r/autismgirls • u/kelcamer • Feb 11 '25
Autism may affect brain synchronization
Disclaimer: Small sample size, see my comment below.
"We identified reduced inter‐regional alpha‐band (9‐15 Hz) phase synchronization in children with ASD during the WM task. Reduced WM‐related brain synchronization encompassed fronto‐temporal networks (ps < 0.04 corrected) previously associated with challenging high‐level conditions (i.e. the left insula and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)) and memory encoding and/or recognition (i.e. the right middle temporal gyrus and the right fusiform gyrus). Additionally, we found that reduced connectivity processes related to the right fusiform were correlated with the severity of symptoms in children with ASD, suggesting that such atypicalities could be directly related to the behavioural deficits observed.
Discussion This study provides new evidence of atypical long‐range synchronization in children with ASD in fronto‐temporal areas that crucially contribute to challenging WM tasks, but also emotion regulation and social cognition processes. Thus, these results support the network disorder hypothesis of ASD and argue for a specific pathophysiological contribution of brain processes related to working memory and executive functions on the symptomatology of autism. Hum Brain Mapp 37:153–164, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc."
I once again hate the way they worded this, but nonetheless, it's a valuable study.
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u/kelcamer Feb 17 '25
Potential Biases or Errors in the Study
Here are some possible biases or methodological limitations in the study on desynchronization of fronto-temporal networks during working memory processing in autism:
Small Sample Size and Generalizability • Only 17 children with ASD and 20 controls were included in the study. Given the heterogeneity of autism, this is a small sample size that may not capture the full range of variation in ASD. • High-functioning ASD only: The study focused on high-functioning autistic children, which limits generalizability to the broader autistic population, particularly those with intellectual disabilities or nonverbal autism.
Medication as a Confounding Factor • Nine of the 17 children with ASD were taking psychotropic medications (e.g., dexmethylphenidate, fluoxetine, Concerta), which could influence brain activity and connectivity patterns. • While the study reports that there were no differences in MEG data between medicated and unmedicated ASD participants, the sample size may have been too small to detect subtle medication effects.
Task-Specific Bias • The study used a 2-back working memory task, which is a highly structured cognitive task that may not reflect real-world cognitive challenges faced by autistic individuals. • The study assumes that working memory performance is a direct correlate of social cognition, which may be an oversimplification. Social interaction is more complex than working memory tasks and involves additional cognitive and sensory processing.
Neurodivergence Framing and Confirmation Bias • The study frames autism as a network disorder, reinforcing the dominant pathologizing view rather than considering alternative frameworks (e.g., neurodiversity perspectives, adaptive brain differences). • The authors primarily focus on reduced connectivity as a deficit, without exploring whether these differences might represent an alternative or adaptive processing strategy.
Correlation vs. Causation Fallacy • The study correlates reduced connectivity with autism symptoms but does not establish causality. • The association between reduced right fusiform connectivity and ASD symptom severity does not prove that the connectivity difference causes autism traits—it may be a compensatory mechanism or secondary effect of another factor (e.g., sensory processing differences, attention modulation).
Lack of Consideration for Alternative Neural Mechanisms • The study assumes weaker alpha-band synchronization is a deficit, but some research suggests that autistic individuals may rely on different neural mechanisms to perform tasks successfully. • Some studies show enhanced local connectivity in autism, which may compensate for reduced long-range connectivity. The study does not explore whether this alternative pattern is beneficial.
Exclusion Criteria and Sampling Bias • Children with comorbid conditions (e.g., ADHD, epilepsy, anxiety disorders) were excluded, despite these being common in autism. This may make the sample unrepresentative of the general autistic population. • Only typically developing children were used as controls, without a neurodivergent control group (e.g., children with ADHD, sensory processing differences), which limits specificity to autism.
Use of Alpha Oscillations as the Main Focus • The study focuses on alpha-band synchronization, but autistic brains may rely more on other frequency bands (e.g., theta, gamma) for working memory. • Studies suggest that increased gamma-band synchronization may be a key feature of autistic cognition, but the study does not explore whether autistic children might compensate through other oscillatory mechanisms.
Potential Publication Bias • There may be publication bias favoring studies that confirm the underconnectivity theory in autism. • Studies showing alternative or compensatory mechanisms may not be published or may receive less attention.
MEG Methodological Limitations • MEG has limited spatial resolution, meaning subtle regional differences might not be detected. • Motion artifacts: Children with ASD often have difficulty remaining still, which can affect MEG accuracy. The study does not provide detailed information on how motion artifacts were controlled.
Conclusion
While the study provides interesting insights into working memory-related connectivity differences in autistic children, its conclusions are limited by small sample size, task specificity, medication confounds, correlation vs. causation issues, and neurodivergence framing biases. A more balanced approach would investigate whether these neural differences reflect compensatory strategies rather than just deficits.
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u/LilyoftheRally Feb 18 '25
Studies like these often have limited real-world applications because of the biases you pointed out. Does the study specify how many boys and girls were in the ASD and control groups, respectively?
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u/kelcamer Feb 18 '25
Sadly not 😭
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u/LilyoftheRally Feb 18 '25
I'm not "holding my breath", but I hope researchers who aim to replicate this study in the future take note of biases like excluding autistic kids with co-occurring conditions and higher support needs autism, as well as autistic adults.
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u/mtsnowleopard Feb 21 '25
- hysterical sarcasm *
But don't you see?!?! That's the brilliance of autism sabotaging our lives!!! 😍 If these researchers knew to look at these questions, then they would be actually able to do research that might actually help us!!! Hahahahaha!!!
😭😭😭
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u/LilyoftheRally Feb 21 '25
Or, y'know, they could actually have autistic researchers.
Ableist NT researchers be like: yeah, right!
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u/mtsnowleopard Feb 12 '25
If we could just fucking slow down enough to take a breath, maybe it would sync back up.