Empathy for touch in autism spectrum disorder

• Project/Area Number: 22591276
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: REMIJN Gerard Bastiaan 九州大学, 国際教育センター, 准教授 (40467098)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2012
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2012)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2010: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 脳科学 / 幼児 / 脳磁図 / 体性感覚 / 自閉症

Research Abstract

Two experiments were performed on the cortical processing of empathy-evoking stimuli in the brains of typically-developing (TD) preschool children (3- to 7-years old) and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) of the same age. By using magneto-encephalography, we found that TD preschoolers showed more enhanced neural responses to stimulation to their own finger, while they watched stimulation to someone else’ s finger as compared someone else’ s toe. Visual information regarding others thus modulated the children’ s own neural responses to tactile stimulation. In a second experiment, we showed that both TD and ASD children displayed an increased hemodynamic response to whispered speech as compared to normal speech. The increase in the cortical hemodynamic response could reflect the children’ s processing of speaker intent (e.g., confidentiality) in highly-personalized communication. Together , both experiments show that both TD and ASD children are responsive to empathy-related stimuli which require understanding of the feelings of others. Although further study is needed, the cortical responsiveness of ASD children to whisper might be utilized in clinical settings.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Altered brain connectivity in 3-to-7-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder. (2013)
  • Author(s): Kikuchi, M., Shitamichi, K., Yoshimura, Y., Ueno, S., et al., Remijn, G.B., Takahashi, T., Suzuki, M., Higashida, H., Minabe, Y.
  • Journal Title: Neuroimage: Clinical Volume: 2 Pages: 394-401
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.03.003
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] A custom Magnetoencephalography device reveals brain connectivity and high reading/decoding ability in children with autism. (2013)
  • Author(s): Kikuchi, M., Yoshimura, Y., Shitamichi, K., Ueno, S., et al., Remijn, G.B., Takahashi, T., Suzuki, M., Higashida, H., Minabe, Y.
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Pages: 1139-1139
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep01139
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Anterior prefrontal hemodynamic connectivity in conscious 3- to 7-year-old children with typical development and autism spectrum disorder. (2013)
  • Author(s): Kikuchi, M., Yoshimura, Y., Shitamichi, K., Ueno, S., et al., Remijn, G.B., Takahashi, T., Suzuki, M., Higashida, H., Minabe, Y.
  • Journal Title: PloSONE Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Pages: 56087-56087
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056087
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Spatiotemporal frequency characteristics of cerebral oscillations during the perception of fundamental frequency contour changes in one-syllable intonation (2012)
  • Author(s): Ueno S, Okumura E, Remijn GB, YoshimuraY, Kikuchi M, Shitamichi K, Nagao K, Mochiduki M, Haruta Y, Hayashi N, Munesue T, Tsubokawa T, Oi M, NakataniH, Higashida H, MinabeY.
  • Journal Title: Neurosci Lett Volume: (in press) Issue: 2 Pages: 141-146
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.03.031
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Language performance and auditory evoked fields in 2- to 5-year-old children (2012)
  • Author(s): Yoshimura, Y., Kikuchi, M., Shitamichi, K., Ueno, S., Remijn, G.B., et al
  • Journal Title: European Journal of Neuroscience Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Pages: 644-650
  • DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.07998.x
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Spatiotemporal frequency characteristics of cerebral oscillations during the perception of pitch contour changes in one-syllable intonation (2012)
  • Author(s): Ueno, S., Okumura, E., Remijn, G.B., Yoshim Y., Kikuchi, M., et al
  • Journal Title: Neuroscience Letters Volume: (in press)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Hemodynamic responses to visual stimuli in cortex of adults and 3- to 4-year-old children (2011)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., Kikuchi, M., Yoshimura, Y., Shitamichi, K., Ueno, S., Nagao, K., Munesue, T., Kojima, H., Minabe, Y
  • Journal Title: Brain Research Volume: 1383 Pages: 242-251
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Halt and recovery of illusory motion perception from peripherally viewed static images. Attention (2011)
  • Author(s): Tomimatsu, E., Ito, H., Sunaga, S., Remijn, G.B
  • Journal Title: Perception & Psychophysics Volume: 73 Pages: 1823-1832
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Lateralized theta wave connectivity and language performance in 2-to 5-year-old children (2011)
  • Author(s): Kikuchi, M
  • Journal Title: J Neurosci Volume: Vol.31 Issue: 42 Pages: 14984-14988
  • DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2785-11.2011
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Active versus passive listening to auditory streaming stimuli: anear-infrared spectroscopy study (2010)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., Kojima, H
  • Journal Title: Journal of Biomedical Optic Volume: 15 Pages: 1-9
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Neurovascular coupling in the human somatosensory cortex: a single trial study (2010)
  • Author(s): Kikuchi, M., Shitamichi, K., Ueno, S., Yoshimura, Y., Remijn, G.B., Nagao, K., Munesue, T., Iiyama, K., Tsubokawa, T., Haruta, Y., Inoue, Y., Watanabe, K., Hashimoto, T., Higashida, H., & Minabe, Y
  • Journal Title: Neuroreport Volume: 21 Pages: 1106-1110
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Active versus passive listening to auditory streaming stimuli : a near-infrared spectroscopy study. (2010)
  • Author(s): Remijn.G.B., Kojima, H.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Biomedical Optics Volume: 15,037006 Pages: 1-9
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Neurovascular coupling in the human somatosensory cortex : a single trial study. (2010)
  • Author(s): Kikuchi, M., Shitamichi, K., Ueno, S., Yoshimura, Y., Remijn, G.B., et al.
  • Journal Title: NeuroReport Volume: 21 Pages: 1106-1110
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Cortical hemodynamic response patterns to normal and whispered speech. (2013)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B.
  • Organizer: ICA 2013 Acoustical Society of America
  • Place of Presentation: Montreal, Canada
• [Presentation] Mismatch negativity related to the perception of whispered speech. (2013)
  • Author(s): Kikuchi, T., Remijn, G.B., Ueda, K., Nakajima, Y.
  • Organizer: Acoustical Society of Japan, February 2013 Auditory Research Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Kanazawa, Japan
• [Presentation] A NIRS study on the perception of normal and whispered speech in 4-6 year old children with autism spectrum disorder (2012)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., et al
  • Organizer: 金沢大学第二「子どものこころサミット」
  • Place of Presentation: 金沢大学(石川県)(招待講演)
  • Year and Date: 2012-03-17
• [Presentation] Hemodynamic responses to animation films in cortex of 3- to 4-year old children (2012)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., et al
  • Organizer: 金沢大学「ことばと認知～言語・非言語コミュニケーション研究の現状と課題」
  • Place of Presentation: 金沢大学(石川県)(招待講演)
  • Year and Date: 2012-02-21
• [Presentation] A NIRS study on the perception of normal and whispered speech in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (2012)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., et al
  • Organizer: 日本音響学会聴覚研究会Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Japan H-2012-20, 42, 111-115
  • Place of Presentation: 琉球大学(沖縄県)
  • Year and Date: 2012-02-05
• [Presentation] Attentional engagement to sound : cortical hemodynamics assessed with near-infrared spectroscopy (2010)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., Kikuchi, M., Yoshimura, K., et al.
  • Organizer: 日本音響学会 聴覚研究会
  • Place of Presentation: かんぽの宿 柳川市(福岡県)
  • Year and Date: 2010-12-10
• [Presentation] Hemodynamic changes in preschool occipital cortex in response to static and motion stimuli. (2010)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B.
  • Organizer: 第一金沢大学子どものこころサミット
  • Place of Presentation: 金沢大学病院「宝ホール」 金沢市(石川県)
  • Year and Date: 2010-11-26
• [Presentation] Auditory evoked response of speech stimuli in 3- to 4-year-old children : a magnetoencephalography study. (2010)
  • Author(s): Yoshimura Y., Kikuchi, M., Remijn, G.B., et al.
  • Organizer: International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN2010)
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸国際会議場神戸市(兵庫県)
  • Year and Date: 2010-11-01
• [Presentation] Correlations between the development of cognitive functions and spontaneous MEG responses of healthy 3- to 4-year-old infants. (2010)
  • Author(s): Nagao, K., Yoshimura, Y., Remijn, G.B., et al.
  • Organizer: International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN2010)
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸国際会議場神戸市(兵庫県)
  • Year and Date: 2010-11-01
• [Presentation] NIRS-measurements of cortical hemodynamic activity in adults and preschool infants in response to static and motion stimuli. (2010)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., Kikuchi, M., Yoshimura, Y., Nagao, K., et al.
  • Organizer: International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN2010)
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸国際会議場神戸市(兵庫県)
  • Year and Date: 2010-10-29
• [Presentation] The influence of sound on visual motion and grouping (2010)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., Yoshizawa, T., & Asakura, N
  • Organizer: Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Japan H-2010-68
  • Place of Presentation: Kyoto, Japan
• [Presentation] NIRS-measurements of cortical hemodynamic activity in adults and preschool infants in response to static and motion stimuli (2010)
  • Author(s): Remijn, G.B., Kikuchi, M., Yoshimura, Y., Nagao, K., Shitamichi, K., Ueno, S., Kojima, H., & Minabe, Y
  • Organizer: Clinical Neurophysiology
  • Place of Presentation: Kobe, Japan
• [Remarks]
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• [Remarks] Bambi plan project
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