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Introduction
Additional affiliations
June 2014 - present
Position
- SMARTState Endowed Chair in Childhood Neurotherapeutics
November 2003 - June 2015
Publications
Publications (529)
The BRAIN Foundation (Pleasanton, CA, USA) hosted Synchrony 2022, a translational medicine conference focused on research into treatments for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) [...]
In chapter 30, below mentioned footnotes have been added to sections 30.2 and 30.3, as the book was inadvertently published without this content.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with normal brain development. Brain connectivity may serve as a biomarker for ASD in this respect. This study enrolled a total of 179 children aged 3−10 years (90 typically developed (TD) and 89 with ASD). We used a weighted phase lag index and a directed...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous disorder that affects several behavioral domains of neurodevelopment. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a new method that modulates motor and cognitive function and may have potential applications in ASD treatment. To identify its potential effects on ASD, differences in electroencep...
To compare the differences in directed connectivity between typically developing (TD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children and identify the potential effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on brain connectivity and behavior of children with ASD; 26 TD children (18 males/8 females; the average age was 6.34 ± 0.45) and...
Von Economo neurons (VENs) have been mentioned in the medical literature since the second half of the 19th century; however, it was not until the second decade of the 20th century that their cytomorphology was described in detail. To date, VENs have been found in limbic sectors of the frontal, temporal and insular lobes. In humans, their density se...
This study proposes a Computer-Aided Diagnostic (CAD) system to diagnose subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The CAD system identifies morphological anomalies within the brain regions of ASD subjects. Cortical features are scored according to their contribution in diagnosing a subject to be ASD or typically developed (TD) based on a train...
Objectives:
Both stress and hypertension (HTN) are considered major health problems that negatively impact the cerebral vasculature. In this article we summarize the possible relationship between stress and HTN.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic review of the literature using a database search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.
Re...
Objective
To explore whether 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has positive effects on brain activity and behavior of autistic children with intellectual disability.
Methods
32 autistic children with intellectual disability (26 boys and 6 girls) were recruited to participate in this feasibility study. The autistic children w...
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are conditions that present with brain dysfunction due to alterations in the processes of brain development. They present with neuropsychiatric, cognitive, and motor symptoms. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Fragile X syndrome (FXS) are two of the most common NDDs. Human brain tissue is a scarce resource that...
Error monitoring and correction is one of the executive functions and is important for effective goal-directed behavior. Deficient executive functioning, including reduced error monitoring ability, is one of the typical features of such neurodevelopmental disorders as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), probably related to perseverative responding, ste...
Nanotechnology is a novel tool for handling of matter at the microscopic level, within the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular domains. While neuroscience and neuroengineering operate at the cellular level, their association with the nanotechnology is bringing synergic unexpected strides. In the last decade, an unprecedented increase in the succe...
Neuropathological studies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggest the presence of a neuronal migrational disorder that alters the excitatory–inhibitory bias of the cerebral cortex. More specifically, in ASD, there appears to be widespread loss of parvalbumin (PV)-positive interneurons manifested as abnormalities in gamma oscillations (neural netw...
With the advances in neuroscience and neuroengineering, augmentation of brain functions has become a real possibility in sensory, motor, and cognitive domains. Both invasive and noninvasive interventions that target brain micro- and macrocircuits and produce functional improvements have been developed. In this review, we critically evaluate the exi...
Neurofeedback training is a treatment modality of potential use for improving self-regulation skills in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Multiple studies using neurofeedback to target symptoms of ASD have been reported. These studies differ among themselves in the type of training (e.g., theta-to-beta ratio, coherence, etc.), topography (Cz or Pz),...
Research suggest that in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) a disturbance in the coordinated interactions of neurons within local networks gives rise to abnormal patterns of brainwave activity in the gamma bandwidth. Low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been proven to normalize gamma...
Autonomic activity and anxiety in children with autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental disorder associated with impairments in social and lingual abilities. Failure in language development is variable in the ASD population and follows a wide spectrum. The autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) is the current gold standard for diagnosing plus expert clinical judgment. Curr...
This book covers recent advances in the neural technology that produces enhancements for brain function. It addresses a broad range of neural phenomena occurring in the brain circuits for perception, cognition, emotion and action, representing the building blocks of the behavior and mind.
Augmentation of brain function is achieved using brain impla...
Purpose:
Task-based fMRI (TfMRI) is a diagnostic imaging modality for observing the effects of a disease or other condition on the functional activity of the brain. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder associated with impairments in social and linguistic abilities. Machine learning algorithms have been widely utiliz...
Considerable interest has arisen concerning the relationship between hereditary connective tissue disorders such as the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS)/hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and autism, both in terms of their comorbidity as well as co-occurrence within the same families. This paper reviews our current state of knowledge, as well as h...
Editorial on the Research Topic Comorbidity and Autism Spectrum Disorder This Research Topic consists of 32 articles, contributed by 283 authors, focusing on recent understanding regarding the impact and management of comorbidities associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This Research Topic sought to answer questions such as: Are standard s...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally diagnosed neurodevelopmental condition of unknown pathology. Research suggests that abnormalities of elecltroencephalogram (EEG) gamma oscillations may provide a biomarker of the condition. In this study, envelope analysis of demodulated waveforms for evoked and induced gamma oscillations in response...
Despite growing knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research findings have not been translated into curative treatment. At present, most therapeutic interventions provide for symptomatic treatment. Outcomes of interventions are judged by subjective endpoints (e.g., behavioral assessments) which alongside the highly heterogeneous nature...
Autism spectrum disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by impaired social abilities and communication difficulties. The golden standard for autism diagnosis in research rely on behavioral features, e.g., the autism diagnosis observation schedule (ADOS), the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). In this study we introduce a...
Background: A growing body of literature suggests etiological overlap between Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)/hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and some cases of autism, although this relationship is poorly delineated. In addition, immune, autonomic, and endocrine dysregulation are reported in both conditions and may be relevant to their respecti...
Autism spectrum disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects the social abilities of the patients. Yet, the gold standard of autism diagnosis is the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS). In this study, we are implementing a computer-aided diagnosis system that utilizes structural MRI (sMRI) and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI...
Non Invasive Brain Stimulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Background:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a very complex neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by social difficulties and stereotypical or repetitive behavior. Some previous studies using low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have proven of benefit in ASD children.
Methods:
In this study, 32 children (26 male...
Background
A growing body of literature suggests etiological overlap between Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)/hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and some cases of autism, although this relationship is poorly delineated. In addition, immune, autonomic, and endocrine dysregulation are reported in both conditions and may be relevant to their respectiv...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders. Although the comorbidity was excluded in DSM-IV (APA, 2000), DSM‑5 (APA, 2013) does not preclude the concurrent diagnosis of ASD and ADHD (ASD+ADHD). This study aimed to understand distinctions in executiv...
Previous research on autism risk disorder (ASD), developmental regulatory (DevReg), and central nervous system (CNS) genes suggests they tend to be large in size, enriched in nested repeats, and mutation intolerant. The relevance of these genomic features is intriguing yet poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the feature landscape of t...
Background: Linking genotype to phenotype is a major aim of genetics research, yet the underlying biochemical mechanisms of many complex conditions continue to remain elusive. Recent research provides evidence that relevant gene-phenotype associations are discoverable in the study of intellectual disability (ID). Here we expand on that work, identi...
Offering a summary of the current state of knowledge in autism research, Defining Autism looks at the different genetic, neurological and environmental causes of, and contributory factors to autism. It takes a wide-ranging view of developmental and genetic factors, and considers autism's relationship with other conditions such as epilepsy.
Sheddin...
The von Economo neurons (VEN) are characterized by a large soma, spindle-like soma, with little dendritic arborization at both, the basal and apical poles. In humans, VENs have been described in the entorhinal cortex, the hippocampal formation, the anterior cingulate cortex, the rostral portion of the insula and the dorsomedial Brodmann's area 9 (B...
The von Economo neurons (VEN) are characterized by a large soma, spindle-like soma, with little dendritic arborization at both, the basal and apical poles. In humans, VENs have been described in the entorhinal cortex, the hippocampal formation, the anterior cingulate cortex, the rostral portion of the insula and the dorsomedial Brodmann’s area 9 (B...
There is no accepted pathology to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but research suggests the presence of an altered excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) bias in the cerebral cortex. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) offers a non-invasive means of modulating the E/I cortical bias with little in terms of side effects. In this study, 124 high...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder which affects the developmental trajectory in several behavioral domains, including impairments of social communication, cognitive and language abilities. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, and it was used for mod...
Reports suggest comorbidity between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the connective tissue disorder, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). People with EDS and the broader spectrum of Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH) often present with immune-and endocrine-mediated conditions. Meanwhile, immune/endocrine dysregulation is a popular theme in autism res...
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that accounts for 60–70% of cases of dementia in the elderly. An early diagnosis of AD is usually hampered for many reasons including the variable clinical and pathological features exhibited among affected individuals. This paper presents a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system...
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases that influences the central nervous system, often leading to dire consequences for quality of life. The disease goes through some stages mainly divided into early, moderate, and severe. Among them, the early stage is the most important as medical intervention has the pote...
in autism resulting in executive function deficits by measuring performance on cognitive tests with event-related potential (ERP) recording. Analysis of ERP components is one of the most informative dynamic methods of investigation and monitoring of information processing stages in the human brain. Different amplitude and latency characteristics of...
Nutrition and reward are two important functions of the brain. To understand their underpinnings we look into the neural processing underlying the mechanisms of reward and nutrition at the interface with cognition. The common denominator of nutrition and reward functions is “food” intake that represents the energy source for all vital functions of...
This chapter dwells on the high-order neural processing that underlies the emergence of the mind. We discuss the operation of microcircuits, such as neurons in different laminae of cortical columns, modular networks composed of microcircuits, and the hubs of the brain’s connectome. We show how the integration of information by distributed networks...
The Central Nervous System can be understood as an organization whose levels have been established throughout evolution. In this organization, the cerebral hemispheres occupy the highest level of a hierarchical open system wherein the function of the brain is to match relationships among objects in the surrounding environment. The outer portion of...
In this chapter we discuss the effect of symmetry breaking and the emergence of brain/psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia (SCZ), aging, and drug addiction. A common denominator in these brain disorders seems to be a faulty inhibition mechanism that plays a key role in the optimal funct...
Symmetry as a feature of beauty and harmony is a concept that emerged in ancient times during the Greek and Roman antiquity. In contrast, the modern concept of symmetry refers to the properties of a geometrical object or a physical system that preserves the same form features when subjected to a specific group of transformations defined by mathemat...
Alterations in brain connectivity have been extensively reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while their effects on the topology of brain network are still unclear. This study investigated whether and how the brain networks in children with ASD were abnormally organized with resting state EEG. Temporal synchronization analysis was first appl...
Alterations in brain connectivity have been extensively reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while their effects on the topology of brain network are still unclear. This study investigated whether and how the brain networks in children with ASD were abnormally organized with resting state EEG. Temporal synchronization analysis was first appl...
Several studies have shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show abnormalities in P3b to targets in standard oddball tasks. The present study employed a three-stimulus visual oddball task with novel distracters that analyzed event-related potentials (ERP) to both target and non-target items at frontal and parietal sites. The task t...
Background
Linking genotype to phenotype is a major aim of genetics research, yet many complex conditions continue to hide their underlying biochemical mechanisms. Recent research provides evidence that relevant gene-phenotype associations are discoverable in the study of intellectual disability (ID). Here we expand on that work, identifying distin...
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 5 million Americans. Despite many efforts in the field of AD diagnosis, early recognition has been hindered by many factors including subjects’ dependent effect and the appearance of pathological features that predate clinical manifestations by 10-15 years...
Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit symptoms associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction indicative of low psychophysiological flexibility. It is suggested that ASD symptoms are associated with generalized abnormalities in the central nervous system, including structures and networks involved in the top-down reg...
Functional connectivity Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fcMRI) has assumed a central role in neuroimaging efforts to understand the changes underlying brain disorders. Current models of the spatial and temporal structure of fcMRI based connectivity contain strong a priori assumptions. We report that low temporal frequency fMRI signal synchrony within t...
This review is aimed at exploring the usefulness of measuring event-related potential (ERP) in cognitive tests and discusses several applications of the ERP technique. Analysis of ERP components is one of the most informative dynamic methods of investigation and monitoring of information processing stages in the human brain. Amplitude and latency o...
The review is aimed to explore the abnormality of neural and functional connectivity in autism resulting in executive function deficits by measuring performance on cognitive tests with event-related potential (ERP) recording. Analysis of ERP components is one of the most informative dynamic methods of investigation and monitoring of information pro...