Training-induced plasticity of the social brain in autism spectrum disorder

Sven Bölte; Angela Ciaramidaro; Sabine Schlitt; Daniela Hainz; Dorit Kliemann; Anke Beyer; Fritz Poustka; Christine Freitag; Henrik Walter

doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.113.143784

Training-induced plasticity of the social brain in autism spectrum disorder

Br J Psychiatry. 2015 Aug;207(2):149-57. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.143784. Epub 2015 Mar 19.

Authors

Sven Bölte¹, Angela Ciaramidaro², Sabine Schlitt², Daniela Hainz², Dorit Kliemann², Anke Beyer², Fritz Poustka², Christine Freitag², Henrik Walter²

Affiliations

¹ Sven Bölte, Prof, PhD, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; Angela Ciaramidaro, PhD, Sabine Schlitt, PhD, Daniela Hainz, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; Dorit Kliemann, PhD, Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion' and Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Fritz Poustka, MD, PhD, Anke Beyer, PhD, Christine Freitag, MD, PhD, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; Henrik Walter, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Germany sven.bolte@ki.se.
² Sven Bölte, Prof, PhD, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; Angela Ciaramidaro, PhD, Sabine Schlitt, PhD, Daniela Hainz, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; Dorit Kliemann, PhD, Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion' and Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Fritz Poustka, MD, PhD, Anke Beyer, PhD, Christine Freitag, MD, PhD, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; Henrik Walter, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 25792694
DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.143784

Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is linked to social brain activity and facial affect recognition (FAR).

Aims: To examine social brain plasticity in ASD.

Method: Using FAR tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks for FAR, we compared 32 individuals with ASD and 25 controls. Subsequently, the participants with ASD were assigned to FAR computer-aided cognitive training or a control group.

Results: The ASD group performed more poorly than controls on explicit behavioural FAR tests. In the scanner, during implicit FAR, the amygdala, fusiform gyrus and other regions of the social brain were less activated bilaterally. The training group improved on behavioural FAR tests, and cerebral response to implicit affect processing tasks increased bilaterally post-training in the social brain.

Conclusions: Individuals with ASD show FAR impairments associated with hypoactivation of the social brain. Computer-based training improves explicit FAR and neuronal responses during implicit FAR, indicating neuroplasticity in the social brain in ASD.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Autism Spectrum Disorder / physiopathology*
Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology
Autism Spectrum Disorder / therapy
Brain / physiology*
Brain Mapping / methods
Case-Control Studies
Facial Recognition*
Female
Humans
Intelligence / physiology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Mental Processes / physiology
Psychological Tests
Psychotherapy / methods
Young Adult