1. Bradstreet JJ, Smith S, Baral M, Rossignol DA. {{Biomarker-guided interventions of clinically relevant conditions associated with autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder}}. {Altern Med Rev} (Mar);15(1):15-32.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common and complex neurodevelopmental conditions. Diagnostic criteria for these conditions have traditionally relied solely on behavioral criteria without consideration for potential biomedical underpinnings. Newer evidence, however, reveals that ASDs are associated with: oxidative stress; decreased methylation capacity; limited production of glutathione; mitochondrial dysfunction; intestinal dysbiosis; increased toxic metal burden; immune dysregulation, characterized by a unique inflammatory bowel disease and immune activation of neuroglial cells; and ongoing brain hypoperfusion. Many of these same problems are common features in children with ADHD. These medical conditions, whether co-morbidities or etiopathogenic, would be expected to have synergistically negative effects on the development, cognition, focus, and attention of affected children. It is likely these biological abnormalities contribute significantly to the behavioral symptoms intrinsic in these diagnoses. However, treatment for these underlying medical disorders is clinically justified, even if no clear immediate behavioral improvements are observed. This article reviews the medical literature and discusses the authors clinical experience using various biomarkers for measuring oxidative stress, methylation capacity and transsulfuration, immune function, gastrointestinal problems, and toxic metal burden. These biomarkers provide useful guides for selection, efficacy, and sufficiency of biomedical interventions. The use of these biomarkers is of great importance in young children with ADHD or individuals of any age with ASD, because typically they cannot adequately communicate regarding their symptoms.
2. David N, Rose M, Schneider TR, Vogeley K, Engel AK. {{Brief Report: Altered Horizontal Binding of Single Dots to Coherent Motion in Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Apr 2)
3. Gold R, Miriam F, Abraham G. {{Semantic integration during metaphor comprehension in Asperger syndrome}}. {Brain Lang} (Mar 30)
Previous research indicates severe disabilities in processing figurative language in people diagnosed on the autism spectrum disorders. However, this aspect of language comprehension in Asperger syndrome (AS) specifically has rarely been the subject of formal study. The present study aimed to examine the possibility that in addition to their pragmatic deficits, the difficulties in the comprehension of metaphors in AS may be explained by deficient linguistic information processing. Specifically, we aimed to examine whether a deficient semantic integration process underlies the difficulties in metaphor comprehension frequently experienced by persons with AS. The semantic integration process of sixteen AS participants and sixteen matched controls was examined using event related potentials (ERPs). N400 amplitude served as an index for degree of effort invested in the semantic integration process of two-word expressions denoting literal, conventional metaphoric, and novel metaphoric meaning, as well as unrelated word pairs. Large N400 amplitudes for both novel and conventional metaphors demonstrated the greater difficulties in metaphor comprehension in the AS participants as compared to controls. Findings suggest that differences in linguistic information processing cause difficulties in metaphor comprehension in AS.
4. Kalb LG, Law JK, Landa R, Law PA. {{Onset Patterns Prior to 36 Months in Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Apr 2)
5. Pisula E, Kossakowska Z. {{Sense of Coherence and Coping with Stress Among Mothers and Fathers of Children with Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Apr 2)
6. Taylor JL, Seltzer MM. {{Changes in the Autism Behavioral Phenotype During the Transition to Adulthood}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Apr 2)
