Social visual attentional engagement and memory in Phelan-McDermid syndrome and autism spectrum disorder: a pilot eye tracking study

Background The current study used eye tracking to investigate attention and recognition memory in Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability, motor delays, and a high likelihood of comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social deficits represent a core feature of ASD, including decreased propensity to orient to or show preference for social stimuli. Methods We used a visual paired-comparison task with both social and non-social images, assessing looking behavior to a novel image versus a previously viewed familiar image to characterize social attention and recognition memory in PMS (n = 22), idiopathic ASD (iASD, n = 38), and typically developing (TD) controls (n = 26). The idiopathic ASD cohort was divided into subgroups with intellectual disabilities (ID; developmental quotient 70) and the PMS group into those with and without a co-morbid ASD diagnosis. Results On measures of attention, the PMS group with a comorbid ASD diagnosis spent less time viewing the social images compared to non-social images; the rate of looking back and forth between images was lowest in the iASD with ID group. Furthermore, while all groups demonstrated intact recognition memory when novel non-social stimuli were initially presented (pre-switch), participants with PMS showed no preference during the post-switch memory presentation. In iASD, the group without ID, but not the group with ID, showed a novelty preference for social stimuli. Across indices, individuals with PMS and ASD performed more similarly to PMS without ASD and less similarly to the iASD group. Conclusion These findings demonstrate further evidence of differences in attention and memory for social stimuli in ASD and provide contrasts between iASD and PMS

Investigating Motor Preparation in Autism Spectrum Disorder with and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, where motor impairments are common and impact individuals across the lifespan. A growing body of work suggests that alterations in predictive processes may contribute to the ASD symptomatology, such that the anticipation of upcoming events is disrupted. Such an alteration could potentially impact motor planning. Motor planning deficits are not, however, unique to ASD. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to motor planning and execution difficulties, and ADHD commonly co-occurs with ASD. Whether motor planning deficits are characteristic of ASD broadly or magnified in the context of co-morbid ADHD is unclear. In this study we examined the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) to assess motor preparation and action-consequence prediction. While electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded, 29 typically developing (TD) controls and 21 ASD children both with (ASD+ADHD; n=12) and without (ASD−ADHD; n=9) comorbid ADHD completed a paradigm wherein voluntary actions either did or did not result in an auditory consequence. Our results revealed differences in LRP amplitude as a function of group and whether an action produced an effect. In TD, LRP amplitude was attenuated when an action produced an effect versus when it did not. In contrast, the ASD−ADHD group demonstrated LRP enhancement when the action led to an effect. Finally, the ASD+ADHD had attenuated LRP responses compared to other groups regardless of action-effect pairings. These findings suggest that the neural mechanisms for motor preparation and prediction differ between ASD and TD, and are influenced by the presence or absence of ADHD comorbidity

Melting Boundaries: Rethinking Arctic Governance

Created as part of the 2011 Jackson School for International Studies SIS 495: Task Force. Vincent Gallucci and Nadine Fabbi Task Force Advisors; Julia Gourley, Evaluator; Jeung Hwa (Victoria) Choe, Coordinator.Global warming has triggered fundamental ecological changes to the Arctic landscape. As the sea ice melts, greater access to lucrative natural resources and new shipping lanes is intensifying economic and political interest in the region. Ownership and control over these resources has spurred debate at international, regional, national, and sub-national levels. State and non-state actors are seeking to position themselves to exploit these resources and benefit economically. If left unchecked, unsustainable resource extraction has the potential to seriously degrade the natural environment and threaten the human security of Arctic inhabitants. Existing governance frameworks in the Arctic require reassessment and alteration in light of these recent changes

Cardiovascular Efficacy and Safety of Bococizumab in High-Risk Patients

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