Max Rolison | Yale University School of Medicine (original) (raw)
Papers by Max Rolison
Sleep, Apr 1, 2018
Introduction: Clinical and Patient Global Impression (CGI and PGI, respectively) for cataplexy se... more Introduction: Clinical and Patient Global Impression (CGI and PGI, respectively) for cataplexy severity and overall narcolepsy symptoms, including excessive daytime sleepiness, were assessed as secondary/ exploratory endpoints, respectively, in a phase 2/3, multicenter study of sodium oxybate (SXB) in pediatric patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy. Methods: Children and adolescents (7-16 years) diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy who were either treated or untreated with SXB at enrollment were included. Untreated participants were titrated to a stable dose (SD) of SXB; SXB-treated participants remained on their current dose. After the SD period, participants entered a 2-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled withdrawal period (DB) and were randomized to continue SXB (at SD) or receive placebo. At the end of the DB period, CGI for cataplexy severity, and CGI and PGI for overall narcolepsy symptoms were assessed and compared with scores at the end of the SD period. Overall scores from 3 (Very Much Improved) to-3 (Very Much Worse) were compared between treatments using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test for row mean score differences. Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed. Results: Sixty-three participants were randomized (female: 44%; SXB-naïve: 62%). At study entry, the mean CGI score for cataplexy severity and overall symptoms corresponded to "moderately ill." At the end of the DB period, the placebo group demonstrated statistically significant worsening in both CGI and PGI: mean change (standard deviation) CGI for cataplexy severity, placebo-1.5 (1.19) vs SXB-0.4 (1.12) (P=0.0006); mean change CGI for overall narcolepsy symptoms, placebo-1.4 (1.13) vs SXB-0.4 (0.95) (P=0.0008); and mean change PGI for overall symptoms, placebo-1.3 (0.97) vs SXB 0.0 (1.30) (P=0.0001). The most frequently reported TEAEs (>10%) were enuresis, nausea, vomiting, headache, and weight decrease. Conclusion: Randomization to placebo relative to continuation of SXB resulted in significant worsening of cataplexy severity and overall narcolepsy condition as rated by clinicians and participants. These results support the efficacy of SXB on narcolepsy symptoms, including cataplexy, in pediatric patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy. Support (If Any): Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
Cerebral Cortex, Aug 23, 2021
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functi... more Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functional networks. However, previous studies have not directly investigated if differences in specialization between ASD and typically developing (TD) peers are present in infancy, leaving the timing of onset of these differences relatively unknown. We studied the hemispheric asymmetries of connectivity in children with ASD and infants later meeting the diagnostic criteria for ASD. Analyses were performed in 733 children with ASD and TD peers and in 71 infants at high risk (HR) or normal risk (NR) for ASD, with data collected at 1 month and 9 months of age. Comparing children with ASD (n = 301) to TDs (n = 432), four regions demonstrated group differences in connectivity: posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), posterior superior temporal gyrus, extrastriate cortex, and anterior prefrontal cortex. At 1 month, none of these regions exhibited group differences between ASD (n = 10), HR-nonASD (n = 15), or NR (n = 18) infants. However, by 9 months, the PCC and extrastriate exhibited atypical connectivity in ASD (n = 11) and HR-nonASD infants (n = 24) compared to NR infants (n = 22). Connectivity did not correlate with symptoms in either sample. Our results demonstrate that differences in network asymmetries associated with ASD risk are observable prior to the age of a reliable clinical diagnosis.
Social Neuroscience, Jun 14, 2017
Social neuroscience research investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yielded inconsisten... more Social neuroscience research investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yielded inconsistent findings, despite ASD being well-characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication through behavioral observation. In particular, specific etiologies and functional and structural assays of the brain in autism have not been consistently identified. To date, most social neuroscience research has focused on a single person viewing static images. Research utilizing interactive social neuroscience featuring dual-brain recording offers great promise for the study of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Reward processing has been implicated in the pathology of ASD, yet mixed findings have brought uncertainty about the role reward processing deficits may play in ASD. The current study employed dual-brain EEG recording to examine reward processing during live interaction and its relation to autistic traits. 16 typically-developing (TD) adults played a competitive treasure-hunt game against a computer and against a human partner. EEG results revealed enhanced neural sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction with a human competitor. Further, individuals with higher levels of autistic traits demonstrated reduced sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction. These findings provide novel insight into reward processing mechanisms associated with autistic traits, as well as support the necessary utility of interactive social neuroscience techniques to study developmental disorders.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, Apr 17, 2020
Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain develop... more Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain development. As such, the human brain is primed for and sensitive to social information even in the absence of explicit task or instruction. In this study, we examined the influence of different levels of interpersonal proximity on resting state brain activity and its association with social cognition. We measured EEG in pairs of 13 typically developing (TD) adults seated in separate rooms, in the same room back-to-back, and in the same room facing each other. Interpersonal proximity modulated broadband EEG power from 4-55 Hz and individual differences in self-reported social cognition modulated these effects in the beta and gamma frequency bands. These findings provide novel insight into the influence of social environment on brain activity and its association with social cognition through dual-brain EEG recording and demonstrate the importance of using interactive methods to study the human brain.
PubMed, Mar 1, 2015
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate difficulty with social interactions a... more Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate difficulty with social interactions and relationships, but the neural mechanisms underlying these difficulties remain largely unknown. While social difficulties in ASD are most apparent in the context of interactions with other people, most neuroscience research investigating ASD have provided limited insight into the complex dynamics of these interactions. The development of novel, innovative "interactive social neuroscience" methods to study the brain in contexts with two interacting humans is a necessary advance for ASD research. Studies applying an interactive neuroscience approach to study two brains engaging with one another have revealed significant differences in neural processes during interaction compared to observation in brain regions that are implicated in the neuropathology of ASD. Interactive social neuroscience methods are crucial in clarifying the mechanisms underlying the social and communication deficits that characterize ASD.
Molecular Psychiatry, Jun 13, 2022
Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the... more Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the neurobiology underlying psychiatric disorders and putatively information interventions. Accordingly, there is a plethora of literature reviewing published studies, the mathematics underlying machine learning, and the best practices for using these approaches. As our knowledge of mental health and machine learning continue to evolve, we instead aim to look forward and "predict" topics that we believe will be important in current and future studies. Some of the most discussed topics in machine learning, such as bias and fairness, the handling of dirty data, and interpretable models, may be less familiar to the broader community using neuroimaging-based predictive modeling in psychiatry. In a similar vein, transdiagnostic research and targeting brain-based features for psychiatric intervention are modern topics in psychiatry that predictive models are well-suited to tackle. In this work, we target an audience who is a researcher familiar with the fundamental procedures of machine learning and who wishes to increase their knowledge of ongoing topics in the field. We aim to accelerate the utility and applications of neuroimaging-based predictive models for psychiatric research by highlighting and considering these topics. Furthermore, though not a focus, these ideas generalize to neuroimaging-based predictive modeling in other clinical neurosciences and predictive modeling with different data types (e.g., digital health data).
Frontiers in Psychiatry, Jun 29, 2021
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by prim... more Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by primary difficulties in social function. Individuals with ASD display slowed neural processing of faces, as indexed by the latency of the N170, a face-sensitive event-related potential. Currently, there are no objective biomarkers of ASD useful in clinical care or research. Efficacy of behavioral treatment is currently evaluated through subjective clinical impressions. To explore whether the N170 might have utility as an objective index of treatment response, we examined N170 before and after receipt of an empirically validated behavioral treatment in children with ASD. Method: Electroencephalography (EEG) data were obtained on a preliminary cohort of preschool-aged children with ASD before and after a 16-week course of PRT and in a subset of participants in waitlist control (16-weeks before the start of PRT) and follow-up (16-weeks after the end of PRT). EEG was recorded while participants viewed computer-generated faces with neutral and fearful affect. Results: Significant reductions in N170 latency to faces were observed following 16 weeks of PRT intervention. Change in N170 latency was not observed in the waitlist-control condition. Conclusions: This exploratory study offers suggestive evidence that N170 latency may index response to behavioral treatment. Future, more rigorous, studies in larger samples are indicated to evaluate whether the N170 may be useful as a biomarker of treatment response.
Biological Psychiatry, Oct 1, 2022
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Aug 30, 2021
Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of mot... more Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of motor and somatosensory cortices. However, differences in whole brain functional organization due to handedness have been relatively understudied beyond pre-specified networks of interest. Functional connectivity offers the ability to unravel differences in the functional organization of the whole brain. Here, we compared connectivity profiles of left-and right-handed individuals using data-driven parcellations of the whole brain. We explored differences in connectivity profiles of previously established regions of interest, and showed functional organization differences between primarily left-and primarily right-handed individuals in the motor, somatosensory, and language areas using functional connectivity. We then proceeded to investigate these differences in the whole brain and found that the functional organization of leftand right-handed individuals are not specific to regions of interest. In particular, we found that connections between and within-hemispheres and the cerebellum show distinct patterns of connectivity. Together these results shed light on regions of the brain beyond those traditionally explored that contribute to differences in the functional organization of left-and right-handed individuals. .
Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, Apr 1, 2017
Citation metrics influence academic reputation and career trajectories. Recent works have highlig... more Citation metrics influence academic reputation and career trajectories. Recent works have highlighted flaws in citation practices in the Neurosciences, such as the under-citation of women. However, self-citation rates—or how much authors cite themselves—have not yet been comprehensively investigated in the Neurosciences. This work characterizes self-citation rates in basic, translational, and clinical Neuroscience literature by collating 157,001 articles from 63 journals between the years 2000-2020. In analyzing over eight million citations, we demonstrate four key findings: 1) since 2000, self-citation rates of Last Authors are increasing relative to those of First Authors, 2) the odds of “highly self-citing” articles from authors in the Americas are 2.65, 2.17, 1.35, and 1.43 times those of authors affiliated with Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, 3) men tend to cite themselves more than women early in their careers but less later in their careers, and 4) self-citation rates vary...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is putatively characterized by abnormal connectivity and lateraliz... more Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is putatively characterized by abnormal connectivity and lateralization of large-scale functional networks in school-age children. However, previous studies have not directly investigated if differences in cerebral lateralization between ASD and typically-developing peers are present during pre-symptomatic stages of the disorder in infancy, leaving the time of onset of these differences unknown. We used a voxel-based method—which examines each voxel’s connectivity to every other voxel in each hemisphere—to study connectivity lateralization in school-age children with ASD and infants later meeting Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) criteria for ASD. Analyses were performed in two unique samples: 1) 733 school-age children with ASD and typically developing peers from ABIDE database, and 2) 71 infants at high risk (HR) and normal risk (NR) for ASD with data collected longitudinally 1-month and 9-months from the NDAR database. Comparing school-a...
Molecular Psychiatry
Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the... more Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the neurobiology underlying psychiatric disorders and putatively information interventions. Accordingly, there is a plethora of literature reviewing published studies, the mathematics underlying machine learning, and the best practices for using these approaches. As our knowledge of mental health and machine learning continue to evolve, we instead aim to look forward and “predict” topics that we believe will be important in current and future studies. Some of the most discussed topics in machine learning, such as bias and fairness, the handling of dirty data, and interpretable models, may be less familiar to the broader community using neuroimaging-based predictive modeling in psychiatry. In a similar vein, transdiagnostic research and targeting brain-based features for psychiatric intervention are modern topics in psychiatry that predictive models are well-suited to tackle. In this work, w...
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2020
Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain develop... more Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain development. As such, the human brain is primed for and sensitive to social information even in the absence of explicit task or instruction. In this study, we examined the influence of different levels of interpersonal proximity on resting state brain activity and its association with social cognition. We measured EEG in pairs of 13 typically developing (TD) adults seated in separate rooms, in the same room back-to-back, and in the same room facing each other. Interpersonal proximity modulated broadband EEG power from 4-55 Hz and individual differences in self-reported social cognition modulated these effects in the beta and gamma frequency bands. These findings provide novel insight into the influence of social environment on brain activity and its association with social cognition through dual-brain EEG recording and demonstrate the importance of using interactive methods to study the human brain.
NeuroImage, 2022
Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of mot... more Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of motor and somatosensory cortices. However, differences in whole-brain functional connectivity (i.e., functional connectomes) due to handedness have been relatively understudied beyond pre-specified networks of interest. Here, we compared functional connectomes of left- and right-handed individuals at the whole brain level. We explored differences in functional connectivity of previously established regions of interest, and showed differences between primarily left- and primarily right-handed individuals in the motor, somatosensory, and language areas using functional connectivity. We then proceeded to investigate these differences in the whole brain and found that the functional connectivity of left- and right-handed individuals are not specific to networks of interest, but extend across every region of the brain. In particular, we found that connections between and within the cerebellum show distinct patterns of connectivity. To put these effects into context, we show that the effect sizes associated with handedness differences account for a similar amount of individual differences in the connectome as sex differences. Together these results shed light on regions of the brain beyond those traditionally explored that contribute to differences in the functional organization of left- and right-handed individuals and underscore that handedness effects are neurobiologically meaningful in addition to being statistically significant.
Autism Research, 2021
Atypical neural response to faces is thought to contribute to social deficits in autism spectrum ... more Atypical neural response to faces is thought to contribute to social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Compared to typically developing (TD) controls, individuals with ASD exhibit delayed brain responses to upright faces at a face‐sensitive event‐related potential (ERP), the N170. Given observed differences in patterns of visual attention to faces, it is not known whether slowed neural processing may simply reflect atypical looking to faces. The present study manipulated visual attention to facial features to examine whether directed attention to the eyes normalizes N170 latency in ASD. ERPs were recorded in 30 children and adolescents with ASD as well as 26 TD children and adolescents. Results replicated prior findings of shorter N170 latency to the eye region of the face in TD individuals. In contrast, those with ASD did not demonstrate modulation of N170 latency by point of regard to the face. Group differences in latency were most pronounced when attention was directed...
Cerebral Cortex, 2021
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functi... more Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functional networks. However, previous studies have not directly investigated if differences in specialization between ASD and typically developing (TD) peers are present in infancy, leaving the timing of onset of these differences relatively unknown. We studied the hemispheric asymmetries of connectivity in children with ASD and infants later meeting the diagnostic criteria for ASD. Analyses were performed in 733 children with ASD and TD peers and in 71 infants at high risk (HR) or normal risk (NR) for ASD, with data collected at 1 month and 9 months of age. Comparing children with ASD (n = 301) to TDs (n = 432), four regions demonstrated group differences in connectivity: posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), posterior superior temporal gyrus, extrastriate cortex, and anterior prefrontal cortex. At 1 month, none of these regions exhibited group differences between ASD (n = 10), HR-nonASD (n = 15...
Sleep, Apr 1, 2018
Introduction: Clinical and Patient Global Impression (CGI and PGI, respectively) for cataplexy se... more Introduction: Clinical and Patient Global Impression (CGI and PGI, respectively) for cataplexy severity and overall narcolepsy symptoms, including excessive daytime sleepiness, were assessed as secondary/ exploratory endpoints, respectively, in a phase 2/3, multicenter study of sodium oxybate (SXB) in pediatric patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy. Methods: Children and adolescents (7-16 years) diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy who were either treated or untreated with SXB at enrollment were included. Untreated participants were titrated to a stable dose (SD) of SXB; SXB-treated participants remained on their current dose. After the SD period, participants entered a 2-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled withdrawal period (DB) and were randomized to continue SXB (at SD) or receive placebo. At the end of the DB period, CGI for cataplexy severity, and CGI and PGI for overall narcolepsy symptoms were assessed and compared with scores at the end of the SD period. Overall scores from 3 (Very Much Improved) to-3 (Very Much Worse) were compared between treatments using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test for row mean score differences. Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed. Results: Sixty-three participants were randomized (female: 44%; SXB-naïve: 62%). At study entry, the mean CGI score for cataplexy severity and overall symptoms corresponded to "moderately ill." At the end of the DB period, the placebo group demonstrated statistically significant worsening in both CGI and PGI: mean change (standard deviation) CGI for cataplexy severity, placebo-1.5 (1.19) vs SXB-0.4 (1.12) (P=0.0006); mean change CGI for overall narcolepsy symptoms, placebo-1.4 (1.13) vs SXB-0.4 (0.95) (P=0.0008); and mean change PGI for overall symptoms, placebo-1.3 (0.97) vs SXB 0.0 (1.30) (P=0.0001). The most frequently reported TEAEs (>10%) were enuresis, nausea, vomiting, headache, and weight decrease. Conclusion: Randomization to placebo relative to continuation of SXB resulted in significant worsening of cataplexy severity and overall narcolepsy condition as rated by clinicians and participants. These results support the efficacy of SXB on narcolepsy symptoms, including cataplexy, in pediatric patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy. Support (If Any): Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
Cerebral Cortex, Aug 23, 2021
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functi... more Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functional networks. However, previous studies have not directly investigated if differences in specialization between ASD and typically developing (TD) peers are present in infancy, leaving the timing of onset of these differences relatively unknown. We studied the hemispheric asymmetries of connectivity in children with ASD and infants later meeting the diagnostic criteria for ASD. Analyses were performed in 733 children with ASD and TD peers and in 71 infants at high risk (HR) or normal risk (NR) for ASD, with data collected at 1 month and 9 months of age. Comparing children with ASD (n = 301) to TDs (n = 432), four regions demonstrated group differences in connectivity: posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), posterior superior temporal gyrus, extrastriate cortex, and anterior prefrontal cortex. At 1 month, none of these regions exhibited group differences between ASD (n = 10), HR-nonASD (n = 15), or NR (n = 18) infants. However, by 9 months, the PCC and extrastriate exhibited atypical connectivity in ASD (n = 11) and HR-nonASD infants (n = 24) compared to NR infants (n = 22). Connectivity did not correlate with symptoms in either sample. Our results demonstrate that differences in network asymmetries associated with ASD risk are observable prior to the age of a reliable clinical diagnosis.
Social Neuroscience, Jun 14, 2017
Social neuroscience research investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yielded inconsisten... more Social neuroscience research investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yielded inconsistent findings, despite ASD being well-characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication through behavioral observation. In particular, specific etiologies and functional and structural assays of the brain in autism have not been consistently identified. To date, most social neuroscience research has focused on a single person viewing static images. Research utilizing interactive social neuroscience featuring dual-brain recording offers great promise for the study of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Reward processing has been implicated in the pathology of ASD, yet mixed findings have brought uncertainty about the role reward processing deficits may play in ASD. The current study employed dual-brain EEG recording to examine reward processing during live interaction and its relation to autistic traits. 16 typically-developing (TD) adults played a competitive treasure-hunt game against a computer and against a human partner. EEG results revealed enhanced neural sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction with a human competitor. Further, individuals with higher levels of autistic traits demonstrated reduced sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction. These findings provide novel insight into reward processing mechanisms associated with autistic traits, as well as support the necessary utility of interactive social neuroscience techniques to study developmental disorders.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, Apr 17, 2020
Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain develop... more Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain development. As such, the human brain is primed for and sensitive to social information even in the absence of explicit task or instruction. In this study, we examined the influence of different levels of interpersonal proximity on resting state brain activity and its association with social cognition. We measured EEG in pairs of 13 typically developing (TD) adults seated in separate rooms, in the same room back-to-back, and in the same room facing each other. Interpersonal proximity modulated broadband EEG power from 4-55 Hz and individual differences in self-reported social cognition modulated these effects in the beta and gamma frequency bands. These findings provide novel insight into the influence of social environment on brain activity and its association with social cognition through dual-brain EEG recording and demonstrate the importance of using interactive methods to study the human brain.
PubMed, Mar 1, 2015
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate difficulty with social interactions a... more Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate difficulty with social interactions and relationships, but the neural mechanisms underlying these difficulties remain largely unknown. While social difficulties in ASD are most apparent in the context of interactions with other people, most neuroscience research investigating ASD have provided limited insight into the complex dynamics of these interactions. The development of novel, innovative "interactive social neuroscience" methods to study the brain in contexts with two interacting humans is a necessary advance for ASD research. Studies applying an interactive neuroscience approach to study two brains engaging with one another have revealed significant differences in neural processes during interaction compared to observation in brain regions that are implicated in the neuropathology of ASD. Interactive social neuroscience methods are crucial in clarifying the mechanisms underlying the social and communication deficits that characterize ASD.
Molecular Psychiatry, Jun 13, 2022
Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the... more Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the neurobiology underlying psychiatric disorders and putatively information interventions. Accordingly, there is a plethora of literature reviewing published studies, the mathematics underlying machine learning, and the best practices for using these approaches. As our knowledge of mental health and machine learning continue to evolve, we instead aim to look forward and "predict" topics that we believe will be important in current and future studies. Some of the most discussed topics in machine learning, such as bias and fairness, the handling of dirty data, and interpretable models, may be less familiar to the broader community using neuroimaging-based predictive modeling in psychiatry. In a similar vein, transdiagnostic research and targeting brain-based features for psychiatric intervention are modern topics in psychiatry that predictive models are well-suited to tackle. In this work, we target an audience who is a researcher familiar with the fundamental procedures of machine learning and who wishes to increase their knowledge of ongoing topics in the field. We aim to accelerate the utility and applications of neuroimaging-based predictive models for psychiatric research by highlighting and considering these topics. Furthermore, though not a focus, these ideas generalize to neuroimaging-based predictive modeling in other clinical neurosciences and predictive modeling with different data types (e.g., digital health data).
Frontiers in Psychiatry, Jun 29, 2021
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by prim... more Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by primary difficulties in social function. Individuals with ASD display slowed neural processing of faces, as indexed by the latency of the N170, a face-sensitive event-related potential. Currently, there are no objective biomarkers of ASD useful in clinical care or research. Efficacy of behavioral treatment is currently evaluated through subjective clinical impressions. To explore whether the N170 might have utility as an objective index of treatment response, we examined N170 before and after receipt of an empirically validated behavioral treatment in children with ASD. Method: Electroencephalography (EEG) data were obtained on a preliminary cohort of preschool-aged children with ASD before and after a 16-week course of PRT and in a subset of participants in waitlist control (16-weeks before the start of PRT) and follow-up (16-weeks after the end of PRT). EEG was recorded while participants viewed computer-generated faces with neutral and fearful affect. Results: Significant reductions in N170 latency to faces were observed following 16 weeks of PRT intervention. Change in N170 latency was not observed in the waitlist-control condition. Conclusions: This exploratory study offers suggestive evidence that N170 latency may index response to behavioral treatment. Future, more rigorous, studies in larger samples are indicated to evaluate whether the N170 may be useful as a biomarker of treatment response.
Biological Psychiatry, Oct 1, 2022
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Aug 30, 2021
Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of mot... more Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of motor and somatosensory cortices. However, differences in whole brain functional organization due to handedness have been relatively understudied beyond pre-specified networks of interest. Functional connectivity offers the ability to unravel differences in the functional organization of the whole brain. Here, we compared connectivity profiles of left-and right-handed individuals using data-driven parcellations of the whole brain. We explored differences in connectivity profiles of previously established regions of interest, and showed functional organization differences between primarily left-and primarily right-handed individuals in the motor, somatosensory, and language areas using functional connectivity. We then proceeded to investigate these differences in the whole brain and found that the functional organization of leftand right-handed individuals are not specific to regions of interest. In particular, we found that connections between and within-hemispheres and the cerebellum show distinct patterns of connectivity. Together these results shed light on regions of the brain beyond those traditionally explored that contribute to differences in the functional organization of left-and right-handed individuals. .
Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, Apr 1, 2017
Citation metrics influence academic reputation and career trajectories. Recent works have highlig... more Citation metrics influence academic reputation and career trajectories. Recent works have highlighted flaws in citation practices in the Neurosciences, such as the under-citation of women. However, self-citation rates—or how much authors cite themselves—have not yet been comprehensively investigated in the Neurosciences. This work characterizes self-citation rates in basic, translational, and clinical Neuroscience literature by collating 157,001 articles from 63 journals between the years 2000-2020. In analyzing over eight million citations, we demonstrate four key findings: 1) since 2000, self-citation rates of Last Authors are increasing relative to those of First Authors, 2) the odds of “highly self-citing” articles from authors in the Americas are 2.65, 2.17, 1.35, and 1.43 times those of authors affiliated with Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, 3) men tend to cite themselves more than women early in their careers but less later in their careers, and 4) self-citation rates vary...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is putatively characterized by abnormal connectivity and lateraliz... more Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is putatively characterized by abnormal connectivity and lateralization of large-scale functional networks in school-age children. However, previous studies have not directly investigated if differences in cerebral lateralization between ASD and typically-developing peers are present during pre-symptomatic stages of the disorder in infancy, leaving the time of onset of these differences unknown. We used a voxel-based method—which examines each voxel’s connectivity to every other voxel in each hemisphere—to study connectivity lateralization in school-age children with ASD and infants later meeting Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) criteria for ASD. Analyses were performed in two unique samples: 1) 733 school-age children with ASD and typically developing peers from ABIDE database, and 2) 71 infants at high risk (HR) and normal risk (NR) for ASD with data collected longitudinally 1-month and 9-months from the NDAR database. Comparing school-a...
Molecular Psychiatry
Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the... more Predictive modeling using neuroimaging data has the potential to improve our understanding of the neurobiology underlying psychiatric disorders and putatively information interventions. Accordingly, there is a plethora of literature reviewing published studies, the mathematics underlying machine learning, and the best practices for using these approaches. As our knowledge of mental health and machine learning continue to evolve, we instead aim to look forward and “predict” topics that we believe will be important in current and future studies. Some of the most discussed topics in machine learning, such as bias and fairness, the handling of dirty data, and interpretable models, may be less familiar to the broader community using neuroimaging-based predictive modeling in psychiatry. In a similar vein, transdiagnostic research and targeting brain-based features for psychiatric intervention are modern topics in psychiatry that predictive models are well-suited to tackle. In this work, w...
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2020
Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain develop... more Humans are innately social creatures and the social environment strongly influences brain development. As such, the human brain is primed for and sensitive to social information even in the absence of explicit task or instruction. In this study, we examined the influence of different levels of interpersonal proximity on resting state brain activity and its association with social cognition. We measured EEG in pairs of 13 typically developing (TD) adults seated in separate rooms, in the same room back-to-back, and in the same room facing each other. Interpersonal proximity modulated broadband EEG power from 4-55 Hz and individual differences in self-reported social cognition modulated these effects in the beta and gamma frequency bands. These findings provide novel insight into the influence of social environment on brain activity and its association with social cognition through dual-brain EEG recording and demonstrate the importance of using interactive methods to study the human brain.
NeuroImage, 2022
Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of mot... more Handedness influences differences in lateralization of language areas as well as dominance of motor and somatosensory cortices. However, differences in whole-brain functional connectivity (i.e., functional connectomes) due to handedness have been relatively understudied beyond pre-specified networks of interest. Here, we compared functional connectomes of left- and right-handed individuals at the whole brain level. We explored differences in functional connectivity of previously established regions of interest, and showed differences between primarily left- and primarily right-handed individuals in the motor, somatosensory, and language areas using functional connectivity. We then proceeded to investigate these differences in the whole brain and found that the functional connectivity of left- and right-handed individuals are not specific to networks of interest, but extend across every region of the brain. In particular, we found that connections between and within the cerebellum show distinct patterns of connectivity. To put these effects into context, we show that the effect sizes associated with handedness differences account for a similar amount of individual differences in the connectome as sex differences. Together these results shed light on regions of the brain beyond those traditionally explored that contribute to differences in the functional organization of left- and right-handed individuals and underscore that handedness effects are neurobiologically meaningful in addition to being statistically significant.
Autism Research, 2021
Atypical neural response to faces is thought to contribute to social deficits in autism spectrum ... more Atypical neural response to faces is thought to contribute to social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Compared to typically developing (TD) controls, individuals with ASD exhibit delayed brain responses to upright faces at a face‐sensitive event‐related potential (ERP), the N170. Given observed differences in patterns of visual attention to faces, it is not known whether slowed neural processing may simply reflect atypical looking to faces. The present study manipulated visual attention to facial features to examine whether directed attention to the eyes normalizes N170 latency in ASD. ERPs were recorded in 30 children and adolescents with ASD as well as 26 TD children and adolescents. Results replicated prior findings of shorter N170 latency to the eye region of the face in TD individuals. In contrast, those with ASD did not demonstrate modulation of N170 latency by point of regard to the face. Group differences in latency were most pronounced when attention was directed...
Cerebral Cortex, 2021
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functi... more Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical connectivity lateralization of functional networks. However, previous studies have not directly investigated if differences in specialization between ASD and typically developing (TD) peers are present in infancy, leaving the timing of onset of these differences relatively unknown. We studied the hemispheric asymmetries of connectivity in children with ASD and infants later meeting the diagnostic criteria for ASD. Analyses were performed in 733 children with ASD and TD peers and in 71 infants at high risk (HR) or normal risk (NR) for ASD, with data collected at 1 month and 9 months of age. Comparing children with ASD (n = 301) to TDs (n = 432), four regions demonstrated group differences in connectivity: posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), posterior superior temporal gyrus, extrastriate cortex, and anterior prefrontal cortex. At 1 month, none of these regions exhibited group differences between ASD (n = 10), HR-nonASD (n = 15...