title: Beta event-related desynchronization as an index of individual differences in processing human facial expression: further investigations of autistic traits in typically developing adults.
abstract: The human mirror neuron system (hMNS) has been associated with various forms of social cognition and affective processing including vicarious experience. It has also been proposed that a faulty hMNS may underlie some of the deficits seen in the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). In the present study we set out to investigate whether emotional facial expressions could modulate a putative EEG index of hMNS activation (mu suppression) and if so, would this differ according to the individual level of autistic traits [high versus low Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) score]. Participants were presented with 3 s films of actors opening and closing their hands (classic hMNS mu-suppression protocol) while simultaneously wearing happy, angry, or neutral expressions. Mu-suppression was measured in the alpha and low beta bands. The low AQ group displayed greater low beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) to both angry and neutral expressions. The high AQ group displayed greater low beta ERD to angry than to happy expressions. There was also significantly more low beta ERD to happy faces for the low than for the high AQ group. In conclusion, an interesting interaction between AQ group and emotional expression revealed that hMNS activation can be modulated by emotional facial expressions and that this is differentiated according to individual differences in the level of autistic traits. The EEG index of hMNS activation (mu suppression) seems to be a sensitive measure of the variability in facial processing in typically developing individuals with high and low self-reported traits of autism.
authors: Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology, University of Essex Colchester, UK.
authors: Nicholas R
authors: NR
authors: Cooper
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Simpson
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Till
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Simmons
authors: Ignazio
authors: I
authors: Puzzo
keywords: EEG; ERD; alpha; autism; beta; emotion; mu
references: Neuropsychologia. 2009 Aug;47(10):2100-6
references: 19467360
references: Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2007 Mar;2(1):62-6
references: 18985120
references: Rev Neurol (Paris). 1952;87(2):176-82
references: 13014777
references: Curr Biol. 2010 Apr 27;20(8):750-6
references: 20381353
references: Clin Neurophysiol. 2011 Jul;122(7):1342-7
references: 21216663
references: Trends Cogn Sci. 1998 Dec 1;2(12):493-501
references: 21227300
references: Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2005 Dec 1;50(1):57-68
references: 15925412
references: Int J Psychophysiol. 2003 Jan;47(1):65-74
references: 12543447
references: J Autism Dev Disord. 2001 Feb;31(1):37-45
references: 11439752
references: J Neurophysiol. 1995 Jun;73(6):2608-11
references: 7666169
references: Exp Brain Res. 1992;91(1):176-80
references: 1301372
references: Soc Neurosci. 2007;2(3-4):179-222
references: 18633816
references: Front Hum Neurosci. 2012 Dec 19;6:334
references: 23267324
references: Behav Brain Res. 2012 Jan 1;226(1):309-16
references: 21835208
references: Neurol Clin Neurophysiol. 2004 Nov 30;2004:2
references: 16012633
references: Cereb Cortex. 2013 Jul;23(7):1517-25
references: 22661410
references: Brain Res. 2006 Nov 22;1121(1):128-35
references: 17045248
references: J Pers Soc Psychol. 2001 Mar;80(3):381-96
references: 11300573
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Dec 8;95(25):15061-5
references: 9844015
references: Trends Cogn Sci. 2000 Jul;4(7):267-278
references: 10859571
references: Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2012 Jun;12(2):393-405
references: 22198677
references: Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Jan;31(2):386-98
references: 20074212
references: J Neurosci. 2011 Oct 12;31(41):14542-50
references: 21994371
references: J Autism Dev Disord. 2013 Jul;43(7):1517-26
references: 23114566
references: Brain Res. 2010 Jun 25;1342:104-10
references: 20435023
references: Brain Res. 2009 Dec 22;1304:113-21
references: 19782668
references: Neuron. 2005 Nov 3;48(3):497-507
references: 16269366
references: Behav Brain Funct. 2008 Oct 18;4:47
references: 18928566
references: Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 1996 Mar;3(2):131-41
references: 8713554
references: Neuropsychologia. 2010 Jul;48(9):2417-26
references: 20226800
references: Brain Res. 2011 Aug 8;1405:69-76
references: 21741034
references: Psychophysiology. 1986 Nov;23(6):695-703
references: 3823345
references: Brain Cogn. 2006 Jun;61(1):78-95
references: 16455174
references: Neuroimage. 2011 Aug 15;57(4):1358-63
references: 21664466
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Apr 29;100(9):5497-502
references: 12682281
references: Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2005 Jul;24(2):190-8
references: 15993757
references: PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e37534
references: 22624046
references: Neuropsychologia. 2010 Jul;48(9):2675-80
references: 20470809
references: Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1977 Jun;42(6):817-26
references: 67933
references: PLoS One. 2009;4(3):e4925
references: 19290052
references: Psychophysiology. 2004 Jan;41(1):152-6
references: 14693010
references: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2004;27:169-92
references: 15217330
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2010 Sep;51(9):981-8
references: 20524939
references: Clin Neurophysiol. 1999 Nov;110(11):1842-57
references: 10576479
references: PLoS Biol. 2005 Mar;3(3):e79
references: 15736981
references: Brain Res Rev. 2007 Jan;53(1):63-88
references: 16887192
references: Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2004 Apr;19(2):195-201
references: 15019715
references: Cereb Cortex. 2011 Mar;21(3):493-500
references: 20439317
references: Soc Neurosci. 2010;5(3):272-84
references: 20169504
references: Psychiatry Res. 2012 Mar 31;201(3):233-9
references: 22510432
references: Neurosci Lett. 2009 Dec 25;467(2):173-7
references: 19833170
references: Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Mar 15;57(6):655-60
references: 15780853
references: Science. 1999 Dec 24;286(5449):2526-8
references: 10617472
references: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2003 May;60(5):524-30
references: 12742874
references: Int J Psychophysiol. 2007 Apr;64(1):91-100
references: 17156875
references: Clin Neurophysiol. 2004 Aug;115(8):1760-6
references: 15261854
references: J Neurosci. 2011 Feb 23;31(8):2792-800
references: 21414901
references: J Autism Dev Disord. 2007 Sep;37(8):1469-84
references: 17029018
references: Brain Res. 2009 Jul 28;1282:126-32
references: 19500557
references: J Autism Dev Disord. 2001 Feb;31(1):5-17
references: 11439754
references: Neuropsychologia. 2010 Dec;48(14):4117-24
references: 20946906
references: J Exp Psychol Gen. 2011 Nov;140(4):637-59
references: 21744984
references: Neuroimage. 2005 Jun;26(2):581-91
references: 15907315
references: PLoS One. 2008 May 07;3(5):e2113
references: 18461176
references: Neuropsychologia. 2012 Jul;50(9):2341-7
references: 22705391
references: Transl Psychiatry. 2011 Jul 12;1:e19
references: 22832521
references: Biol Psychol. 2009 Mar;80(3):306-14
references: 19063933
references: Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1954 Aug;6(3):433-44
references: 13200415
references: Brain Cogn. 2007 Aug;64(3):228-37
references: 17451856
references: Prog Brain Res. 2006;159:253-60
references: 17071236
references: Neuroimage. 2004 Feb;21(2):601-7
references: 14980562
references: Neuropsychologia. 2008 Sep;46(11):2851-4
references: 18554670
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Jan 18;97(2):913-8
references: 10639179
references: Psychol Sci. 2007 Dec;18(12):1113-9
references: 18031420
references: Neuroimage. 2006 Nov 15;33(3):923-35
references: 16997576