1. Babu PRK, Di Martino JM, Chang Z, Perochon S, Carpenter KLH, Compton S, Espinosa S, Dawson G, Sapiro G. Exploring Complexity of Facial Dynamics in Autism Spectrum Disorder. IEEE Trans Affect Comput;2023 (Apr-Jun);14(2):919-930.

Atypical facial expression is one of the early symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characterized by reduced regularity and lack of coordination of facial movements. Automatic quantification of these behaviors can offer novel biomarkers for screening, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring of ASD. In this work, 40 toddlers with ASD and 396 typically developing toddlers were shown developmentally-appropriate and engaging movies presented on a smart tablet during a well-child pediatric visit. The movies consisted of social and non-social dynamic scenes designed to evoke certain behavioral and affective responses. The front-facing camera of the tablet was used to capture the toddlers’ face. Facial landmarks’ dynamics were then automatically computed using computer vision algorithms. Subsequently, the complexity of the landmarks’ dynamics was estimated for the eyebrows and mouth regions using multiscale entropy. Compared to typically developing toddlers, toddlers with ASD showed higher complexity (i.e., less predictability) in these landmarks’ dynamics. This complexity in facial dynamics contained novel information not captured by traditional facial affect analyses. These results suggest that computer vision analysis of facial landmark movements is a promising approach for detecting and quantifying early behavioral symptoms associated with ASD.

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2. Bakken TL, Kildahl AN, Ludvigsen LB, Bjørgen TG, Dalhaug C, Hellerud JMA, Hove O, Solheim-Inderberg AM, Karlsen K, Helverschou SB. Schizophrenia in autistic people with intellectual disabilities: Symptom manifestations and identification. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil;2023 (Jun 2)

BACKGROUND: The assessment of schizophrenia in autistic people with intellectual disabilities is challenging. This study aimed to explore the identification of schizophrenia in this population. METHODS: Using data from a clinical multi-centre study, reported symptoms in 26 autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities diagnosed with co-occurring schizophrenia were explored. Scores on two checklists (Psychopathology in Autism Checklist [PAC], Aberrant Behaviour Checklist [ABC]) were compared with two comparison groups: autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities and other mental disorders (94), or no mental disorder (63). RESULTS: Reported symptoms of schizophrenia in this population met the formal diagnostic criteria. For PAC/ABC scales, only PAC psychosis differed for the schizophrenia group. Among participants with schizophrenia, two were diagnosed with additional mental disorders. Elevated scores for anxiety and depression were common. CONCLUSIONS: Emphasising core symptoms seems necessary when assessing co-occurring schizophrenia in autistic people with intellectual disabilities. The PAC may serve as a helpful screening tool.

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3. Biggs EE, Arserio AP, Robison SE, Ross ME. Home Literacy Environment and Interventions for Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review. J Speech Lang Hear Res;2023 (Jun 2):1-23.

PURPOSE: The aim of this scoping review was to map the research literature published in English and in peer-reviewed journals related to the home literacy environment of children and youth aged 3-21 years with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have significant support needs, including children with complex communication needs. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted in four databases, along with forward and backward searching. The search yielded 60 studies, which included intervention and nonintervention studies. Data were charted related to participant characteristics, study focus, intervention components, study design and methodological rigor, and study results. RESULTS: Findings provided insight into multiple dimensions of the home literacy environment for children with IDD, including the nature of parent views, practices, and interaction styles during shared reading. Findings also revealed gaps in the literature, specifically related to (a) limited representation of subgroups of children and youth with IDD, (b) limited representation of diverse families and caregivers, and (c) concerns about methodological quality. CONCLUSION: This review identifies important directions for future research and suggests ways to improve the design and delivery of home literacy interventions for children and youth with IDD and their families, including through family-centered and culturally responsive models. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22704817.

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4. Furukawa S, Kushima I, Aleksic B, Ozaki N. Case reports of two siblings with autism spectrum disorder and 15q13.3 deletions. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep;2023 (Jun 1)

BACKGROUND: Copy number variations (CNVs) have been implicated in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Especially, 15q13.3 deletions are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), schizophrenia (SCZ), attention deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mood disorder. CASE PRESENTATION: We present two siblings with ASD. They had a father with bipolar disorder (BD). Patient 1 is a 21-year-old female with ASD and mild ID, who had language delay and repetitive behavior in childhood, social difficulties, and refused to go to school because of bullying. She was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital several times. Patient 2 is a 19-year-old male with ASD and ADHD. He did not have developmental delay, but had social difficulties and impulsiveness, then refused to go to school because of bullying. He was treated by a psychiatrist for anxiety and disrupted sleep rhythms. Array comparative genomic hybridization was performed for the siblings and parents. 15q13.3 deletions were detected in the siblings and their healthy mothers. No other pathogenic CNVs were detected. We performed whole-genome sequencing of the family and identified 13 rare missense variants in brain-expressed genes, which may be responsible for the phenotypic differences between the siblings and their mother. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity in 15q13.3 deletions. We detected second-hit variants that may explain the phenotypic differences within this family. In addition, detecting 15q13.3 deletions may lead to early diagnosis and a better prognosis with careful follow-up.

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5. Gowen E, Earley L, Waheed A, Poliakoff E. From « one big clumsy mess » to « a fundamental part of my character. » Autistic adults’ experiences of motor coordination. PLoS One;2023;18(6):e0286753.

Altered motor coordination is common in autistic individuals affecting a range of movements such as manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, balance and gait. However, motor coordination is not routinely assessed leading to undiagnosed and untreated motor coordination difficulties, particularly in adults. Few studies have investigated motor coordination difficulties and their impact from the viewpoint of autistic people. Therefore, the current study used FGs and thematic analysis to document the experience of motor coordination difficulties from the viewpoint of 17 autistic adults. Four main themes were identified. First, motor coordination difficulties were pervasive and variable, being present life-long and within multiple movements and affecting many aspects of life. Furthermore, the nature of the difficulties was variable within and between participants along with differing awareness of coordination ability. Second, participants described motor coordination as an active process, requiring concentration for most actions and at a level seemingly greater than other people. Third, motor coordination difficulties impacted upon social and emotional wellbeing by placing strain on relationships, prompting bullying and exclusion, putting safety at risk and causing a range of negative emotions. Fourth, in the absence of any support, participants described multiple learning and coping strategies. Findings highlight how it is essential to address the current lack of support for motor coordination considering the significant social and emotional consequences described by our participants. Further investigation of motor learning and interactions between sensory and motor performance in autistic adults is also warranted.

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6. Kawamura A, Nishiyama M. Deletion of the autism-related gene Chd8 alters activity-dependent transcriptional responses in mouse postmitotic neurons. Commun Biol;2023 (Jun 2);6(1):593.

CHD8 encodes chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 8 and its mutation is a highly penetrant risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). CHD8 serves as a key transcriptional regulator on the basis of its chromatin-remodeling activity and thereby controls the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells. However, the function of CHD8 in postmitotic neurons and the adult brain has remained unclear. Here we show that Chd8 homozygous deletion in mouse postmitotic neurons results in downregulation of the expression of neuronal genes as well as alters the expression of activity-dependent genes induced by KCl-mediated neuronal depolarization. Furthermore, homozygous ablation of CHD8 in adult mice was associated with attenuation of activity-dependent transcriptional responses in the hippocampus to kainic acid-induced seizures. Our findings implicate CHD8 in transcriptional regulation in postmitotic neurons and the adult brain, and they suggest that disruption of this function might contribute to ASD pathogenesis associated with CHD8 haploinsufficiency.

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7. Ljungberg M, Schön UK. Who cares? A scoping review about the experiences of parental caregivers of autistic adults. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil;2023 (Jun 2)

BACKGROUND: The autistic population is growing and ageing and this also applies to the parents. Despite this, research about parental experiences is still relatively scarce. Even though studies show, compared with adults with other disabilities, parents of autistic adolescents and adults report a decrease in well-being and that caregiving is often a lifelong commitment. METHOD: This scoping review maps, synthesises and identifies gaps in previous research as regards the experiences of parental caregivers of adult autistic children. The review was based on Arksey and Malley’s framework and six databases were searched. RESULTS: The results show how the research has focused on the well-being and consequences of daily caregiving for an American middle-class mother who co-resides with an adult son. CONCLUSION: To enhance knowledge about formal services and service needs, more research is necessary on different welfare regimes and social contexts.

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8. Molinaro G, Huber KM, McCullagh EA, Thomson SR. Editorial: Recent advances in mechanisms and therapeutics for Fragile X Syndrome and autism. Front Neurosci;2023;17:1187799.

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9. Parsons O, Baron-Cohen S. Extraction and generalisation of category-level information during visual statistical learning in autistic people. PLoS One;2023;18(6):e0286018.

BACKGROUND: We examined whether information extracted during a visual statistical learning task could be generalised from specific exemplars to semantically similar ones. We then looked at whether performance in autistic people differed to non-autistic people during a visual statistical learning task and specifically examined whether differences in performance between groups occurred when sequential information was presented at a semantic level. We did this by assessing recall performance using a two-alternative forced choice paradigm after presenting participants with a sequence of naturalistic scene images. METHODS: 125 adult participants (61 participants with an autism diagnosis and 64 non-autistic controls) were presented with a fast serial presentation sequence of images and given a cover task to avoid attention being explicitly drawn to patterns in the underlying sequences. This was followed by a two-alternative forced choice task to assess participants’ implicit recall. Participants were presented with 1 of 3 unique versions of the task, in which the presentation and assessment of statistical regularities was done at either a low feature-based level or a high semantic-based level. RESULTS: Participants were able to generalise statistical information from specific exemplars to semantically similar ones. There was an overall significant reduction in visual statistical learning in the autistic group but we were unable to determine whether group differences occurred specifically in conditions where the learning of semantic information was required. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that participants are able to extract statistical information that is presented at the level of specific exemplars and generalise it to semantically similar contexts. We also showed a modest but statistically significant reduction in recall performance in the autistic participants relative to the non-autistic participants.

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10. Shaw SCK, Doherty M, Anderson JL. The experiences of autistic medical students: A phenomenological study. Med Educ;2023 (Jun 1)

BACKGROUND: Increasing recognition of autism is reflected in the growing awareness of autistic health care providers. Regulatory bodies including the UK General Medical Council and the UK Medical Schools Council have published guidance fostering inclusion. Whilst many autistic doctors and students are thriving, many may not disclose their diagnosis unless difficulties arise, which perpetuates stereotypes. No studies have explored the experiences of autistic medical students. We aimed to do this. METHODS: This was an interpretive phenomenological study. Autistic medical students were recruited using Facebook announcements. Participants underwent audio-recorded, loosely structured interviews. Recordings were transcribed verbatim and underwent an interpretive phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Five participated from five different UK medical schools. Constructed themes included: Autistic profiles and stereotypes-‘I’m a lot better with patients than I am with my peers, with staff, which is hard for a lot of people to understand’; sensory processing and the learning environment-‘noises really hurt my ears … It actually hurts’; me, myself and masking-‘so, medicine’s hard. But I’m also studying myself and I’m figuring myself out and that degree is harder’; the social world-‘I always feel like I’m watching my back’; and navigating the system-‘[they say] « but you’re going to be a doctor one day, so you need to get used to it »‘. CONCLUSION: Participants longed for understanding and support from their medical schools. They reported experiences of isolation, bullying and anxiety. Most felt themselves to be victims of the system, whereby they were expected to adapt themselves in order to appear non-autistic. When participants reported not coping due to being autistic, most were advised to ‘take time out’. None were offered personalised adjustments to their learning environment. All reported strengths associated with being autistic. This supports the assertion that autistic people can be safe, effective and skilled doctors.

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11. Shuster CL, Sheinkopf SJ, McGowan EC, Hofheimer JA, O’Shea TM, Carter BS, Helderman JB, Check J, Neal CR, Pastyrnak SL, Smith LM, Loncar C, Dansereau LM, DellaGrotta SA, Marsit C, Lester BM. Neurobehavioral and Medical Correlates of Autism Screening: 2-Year Outcomes for Infants Born Very Preterm. J Pediatr;2023 (Jun 2):113536.

OBJECTIVES: To identify neonatal characteristics and 2-year neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with positive screening for risk of autism. STUDY DESIGN: Nine university-affiliated neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) enrolled infants born at <30 weeks of gestation. Infants underwent the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) examination before discharge and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, revised with follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F) at two years corrected age. Generalized estimating equations examined associations between M-CHAT-R/F, neurobehavioral test results, and neonatal medical morbidities. RESULTS: At two years corrected age, data were available for 466/744 enrolled infants without cerebral palsy. Infants with hypo-aroused NNNS profiles were more likely to screen M-CHAT-R/F positive (OR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.38, 5.54).). Infants with ≥ 2 medical morbidities also were more likely to screen positive (OR=2.65, 95% CI: 1.27, 5.54).). Children with positive M-CHAT-R/F scores had lower Bayley-III Cognitive (t (451)=5.43, p < .001, d=0.82), Language (t (53.49)= 7.82, p < .001, d=1.18), and Motor (t (451)=7.98, p < .001, d=1.21) composite scores and significantly higher CBCL Internalizing (t (457) -6.19, p < .001, d=-0.93) and Externalizing (t (57.87)=-5.62, p < .001, d=-0.84) scores. CONCLUSIONS: Positive M-CHAT-R/F screens at 2 years corrected age were associated with neonatal medical morbidities and neurobehavioral examinations as well as toddler developmental and behavioral outcomes. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of the M-CHAT-R/F as a global developmental screener in infants born very preterm, regardless of whether there is a later autism diagnosis.

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12. Stein Duker LI, Como DH, Jolette C, Vigen C, Gong CL, Williams ME, Polido JC, Floríndez-Cox LI, Cermak SA. Sensory Adaptations to Improve Physiological and Behavioral Distress During Dental Visits in Autistic Children: A Randomized Crossover Trial. JAMA Netw Open;2023 (Jun 1);6(6):e2316346.

IMPORTANCE: Autistic children have poorer oral health and greater oral care challenges, which are often associated with sensory overresponsivity, than neurotypical peers. It is important to identify innovative solutions enabling dentists to successfully perform standard clinic-based procedures for this population. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a sensory-adapted dental environment (SADE) reduces physiological and behavioral distress in autistic children undergoing dental cleanings, compared with a regular dental environment (RDE). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This randomized crossover trial was conducted at a pediatric dentistry clinic in a large urban children’s hospital between May 2016 and April 2022. Coders were blinded to study condition for physiological but not behavioral measurements. Autistic children aged 6 to 12 years were identified and invited to participate. Interested families were enrolled consecutively; after confirmation of autism diagnosis, children were randomized. Analysis for this per-protocol study were conducted from April to October 2022. INTERVENTION: Each child underwent 1 RDE and 1 SADE dental cleaning, administered in randomized and counterbalanced order approximately 6 months apart. SADE included modified visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was physiological stress, assessed by electrodermal activity. The secondary outcome was behavioral distress measured from video recordings. RESULTS: Among 452 families invited to participate, 220 children were enrolled, and 162 children (mean [SD] age, 9.16 [1.99] years; 136 [84.0%] male) with confirmed autism were randomized, with 83 children receiving RDE first and 80 children receiving SADE first. Most children (94 children [58.0%]) had moderate autism severity. Children had significantly lower physiological stress during dental care in SADE compared with RDE (mean difference in skin conductance level, -1.22 [95% CI, -2.17 to -0.27] μS), suggesting decreased sympathetic activity and increased relaxation during SADE dental care. No significant differences were found in nonspecific skin conductance responses (mean difference, -0.30 [95% CI, -0.86 to 0.25] per min). Video-coded frequency and duration of behavioral distress (but not questionnaire) measures were significantly lower in SADE vs RDE (Cohen d = -0.84 to -1.19). Physiological stress was associated with behavioral distress during the dental cleaning (eg, nonspecific skin conductance responses associated with the Frankl Scale: β = -0.29; 95% CI, -0.39 to -0.19); age, IQ, and expressive communication moderated the intervention’s success. No participants withdrew due to adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this randomized crossover trial of autistic children, using SADE was safe and efficacious in decreasing physiological and behavioral distress during dental care. This is important because enhancing oral care is critical for autistic children; this intervention may also be beneficial for populations beyond autism. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02430051.

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13. Stern YS, Lee J, Levy R, Glickman A, Grauzer J, Kaat AJ, Roberts MY. A Comparison of Maternal and Clinician Perception of Communication in Autistic Toddlers. J Speech Lang Hear Res;2023 (Jun 2):1-15.

PURPOSE: Parent instruction in communication facilitation strategies for autistic toddlers relies on assumptions that parents interpret child behaviors in alignment with clinician definitions of communication. The purpose of this study was to identify features of child behaviors that are predictive of alignment in identification of child communication between clinical researchers and mothers of young autistic children. METHOD: Participants were 33 mothers and their autistic children between 18 and 48 months of age. Mothers’ and clinical researchers’ perceptions of child communication were assessed using a procedure in which mothers and clinical researchers each independently identified child communication in the same ten 1-min video clips of each mother’s child. Endorsed communicative acts were coded for the presence of conventional forms (e.g., vocalization) and potentially communicative forms (e.g., body movement). Multilevel binomial regressions, fit with Bayesian inference, were conducted to predict classification of maternal endorsements of child communication based on the presence of conventional and potentially communicative forms as either an aligned act (i.e., act endorsed by mother and clinical researcher as communicative) or a unique maternal endorsement (i.e., act endorsed by mother but not clinical researcher). RESULTS: The presence of vocalization, verbalization, and gesture each significantly predicted increased likelihood of alignment; the presence of eye contact did not. Although repetitive and sensory behaviors significantly increased the likelihood of unique maternal endorsement, affect shifts and body movements each significantly reduced the likelihood of unique maternal endorsement, and hand activity was not significantly predictive of unique maternal endorsement. CONCLUSIONS: Misalignment in mothers’ and clinical researchers’ identification of communication may be in part due to mothers’ endorsement of behavioral forms that are not traditionally classified as part of a child’s communication repertoire. Findings emphasize the need to work toward designing communication interventions that consider the ways in which clinicians and parents of autistic children each bring their own interpretive frameworks to the early intervention experience.

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14. Ure A, Cox GR, Haslam R, Williams K. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for autistic spectrum disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev;2023 (Jun 1);6(6):CD013851.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (autism) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impairments in social communication and interaction, plus restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests. Whilst some people embrace autism as part of their identity, others struggle with their difficulties, and some seek treatment. There are no current interventions that result in complete reduction of autism features. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter for the cholinergic system and has a role in attention, novelty seeking, and memory. Low levels of acetylcholine have been investigated as a potential contributor to autism symptomatology. Donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine (commonly referred to as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors) all inhibit acetylcholinesterase, and have slightly different modes of action and biological availability, so their effectiveness and side-effect profiles may vary. The effect of various acetylcholinesterase inhibitor on core autism features across the lifespan, and possible adverse effects, have not been thoroughly investigated. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and harms of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for people with the core features (social interaction, communication, and restrictive and repetitive behaviours) of autism. To assess the effects of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors on non-core features of autism. SEARCH METHODS: In November 2022, we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, eight other databases, and two trials registers. We also searched the reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews, and contacted authors of relevant studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), comparing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (e.g. galantamine, donepezil, or rivastigmine) of varying doses, delivered orally or via transdermal patch, either as monotherapy or adjunct therapy, with placebo. People of any age, with a clinical diagnosis of autism were eligible for inclusion. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Our primary outcomes were core features of autism and adverse effects. Secondary outcomes were language, irritability, hyperactivity, and general health and function. We used GRADE to assess certainty of evidence. MAIN RESULTS: We included two RCTs (74 participants). One study was conducted in Iran, the second in the USA, although exact location in the USA is unclear. Galantamine plus risperidone versus placebo plus risperidone One study compared the effects of galantamine plus risperidone to placebo plus risperidone (40 participants, aged 4 years to 12 years). Primary and secondary outcomes of interest were measured postintervention, using subscales of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (score 0 to 3; higher scores = greater impairment). Very low-certainty evidence showed there was little to no difference between the two groups postintervention for social communication (mean difference (MD) -2.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.88 to 0.38), and restricted and repetitive behaviour (MD -0.55, 95% CI -3.47 to 2.37). Overall autism features were not assessed. Adverse events may be higher in the galantamine plus risperidone group (75%) compared with the placebo plus risperidone group (35%): odds ratio 5.57, 95% CI 1.42 to 21.86, low-certainty evidence. No serious adverse events were reported. Low-certainty evidence showed a small difference in irritability (MD -3.50, 95% CI -6.39 to -0.61), with the galantamine plus risperidone group showing a greater decline on the irritability subscale than the placebo group postintervention. There was no evidence of a difference between the groups in hyperactivity postintervention (MD -5.20, 95% CI -10.51 to 0.11). General health and function were not assessed. Donepezil versus placebo One study compared donepezil to placebo (34 participants aged 8 years to 17 years). Primary outcomes of interest were measured postintervention, using subscales of the Modified Version of The Real Life Rating Scale (scored 0 to 3; higher scores = greater impairment). Very low-certainty evidence showed no evidence of group differences immediately postintervention in overall autism features (MD 0.07, 95% CI -0.19 to 0.33), or in the autism symptom domains of social communication (MD -0.02, 95% CI -0.34 to 0.30), and restricted and repetitive behaviours (MD 0.04, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.35). Significant adverse events leading to study withdrawal in at least one participant was implied in the data analysis section, but not explicitly reported. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of donepezil, compared to placebo, on the secondary outcomes of interest, including irritability (MD 1.08, 95% CI -0.41 to 2.57), hyperactivity (MD 2.60, 95% CI 0.50 to 4.70), and general health and function (MD 0.03, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.54) postintervention. Across all analyses within this comparison, we judged the evidence to be very low-certainty due to high risk of bias, and very serious imprecision (results based on one small study with wide confidence intervals). The study narratively reported adverse events for the study as a whole, rather than by treatment group. AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: Evidence about the effectiveness of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors as a medication to improve outcomes for autistic adults is lacking, and for autistic children is very uncertain. There is a need for more evidence of improvement in outcomes of relevance to clinical care, autistic people, and their families. There are a number of ongoing studies involving acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and future updates of this review may add to the current evidence.

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15. Wallis KE, Fichter D, Fiks AG. In Support of Addressing Sensory Differences to Improve Preventive Dental Care Among Autistic Children. JAMA Netw Open;2023 (Jun 1);6(6):e2316355.

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16. Yang Y, Zhou S, Xing Y, Yang G, You M. Impact of pesticides exposure during neurodevelopmental period on autism spectrum disorders – A focus on gut microbiota. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf;2023 (May 30);260:115079.

Accumulating evidence indicates exposure to pesticides during the crucial neurodevelopmental period increases susceptibility to many diseases, including the neurodevelopmental disorder known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the last few years, it has been hypothesized that gut microbiota dysbiosis is strongly implicated in the aetiopathogenesis of ASD. Recently, new studies have suggested that the gut microbiota may be involved in the neurological and behavioural defects caused by pesticides, including ASD symptoms. This review highlights the available evidence from recent animal and human studies on the relationship between pesticides that have the potential to disturb intestinal microbiota homeostasis, and ASD symptoms. The mechanisms through which gut microbiota dysbiosis may trigger ASD-like behaviours induced by pesticides exposure during the neurodevelopmental period via the altered production of bacterial metabolites (short chain fatty acids, lipids, retinol, and amino acid) are also described. According to recent research, gut microbiota dysbiosis may be a major contributor to the symptoms of ASD associated with pesticides exposure. However, to determine the detailed mechanism of action of gut microbiota on pesticide-induced ASD behaviours, actual population exposure scenarios from epidemiological studies should be used as the basis for the appropriate exposure pattern and dosage to be used in animal studies.

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17. Zhao Y, Wang Y, Meng F, Chen X, Chang T, Huang H, He F, Zheng Y. Altered gut microbiota as potential biomarker biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder in early childhood. Neuroscience;2023 (Jun 2)

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are widely recorded in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and ASD with GI symptoms is a vital subtype of this disease. Growing evidence suggests altered gut microbiota biomarkers in ASD, but little is known about the gut microbiota of individuals with ASD with GI Symptoms, particularly in early childhood. In our study, the gut microbiota of 36 individuals with ASD along with GI symptoms and 40 typically developing (TD) children were compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The microbial diversity and composition were found to differ between the two groups. Compared to TD, the gut microbiota of ASD patients with GI symptoms exhibited decreased alpha diversity and depletion of butyrate-producing bacteria (e.g., Faecalibacterium and Coprococcus). In addition, microbial functional analysis showed abnormality in several gut metabolic models and gut brain models of ASD with GI symptoms, including SCFAshort-chain fatty acid (SCFA) synthesis/degradation and neurotoxin-related p-cresol degradation, which are closely associated with ASD-related behaviors in animal models. Furthermore, we constructed a Support Vector Machine classification model, which robustly discriminated individuals with ASD and GI symptoms from TD individuals in a validation set (AUC = 0.88). Our findings provide a deep insight into the roles of the disturbed gut ecosystem in individuals with ASD and GI symptoms aged 3-6 years. Our classification model supports gut microbiota as a potential biomarker for the early identification of ASD and interventions targeting particular gut-beneficial microbiota.

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