An Italian Prospective Study on Autism Treatment: The Earlier, the Better? / Giacomo VIVANTI in Autism - Open Access, 1-1 (December 2011)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism - Open Access > 1-1 (December 2011) . - 4 p. Titre : An Italian Prospective Study on Autism Treatment: The Earlier, the Better? Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Giacomo VIVANTI, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Arianna BENVENUTO, Auteur ; Barbara BATTAN, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur Année de publication : 2011 Article en page(s) : 4 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorders  Early diagnosis andtreatment  Cognitive and behavioral outcomes Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: Neurocognitive models of autism suggest that starting a treatment at a younger age might be a critical factor in promoting optimal outcomes. The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between age at start of treatment and outcomes in a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in Italy. Methods: Thirty-nine children between 22 and 77 months of age diagnosed with ASDs were divided into two groups on the basis of their age at start of a community-based behavioral treatment. Measures of severity of symptoms, cognitive abilities and adaptive functioning were collected at the beginning of the treatment (Time 1) and one year after (Time 2) to examine group differences in treatment outcomes. Our working hypothesis was that children who started the treatment at a younger age would show a more positive response to treatment compared to children who started at later age. Results: Compared with children who received a diagnosis and started the treatment at a later age, children in the early treatment group showed a better outcome in terms of attenuation of symptoms severity. No group differences were found in terms of adaptive functioning and cognitive abilities, with both groups equally improving their performance. Conclusions: Age at start of the treatment seems to be an important factor to promote gains in the social- communication domain. However, gains in adaptive functioning and cognitive skills in our sample were not related to age. The positive effect of a community-based intervention in children with an early diagnosis of ASDs might be due to the plasticity of neural systems in age-dependent stages. The possibility that early intervention could substantially alter the course of behavioral and brain development in children with autism points to the urgent need for more research on treatment in this population. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2165-7890.1000102 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=153 [article] An Italian Prospective Study on Autism Treatment: The Earlier, the Better? [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Giacomo VIVANTI, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Arianna BENVENUTO, Auteur ; Barbara BATTAN, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur . - 2011 . - 4 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism - Open Access > 1-1 (December 2011) . - 4 p. Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorders  Early diagnosis andtreatment  Cognitive and behavioral outcomes Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: Neurocognitive models of autism suggest that starting a treatment at a younger age might be a critical factor in promoting optimal outcomes. The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between age at start of treatment and outcomes in a group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in Italy. Methods: Thirty-nine children between 22 and 77 months of age diagnosed with ASDs were divided into two groups on the basis of their age at start of a community-based behavioral treatment. Measures of severity of symptoms, cognitive abilities and adaptive functioning were collected at the beginning of the treatment (Time 1) and one year after (Time 2) to examine group differences in treatment outcomes. Our working hypothesis was that children who started the treatment at a younger age would show a more positive response to treatment compared to children who started at later age. Results: Compared with children who received a diagnosis and started the treatment at a later age, children in the early treatment group showed a better outcome in terms of attenuation of symptoms severity. No group differences were found in terms of adaptive functioning and cognitive abilities, with both groups equally improving their performance. Conclusions: Age at start of the treatment seems to be an important factor to promote gains in the social- communication domain. However, gains in adaptive functioning and cognitive skills in our sample were not related to age. The positive effect of a community-based intervention in children with an early diagnosis of ASDs might be due to the plasticity of neural systems in age-dependent stages. The possibility that early intervention could substantially alter the course of behavioral and brain development in children with autism points to the urgent need for more research on treatment in this population. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2165-7890.1000102 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=153

Candidate gene study of HOXB1 in autism spectrum disorder / Lucia A. MUSCARELLA in Molecular Autism, (May 2010)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > (May 2010) . - 39 p. Titre : Candidate gene study of HOXB1 in autism spectrum disorder Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Lucia A. MUSCARELLA, Auteur ; Carmela BRAVACCIO, Auteur ; Cindy SCHNEIDER, Auteur ; Monica SACCANI, Auteur ; Carlo LENTI, Auteur ; Roberto MILITERNI, Auteur ; Grazia GIANA, Auteur ; Riccardo ALESSANDRELLI, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Roberto SACCO, Auteur ; Vito GUARNIERI, Auteur ; Raun D. MELMED, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur ; Antonio M. PERSICO, Auteur ; Leonardo D'AGRUMA, Auteur Année de publication : 2010 Article en page(s) : 39 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background HOXB1 plays a major role in brainstem morphogenesis and could partly determine the cranial circumference in conjunction with HOXA1. In our sample, HOXA1 alleles significantly influence head growth rates both in autistic patients and in population controls. An initial report, suggesting that HOXB1 could confer autism vulnerability in interaction with HOXA1, was not confirmed by five small association studies. Methods Our sample includes 269 autistic individuals, belonging to 219 simplex and 28 multiplex families. A mutational analysis of the two exons and flanking intronic sequences of the HOXB1 gene was carried out in 84 autistic patients by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography, followed by DNA sequencing. Identified rare variants were then searched by a restriction analysis in 236 autistic patients and 325-345 controls. Case-control and family-based association studies were performed on two common variants in 169 Italian patients versus 184 Italian controls and in 247 trios. Results We identified three common polymorphisms, rs72338773 [c.82insACAGCGCCC (INS/nINS)], rs12939811 [c.309A>T (Q103H)], and rs7207109 [c.450G>A (A150A)] and three rare variants, namely IVS1+63G>A, rs35115415 [c.702G>A (V234V)] and c.872_873delinsAA (S291N). SNPs rs72338773 and rs12939811 were not associated with autism, using either a case-control (alleles, exact P=0.13) or a family-based design [transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT)x2=1.774, P=0.183]. The rare variants, all inherited from one of the parents, were present in two Italian and in two Caucasian-American families. Autistic probands in two families surprisingly inherited a distinct rare variant from each parent. The IVS1+63A allele was present in 3/690 control chromosomes, whereas rare alleles at rs35115415 and c.872_873delinsAA (S291N) were not found in 662 and 650 control chromosomes, respectively. The INS-T309 allele influenced head size, but its effect appears more modest and shows no interaction with HOXA1 alleles. The INS-T309 allele is also associated with more severe stereotypic behaviours, according to ADI-R scores (N= 60 patients, P<0.01). Conclusions HOXB1 mutations do not represent a common cause of autism, nor do HOXB1 common variants play important roles in autism vulnerability. HOXB1 provides minor, albeit detectable contributions to head circumference in autistic patients, with HOXA1 displaying more prominent effects. HOXB1 variants may modulate the clinical phenotype, especially in the area of stereotypic behaviours. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2040-2392-1-9 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=103 [article] Candidate gene study of HOXB1 in autism spectrum disorder [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Lucia A. MUSCARELLA, Auteur ; Carmela BRAVACCIO, Auteur ; Cindy SCHNEIDER, Auteur ; Monica SACCANI, Auteur ; Carlo LENTI, Auteur ; Roberto MILITERNI, Auteur ; Grazia GIANA, Auteur ; Riccardo ALESSANDRELLI, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Roberto SACCO, Auteur ; Vito GUARNIERI, Auteur ; Raun D. MELMED, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur ; Antonio M. PERSICO, Auteur ; Leonardo D'AGRUMA, Auteur . - 2010 . - 39 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > (May 2010) . - 39 p. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background HOXB1 plays a major role in brainstem morphogenesis and could partly determine the cranial circumference in conjunction with HOXA1. In our sample, HOXA1 alleles significantly influence head growth rates both in autistic patients and in population controls. An initial report, suggesting that HOXB1 could confer autism vulnerability in interaction with HOXA1, was not confirmed by five small association studies. Methods Our sample includes 269 autistic individuals, belonging to 219 simplex and 28 multiplex families. A mutational analysis of the two exons and flanking intronic sequences of the HOXB1 gene was carried out in 84 autistic patients by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography, followed by DNA sequencing. Identified rare variants were then searched by a restriction analysis in 236 autistic patients and 325-345 controls. Case-control and family-based association studies were performed on two common variants in 169 Italian patients versus 184 Italian controls and in 247 trios. Results We identified three common polymorphisms, rs72338773 [c.82insACAGCGCCC (INS/nINS)], rs12939811 [c.309A>T (Q103H)], and rs7207109 [c.450G>A (A150A)] and three rare variants, namely IVS1+63G>A, rs35115415 [c.702G>A (V234V)] and c.872_873delinsAA (S291N). SNPs rs72338773 and rs12939811 were not associated with autism, using either a case-control (alleles, exact P=0.13) or a family-based design [transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT)x2=1.774, P=0.183]. The rare variants, all inherited from one of the parents, were present in two Italian and in two Caucasian-American families. Autistic probands in two families surprisingly inherited a distinct rare variant from each parent. The IVS1+63A allele was present in 3/690 control chromosomes, whereas rare alleles at rs35115415 and c.872_873delinsAA (S291N) were not found in 662 and 650 control chromosomes, respectively. The INS-T309 allele influenced head size, but its effect appears more modest and shows no interaction with HOXA1 alleles. The INS-T309 allele is also associated with more severe stereotypic behaviours, according to ADI-R scores (N= 60 patients, P<0.01). Conclusions HOXB1 mutations do not represent a common cause of autism, nor do HOXB1 common variants play important roles in autism vulnerability. HOXB1 provides minor, albeit detectable contributions to head circumference in autistic patients, with HOXA1 displaying more prominent effects. HOXB1 variants may modulate the clinical phenotype, especially in the area of stereotypic behaviours. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2040-2392-1-9 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=103

Cluster Analysis of Autistic Patients Based on Principal Pathogenetic Components / Roberto SACCO in Autism Research, 5-2 (April 2012)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 5-2 (April 2012) . - p.137-147 Titre : Cluster Analysis of Autistic Patients Based on Principal Pathogenetic Components Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Roberto SACCO, Auteur ; Carlo LENTI, Auteur ; Monica SACCANI, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Carmela BRAVACCIO, Auteur ; Antonio M. PERSICO, Auteur Année de publication : 2012 Article en page(s) : p.137-147 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : pervasive developmental disorders  cluster analysis  immune system  neurodevelopment  principal component analysis Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : We have recently described four principal pathogenetic components in autism: (I) circadian and sensory dysfunction, (II) immune abnormalities, (III) neurodevelopmental delay, and (IV) stereotypic behaviors. Using hierarchical and k-means clustering, the same 245 patients assessed in our principal component analysis can be partitioned into four clusters: (a) 43 (17.6%) have prominent immune abnormalities accompanied by some circadian and sensory issues; (b) 44 (18.0%) display major circadian and sensory dysfunction, with little or no immune symptoms; (c) stereotypies predominate in 75 (31.0%); and (d) 83 (33.9%) show a mixture of all four components, with greater disruptive behaviors and mental retardation. The “immune” component provides the largest contributions to phenotypic variance (P = 2.7 x 10–45), followed by “stereotypic behaviors.” These patient clusters may likely differ in genetic and immune underpinnings, developmental trajectories, and response to treatment. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.1226 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=155 [article] Cluster Analysis of Autistic Patients Based on Principal Pathogenetic Components [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Roberto SACCO, Auteur ; Carlo LENTI, Auteur ; Monica SACCANI, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Carmela BRAVACCIO, Auteur ; Antonio M. PERSICO, Auteur . - 2012 . - p.137-147. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 5-2 (April 2012) . - p.137-147 Mots-clés : pervasive developmental disorders  cluster analysis  immune system  neurodevelopment  principal component analysis Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : We have recently described four principal pathogenetic components in autism: (I) circadian and sensory dysfunction, (II) immune abnormalities, (III) neurodevelopmental delay, and (IV) stereotypic behaviors. Using hierarchical and k-means clustering, the same 245 patients assessed in our principal component analysis can be partitioned into four clusters: (a) 43 (17.6%) have prominent immune abnormalities accompanied by some circadian and sensory issues; (b) 44 (18.0%) display major circadian and sensory dysfunction, with little or no immune symptoms; (c) stereotypies predominate in 75 (31.0%); and (d) 83 (33.9%) show a mixture of all four components, with greater disruptive behaviors and mental retardation. The “immune” component provides the largest contributions to phenotypic variance (P = 2.7 x 10–45), followed by “stereotypic behaviors.” These patient clusters may likely differ in genetic and immune underpinnings, developmental trajectories, and response to treatment. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.1226 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=155

Principal pathogenetic components and biological endophenotypes in autism spectrum disorders / Roberto SACCO in Autism Research, 3-5 (October 2010)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 3-5 (October 2010) . - p.237-252 Titre : Principal pathogenetic components and biological endophenotypes in autism spectrum disorders Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Roberto SACCO, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Roberto MILITERNI, Auteur ; Carmela BRAVACCIO, Auteur ; Alessandro FROLLI, Auteur ; Carlo LENTI, Auteur ; Monica SACCANI, Auteur ; Maurizio ELIA, Auteur ; Karl-Ludvig REICHELT, Auteur ; Tiziana PASCUCCI, Auteur ; Stefano PUGLISI-ALLEGRA, Auteur ; Antonio M. PERSICO, Auteur Année de publication : 2010 Article en page(s) : p.237-252 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autistic disorder  macrocephaly  neurodevelopment  pervasive developmental disorders  principal component analysis  serotonin Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, likely encompassing multiple pathogenetic components. The aim of this study is to begin identifying at least some of these components and to assess their association with biological endophenotypes. To address this issue, we recruited 245 Italian patients with idiopathic autism spectrum disorders and their first-degree relatives. Using a stepwise approach, patient and family history variables were analyzed using principal component analysis (“exploratory phase”), followed by intra- and inter-component cross-correlation analyses (“follow-up phase”), and by testing for association between each component and biological endophenotypes, namely head circumference, serotonin blood levels, and global urinary peptide excretion rates (“biological correlation phase”). Four independent components were identified, namely “circadian & sensory dysfunction,” “immune dysfunction,” “neurodevelopmental delay,” and “stereotypic behavior,” together representing 74.5% of phenotypic variance in our sample. Marker variables in the latter three components are positively associated with macrocephaly, global peptiduria, and serotonin blood levels, respectively. These four components point toward at least four processes associated with autism, namely (I) a disruption of the circadian cycle associated with behavioral and sensory abnormalities, (II) dysreactive immune processes, surprisingly linked both to prenatal obstetric complications and to excessive postnatal body growth rates, (III) a generalized developmental delay, and (IV) an abnormal neural circuitry underlying stereotypies and early social behaviors. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.151 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=115 [article] Principal pathogenetic components and biological endophenotypes in autism spectrum disorders [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Roberto SACCO, Auteur ; Paolo CURATOLO, Auteur ; Barbara MANZI, Auteur ; Roberto MILITERNI, Auteur ; Carmela BRAVACCIO, Auteur ; Alessandro FROLLI, Auteur ; Carlo LENTI, Auteur ; Monica SACCANI, Auteur ; Maurizio ELIA, Auteur ; Karl-Ludvig REICHELT, Auteur ; Tiziana PASCUCCI, Auteur ; Stefano PUGLISI-ALLEGRA, Auteur ; Antonio M. PERSICO, Auteur . - 2010 . - p.237-252. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 3-5 (October 2010) . - p.237-252 Mots-clés : autistic disorder  macrocephaly  neurodevelopment  pervasive developmental disorders  principal component analysis  serotonin Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, likely encompassing multiple pathogenetic components. The aim of this study is to begin identifying at least some of these components and to assess their association with biological endophenotypes. To address this issue, we recruited 245 Italian patients with idiopathic autism spectrum disorders and their first-degree relatives. Using a stepwise approach, patient and family history variables were analyzed using principal component analysis (“exploratory phase”), followed by intra- and inter-component cross-correlation analyses (“follow-up phase”), and by testing for association between each component and biological endophenotypes, namely head circumference, serotonin blood levels, and global urinary peptide excretion rates (“biological correlation phase”). Four independent components were identified, namely “circadian & sensory dysfunction,” “immune dysfunction,” “neurodevelopmental delay,” and “stereotypic behavior,” together representing 74.5% of phenotypic variance in our sample. Marker variables in the latter three components are positively associated with macrocephaly, global peptiduria, and serotonin blood levels, respectively. These four components point toward at least four processes associated with autism, namely (I) a disruption of the circadian cycle associated with behavioral and sensory abnormalities, (II) dysreactive immune processes, surprisingly linked both to prenatal obstetric complications and to excessive postnatal body growth rates, (III) a generalized developmental delay, and (IV) an abnormal neural circuitry underlying stereotypies and early social behaviors. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.151 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=115

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