Neural synchronization deficits linked to cortical hyper-excitability and auditory hypersensitivity in fragile X syndrome.
Lauren E Ethridge, Stormi P White, Matthew W Mosconi and 5 others
PMID 28596820WHAT IT FOUND
In fragile X syndrome, auditory brain responses to a rising-frequency stimulus were less synchronized and had more ongoing high-frequency activity.
These patterns tracked auditory hypersensitivity and social communication scores.
Key findings
01Participants with FXS had less stable high-frequency brain responses to the auditory stimulus and more high-frequency brain activity overall than controls.
02Among FXS participants, higher gamma power was correlated with lower gamma phase-locking to the chirp stimulus and its harmonic.
03Among FXS participants, higher gamma power was associated with caregiver-reported auditory hypersensitivity and higher social communication scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included 17 participants with FXS and 17 controls, so the results are based on a small group and may not generalize. Participants were grouped by diagnosis and tested once, so the design cannot show that EEG abnormalities caused auditory hypersensitivity or social communication scores. The FXS group had much lower IQ scores than controls, and the paper notes that intellectual disability may contribute to group differences. Several FXS participants were taking psychiatric medications, and gamma power was higher in medicated patients, but the study cannot tell whether medication or severity drove that difference. Only four female participants were included in each group, so gender differences could not be evaluated well. The clinical correlations were exploratory and not corrected for multiple comparisons.
Declared interests
The paper names the National Institute of Mental Health as funder and does not report a commercial sponsor.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this EEG pattern causes auditory hypersensitivity or that treatment can change it. The study included 17 FXS participants and 17 controls, did not test any therapy, and cannot separate medication effects from symptom severity.