Early differences in auditory processing relate to Autism Spectrum Disorder traits in infants with Neurofibromatosis Type I.

Begum-Ali, Jannath; Kolesnik-Taylor, Anna; Quiroz, Isabel; Mason, Luke; Garg, Shruti; Green, Jonathan; Johnson, Mark H; Jones, Emily J H

Early differences in auditory processing relate to Autism Spectrum Disorder traits in infants with Neurofibromatosis Type I.

Published version

Peer-reviewed

Repository URI

https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/324613

Repository DOI

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.72068

Files

Published version (1.68 MB)

Type

Article

Authors

Begum-Ali, Jannath

Kolesnik-Taylor, Anna

Quiroz, Isabel

Mason, Luke

Garg, Shruti

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Abstract

Background

Sensory modulation difficulties are common in children with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and could contribute to other social and non-social symptoms. Positing a causal role for sensory processing differences requires observing atypical sensory reactivity prior to the emergence of other symptoms, which can be achieved through prospective studies.

Methods

In this longitudinal study, we examined auditory repetition suppression and change detection at 5 and 10 months in infants with and without Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), a condition associated with higher likelihood of developing ASD.

Results

In typically developing infants, suppression to vowel repetition and enhanced responses to vowel/pitch change decreased with age over posterior regions, becoming more frontally specific; age-related change was diminished in the NF1 group. Whilst both groups detected changes in vowel and pitch, the NF1 group were largely slower to show a differentiated neural response. Auditory responses did not relate to later language, but were related to later ASD traits.

Conclusions

These findings represent the first demonstration of atypical brain responses to sounds in infants with NF1 and suggest they may relate to the likelihood of later ASD.

Keywords

EEG, change detection, Habituation, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Auditory Processing

Journal Title

Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders

Journal ISSN

1866-1947

Volume Title

13

Publisher DOI

https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-021-09364-3

Rights

Attribution 4.0 International

Sponsorship

Innovative Medicines Initiative (115300)
Economic and Social Research Council (ES/J500021/1)
Medical Research Council (MR/T003057/1)
Rosetrees Trust (A2213)
Action for Medical Research (GN2385)

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