Biology subjects

Crocetti, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Crocetti, D..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Mapping brain function underlying naturalistic motor observation and imitation using high-density diffuse optical tomography

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition defined by deficits in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors, is associated with early impairments in motor imitation that persist through childhood and into adulthood. Alterations in the mirror neuron system (MNS), crucial for interpreting and imitating actions, may underlie these ASD-associated differences in motor imitation. High-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) overcomes logistical challenges of functional magnetic resonance imaging to enable identification of neural substrates of naturalistic motor imitation. ObjectiveWe aim to investigate brain function underlying motor observation and imitation in autistic and non-autistic adults. We hypothesize that HD-DOT will reveal greater activation in regions associated with the MNS during motor imitation than motor observation, and that MNS activity will negatively correlate with autistic traits and motor fidelity. MethodsWe imaged brain function using HD-DOT in N = 100 participants as they engaged in observing or imitating a sequence of arm movements. Additionally, during imitation, participant movements were simultaneously recorded with 3D cameras for computer-vision-based assessment of motor imitation (CAMI). Cortical responses were estimated using general linear models, and multiple regression was used to test for associations with autistic traits, assessed via the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS), and imitation fidelity, assessed via CAMI. ResultsBoth observing and imitating motor movements elicited significant activations in higher-order visual and MNS regions, including the inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus. Imitation additionally exhibited greater activation in the superior parietal lobule, primary motor cortex, and supplementary motor area. Notably, the right temporal-parietal junction exhibited activation during observation but not during imitation. Higher autistic traits were associated with increased activation during motor observation in the right superior parietal lobule. No significant correlation between brain activation and CAMI scores was observed. ConclusionsOur findings provide robust evidence of shared and task-specific cortical responses underlying motor observation and imitation, emphasizing the differential engagement of MNS regions during motor observation and imitation.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Brain Glutathione and GABA+ levels in autistic children

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication challenges and repetitive behaviors. Altered neurometabolite levels, including glutathione (GSH) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), have been proposed as potential contributors to the biology underlying ASD. This study investigated whether cerebral GSH or GABA levels differ between a large cohort of children aged 8-12 years with ASD (n=52) and typically developing children (TDC, n=49). A comprehensive analysis of GSH and GABA levels in multiple brain regions, including the primary motor cortex (SM1), thalamus (Thal), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and supplementary motor area (SMA), was conducted using single-voxel HERMES MR spectroscopy at 3T. The results revealed no significant differences in cerebral GSH or GABA levels between the ASD and TDC groups across all examined regions. These findings suggest that the concentrations of GSH (an important antioxidant and neuromodulator) and GABA (a major inhibitory neurotransmitter) do not exhibit marked alterations in children with ASD compared to TDC. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between GABA levels in the SM1 and Thal regions with ADHD inattention scores. No significant correlation was found between metabolite levels and hyper/impulsive scores of ADHD, measures of core ASD symptoms (ADOS-2, SRS-P) or adaptive behavior (ABAS-2). While both GSH and GABA have been implicated in various neurological disorders, the current study provides valuable insights into the specific context of ASD and highlights the need for further research to explore other neurochemical alterations that may contribute to the pathophysiology of this complex disorder. Lay summaryAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication challenges and repetitive behaviors. Altered glutathione (GSH, an important antioxidant and neuromodulator) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, a major inhibitory neurotransmitter) levels have been proposed as potential contributors to the biology underlying ASD. Here, we used advanced edited Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) to measure levels of these low-concentration metabolites in four brain regions of a pediatric cohort. Contrary to our hypothesis, no significant difference was found between ASD and control subjects in either GSH or GABA levels in any brain region.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Altered Cortical Activation Associated with Mirror Overflow Driven by Non-Dominant Hand Movement in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Mirror overflow is involuntary movement that accompanies unilateral voluntary movement on the opposite side of the body, and is commonly seen in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children with ADHD show asymmetry in mirror overflow between dominant and non-dominant hand, yet there are competing mechanistic accounts of why this occurs. Using EEG during a sequential, unimanual finger-tapping task, we found that children with ADHD exhibited significantly more mirror overflow than typically developing (TD) controls, especially during the tapping of the non-dominant hand. Furthermore, source-level EEG oscillation analysis revealed that children with ADHD showed decreased alpha (8-12 Hz) event-related desynchronization (ERD) compared with controls in both hemispheres, but only during tapping of the non-dominant hand. Moreover, only the ERD ipsilateral to the mirror overflow during non-dominant hand movement correlated with both magnitude of overflow movements and higher ADHD symptom severity (Conners ADHD Hyperactivity/Impulsiveness scale) in children with ADHD. TD controls did not show these relationships. Our findings suggest that EEG differences in finger-tapping in ADHD are related primarily to voluntary movement in the non-dominant hand. Our results are also consistent with the Ipsilateral Corticospinal Tract (CST) Hypothesis, which posits that the atypical persistence of mirror overflow in ADHD may originate in the sensorimotor areas ipsilateral to mirror overflow and be transmitted via non-decussating CST fibers.

neuroscience↗