Early differences in auditory processing relate to Autism Spectrum Disorder traits in infants with Neurofibromatosis Type I
the STAARS and EDEN Teams, Jannath Begum Ali, Anna Kolesnik, Isabel Quiroz, Luke Mason, Shruti Garg, Jonathan Green, Mark H. Johnson, Emily J. H. Jones
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sensory modulation difficulties are common in children with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and could contribute to other social and non-social symptoms. Positing a causal role for sensory processing differences requires observing atypical sensory reactivity prior to the emergence of other symptoms, which can be achieved through prospective studies. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, we examined auditory repetition suppression and change detection at 5 and 10 months in infants with and without Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), a condition associated with higher likelihood of developing ASD. RESULTS: In typically developing infants, suppression to vowel repetition and enhanced responses to vowel/pitch change decreased with age over posterior regions, becoming more frontally specific; age-related change was diminished in the NF1 group. Whilst both groups detected changes in vowel and pitch, the NF1 group were largely slower to show a differentiated neural response. Auditory responses did not relate to later language, but were related to later ASD traits. CONCLUSIONS: These findings represent the first demonstration of atypical brain responses to sounds in infants with NF1 and suggest they may relate to the likelihood of later ASD.