1. Beckerson M, Paisley C, Murdaugh D, Holm H, Lemelman A, Spencer A, O’Kelley S, Kana R. Reading comprehension improvement in autism. Front Psychiatry. 2024; 15: 1292018.

INTRODUCTION: A subset of autistic children excel at word decoding but have difficulty with reading comprehension (i.e., the discrepant poor comprehender reading profile). Prior research suggests the Visualizing and Verbalizing (V/V) for language comprehension and thinking intervention helps improve reading comprehension in autistic children with this reading profile. Previous studies have demonstrated the role of vocabulary, memory, and social functioning in reading comprehension; however, predictors and moderators of reading comprehension within this specific profile of autistic readers have not been thoroughly explored. METHODS: In this study, we examined the effectiveness of the V/V intervention by comparing reading comprehension scores between groups and across time. Participants included a sample of autistic children (AUT-EXP; n=22) and a waitlist control group of autistic children (AUT-WLC; n=17) with reading comprehension difficulties, as well as a sample of non-autistic children (Non-AUT; n=26) (all age 8-13 years). AUT-EXP and AUT-WLC groups completed a battery of cognitive assessments during pre and post tests. We also analyzed whether cognitive assessment scores predicted reading comprehension, and examined the moderating effects of group (AUT-EXP vs. AUT-WLC) on these relationships. RESULTS: The AUT-EXP group significantly improved in their pre to post reading comprehension scores (t(21)=4.19, p<.001, d=.89), whereas the AUT-WLC group did not. Verbal memory significantly predicted reading comprehension, though group did not moderate relationships between cognitive test performance and reading comprehension. DISCUSSION: Results suggest that the V/V intervention may help improve reading comprehension for autistic children with the discrepant poor comprehender reading profile. Additionally, strategies for improving verbal memory may indirectly enhance reading comprehension in autistic children with this reading profile.

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2. Belaiba M, Laatar R, Borji R, Ben Salem A, Sahli S, Rebai H. Time Limited Benefits of Physical and Proprioceptive Training on Physical Fitness Components in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Percept Mot Skills. 2024: 315125241244484.

In this study, we explored the immediate and three-month follow-up effects of physical training on physical fitness in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We randomly assigned 20 children with ASD (age 8-11 years) into an experimental group (EG; n = 10) and a control group (CG; n = 10). The EG participated in an 8-week training program involving both strength and proprioceptive exercises (three 60-minute sessions/week), while the CG simply maintained their daily activities. We assessed physical fitness components for each participant at baseline, post-training, and at a 3-month follow-up. The physical training intervention significantly improved physical fitness of these children with ASD in terms of their flexibility (p < .001; 32.46%), lower limbs strength (p = .003; 36.98%), lower body power (p < .001; 41.78%) and functional mobility (p < .001; 25.56%). However, these addition training-induced gains were lost at follow-up for lower limbs strength (p < .001), flexibility (p < .001), and functional mobility (p = .034)). Physical training was effective for improving physical fitness in children with ASD, but the loss of these gains at three months follow-up underscored the need for continuous physical exercise.

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3. Britsch ER, Iverson JM. Adding to the Conversation: Language Delays and Parent-Child Interactions in the Younger Siblings of Children With Autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2024.

In their first three years, children begin to maintain topics and add new information in conversation. In turn, caregivers create opportunities for language learning. Compared to children with no family history of autism (typical likelihood, TL), the younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at elevated likelihood (EL) for both ASD and language delays. This study asked: (1) Do profiles of spoken language and conversational skills differ across groups? (2) Does spoken language relate to conversational skills? and (3) How does parent speech relate to child spoken language and conversational skills? Child spoken language, conversational skills, and parent speech were examined during toy play at home with three-year-old TL (n = 16) and EL children with ASD (EL-ASD, n = 10), non-ASD language delay (EL-LD, n = 21), and no delays or diagnoses (EL-ND, n = 37). EL-ASD children produced fewer intelligible utterances, and EL-LD and EL-ASD children produced shorter utterances than TL and EL-ND children. When utterances were intelligible, all groups were highly contingent to the topic. EL-ASD children were less likely than all other groups to add new information, and adding new information was positively associated with utterance length. Parents of EL-ASD children had fewer opportunities to respond contingently. However, all parents were highly topic-contingent when child speech was intelligible, and parent speech complexity varied with child language and conversational skills. Findings highlight strengths in conversational skills for EL-ASD children during toy play with parents and show that children and caregivers together shape opportunities for developing language and conversation.

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4. Dul M, Walczewski K. Patient with Asperger’s Syndrome, with episodes of fantasizing and rocking of body, treated with aripiprazole – a case report. Psychiatr Pol. 2023; 57(6): 1135-42.

In this article, we present the case of an adult patient, whose main problem is episodes of fantasizing and rocking lasting up to 12 hours a day and completely preventing school development. The nature of the disorder in the patient is related to the sinking into fantasies, and not typical obsessions as in OCD. The patient was previously treated with drugs from the SSRI group, neuroleptics (without aripiprazole) and methylphenidate. Only methylphenidate showed some improvement; however, it made the patient feel ‟stiff in thinking ». The patient was hospitalized because of a suicide attempt, which, as it later turned out, was self-harm with no intention of killing himself. During hospitalization, a differential diagnosis was performed and the diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome was made, which was accompanied by immersion in the world of one’s fantasies and stereotypical behavior. The patient was administered aripiprazole at a dose of 15 mg/d and after three weeks, a significant improvement in health was achieved, including a reduction in the duration of episodes from several hours to several dozen seconds. The drug is well tolerated by the patient. The patient was discharged from the hospital and continues his school education. In the article, we present single case reports in which similar spectacular results were achieved in similar cases. We also describe a possible physiological explanation for this response to this drug.

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5. Eltokhi A, Lundstrom BN, Li J, Zweifel LS, Catterall WA, Gamal El-Din TM. Pathogenic gating pore current conducted by autism-related mutations in the Na(V)1.2 brain sodium channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024; 121(15): e2317769121.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social and communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. The genetic heterogeneity of ASD presents a challenge to the development of an effective treatment targeting the underlying molecular defects. ASD gating charge mutations in the KCNQ/K(V)7 potassium channel cause gating pore currents (I(gp)) and impair action potential (AP) firing of dopaminergic neurons in brain slices. Here, we investigated ASD gating charge mutations of the voltage-gated SCN2A/Na(V)1.2 brain sodium channel, which ranked high among the ion channel genes with mutations in individuals with ASD. Our results show that ASD mutations in the gating charges R2 in Domain-II (R853Q), and R1 (R1626Q) and R2 (R1629H) in Domain-IV of Na(V)1.2 caused I(gp) in the resting state of ~0.1% of the amplitude of central pore current. The R1626Q mutant also caused significant changes in the voltage dependence of fast inactivation, and the R1629H mutant conducted proton-selective I(gp). These potentially pathogenic I(gp) were exacerbated by the absence of the extracellular Mg(2+) and Ca(2+). In silico simulation of the effects of these mutations in a conductance-based single-compartment cortical neuron model suggests that the inward I(gp) reduces the time to peak for the first AP in a train, increases AP rates during a train of stimuli, and reduces the interstimulus interval between consecutive APs, consistent with increased neural excitability and altered input/output relationships. Understanding this common pathophysiological mechanism among different voltage-gated ion channels at the circuit level will give insights into the underlying mechanisms of ASD.

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6. Fu Y, Tian M, Chen J, Chen W, Li H. Improvement of symptoms in children with autism by TOMATIS training: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Front Behav Neurosci. 2024; 18: 1357453.

INTRODUCTION: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that is marked by deficits in social interaction, difficulty expressing oneself, lack of enthusiasm, and stereotypical conduct. The TOMATIS training method is an effective music therapy for children with ASD for its individually developed programs to improve behavioral deficits. METHODS: The research employed both longitudinal and crosssectional designs. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional study, the experimental group showed significant improvement in symptoms after TOMATIS training compared to the control group of children with ASD. The results validated the effect of TOMATIS treatment for ASD-related deficits, including perceptual-motor, attentional, social, and emotional issues. DISCUSSION: ASD’s auditory hypersensitivity hampers social information processing, but TOMATIS enhances cochlear frequency selectivity, aiding in capturing relevant auditory stimuli. In addition, the longitudinal study confirmed these findings, which proved TOMATIS training effective in clinically treating ASD. This study focused on audiometric indicators and behavioural improvement, elucidating the mechanisms behind the training’s success. Behavioral improvements might stem from TOMATIS’ frequency selectivity, reshaping auditory organ-cortical feedback loops to filter interference and focus on valid information.

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7. Gabis LV, Nissenkorn A, Barbaro J. Editorial: Personalized precision medicine in autism spectrum related disorders, volume II. Front Neurol. 2024; 15: 1392642.

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8. Heo MQ, English MCW, Maybery MT, Visser TAW. Visuospatial cueing differences as a function of autistic traits. Atten Percept Psychophys. 2024.

Atypical orienting of visuospatial attention in autistic individuals or individuals with a high level of autistic-like traits (ALTs) has been well documented and viewed as a core feature underlying the development of autism. However, there has been limited testing of three alternative theoretical positions advanced to explain atypical orienting – difficulty in disengagement, cue indifference, and delay in orienting. Moreover, research commonly has not separated facilitation (reaction time difference between neutral and valid cues) and cost effects (reaction time difference between invalid and neutral cues) in orienting tasks. We addressed these limitations in two experiments that compared groups selected for Low- and High-ALT levels on exogenous and endogenous versions of the Posner cueing paradigm. Experiment 1 showed that High-ALT participants exhibited a significantly reduced cost effect compared to Low-ALT participants in the endogenous cueing task, although the overall orienting effect remained small. In Experiment 2, we increased task difficulty of the endogenous task to augment cueing effects. Results were comparable to Experiment 1 regarding the finding of a reduced cost effect for High-ALT participants on the endogenous cueing task and additionally demonstrated a reduced facilitation effect in High-ALT participants on the same task. No ALT group differences were observed on an exogenous cueing task included in Experiment 2. These findings suggest atypical orienting in High-ALT individuals may be attributable to general cue indifference, which implicates differences in top-down attentional processes between Low- and High-ALT individuals. We discuss how indifference to endogenous cues may contribute to social cognitive differences in autism.

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9. Jiang A, Ma X, Li S, Wang L, Yang B, Wang S, Li M, Dong G. Age-atypical brain functional networks in autism spectrum disorder: a normative modeling approach. Psychol Med. 2024: 1-12.

BACKGROUND: Despite extensive research into the neural basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the presence of substantial biological and clinical heterogeneity among diagnosed individuals remains a major barrier. Commonly used case‒control designs assume homogeneity among subjects, which limits their ability to identify biological heterogeneity, while normative modeling pinpoints deviations from typical functional network development at individual level. METHODS: Using a world-wide multi-site database known as Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange, we analyzed individuals with ASD and typically developed (TD) controls (total n = 1218) aged 5-40 years, generating individualized whole-brain network functional connectivity (FC) maps of age-related atypicality in ASD. We then used local polynomial regression to estimate a networkwise normative model of development and explored correlations between ASD symptoms and brain networks. RESULTS: We identified a subset exhibiting highly atypical individual-level FC, exceeding 2 standard deviation from the normative value. We also identified clinically relevant networks (mainly default mode network) at cohort level, since the outlier rates decreased with age in TD participants, but increased in those with autism. Moreover, deviations were linked to severity of repetitive behaviors and social communication symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with ASD exhibit distinct, highly individualized trajectories of brain functional network development. In addition, distinct developmental trajectories were observed among ASD and TD individuals, suggesting that it may be challenging to identify true differences in network characteristics by comparing young children with ASD to their TD peers. This study enhances understanding of the biological heterogeneity of the disorder and can inform precision medicine.

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10. Kurokawa S, Nomura K, Sanada K, Miyaho K, Ishii C, Fukuda S, Iwamoto C, Naraoka M, Yoneda S, Imafuku M, Matsuzaki J, Saito Y, Mimura M, Kishimoto T. A comparative study on dietary diversity and gut microbial diversity in children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, their neurotypical siblings, and non-related neurotypical volunteers: a cross-sectional study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2024.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown a significant link between gut microbiota in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, much remains unknown because of the heterogeneity of disorders and the potential confounders such as dietary patterns and control group variations. METHODS: Children aged 6-12 years who had been clinically diagnosed with ASD and/or ADHD, their unaffected neurotypical siblings, and non-related neurotypical volunteers were recruited cross-sectionally. The ASD diagnosis was confirmed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) in all patients, including those with ADHD. Standardized DNA extraction and sequencing methods were used to compare gut microbial alpha-diversity among the groups. Dietary diversity was calculated from a standardized dietary questionnaire form. We compared the difference in gut microbiome between patients with ASD and/or ADHD with neurotypical siblings and non-related neurotypical controls. RESULTS: Ninety-eight subjects were included in the study (18 with ASD, 19 with ADHD, 20 with both ASD and ADHD, 13 neurotypical siblings, and 28 non-related neurotypical controls). The alpha-diversity indices, such as Chao 1 and Shannon index, showed a significant difference between the groups in a Linear mixed-effect model (F(4, 93) = 4.539, p = .02), (F(4, 93) = 3.185, p = .017), respectively. In a post-hoc pairwise comparison, patients with ASD had lower alpha-diversity compared with non-related controls after Bonferroni correction. Dietary diversity shown in Shannon index did not differ among the groups (F(4, 84) = 1.494, p = .211). CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates disorder-specific microbiome differences in patients with ASD. In future research on gut microbiota in neurodevelopmental disorders, it is necessary to consider the impact of ASD and ADHD co-occurrence, and strictly control for background information such as diet, to elucidate the gut-microbiota interaction in ASD and ADHD for exploring the potential of therapeutic interventions.

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11. Larson C, Bochynska A, Vulchanova M. Mental rotation and language in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res. 2024.

Though visuospatial skills are often considered a relative strength in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), unexplained difficulties relative to neurotypical (NT) peers have also been observed. Dissociations between spatial cognition and language skills in ASD may explain these difficulties given that these systems are linked in NT individuals. The current study examined performance on a mental rotation task that systematically varied stimulus features and the degree to which performance was associated with language in ASD relative to NT peers. Participants were children and young adults with ASD and 25 pairwise age- and IQ-matched NT peers (p’s>0.53). The mental rotation task involved four conditions: two-dimensional (2D) abstract figures, three-dimensional (3D) abstract figures, 2D common objects, and 3D common objects. Structural language was measured using the grammar subscale from the Test of Language Development: Intermediate adapted for Norwegian. Mixed-effects model results indicated that autistic individuals were less accurate and had slower reaction time across mental rotation task conditions than NT peers. Language was associated with mental rotation accuracy for both groups across conditions, but with reaction time only for the NT group. The current study demonstrated selective associations between language and performance on a classic spatial cognition task in autistic individuals. Namely, there was a dissociation between language and in-the-moment efficiency in the ASD group, and this dissociation may reflect a broader dissociation between visuospatial and language systems.

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12. Li H, Huang S, Jing J, Yu H, Gu T, Ou X, Pan S, Zhu Y, Su X. Correction: Dietary intake and gastrointestinal symptoms are altered in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: the relative contribution of autism-linked traits. Nutr J. 2024; 23(1): 40.

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13. Li R, Ernst J. Identifying associations of de novo noncoding variants with autism through integration of gene expression, sequence and sex information. bioRxiv. 2024.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data is facilitating genome-wide identification of rare noncoding variants, while elucidating their roles in disease remains challenging. Towards this end, we first revisit a reported significant brain-related association signal of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) detected from de novo noncoding variants attributed to deep-learning and show that local GC content can capture similar association signals. We further show that the association signal appears driven by variants from male proband-female sibling pairs that are upstream of assigned genes. We then develop Expression Neighborhood Sequence Association Study (ENSAS), which utilizes gene expression correlations and sequence information, to more systematically identify phenotype-associated variant sets. Applying ENSAS to the same set of de novo variants, we identify gene expression-based neighborhoods showing significant ASD association signal, enriched for synapse-related gene ontology terms. For these top neighborhoods, we also identify chromatin states annotations of variants that are predictive of the proband-sibling local GC content differences. Our work provides new insights into associations of non-coding de novo mutations in ASD and presents an analytical framework applicable to other phenotypes.

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14. Lin LY, Hwang IT, Hsu CF, Yu WH, Lai PC, Chen YW, Tu YF. Comparing fine motor performance among young children with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and specific developmental disorder of motor function. Front Pediatr. 2024; 12: 1372980.

OBJECTIVE: The acquisition of fine motor skills is considered to be a crucial developmental milestone throughout early childhood. This study aimed to investigate the fine motor performance of young children with different disability diagnoses. METHODS: We enrolled a sample of 1,897 young children under the age of 6 years who were at risk of developmental delays and were identified by a transdisciplinary team. A series of standardized developmental assessments included the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Third Edition, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition, Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-Second Edition, and Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition were used. Retrospective chart reviews were conducted on all children to identify specific developmental disorders. The number of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), comorbidity, motor dysfunction, and unspecified developmental delays (DD) were 363 (19.1%), 223 (11.8%), 234 (12.3%), 285 (15.0%), 128 (6.7%), and 590 (31.1%), respectively. RESULTS: Young children with ID, comorbidity, and motor dysfunction demonstrated significant difficulty in performing manual dexterity and visual motor integration tasks and scored significantly lower in these areas than children with ASD, ADHD, and unspecified DD. In addition, fine motor performance was associated with cognitive ability in children with different disability diagnoses, indicating that young children showed better fine motor performance when they demonstrated better cognitive ability. CONCLUSION: Our findings support that differences in fine motor performance differ by disability type. Close links between fine motor performance and cognitive ability in children under the age of 6 years were seen in all disability types.

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15. Lu X, Ni P, Suarez-Meade P, Ma Y, Forrest EN, Wang G, Wang Y, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Gerstein M, Jiang YH. Transcriptional Determinism and Stochasticity Contribute to the Complexity of Autism Associated SHANK Family Genes. bioRxiv. 2024.

Precision of transcription is critical because transcriptional dysregulation is disease causing. Traditional methods of transcriptional profiling are inadequate to elucidate the full spectrum of the transcriptome, particularly for longer and less abundant mRNAs. SHANK3 is one of the most common autism causative genes. Twenty-four Shank3 mutant animal lines have been developed for autism modeling. However, their preclinical validity has been questioned due to incomplete Shank3 transcript structure. We applied an integrative approach combining cDNA-capture and long-read sequencing to profile the SHANK3 transcriptome in human and mice. We unexpectedly discovered an extremely complex SHANK3 transcriptome. Specific SHANK3 transcripts were altered in Shank3 mutant mice and postmortem brains tissues from individuals with ASD. The enhanced SHANK3 transcriptome significantly improved the detection rate for potential deleterious variants from genomics studies of neuropsychiatric disorders. Our findings suggest the stochastic transcription of genome associated with SHANK family genes.

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16. Luehring MC, Romani PW, Ariefdjohan M. Preliminary evaluation of behavior technician burnout when working with boarded and traditional psychiatric inpatients diagnosed with developmental disabilities. J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs. 2024; 37(2): e12461.

PROBLEM: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a youth mental health crisis, with research demonstrating an increased prevalence of depression, anxiety, and disruptive behavior in youth compared to pre-pandemic years. Consequently, the insurgence of emergency psychiatric evaluations has increased the demands for extended inpatient stay (or patient boarding) at various licensed treatment facilities. Questions remain about the extent of burnout being experienced by behavior technicians who are caring for these patients. METHODS: The Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure was used to evaluate symptoms of burnout of behavior technicians practicing at a specialized psychiatric inpatient unit. Comparisons were made for instances of caring for boarded (meeting criteria for discharge but unable to be discharged due to disposition) and traditional patients (short-term treatment). FINDINGS: Behavior technicians caring for boarded patients reported significantly higher scores in overall stress, physical exhaustion, cognitive fatigue, and emotional exhaustion than those managing patients getting traditional care. CONCLUSIONS: Extensive burnout can have adverse impacts at both the personal level (staff well-being, individual staff-patient interactions) and clinic level (daily operations and service, general quality of care). Efforts need to be made to address this issue to prevent staff turnover.

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17. Mahmoud NF, Mohammed Z, Mohammed HO, Lotfy AMM. Validation of the Arabic Version of Feeding Handicap Index for Children with Developmental Disabilities (A-FHI-C). J Autism Dev Disord. 2024.

Children with developmental disabilities have different feeding and swallowing problems. The purposes of the present study were to develop an Arabic version of the FHI-C and to evaluate its validity, consistency, and reliability in Arabic children with developmental disabilities for assessing how feeding and swallowing problems impair the physical, functional, and emotional aspects of children’s lives. A prospective study including 113 children [62 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 24 with cerebral palsy (CP), 27 with intellectual disability (ID)], in the age range of 2 to 10 years, selected randomly from the swallowing clinic, phoniatrics unit, Otorhinolaryngology department, University hospital between September 2023 and December 2023 complaining of feeding and swallowing problems. Validity was established by comparing patients` scores to typically developed controls (31 children). For test-retest reliability, forty parents filled out the A-FHI-C again two weeks after their initial visit. Cronbach’s alpha for A-FHI-C was 0.986, indicating good internal consistency. Intraclass correlation showed 0.850 with a 95% confidence interval from 0.779 to 0.898. All three clinical groups had significantly higher total FHI-C and FHI-C domain scores than the control group, indicating good validation. A-FHI-C was found to have significantly high test-retest reliability. The current study indicates that in children with ASD, CP, ID, feeding problems are more prevalent than children who are typically developed. The scores obtained can be used by phoniatricans to evaluate feeding problems and monitor the progress of the therapy plan in children with developmental disorders.

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18. McKinnon I, Keown P. The potential unintended consequences of Mental Health Act reforms in England and Wales on people with intellectual disability and/or autism: commentary, McKinnon et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2024: 1-2.

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19. Mohtaj Khorassani Y, Moghimi A, Khakzad MR, Fereidoni M, Hassani D, Torbati Gah J. Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on autistic behaviors and GRIN2B gene expression in valproic acid-exposed rats. Front Neurosci. 2024; 18: 1385189.

INTRODUCTION: Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive behaviors. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a potential treatment for autism, although its effects on behavior and gene expression are not well understood. The GRIN2B gene, known for its involvement in encoding a glutamate receptor subunit crucial for neuron communication and associated with autism, was a focus of this study. METHODS: Using a rat model induced by prenatal exposure to valproic acid, we examined the impact of HBOT on autism-like behaviors and GRIN2B gene expression. Male Wistar rats were categorized into four groups: control, VPA (valproic acid-exposed), VPA+HBOT [2 atmosphere absolute (ATA)], and VPA+HBOT (2.5 ATA). The rats underwent several behavioral tests to assess social behavior, anxiety, stereotype and exploratory behaviors, and learning. Following the behavioral tests, the HBOT groups received 15 sessions of HBOT at pressures of 2 and 2.5 (ATA), and their behaviors were re-evaluated. Subsequently, real-time PCR was employed to measure GRIN2B gene expression in the frontal lobe. RESULTS: Our results indicated that HBOT significantly increased social interaction and exploratory behaviors in VPA-exposed rats, alongside elevated GRIN2B gene expression in their frontal lobe. DISCUSSION: Our findings imply that HBOT might have a potential role in ameliorating autism-related behaviors in the VPA rat model of autism through potential modulation of GRIN2B gene expression. However, additional research is essential to fully comprehend the underlying mechanisms and refine the HBOT protocol for optimizing its effectiveness in improving autism-related symptoms.

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20. Murthy S, Parker Harris S, Hsieh K. Formal support and service needs of family caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in India. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2024; 37(3): e13235.

BACKGROUND: Despite the enactment of disability laws/policies in India, research shows that caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities experience inadequate formal supports/services due to dissemination barriers and lack of awareness about them. To address discrepancy between caregivers’ support needs and the professionals’ understanding of their needs, the study proposed to conduct a caregiver needs assessment so that culturally-tailored programs are developed. METHOD: A strengths-based mixed methods needs assessment was conducted with a convenience sample of 100 caregivers in Hyderabad, India. One hundred caregivers completed the survey and 15 caregivers participated in semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Caregivers needed more and improved formal supports/services, particularly from the government. Caregivers faced systemic and attitudinal barriers, and personal impediments to accessing them. Needs differed by care recipients’ intellectual disability level, gender, and intellectual disability related conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers, service providers and policymakers need to adopt innovative strategies to improve formal supports/services access.

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21. Salari Z, Moslemizadeh A, Tezerji SS, Sabet N, Parizi AS, Khaksari M, Sheibani V, Jafari E, Shafieipour S, Bashiri H. Sex-dependent alterations of inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and histopathology of the brain-gut axis in a VPA-induced autistic-like model of rats. Birth Defects Res. 2024; 116(4): e2310.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to investigate the inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and histopathological consequences of the brain-gut axis in male and female rats prenatally exposed to VPA. METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups. The animals received saline, and valproic acid (VPA) (600 mg/kg, i.p.) on embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5). All offspring were weaned on postnatal day 21, and the experiments were done in male and female rats on day 60. The brain and intestine tissues were extracted to assess histopathology, inflammation, and oxidative stress. RESULTS: An increase of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and a decrease of interleukin-10 (IL-10) were observed in the two sexes and two tissues of the autistic rats. In the VPA-exposed animals, malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) increased in the brain of both sexes and the intestines of only the males. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) significantly decreased in both tissues of male and female autistic groups. Histopathological evaluation showed that the %apoptosis of the cortex in the autistic male and female groups was more than in controls whereas this parameter in the CA1 and CA3 was significant only in the male rats. In the intestine, histopathologic changes were seen only in the male autistic animals. CONCLUSION: The inflammatory and antioxidant factors were in line in the brain-gut axis in male and female rats prenatally exposed to VPA. Histopathological consequences were more significant in the VPA-exposed male animals.

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22. Shapter S, Carroll A, Roberts K. Clinician Opinions Regarding the Usefulness of the BOSA for ASD Assessment in a Service for Children Aged Under 12 Years. J Autism Dev Disord. 2024.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social distancing policies forced healthcare teams to drastically alter the way they deliver services. This was particularly challenging for clinicians involved in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as assessment tools and methods required face-to-face social interactions between clinicians and children. To address this, the Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA) was developed to ensure that people suspected of ASD can receive diagnostic assessments during the pandemic. This project aimed to explore clinicians’ opinions on the BOSA, particularly regarding the usefulness of the assessment for clinicians to clarify diagnostic outcomes of ASD assessments. Both quantitative and qualitative data was gathered within an NHS community paediatric team. This included a questionnaire for clinicians to complete, and data from the BOSA assessments done in the service. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics revealed that many clinicians felt that the BOSA can be beneficial in certain cases, such as selective mutism, and found the BOSA particularly helpful for observing parent-child interactions. These findings highlighted important information that the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Second Edition (ADOS-2) does not give opportunities to observe. Clinicians reported that at times, the BOSA materials, brevity and parental administration created barriers to gathering information for diagnostic decisions. As may be expected, clinicians showed a clear preference for the more familiar and validated ADOS-2. However, the study highlights perceived limitations of the ADOS-2 and strengths of the BOSA, with recommendations made for future practice and research.

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23. Wieckowski AT, Ramsey RK, Coulter K, Eldeeb SY, Algur Y, Ryan V, Stahmer AC, Robins DL. Role of Primary Care Clinician Concern During Screening for Early Identification of Autism. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2024.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the added value of primary care clinician (PCC)-indicated concern during primary care universal standardized screening in early identification of autism. METHODS: Toddlers were screened for autism during primary care checkups (n = 7,039, aged 14.24-22.43 months) in 2 studies. Parents completed the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow-Up. For each participant, PCCs indicated whether they had autism concerns (optional in 1 study-before or after viewing screening results, required before viewing screen results in the other). Children at high likelihood for autism from screen result and/or PCC concern (n = 615) were invited for a diagnostic evaluation; 283 children attended the evaluation. RESULTS: Rates of PCC-indicated autism concerns were similar whether PCCs were required or encouraged to indicate concerns. High likelihood of autism indication on both screen and PCC concern resulted in the highest positive predictive value for autism and positive predictive value for any developmental disorder, as well as the highest evaluation attendance, with no significant difference between the positive screen-only and PCC concern-only groups. Although the frequency of PCC-indicated autism concern did not differ significantly based on the child’s cognitive level, PCCs were more likely to identify children with more obvious autism characteristics compared with more subtle autism characteristics as having autism. CONCLUSION: The findings support the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics that both screening and surveillance for autism be incorporated into well-child visits. High likelihood of autism on either screen or PCC concern should trigger a referral for an evaluation.

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24. Ye J, Fan H, Shi R, Song G, Wu X, Wang D, Xia B, Zhao Z, Zhao B, Liu X, Wang Y, Dai X. Dietary lipoic acid alleviates autism-like behavior induced by acrylamide in adolescent mice: the potential involvement of the gut-brain axis. Food Funct. 2024; 15(7): 3395-410.

Consuming fried foods has been associated with an increased susceptibility to mental health disorders. Nevertheless, the impact of alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA, LA) on fried food-induced autism-like behavior remains unclear. This study aimed to explore how LA affects autism-related behavior and cognitive deficits caused by acrylamide in mice, a representative food hazard found in fried foods. This improvement was accomplished by enhanced synaptic plasticity, increased neurotrophin expression, elevated calcium-binding protein D28k, and restored serotonin. Additionally, LA substantially influenced the abundance of bacteria linked to autism and depression, simultaneously boosted short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels in fecal samples, and induced changes in serum amino acid concentrations. In summary, these findings suggested that exposure to acrylamide in adolescent mice could induce the development of social disorders in adulthood. LA showed promise as a nutritional intervention strategy to tackle emotional disorders during adolescence.

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