Dataset Information

Relations Between the McGurk Effect, Social and Communication Skill, and Autistic Features in Children with and without Autism.

ABSTRACT: Children with autism show alterations in multisensory integration that have been theoretically and empirically linked with the core and related features of autism. It is unclear, however, to what extent multisensory integration maps onto features of autism within children with and without autism. This study, thus, evaluates relations between audiovisual integration and core and related autism features across children with and without autism. Thirty-six children reported perceptions of the McGurk illusion during a psychophysical task. Parents reported on participants' autistic features. Increased report of illusory percepts tended to covary with reduced autistic features and greater communication skill. Some relations, though, were moderated by group. This work suggests that associations between multisensory integration and higher-order skills are present, but in some instances vary according to diagnostic group.

SUBMITTER: Feldman JI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8842559 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Relations Between the McGurk Effect, Social and Communication Skill, and Autistic Features in Children with and without Autism.

Feldman Jacob I JI Conrad Julie G JG Kuang Wayne W Tu Alexander A Liu Yupeng Y Simon David M DM Wallace Mark T MT Woynaroski Tiffany G TG

Journal of autism and developmental disorders 20210608 5

Children with autism show alterations in multisensory integration that have been theoretically and empirically linked with the core and related features of autism. It is unclear, however, to what extent multisensory integration maps onto features of autism within children with and without autism. This study, thus, evaluates relations between audiovisual integration and core and related autism features across children with and without autism. Thirty-six children reported perceptions of the McGurk ...[more]

PMID: 34101080

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Project description:Music has been identified as a strength in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder; however, there is currently no neuroscientific evidence supporting its benefits. Given its universal appeal, intrinsic reward value and ability to modify brain and behaviour, music may be a potential therapeutic aid in autism. Here we evaluated the neurobehavioural outcomes of a music intervention, compared to a non-music control intervention, on social communication and brain connectivity in school-age children (ISRCTN26821793). Fifty-one children aged 6-12 years with autism were randomized to receive 8-12 weeks of music (n = 26) or non-music intervention (n = 25). The music intervention involved use of improvisational approaches through song and rhythm to target social communication. The non-music control was a structurally matched behavioural intervention implemented in a non-musical context. Groups were assessed before and after intervention on social communication and resting-state functional connectivity of fronto-temporal brain networks. Communication scores were higher in the music group post-intervention (difference score = 4.84, P = .01). Associated post-intervention resting-state brain functional connectivity was greater in music vs. non-music groups between auditory and subcortical regions (z = 3.94, P < .0001) and auditory and fronto-motor regions (z = 3.16, P < .0001). Post-intervention brain connectivity was lower between auditory and visual regions in the music compared to the non-music groups, known to be over-connected in autism (z = 4.01, P < .00001). Post-intervention brain connectivity in the music group was related to communication improvement (z = 3.57, P < .0001). This study provides the first evidence that 8-12 weeks of individual music intervention can indeed improve social communication and functional brain connectivity, lending support to further investigations of neurobiologically motivated models of music interventions in autism.

Project description:Background & aimsSocial communication and language skills have been found to be important predictors of long-term outcomes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the development of coordinated social communication (i.e., gestures and sounds or words) remains relatively understudied in young children with ASD and developmental delays (DD). This study used a prospective, longitudinal design and granular observational coding to document the coordination of gestures, sounds, and words in a large, heterogeneous sample of toddlers identified with ASD, DD, or typical development (TD) during a naturalistic home observation. Specific aims were: (1) to compare rates per minute and proportions of coordinated child communicative acts across groups; (2) to examine concurrent relationships between coordinated communication and measures of social communication and autism symptoms; and (3) to examine prospective relationships between coordinated communication, receptive and expressive language skills, and autism symptoms collected at 3 years of age.MethodsAt a mean age of 20.3 months (SD = 2.0), 211 children (nASD = 121; nDD = 46; nTD = 44) participated in everyday activities with a parent during an hourlong home observation. Rates per minute and proportions of gestures, sounds and words, as well as temporally overlapping gesture + sound, gesture + word, and gesture + phrase combinations, were compared using one-way ANOVA. Pearson product moment correlations between coordinated communicative acts and measures of social communication, language, and autism symptoms were examined.ResultsOn average, children with ASD used sounds and gesture + sounds at significantly lower rates than DD and TD groups, who did not differ. Children with ASD and DD coordinated gesture + single words and gesture + phrases at significantly lower rates than the TD group. Groups did not differ with respect to the rate per minute at which they used gestures alone. Children with TD used a smaller proportion of sounds alone and higher proportions of words and phrases, with and without coordinated gestures, than ASD and DD groups. Children with ASD and DD used a significantly higher proportion of gestures alone than children with TD. Rates per minute and proportions of single words and gesture + words had significant correlations with measures of social communication, language skills, and autism symptoms.ConclusionsResults suggest that a significantly lower rate per minute of sounds and gesture + sound combinations was a distinguishing feature of ASD in our sample. Further, limited use of single words and gesture + single words was observed in children ASD and DD. Significant prospective relationships between single words and gesture + words with language skills measured over a year later underscores the importance of acquiring these forms.ImplicationsResults support the idea that clinicians should include opportunities to observe and encourage coordinated social communication while screening and assessing young children for DD and ASD in the home environment. The significant associations between rate of single words and gesture + word combinations with language development over a year later have implications for incorporating intervention targets that encourage the use of gesture-speech combinations.

Dataset Information

Relations Between the McGurk Effect, Social and Communication Skill, and Autistic Features in Children with and without Autism.

Publications

Relations Between the McGurk Effect, Social and Communication Skill, and Autistic Features in Children with and without Autism.

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