基于近红外脑成像技术的孤独症儿童社交障碍研究

The ability to flexibly modulate our behaviors in social contexts and to successfully interact with other persons is a fundamental, but pivotal, requirement for human survival. Deficit in this ability is naturally associated with socially isolating mental diseases, e.g., autism. However, due to the technical limitations of brain-imaging such as fMRI, which is not appropriate to measure brain activation in children within realistic social contexts, little is known about the neural substrates underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD)...Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a relatively new, noninvasive brain-imaging technique for studying functional activation by measuring changes in the hemodynamic properties of the brain. The fNIRS has few physical constraints and is more tolerant to motion artifacts, permitting simultaneous measurements of two persons’ brains in less restricted conditions. Thus, the fNIRS is a possible tool by which to explore the neural mechanisms of social deficits in children with ASD during natural interactive activities...The present project, focusing on healthy adults, typically developing (TD) children, and autistic children, aims to examine 1) the neural bases of social interactions (cooperation and competition), 2) the modulation effect of empathy level, and 3) the atypical neural activation and functional connectivity in autism. To achieve these goals, the fNIRS is used to measure brain activations of participant pairs in their prefrontal cortex and the mirror neuron system during cooperative and competitive computerized games. ..Specifically, study 1 investigates the neural bases of cooperation and competition in healthy adults. And study 2 assesses the neural differences between the TD children and the healthy adults. Finally, study 3 explores the neural substrates underlying the impairments of reciprocal social interaction (i.e., cooperation) in ASD children...From a perspective of society, the present project contributes on understanding of the pathological substrates of autism, facilitating early diagnosis that is critical for reduction of the disability rate due to ASD. In addition, the present project helps to improve the social ability of healthy adults and TD children as well. From a theoretical perspective, the present project is important for understanding of the neural bases of social behaviors and the neurological substrates underlying ASD. And from a technical perspective, the present project promotes the development of fNIRS in domestic universities and institutes, accelerating research related to children and social behaviors.

社会交往能力是人类生存的基本技能。社交能力的缺失会导致严重的行为障碍和精神疾病，如孤独症（autism）。本项目以健康成人、正常发育儿童和孤独症儿童为对象，利用近红外光学脑功能成像技术（functional near-infrared spectroscopy: fNIRS）在真实的双人互动中研究1）社会交往的两种基本行为模式—合作与竞争的脑机制，2）共情水平对社交行为脑机制的调节作用，以及3）孤独症儿童社交障碍的病理机制。在现实层面上，本项目有助于了解孤独症的病理原因，实现早期诊断，从而有效降低我国孤独症儿童的致残率。同时，本项目可以为孤独症儿童的干预治疗提供新的思路和理论支持，也可以帮助健康儿童（成人）提高其社会交往能力。在科学层面上，本项目有助于了解人类社交行为的脑机制和孤独症儿童社交障碍的神经基础。在技术层面上，本项目有助于推动fNIRS在我国相关领域的发展和应用。

本项目原计划以健康成人、正常发育儿童和孤独症儿童为对象，利用近红外光谱脑功能成像技术（fNIRS），在真实的社会场景中，研究孤独症社交障碍的认知机制。到目前为止，已经完成8个实验，包括健康成人实验4个，正常发育儿童实验3个，孤独症儿童实验1个。其中，5项实验成果和1项理论研究成果已经发表于SSCI/SCI期刊；另有3项实验成果（健康成人，正常儿童和孤独症儿童各1项）已经完成撰写、投稿或第一轮修改。. 通过对健康成人进行研究，我们发现在面对更为复杂的社会互动时，例如欺骗和风险决策，男性和女性在认知加工过程上存在显著差异。男性在心理理论网络上表现出较强的脑间功能连接；而女性在镜像神经元系统上表现出较强的脑间功能连接。在群体合作中，内源性规范的合作任务能够激起成员间更高的脑间功能连接强度以及局部/全局脑网络连接效率。. 通过对正常发育儿童的研究，我们发现触屏游戏会对儿童的认知功能产生显著的影响。尤其是当触屏游戏中出现虚假事件时，更容易消耗儿童的认知资源，损害其认知功能。在判断真实虚假事件时，儿童与成人在认知加工过程上存在显著差异。儿童更多的是依靠自身经验，导致内测前额叶激活显著高于成人；而成人更多的是依靠认知推理能力，导致背外侧前额叶激活显著高于儿童。. 通过对孤独症儿童的研究，我们发现与健康成人以及正常发育儿童一样，孤独症儿童在与其父母进行合作互动时，双方前额叶的脑间功能连接也会显著增强。更为重要的是，孤独症儿童与父母之间的脑间功能连接强度与其孤独症症状强弱呈显著的负相关，与其合作行为呈显著的正相关。. 本项目通过一系列实验验证了，脑间功能连接在人际互动中扮演着重要的角色，而孤独症儿童在互动过程中存在脑间功能连接异常。游戏可以作为训练儿童认知功能的手段，但是虚幻的事件可能会对儿童的认知功能发展产生负面影响。