1. Akabogu J, Nnamani A, Otu MS, Uloh-Bethels AC, Ukoha E, Iyekekpolor OM, Omile JC, Obiezu MN, Dike AE, Ike CV. {{Effects of a language education intervention on social participation among emerging adults with autism}}. {The Journal of international medical research}. 2019: 300060519839510.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of a language education intervention (LEI) on social participation among emerging adults with autism. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial involved 86 emerging adults who had low social participation, as assessed by the Social Participation Questionnaire. Participants completed an LEI comprising cognitive, adaptive and rational thinking training to improve their ability to take part in social events. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The results indicated a significant increase in social participation among emerging adults who were exposed to the LEI compared with their counterparts in a wait list control group. CONCLUSION: Language and speech institutions and hospitals should adopt the LEI procedures discussed in this research to help their autistic patients increase their participation in social activities.
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2. Benevides TW, Lee J, Nwosu NAO, Franks J. {{Correction to: Understanding the Family Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Sample: Findings from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs}}. {Maternal and child health journal}. 2019.
The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The copyright permission below in Table 2 was inadvertently not published in the article.
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3. Dell’Osso L, Bertelloni CA, Di Paolo M, Avella MT, Carpita B, Gori F, Pompili M, Carmassi C. {{Problematic Internet Use in University Students Attending Three Superior Graduate Schools in Italy: Is Autism Spectrum Related to Suicide Risk?}}. {Int J Environ Res Public Health}. 2019; 16(7).
Background: Over the past decades, problematic internet use (PIU) has dramatically increased, especially among young people. PIU has been recently associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autistic traits. Subjects with PIU report an increased suicidal risk and the same has been demonstrated among patients with ASD. The aim of this study was to investigate putative PIU rates among students and explore the correlation between autistic traits and suicide risk. Methods: A sample of 178 high achieving university students was assessed by means of the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), Autism Quotient questionnaire (AQ). Suicide risk was investigated by some specific items of the Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report (TALS-SR) and putative PIU was identified on the basis of a specific AdAS Spectrum item. Results: 27.5% subjects reporting putative PIU. This subgroup showed higher scores in all domains of AdAS Spectrum and AQ compared with others. Students with putative PIU showed a significant correlation between suicide risk and the non-verbal communication domain of the AdAS Spectrum and the Social skills domain of the AQ. Conclusions: We found that students with PIU show higher levels of autistic traits compared to those without PIU. A significant correlation was found between autistic traits and suicide risk.
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4. El-Hassar L, Song L, Winston TJT, Large CH, Alvaro G, Santos-Sacchi J, Kaczmarek LK. {{Modulators of Kv3 potassium channels rescue the auditory function of Fragile X mice}}. {J Neurosci}. 2019.
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterized by hypersensitivity to sensory stimuli, including environmental sounds. We compared the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) recorded in-vivo in mice lacking the gene for FMRP (Fmr1(-/y) ) with that in wild-type animals. We found that ABR Wave I, which represents input from the auditory nerve, is reduced in Fmr1(-/y) animals, but only at high sound levels. In contrast, wave IV, which represents the activity of auditory brainstem nuclei is enhanced at all sound levels, suggesting that loss of FMRP alters central processing of auditory signals. Current-clamp recordings of neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) in the auditory brainstem revealed that, in contrast to neurons from wild-type animals, sustained depolarization triggers repetitive firing rather than a single action potential. In voltage-clamp recordings, K(+) currents that activate at positive potentials (« high-threshold » K(+) currents), which are required for high-frequency firing and carried primarily by Kv3.1 channels, are elevated in Fmr1(-/y) mice, while K(+) currents that activate near the resting potential and inhibit repetitive firing are reduced. We therefore tested the effects of AUT2, a compound that modulates Kv3.1 channels. AUT2 reduced high threshold K(+) current and increased low threshold K(+) currents in neurons from Fmr1(-/y) animals by shifting the activation of the high threshold current to more negative potentials. This reduced the firing rate and, in-vivo, restored wave IV of the ABR. Our results from animals of both sexes suggest modulation of Kv3.1 channel may have potential for treatment of sensory hypersensitivity in FXS patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMessenger RNA encoding the Kv3.1 potassium channel was one of the first described targets of the Fragile X Mental Retardation protein (FMRP). Fragile X syndrome is caused by loss of FMRP, and in humans and mice, causes hypersensitivity to auditory stimuli. We found that components of the auditory brain response (ABR) corresponding to auditory brainstem activity are enhanced in mice lacking FMRP. This is accompanied by hyperexcitability and altered potassium currents in auditory brainstem neurons. Treatment with a drug that alters the voltage-dependence of Kv3.1 channels normalizes the imbalance of potassium currents, as well ABR responses in vivo, suggesting such compounds may be effective in treating some symptoms of Fragile X syndrome.
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5. Gavin J, Rees-Evans D, Brosnan M. {{Shy Geek, Likes Music, Technology, and Gaming: An Examination of Autistic Males’ Online Dating Profiles}}. {Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking}. 2019.
Dating involves a range of complex social skills that autistic adults can often find challenging. Many autistic adults have turned to online dating, which in theory may ameliorate these social difficulties. The aim of this study was to explore, for the first time, how autistic males describe themselves in online dating profiles. The online dating profiles of 52 self-identified autistic males were analyzed using a combination of frequency and thematic analyses. A common pattern of self-description was identified, involving a combination of both desirable and undesirable characteristics. Themes included interests, negative descriptions of personality, ideal match, and autism. Findings are discussed in terms of desirability, the norms of online dating, and the benefits and costs of computer-mediated communication for autistic male online daters.
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6. Ghafouri-Fard S, Taheri M, Omrani MD, Daaee A, Mohammad-Rahimi H, Kazazi H. {{Application of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Preliminary Study with Artificial Neural Networks}}. {Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN}. 2019.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes different neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. Based on the importance of early diagnosis for effective therapeutic intervention, several strategies have been employed for detection of the disorder. The artificial neural network (ANN) as a type of machine learning method is a common strategy. In the current study, we extracted genomic data for 487 ASD patients and 455 healthy individuals. All individuals were genotyped in certain single-nucleotide polymorphisms within retinoic acid-related orphan receptor alpha (RORA), gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor beta3 subunit (GABRB3), synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP25) and metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (GRM7) genes. Subsequently, we used the « Keras » package to create and train the ANN model. For cross-validation, samples were divided into ten folds. In the training process, initially, the first fold was preserved for validation and the other folds were used to train the model. The validation fold was then used to evaluate model performance. The k-fold cross-validation method was used to ensure model generalizability and to prevent overfitting. Local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME) were applied to explain model predictions at the data sample level. The output of loss function was evaluated in the training process for each fold in the k-fold cross-validation model. Finally, the number of losses was reduced to less than 0.6 after 200 epochs (except in two cases). The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of our model were 73.67%, 82.75% and 63.95%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) was 80.59. Consequently, in the current study, we propose an ANN-based method for differentiating ASD status from healthy status with adequate power.
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7. Gillespie-Lynch K, Daou N, Sanchez-Ruiz MJ, Kapp SK, Obeid R, Brooks PJ, Someki F, Silton N, Abi-Habib R. {{Factors underlying cross-cultural differences in stigma toward autism among college students in Lebanon and the United States}}. {Autism}. 2019: 1362361318823550.
Although stigma negatively impacts autistic people globally, the degree of stigma varies across cultures. Prior research suggests that stigma may be higher in cultures with more collectivistic orientations. This study aimed to identify cultural values and other individual differences that contribute to cross-cultural differences in autism stigma (assessed with a social distance scale) between college students in Lebanon ( n = 556) and those in the United States ( n = 520). Replicating prior work, stigma was lower in women than men and in the United States relative to Lebanon. Heightened autism knowledge, quality of contact with autistic people, openness to experience, and reduced acceptance of inequality predicted lower stigma. Collectivism was not associated with heightened stigma. Findings highlight the need to address structural inequalities, combat harmful misconceptions, and foster positive contact to combat stigma.
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8. Hauptman M, Stierman B, Woolf AD. {{Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Lead Poisoning: Diagnostic Challenges and Management Complexities}}. {Clinical pediatrics}. 2019: 9922819839237.
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9. Millward C, Ferriter M, Calver SJ, Connell-Jones GG. {{WITHDRAWN: Gluten- and casein-free diets for autistic spectrum disorder}}. {Cochrane Database Syst Rev}. 2019; 4: Cd003498.
BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that peptides from gluten and casein may have a role in the origins of autism and that the physiology and psychology of autism might be explained by excessive opioid activity linked to these peptides. Research has reported abnormal levels of peptides in the urine and cerebrospinal fluid of people with autism. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of gluten and/or casein free diets as an intervention to improve behaviour, cognitive and social functioning in individuals with autism. SEARCH METHODS: The following electronic databases were searched: CENTRAL(The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2007), MEDLINE (1966 to April 2007), PsycINFO (1971 to April 2007), EMBASE (1974 to April 2007), CINAHL (1982 to April 2007), ERIC (1965 to 2007), LILACS (1982 to April 2007), and the National Research register 2007 (Issue1). Review bibliographies were also examined to identify potential trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials (RCT) involving programmes which eliminated gluten, casein or both gluten and casein from the diets of individuals diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Abstracts of studies identified in searches of electronic databases were assessed to determine inclusion by two independent authors The included trials did not share common outcome measures and therefore no meta-analysis was possible. Data are presented in narrative form. MAIN RESULTS: Two small RCTs were identified (n = 35). No meta-analysis was possible. There were only three significant treatment effects in favour of the diet intervention: overall autistic traits, mean difference (MD) = -5.60 (95% CI -9.02 to -2.18), z = 3.21, p=0.001 (Knivsberg 2002) ; social isolation, MD = -3.20 (95% CI -5.20 to 1.20), z = 3.14, p = 0.002) and overall ability to communicate and interact, MD = 1.70 (95% CI 0.50 to 2.90), z = 2.77, p = 0.006) (Knivsberg 2003). In addition three outcomes showed no significant difference between the treatment and control group and we were unable to calculate mean differences for ten outcomes because the data were skewed. No outcomes were reported for disbenefits including harms. AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: Research has shown of high rates of use of complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) for children with autism including gluten and/or casein exclusion diets. Current evidence for efficacy of these diets is poor. Large scale, good quality randomised controlled trials are needed.
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10. Monlux KD, Pollard JS, Bujanda Rodriguez AY, Hall SS. {{Telehealth Delivery of Function-Based Behavioral Treatment for Problem Behaviors Exhibited by Boys with Fragile X Syndrome}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2019.
Telehealth is increasingly being employed to extend the reach of behavior analytic interventions to families of children with developmental disorders who exhibit problem behaviors. In this preliminary study, we examined whether function-based behavior analytic interventions could be delivered via telehealth over 12 weeks to decrease problem behaviors exhibited by ten boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS), aged 3- to 10-years. Results showed that for eight children who completed treatment, rates of problem behavior decreased from baseline by 78.8-95.3%. Parent procedural integrity and acceptability ratings remained high throughout the treatment. These data indicate that implementing function-based behavioral treatment via telehealth can be a feasible, acceptable and potentially cost-effective approach for decreasing problem behaviors exhibited by boys with FXS.
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11. Nicolaidis C, Raymaker D, Kapp SK, Baggs A, Ashkenazy E, McDonald K, Weiner M, Maslak J, Hunter M, Joyce A. {{The AASPIRE practice-based guidelines for the inclusion of autistic adults in research as co-researchers and study participants}}. {Autism}. 2019: 1362361319830523.
As interest in autism in adulthood grows, so does the need for methods to promote the inclusion of autistic adults in research. Our objective was to create practice-based guidelines for the inclusion of autistic adults, both as research team members and as study participants. We conducted an institutional ethnography of three closely related research partnerships that used participatory methods with autistic adults over the years 2006-2018. We used an iterative approach which combined discussions with community and academic partners and artifact review. Guidelines to promote the inclusion of autistic adults as co-researchers focus on being transparent about partnership goals, clearly defining roles and choosing partners, creating processes for effective communication and power-sharing, building and maintaining trust, disseminating findings, encouraging community capacitation, and fairly compensating partners. Guidelines to promote the inclusion of autistic adults as study participants focus on maximizing autonomy and inclusion, creating an accessible consent process, offering multiple modes of participation, adapting survey instruments for use with autistic adults, creating accessible qualitative interview guides, and handling data from proxy reporters. Although these practice-based guidelines may not apply to all research teams, we hope that other researchers can capitalize on these practical lessons when including autistic adults in research.
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12. Tsiplova K, Ungar WJ, Flanagan HE, den Otter J, Waddell C, Murray P, D’Entremont B, Leger N, Garon N, Bryson S, Smith IM. {{Types of Services and Costs of Programs for Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder Across Sectors: A Comparison of Two Canadian Provinces}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2019.
This study measured resource utilization and costs for pre-school autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related services in community-based sectors from multiple payer perspectives in two Canadian provinces, Nova Scotia (NS) and New Brunswick (NB), during the 12 months prior to and following the start of early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI). The results indicate significant differences between NB and NS in utilization of services and costs to families, public sector and society. Differences can be attributed to variation in EIBI delivery models and may also be influenced by differences in diagnostic assessment practices. The study results provide resource utilization rates and costs which could be used in future economic evaluations and to inform policy making to improve outcomes for children with ASD.
