PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
UNASSIGNED: Little is known about how the brains of autistic children process language during real-world \"social contexts,\" despite the fact that challenges with language, communication, and social interaction are core features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
UNASSIGNED: We investigated the neural bases of language processing during social and non-social contexts in a sample of N=20 autistic and N=20 neurotypical (NT) preschool-aged children, 3 to 6 years old. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure children\'s brain response to \"live language\" spoken by a live experimenter during an in-person social context (i.e., book reading), and \"recorded language\" played via an audio recording during a non-social context (i.e., screen time). We examined within-group and between-group differences in the strength and localization of brain response to live language and recorded language, as well as correlations between children\'s brain response and language skills measured by the Preschool Language Scales.
UNASSIGNED: In the NT group, brain response to live language was greater than brain response to recorded language in the right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). In the ASD group, the strength of brain response did not differ between conditions. The ASD group showed greater brain response to recorded language than the NT group in the right inferior and middle frontal gyrus (IMFG). Across groups, children\'s language skills were negatively associated with brain response to recorded language in the right IMFG, suggesting that processing recorded language required more cognitive effort for children with lower language skills. Children\'s language skills were also positively associated with the difference in brain response between conditions in the right TPJ, demonstrating that children who showed a greater difference in brain response to live language versus recorded language had higher language skills.
UNASSIGNED: Findings should be considered preliminary until they are replicated in a larger sample.
UNASSIGNED: Findings suggest that the brains of NT children, but not autistic children, process language differently during social and non-social contexts. Individual differences in how the brain processes language during social and non-social contexts may help to explain why language skills are so variable across children with and without autism.
UNASSIGNED: We investigated the neural bases of language processing during social and non-social contexts in a sample of N=20 autistic and N=20 neurotypical (NT) preschool-aged children, 3 to 6 years old. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure children\'s brain response to \"live language\" spoken by a live experimenter during an in-person social context (i.e., book reading), and \"recorded language\" played via an audio recording during a non-social context (i.e., screen time). We examined within-group and between-group differences in the strength and localization of brain response to live language and recorded language, as well as correlations between children\'s brain response and language skills measured by the Preschool Language Scales.
UNASSIGNED: In the NT group, brain response to live language was greater than brain response to recorded language in the right temporal parietal junction (TPJ). In the ASD group, the strength of brain response did not differ between conditions. The ASD group showed greater brain response to recorded language than the NT group in the right inferior and middle frontal gyrus (IMFG). Across groups, children\'s language skills were negatively associated with brain response to recorded language in the right IMFG, suggesting that processing recorded language required more cognitive effort for children with lower language skills. Children\'s language skills were also positively associated with the difference in brain response between conditions in the right TPJ, demonstrating that children who showed a greater difference in brain response to live language versus recorded language had higher language skills.
UNASSIGNED: Findings should be considered preliminary until they are replicated in a larger sample.
UNASSIGNED: Findings suggest that the brains of NT children, but not autistic children, process language differently during social and non-social contexts. Individual differences in how the brain processes language during social and non-social contexts may help to explain why language skills are so variable across children with and without autism.
摘要：
背景：关于自闭症儿童的大脑如何在现实世界的社会环境中处理语言，人们知之甚少。“尽管语言的挑战，通信,和社交互动是自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的核心特征。方法：我们调查了N=20个自闭症患者和N=20个神经典型（NT）学龄前儿童样本中社会和非社会环境中语言处理的神经基础，3到6岁。功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）用于测量儿童在现场社交环境中对现场实验者所说的“现场语言”的大脑反应（即，书籍阅读)，以及在非社交环境中通过录音播放的“录音语言”(即，屏幕时间)。我们检查了组内和组间对现场语言和记录语言的大脑反应的强度和定位差异，以及通过学龄前语言量表测量的儿童大脑反应与语言技能之间的相关性。结果:NT组,在右颞顶叶交界处（TPJ），大脑对实时语言的反应大于对记录语言的反应。在ASD组中，不同条件下的大脑反应强度没有差异。在右下额中回（IMFG）中，ASD组对记录语言的大脑反应比NT组强。跨群体,儿童的语言技能与大脑对右侧IMFG记录语言的反应呈负相关，这表明，对于语言技能较低的儿童，处理记录的语言需要更多的认知努力。在正确的TPJ中，儿童的语言技能也与大脑反应的差异呈正相关，表明，与记录语言相比，大脑对现场语言的反应差异更大的儿童具有更高的语言技能。局限性：研究结果应被认为是初步的，直到它们在更大的样本中被复制。结论：研究结果表明，NT儿童的大脑，但不是自闭症儿童，在社会和非社会环境中不同地处理语言。在社会和非社会环境中大脑如何处理语言的个体差异可能有助于解释为什么有和没有自闭症的儿童的语言技能如此多变。
