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Varcin, Kandice J.

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Varcin

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Kandice J.

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Varcin, Kandice J.

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2014 - 20172

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Author's Publications: search.filters.isAuthorOfPublication.2889f239-0672-4734-80ee-de7f4730dbfb

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    EEG power at 3 months in infants at high familial risk for autism
    (BioMed Central, 2017) Levin, April; Varcin, Kandice J.; O’Leary, Heather M.; Tager-Flusberg, Helen; Nelson, Charles
    Background: Alterations in brain development during infancy may precede the behavioral manifestation of developmental disorders. Infants at increased risk for autism are also at increased risk for other developmental disorders, including, quite commonly, language disorders. Here we assess the extent to which electroencephalographic (EEG) differences in infants at high versus low familial risk for autism are present by 3 months of age, and elucidate the functional significance of EEG power at 3 months in predicting later development. Methods: EEG data were acquired at 3 months in infant siblings of children with autism (high risk; n = 29) and infant siblings of typically developing children (low risk; n = 19) as part of a prospective, longitudinal investigation. Development across multiple domains was assessed at 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months. Diagnosis of autism was determined at 18–36 months. We assessed relationships between 3-month-olds’ frontal EEG power and autism risk, autism outcome, language development, and development in other domains. Results: Infants at high familial risk for autism had reduced frontal power at 3 months compared to infants at low familial risk for autism, across several frequency bands. Reduced frontal high-alpha power at 3 months was robustly associated with poorer expressive language at 12 months. Conclusions: Reduced frontal power at 3 months may indicate increased risk for reduced expressive language skills at 12 months. This finding aligns with prior studies suggesting reduced power is a marker for atypical brain function, and infants at familial risk for autism are also at increased risk for altered developmental functioning in non-autism-specific domains.
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    Early developmental trajectories associated with ASD in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex
    (Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2014) Jeste, S. S.; Wu, Joyce Y.; Senturk, D.; Varcin, Kandice J.; Ko, J.; McCarthy, B.; Shimizu, C.; Dies, Kira; Vogel-Farley, V.; Sahin, Mustafa; Nelson, Charles
    OBJECTIVE: We performed a longitudinal cohort study of infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), with the overarching goal of defining early clinical, behavioral, and biological markers of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in this high-risk population. METHODS: Infants with TSC and typically developing controls were recruited as early as 3 months of age and followed longitudinally until 36 months of age. Data gathered at each time point included detailed seizure history, developmental testing using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, and social-communication assessments using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants. At 18 to 36 months, a diagnostic evaluation for ASD was performed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. RESULTS: Infants with TSC demonstrated delays confined to nonverbal abilities, particularly in the visual domain, which then generalized to more global delays by age 9 months. Twenty-two of 40 infants with TSC were diagnosed with ASD. Both 12-month cognitive ability and developmental trajectories over the second and third years of life differentiated the groups. By 12 months of age, the ASD group demonstrated significantly greater cognitive delays and a significant decline in nonverbal IQ from 12 to 36 months. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study characterizes early developmental markers of ASD in infants with TSC. The early delay in visual reception and fine motor ability in the TSC group as a whole, coupled with the decline in nonverbal ability in infants diagnosed with ASD, suggests a domain-specific pathway to ASD that can inform more targeted interventions for these high-risk infants.