A scoping review of physiological biomarkers in autism

Jiatong Shan; Yunhao Gu; Jie Zhang; Xiaoqing Hu; Haiyan Wu; Tifei Yuan; Di Zhao

doi:10.3389/fnins.2023.1269880

A scoping review of physiological biomarkers in autism

Front Neurosci. 2023 Sep 7:17:1269880. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1269880. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jiatong Shan^{1

2}, Yunhao Gu³, Jie Zhang⁴, Xiaoqing Hu^{5

6}, Haiyan Wu⁷, Tifei Yuan¹, Di Zhao¹

Affiliations

¹ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Brain Health Institute, National Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Arts and Sciences, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
³ Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
⁵ Department of Psychology, The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
⁶ HKU, Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen, China.
⁷ Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences and Department of Psychology, Macau, China.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by pervasive deficits in social interaction, communication impairments, and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors. This complex disorder is a significant public health concern due to its escalating incidence and detrimental impact on quality of life. Currently, extensive investigations are underway to identify prospective susceptibility or predictive biomarkers, employing a physiological biomarker-based framework. However, knowledge regarding physiological biomarkers in relation to Autism is sparse. We performed a scoping review to explore putative changes in physiological activities associated with behaviors in individuals with Autism. We identified studies published between January 2000 and June 2023 from online databases, and searched keywords included electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), electrodermal activity markers (EDA), eye-tracking markers. We specifically detected social-related symptoms such as impaired social communication in ASD patients. Our results indicated that the EEG/ERP N170 signal has undergone the most rigorous testing as a potential biomarker, showing promise in identifying subgroups within ASD and displaying potential as an indicator of treatment response. By gathering current data from various physiological biomarkers, we can obtain a comprehensive understanding of the physiological profiles of individuals with ASD, offering potential for subgrouping and targeted intervention strategies.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; electrodermal activity markers; electroencephalography; eye-tracking markers; magnetoencephalography; neurodevelopmental deficits; physiological biomarkers.

Publication types

Review