1. Barger BD, Campbell JM, McDonough JD. {{Prevalence and Onset of Regression within Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-analytic Review}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2012 (Aug 2)
Rates and onset of regression were meta-analyzed from 85 articles representing 29,035 participants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Overall prevalence rate for regression was 32.1, 95 % CI [29.5, 34.8] occurring at mean of 1.78 years, 95 % CI [1.67, 1.89]. Regression prevalence rates differed according to four types of regression: language regression, 24.9 %; language/social regression, 38.1 %; mixed regression, 32.5 %; and unspecified regression, 39.1 %. Regression prevalence also differed according to sampling method: population-based prevalence was 21.8 %, clinic-based prevalence was 33.6 %, and parent survey-based prevalence was 40.8 %. Risk of regression was equal for males and females, but higher for individuals diagnosed with autism versus another ASD. Later age of regression onset was predicted by older age of child.
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2. Berg JM, Geschwind DH. {{Autism genetics: searching for specificity and convergence}}. {Genome Biol};2012 (Jul 31);13(7):247.
ABSTRACT: Advances in genetics and genomics have improved our understanding of autism spectrum disorders. As many genes have been implicated, we look to points of convergence among these genes across biological systems to better understand and treat these disorders.
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3. Bortolato M, Godar SC, Alzghoul L, Zhang J, Darling RD, Simpson KL, Bini V, Chen K, Wellman CL, Lin RC, Shih JC. {{Monoamine oxidase A and A/B knockout mice display autistic-like features}}. {Int J Neuropsychopharmacol};2012 (Jul 31):1-20.
Converging lines of evidence show that a sizable subset of autism-spectrum disorders (ASDs) is characterized by increased blood levels of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), yet the mechanistic link between these two phenomena remains unclear. The enzymatic degradation of brain 5-HT is mainly mediated by monoamine oxidase (MAO)A and, in the absence of this enzyme, by its cognate isoenzyme MAOB. MAOA and A/B knockout (KO) mice display high 5-HT levels, particularly during early developmental stages. Here we show that both mutant lines exhibit numerous behavioural hallmarks of ASDs, such as social and communication impairments, perseverative and stereotypical responses, behavioural inflexibility, as well as subtle tactile and motor deficits. Furthermore, both MAOA and A/B KO mice displayed neuropathological alterations reminiscent of typical ASD features, including reduced thickness of the corpus callosum, increased dendritic arborization of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex and disrupted microarchitecture of the cerebellum. The severity of repetitive responses and neuropathological aberrances was generally greater in MAOA/B KO animals. These findings suggest that the neurochemical imbalances induced by MAOA deficiency (either by itself or in conjunction with lack of MAOB) may result in an array of abnormalities similar to those observed in ASDs. Thus, MAOA and A/B KO mice may afford valuable models to help elucidate the neurobiological bases of these disorders and related neurodevelopmental problems.
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4. Griffith GM, Totsika V, Nash S, Jones RS, Hastings RP. {{« We are all there silently coping. » The hidden experiences of parents of adults with Asperger syndrome*}}. {J Intellect Dev Disabil};2012 (Aug 2)
Background The experiences of older parents of adults with Asperger syndrome have not been explored in the research literature. Method Four families who had middle-aged offspring with Asperger syndrome were interviewed (3 mothers and 1 couple), and the interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results Six themes emerged from the analysis: (a) providers of « hidden » support, (b) role of advocate, (c) social isolation, (d) intrafamilial relationships, (e) support for parents, and (f) future concerns. Conclusions The findings of this study offer insight into the experience of parents of adult sons with Asperger syndrome. Implications for future support interventions and research are suggested.
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5. Kirkland A. {{Credibility battles in the autism litigation}}. {Soc Stud Sci};2012 (Apr);42(2):237-261.
That vaccines do not cause autism is now a widely accepted proposition, though a few dissenters remain. An 8-year court process in the US federal vaccine injury compensation court ended in 2010 with rulings that autism was not an adverse reaction to vaccination. There were two sets of trials: one against the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and one against the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. The MMR story is more widely known because of publicity surrounding the main proponent of an MMR-autism link, British doctor Andrew Wakefield, but the story of thimerosal in court is largely untold. This study examines the credibility battles and boundary work in the two cases, illuminating the sustaining world of alternative science that supported the parents, lawyers, researchers, and expert witnesses against vaccines. After the loss in court, the families and their advocates transformed their scientific arguments into an indictment of procedural injustice in the vaccine court. I argue that the very efforts designed to produce legitimacy in this type of lopsided dispute will be counter-mobilized as evidence of injustice, helping us understand why settling a scientific controversy in court does not necessarily mean changing anyone’s mind.
6. Mazurek MO, Vasa RA, Kalb LG, Kanne SM, Rosenberg D, Keefer A, Murray DS, Freedman B, Lowery LA. {{Anxiety, Sensory Over-Responsivity, and Gastrointestinal Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Abnorm Child Psychol};2012 (Aug 1)
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience high rates of anxiety, sensory processing problems, and gastrointestinal (GI) problems; however, the associations among these symptoms in children with ASD have not been previously examined. The current study examined bivariate and multivariate relations among anxiety, sensory over-responsivity, and chronic GI problems in a sample of 2,973 children with ASD enrolled in the Autism Treatment Network (ages 2-17 years, 81.6 % male). Twenty-four percent of the sample experienced at least one type of chronic GI problem (constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and/or nausea lasting three or more months). Children with each type of GI problem had significantly higher rates of both anxiety and sensory over-responsivity. Sensory over-responsivity and anxiety were highly associated, and each provided unique contributions to the prediction of chronic GI problems in logistic regression analyses. The results indicate that anxiety, sensory over-responsivity and GI problems are possibly interrelated phenomenon for children with ASD, and may have common underlying mechanisms.
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7. Pearson DA, Aman MG, Arnold LE, Lane DM, Loveland KA, Santos CW, Casat CD, Mansour R, Jerger SW, Ezzell S, Factor P, Vanwoerden S, Ye E, Narain P, Cleveland LA. {{High Concordance of Parent and Teacher Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Ratings in Medicated and Unmedicated Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol};2012 (Jul 31)
Abstract Objective: Parent and teacher ratings of core attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, as well as behavioral and emotional problems commonly comorbid with ADHD, were compared in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Method: Participants were 86 children (66 boys; mean: age=9.3 years, intelligence quotient [IQ]=84) who met American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) criteria for an ASD on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Parent and teacher behavioral ratings were compared on the Conners’ Parent and Teacher Rating Scales (CPRS-R; CTRS-R). The degree to which age, ASD subtype, severity of autistic symptomatology, and medication status mediated this relationship was also examined. Results: Significant positive correlations between parent and teacher ratings suggest that a child’s core ADHD symptoms-as well as closely related externalizing symptoms-are perceived similarly by parents and teachers. With the exception of oppositional behavior, there was no significant effect of age, gender, ASD subtype, or autism severity on the relationship between parent and teacher ratings. In general, parents rated children as having more severe symptomatology than did teachers. Patterns of parent and teacher ratings were highly correlated, both for children who were receiving medication, and for children who were not. Conclusions: Parents and teachers perceived core symptoms of ADHD and closely-related externalizing problems in a similar manner, but there is less agreement on ratings of internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety). The clinical implication of these findings is that both parents and teachers provide important behavioral information about children with ASD. However, when a clinician is unable to access teacher ratings (e.g., during school vacations), parent ratings can provide a reasonable estimate of the child’s functioning in these domains in school. As such, parent ratings can be reliably used to make initial diagnostic and treatment decisions (e.g., medication treatment) regarding ADHD symptoms in children with ASDs.
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8. Storch EA, Ehrenreich May J, Wood JJ, Jones AM, De Nadai AS, Lewin AB, Arnold EB, Murphy TK. {{Multiple Informant Agreement on the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol};2012 (Aug 2)
Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine child, parent, and clinician’s consensus agreement on the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule, Child and Parent versions (ADIS-C/P) in a sample of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Method: Youth with ASD (n=85; age range=7-17 years) and their parents were each administered the ADIS-C/P by a trained clinician. Consensus diagnoses were determined in a clinical conference using best estimate procedures that incorporated all available information. Results: Children and youth with ASD diagnoses generally showed poor diagnostic agreement with parents and clinical consensus, whereas parents showed good-to-excellent diagnostic agreement with clinical consensus diagnoses. Diagnostic agreement between parents and consensus was moderated by the specific ASD diagnosis. Otherwise, the pattern of relationships did not systematically differ as a function of age or externalizing comorbidity. Conclusions: These data suggest that parent and youth agreement regarding the presence of clinical levels of anxiety is markedly poor among youth with ASD. Additionally, clinicians are likely to base their diagnostic impressions on parent report, placing minimal emphasis on child report.
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9. Taurines R, Schwenck C, Westerwald E, Sachse M, Siniatchkin M, Freitag C. {{ADHD and autism: differential diagnosis or overlapping traits? A selective review}}. {Atten Defic Hyperact Disord};2012 (Aug 1)
According to DSM-IV TR and ICD-10, a diagnosis of autism or Asperger Syndrome precludes a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, despite the different conceptualization, population-based twin studies reported symptom overlap, and a recent epidemiologically based study reported a high rate of ADHD in autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In the planned revision of the DSM-IV TR, dsm5 (www.dsm5.org), the diagnoses of autistic disorder and ADHD will not be mutually exclusive any longer. This provides the basis of more differentiated studies on overlap and distinction between both disorders. This review presents data on comorbidity rates and symptom overlap and discusses common and disorder-specific risk factors, including recent proteomic studies. Neuropsychological findings in the areas of attention, reward processing, and social cognition are then compared between both disorders, as these cognitive abilities show overlapping as well as specific impairment for one of both disorders. In addition, selective brain imaging findings are reported. Therapeutic options are summarized, and new approaches are discussed. The review concludes with a prospectus on open questions for research and clinical practice.
