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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Interoceptive autonomic regulation in typical development and autism spectrum disorder: A computational model
Ruichen Li1, Hao Liu2, Yukie Nagai1
1International Research Center for Neurointelligence (WPI-IRCN), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Plos One
|July 15, 2026
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shows atypical autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation, with individuals exhibiting distinct sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (SNS-PSNS) coordination compared to typically developing individuals. Deep respiration aids cardiovascular stabilization.
Area of Science:
- Computational neuroscience
- Autonomic nervous system physiology
- Developmental neuroscience
Background:
- Interoceptive cardiovascular signals (heart rate, blood pressure) are vital for cognitive and affective processes.
- Autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation is atypical in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but its specific dynamics are unclear.
- Understanding ANS regulation is crucial for characterizing neurodevelopmental conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To computationally model and estimate the latent ANS regulatory structure in typically developing (TD) and ASD individuals.
- To compare autonomic control modes and their parameters between TD and ASD groups.
- To investigate the influence of respiration on cardiovascular regulation within different ANS states.
Main Methods:
- Developed a closed-loop computational model integrating cardiovascular, respiratory, and autonomic dynamics.
- Formalized ANS regulation using three control modes (coupled reciprocal, nonreciprocal, uncoupled) parameterized by sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PSNS) modulation weights.
- Simulated head-up tilt (HUT) test responses and compared model outputs with empirical HR/BP data from TD and ASD groups.
Main Results:
- Typically developing (TD) individuals displayed distinct SNS-PSNS coordination, while ASD individuals showed converged SNS-PSNS weighting.
- TD responses under coupled reciprocal mode aligned with expected high SNS/low PSNS activity during postural challenge.
- ASD data suggested persistent parasympathetic engagement during postural challenge, and deep respiration enhanced blood pressure recovery.
Conclusions:
- Provided a mechanistic, state-space characterization of autonomic coordination in TD and ASD populations.
- Enabled inference of latent autonomic regulation from interoceptive phenotypes.
- Identified respiration as a regulatory lever for augmenting cardiovascular stabilization.
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