Difference between revisions of "Social Communication2"

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====Neural Correlates====
 
====Neural Correlates====
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Studies have been conducted to identify the common neural basis of social decision making. One study examined the neural basis of social decision making during judgments of approachability and intelligence from faces. In the approachability task participants had to decide whether faces appeared 'not approachable or 'very approachable'. Both ASD and schizophrenic patients have shown impairment in these two tasks.  In the intelligent task participants had to decide whether the faces appeared 'intelligent' or 'not intelligent'. They found that the common brain regions activated during tasks which measured these constructs included the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, inferior prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. This study suggests that these structures are involved in broader social judgements as well as the specific social functions they have been associated with, such as the detection of threats by the amygdala. This study was particularly surprising because the amygdala was involved in a task in detection of intelligence, which does not related to threat. This supports the idea that the amygdala is generally involved in inferring the states of others.<sup>8</sup>
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Studies have been conducted to identify the common neural basis of social decision making. One study examined the neural basis of social decision making during judgments of approachability and intelligence from faces. In the approachability task participants had to decide whether faces appeared 'not approachable or 'very approachable'. Both ASD and schizophrenic patients have shown impairment in these two tasks.  In the intelligent task participants had to decide whether the faces appeared 'intelligent' or 'not intelligent'. They found that the common brain regions activated during tasks which measured these constructs included the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, inferior prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. This study suggests that these structures are involved in broader social judgements as well as the specific social functions they have been associated with, such as the detection of threats by the amygdala. This study was particularly surprising because the amygdala was involved in a task in detection of intelligence. This supports the idea that the amygdala is generally involved in inferring the states of others.<sup>8</sup>
  
  

Revision as of 11:49, 12 May 2010

Neural Correlates

Studies have been conducted to identify the common neural basis of social decision making. One study examined the neural basis of social decision making during judgments of approachability and intelligence from faces. In the approachability task participants had to decide whether faces appeared 'not approachable or 'very approachable'. Both ASD and schizophrenic patients have shown impairment in these two tasks. In the intelligent task participants had to decide whether the faces appeared 'intelligent' or 'not intelligent'. They found that the common brain regions activated during tasks which measured these constructs included the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, inferior prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. This study suggests that these structures are involved in broader social judgements as well as the specific social functions they have been associated with, such as the detection of threats by the amygdala. This study was particularly surprising because the amygdala was involved in a task in detection of intelligence. This supports the idea that the amygdala is generally involved in inferring the states of others.8


Impairment in pragmatic language, the ability to use and comprehend language in context, is seen universally across individuals with ASD regardless of level of functioning. Individuals with ASD employ an overly literal interpretation of utterances, causing problems in understanding humor, irony, metaphors, and comprehending indirect requests. Given that the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) is particularly associated with integration of knowledge about the world and contextual information, a study investigated LIFG activation in high functioning adults that met criteria for ASD versus controls. The study targeted pragmatic language comprehension that is relevant for social interactions in daily life, specifically, the integration of speaker characteristics: age, gender, and social background. The fMRI study measured this activation for pragmatic language comprehension using speaker-congruent and speaker-incongruent sentences. The study found bilateral activation in the inferior frontal gyrus in both groups, but significant increased activation of the RIFG in the ASD group for speaker-incongruent sentences than for speaker-congruent sentences. Increased activation in the LIFG for speaker-incongruent sentences supports the idea of the LIFG being involved in the unification of conflicting incoming information.The increased neural activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus seen in adults with ASD is suggested to be compensatory in nature. The increased activity of the RIFG in the ASD group, points to greater effort in forming and revising the situation model.6

vMPFC and its possible role in Autism: In one study, the right ventral MPFC showed decreased activation, but not a true deactivation, to speaker-incongruent sentences relative to speaker-congruent sentences in controls, but not adults with ASD. Furthermore, manipulating the congruency of the speaker characteristics altered activity in the right ventral MPFC, including anterior cingulated cortex.6 The vMPFC, including the ACC may be implicated in fundamental aspects of social cognitive functioning, such as mentalizing and theory of mind, person perception, and self-reference. The ventral part of the MPFC, including the ACC seems to be particularly associated in both self-referential judgments and inferences about perceived similarity of others to oneself.

Reward Systems in ASD

One fMRI study found decreased neural activation in the striatal reward systems in those with autism associated with abnormal social reward processing. The lack of reward from social stimuli is consistent with the hypothesis of impaired social reward processing in individuals with ASD, and potentially explains the impairments in social communication observed in those with ASD due to lack of social motivation. 7

Tests to Assess Social Communication

Concerns

Interventions

Studies provide support that group-based interventions that specifically work to improve social deficiencies in children with ASD and focus on process-oriented variables combined with skill-based instruction can be effective by reducing social anxiety, increasing flexibility, and increasing the number of positive peer interactions.3

Additionally, Peer Play interventions where children with ASD are playing with typically developing children are effective. Peer Play interventions where there are peer models and reinforcement of target social behaviors have been successful in increasing engagement and sustaining interaction during play.5

85%-90% of children diagnosed with autism who were diagnosed before 5 and are enrolled in interventions that use motivational techniques to improve language can eventually use language as the primary form of communication. To increase use of language outside of clinical sessions though, the interventions should incorporate situations for conversation which are similar to real life.

Interventions which help children with autism learn how to initiate social interactions seem promising in improving language outcomes. One study has indicated that children with autism that tend to initiate more social interactions have more positive outcomes after long term intensive language interventions than those who initiate very few social interactions.

In addition, interventions which target the pragmatic use of language would be helpful in improving social outcomes because inappropriate use of language may result in a reduction of social learning opportunities.9





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References

1. Bertoglio, Kiah and Robert L. Hendren. New Developments in Autism. PMID 19248913

2. Grandgeorge, Marine et. al. Environmental Factors Influence Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. PLoS ONE. 2009;4(4):e4683. Epub 2009 Apr 9 PMID 19357766

3. Cotugno, A.J. Social Competence and Social Skills Training and Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord. 2009 Apr 14. PMID 19365716

4. Prendeville, J.A. et. al. Peer Play Interventions to Support the Social Competence of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Semin Speech Lang. 2006 Feb;27(1):32-46 PMID 16440243

5. Grandgeorge, M. et. al. Environmental Factors Influence Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. PLoS ONE. 2009;4(4):e4683. Epub 2009 Apr 9. PMID 19357766

6. Tesink, CM et. al. Neural correlates of pragmatic language comprehension in autism spectrum disorders.Brain. 2009 May 7 PMID 19423680

7. Piggot, J. Neural systems approaches to the neurogenetics of autism spectrum disorders.Neuroscience. 2009 May 29 PMID 19482063

8. Hall, J. et. al.A common neural system mediating two different forms of social judgement.Psychol Med. 2009 Oct 8:1-10 PMID 19811702

9. Koegel LK. Interventions to facilitate communication in autism.J Autism Dev Disord. 2000 Oct;30(5):383-91. PMID 11098873

Related Information

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