Realizing the Translational Promise of Psychophysiological Research in ASD

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: James C. McPartland, Yale University; R. Bernier, University of Washington; Mikle South, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2015-02-01
• Publisher: SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2014, Springer Science Business Media New York
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2325-1
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 277
• End Page: 282
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by National Institute of Mental Health R01 MH100173 (JM), R01 MH100173-02S1 (JM), CTSA Grant Number UL1 RR024139 (JM), and R01MH100047 (RB).
• Keywords: Social Sciences; FACES; EEG MU-RHYTHM; BRAIN ACTIVITY; Psychology, Developmental; IMITATION; POTENTIALS; AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER; Psychology
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Developmental

Abstract

This special issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders focuses on the contributions of psychophysiological research to scientific understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The past decade has brought considerable advances in the application of psychophysiology for examining mechanisms of function and dysfunction in ASD. These insights span the range of behaviors affected, including social communication, restricted and repetitive behaviors, sensory processing, and cognition. Psychophysiological methods hold promise to offer key insights into autism by elucidating the biological underpinnings of behavior, by informing clinical understanding through more nuanced characterization of the phenotype, and by guiding intervention via describing treatment targets, predicting response to intervention, and measuring outcomes. The current issue reflects the breadth and depth of these approaches to ASD by presenting in a single volume a range manuscripts employing electrophysiology, electromyography, cardiac measures, magnetoencephalography, and electrodermal response. The studies described in this special issue address scientific questions related to social perception, sensory attention, interpersonal responsivity, social ability, memory, language, and other areas, and the populations involved in this work range from infants to adults with ASD, typical development, and other neurodevelopmental disorders such as tuberous sclerosis and ADHD. The adoption of and enthusiasm for these techniques by ASD researchers is evident in the overwhelming response to our call for papers. A competitive review process yielded 25 outstanding manuscripts, representing the state of the science in psychophysiological ASD research. We are grateful to the editorial staff at Springer for embracing this enthusiasm and kicking off 2015 with publication of this “super issue” that exceeds standard limits for special issues or sections.