Neural Underpinnings of Prosody in Autism

This study examines the processing of prosodic cues to linguistic structure and to affect, drawing on fMRI and behavioral data from 16 high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 11 typically developing controls. Stimuli were carefully matched on pitch, intensity, and duration, while varying systematically in conditions of affective prosody (angry versus neutral speech) and grammatical prosody (questions versus statement). To avoid conscious attention to prosody, which normalizes responses in young people with ASD, the implicit comprehension task directed attention to semantic aspects of the stimuli. Results showed that when perceiving prosodic cues, both affective and grammatical, activation of neural regions was more generalized in ASD than in typical development, and areas recruited reflect heightened reliance on cognitive control, reading of intentions, attentional management, and visualization. This broader recruitment of executive and “mind-reading” brain areas for a relative simple language-processing task may be interpreted to suggest that speakers with high-functioning autism (HFA) have developed less automaticity in language processing and may also suggest that “mind-reading” or theory of mind deficits are intricately bound up in language processing. Data provide support for both a right-lateralized as well as a bilateral model of prosodic processing in typical individuals, depending upon the function of the prosodic information

Pragmatic Language Abilities: Working Memory Influences on Mutual Information

Pragmatic language impairments in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) likely reflect an individual\u27s ability to monitor what information is mutually known in a conversation, termed common ground (Clark, 1992). Common ground impairments in ASD have not been well studied, and could reflect limitations in working memory (WM) in addition to Theory of Mind (ToM). This study explored common ground in 13 children with ASD and 21 typically-developing controls, ages 8-17. We tracked participants\u27 eye movements while they engaged in a referential communication task in which some information was private (known only to the participant; a manipulation of ToM). As a manipulation of WM load, the amount of private information varied. Accuracy was high across groups (91%), and all participants were slower to integrate private than shared information; this main effect was greater during high WM loads. There was a trend for the ASD group to be more influenced by competing information. Specifically, unlike controls, the ASD showed no significant improvement for low relative to high WM loads. Across groups, ASD-like behaviors, spatial WM, ToM, and inhibitory control were related to task performance. In addition, performance was related to verbal WM in controls, but to language and IQ in the ASD group. Results show that WM influences common ground representation across groups, and that even minimal WM demands impact referential communication skills in ASD. When WM demands increased, controls (like participants with ASD) had difficulty incorporating perspective. Results are consistent with research suggesting that perspective-taking places significant demands on cognitive processes.

Working Memory, Language Skills, and Autism Symptomatology

While many studies have reported working memory (WM) impairments in autism spectrum disorders, others do not. Sample characteristics, WM domain, and task complexity likely contribute to these discrepancies. Although deficits in visuospatial WM have been more consistently documented, there is much controversy regarding verbal WM in autism. The goal of the current study was to explore visuospatial and verbal WM in a well-controlled sample of children with high-functioning autism (HFA) and typical development. Individuals ages 9–17 with HFA (n = 18) and typical development (n = 18), were carefully matched on gender, age, IQ, and language, and were administered a series of standardized visuospatial and verbal WM tasks. The HFA group displayed significant impairment across WM domains. No differences in performance were noted across WM tasks for either the HFA or typically developing groups. Over and above nonverbal cognition, WM abilities accounted for significant variance in language skills and symptom severity. The current study suggests broad WM limitations in HFA. We further suggest that deficits in verbal WM are observed in more complex tasks, as well as in simpler tasks, such as phonological WM. Increased task complexity and linguistic demands may influence WM abilities

Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter

Description Student Success in College describes policies, programs, and practices that a diverse set of institutions have used to enhance student achievement. This book clearly shows the benefits of student learning and educational effectiveness that can be realized when these conditions are present. Based on the Documenting Effective Educational Practice (DEEP) project from the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, this book provides concrete examples from twenty institutions that other colleges and universities can learn from and adapt to help create a success-oriented campus culture and learning environment

Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter

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Therapeutic targeting of CCR1 attenuates established chronic fungal asthma in mice

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71445/1/sj.bjp.0706243.pd

Design and performance of an ultra-flexible two-photon microscope for in vivo research

We present a cost-effective in vivo two-photon microscope with a highly flexible frontend for in vivo research. Our design ensures fast and reproducible access to the area of interest, including rotation of imaging plane, and maximizes space for auxiliary experimental equipment in the vicinity of the animal. Mechanical flexibility is achieved with large motorized linear stages that move the objective in the X, Y, and Z directions up to 130 mm. 360° rotation of the frontend (rotational freedom for one axis) is achieved with the combination of a motorized high precision bearing and gearing. Additionally, the modular design of the frontend, based on commercially available optomechanical parts, allows straightforward updates to future scanning technologies. The design exceeds the mobility of previous movable microscope designs while maintaining high optical performance