) who participated in a 6-month lifestyle intervention called the
My health for life
program.
Methods
The
My health for life
program is a Queensland Government-funded multi-component program designed to reduce chronic disease risk factors amongst at-risk adults in Queensland, Australia. The intervention comprises six sessions over a 6-month period, delivered by a trained facilitator or telephone health coach. The analysis presented in this paper stems from 9,372 participants who participated in the program between July 2017 and December 2019. Primary outcomes included fruit and vegetable intake, consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and take-away, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and physical activity. Variables were summed to form a single Healthy Lifestyle Index (HLI) ranging from 0 to 13, with higher scores denoting healthier behaviours. Longitudinal associations between lifestyle indices, program characteristics and socio-demographic characteristics were assessed using Gaussian Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models with an identity link and robust standard errors.
Results
Improvements in HLI scores were noted between baseline (Md = 8.8; IQR = 7.0, 10.0) and 26-weeks (Md = 10.0; IQR = 9.0, 11.0) which corresponded with increases in fruit and vegetable consumption and decreases in takeaway frequency (
p
< .001 for all) but not risky alcohol intake. Modelling showed higher average HLI among those aged 45 or older (β = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.90, 1.10,
p
< .001) with vocational educational qualifications (certificate/diploma: β = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.14, 0.50,
p
< .001; bachelor/post-graduate degree β = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.61, 0.98,
p
< .001) while being male, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, or not currently working conferred lower average HLI scores (
p
< .001 for all).
Conclusions
While participants showed improvements in dietary indicators, changes in alcohol consumption and physical activity were less amenable to the program. Additional research is needed to help understand the multi-level barriers and facilitators of behaviour change in this context to further tailor the intervention for priority groups.
Purpose of Review
Much of our understanding of early development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comes from studies of children with a family history of autism. We reviewed the ...current literature on neurodevelopmental profiles and autism prevalence from other high-risk infant groups to expose gaps and inform next steps. We focused on infants with early medical risk (e.g., preterm birth) and genetic risk (tuberous sclerosis complex TSC).
Recent Findings
About 7% of very preterm infants are later diagnosed with ASD. Prospective studies of early development outside of familial-risk infants are rare; however, recent work within preterm and TSC infants suggests interesting similarities and differences from infants with a family history of ASD.
Summary
It is essential that we extend our knowledge of early markers of ASD beyond familial-risk infants to expand our knowledge of autism as it emerges in order to develop better, more individualized early interventions.
Abstract
Converging evidence from neuroimaging studies has revealed altered connectivity in cortical–subcortical networks in youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Comparatively little ...is known about the development of cortical–subcortical connectivity in infancy, before the emergence of overt ASD symptomatology. Here, we examined early functional and structural connectivity of thalamocortical networks in infants at high familial risk for ASD (HR) and low-risk controls (LR). Resting-state functional connectivity and diffusion tensor imaging data were acquired in 52 6-week-old infants. Functional connectivity was examined between 6 cortical seeds—prefrontal, motor, somatosensory, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions—and bilateral thalamus. We found significant thalamic-prefrontal underconnectivity, as well as thalamic-occipital and thalamic-motor overconnectivity in HR infants, relative to LR infants. Subsequent structural connectivity analyses also revealed atypical white matter integrity in thalamic-occipital tracts in HR infants, compared with LR infants. Notably, aberrant connectivity indices at 6 weeks predicted atypical social development between 9 and 36 months of age, as assessed with eye-tracking and diagnostic measures. These findings indicate that thalamocortical connectivity is disrupted at both the functional and structural level in HR infants as early as 6 weeks of age, providing a possible early marker of risk for ASD.
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