1. Hansen SN, Schendel DE, Parner ET. {{Explaining the Increase in the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Proportion Attributable to Changes in Reporting Practices}}. {JAMA Pediatr};2014 (Nov 3)
Importance: The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has increased markedly in recent decades, which researchers have suggested could be caused in part by nonetiologic factors such as changes in diagnosis reporting practices. To our knowledge, no study has quantified the degree to which changes in reporting practices might explain this increase. Danish national health registries have undergone a change in diagnostic criteria in 1994 and the inclusion of outpatient contacts to health registries in 1995. Objective: To quantify the effect of changes in reporting practices in Denmark on reported ASD prevalence. Design, Setting, and Participants: We used a population-based birth cohort approach that includes information on all individuals with permanent residence in Denmark. We assessed all children born alive from January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1991, in Denmark (n = 677 915). The children were followed up from birth until ASD diagnosis, death, emigration, or the end of follow-up on December 31, 2011, whichever occurred first. The analysis uses a stratified Cox proportional hazards regression model with the changes in reporting practices modeled as time-dependent covariates. Exposures: The change in diagnostic criteria in 1994 and the inclusion of outpatient diagnoses in 1995. Main Outcomes and Measures: Autism spectrum disorders. Results: For Danish children born during the study period, 33% (95% CI, 0%-70%) of the increase in reported ASD prevalence could be explained by the change in diagnostic criteria alone; 42% (95% CI, 14%-69%), by the inclusion of outpatient contacts alone; and 60% (95% CI, 33%-87%), by the change in diagnostic criteria and the inclusion of outpatient contacts. Conclusions and Relevance: Changes in reporting practices can account for most (60%) of the increase in the observed prevalence of ASDs in children born from 1980 through 1991 in Denmark. Hence, the study supports the argument that the apparent increase in ASDs in recent years is in large part attributable to changes in reporting practices.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
2. Molesworth C, Chevallier C, Happe F, Hampton JA. {{Children With Autism Do Not Show Sequence Effects With Auditory Stimuli}}. {J Exp Psychol Gen};2014 (Nov 3)
Categorization decisions that reflect constantly changing memory representations might be an important adaptive response to dynamic environments. We assessed One such influence from memory (i.e., sequence effects) on categorization decisions made by individuals with autism. A model of categorization (i.e., memory and contrast model, Stewart, Brown, & Chater, 2002) assumes that contextual influences in the form of sequence effects drive categorization performance in individuals with typical development. Difficulties with contextual processing in autism, described by the weak central coherence account (Frith, 1989; Frith & Happe, 1994) imply reduced sequence effects for this participant group. The experiment reported in this article tested this implication. High-functioning children and adolescents with autism (ages 10 to 15 years), matched on age and IQ with typically developing children, completed a test that measures sequence effects (i.e., category contrast effect task, Stewart et al., 2002) using auditory tones. Participants also completed a pitch discrimination task to measure any potential confound arising from possible enhanced discrimination sensitivity within the autism spectrum disorder group. The typically developing group alone demonstrated a category contrast effect. The data suggest that this finding cannot be attributed readily to participant group differences in discrimination sensitivity, perseveration, difficulties on the associated binary categorization task, or greater reliance on long-term memory. We discuss the broad methodological implication that comparison between autism spectrum disorder group and control group responses to sequential perceptual stimuli might be confounded by the influence of preceding trials. We also discuss implications for the weak central coherence account and models of typical cognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
3. Pyhala R, Hovi P, Lahti M, Sammallahti S, Lahti J, Heinonen K, Pesonen AK, Strang-Karlsson S, Eriksson JG, Andersson S, Jarvenpaa AL, Kajantie E, Raikkonen K. {{Very Low Birth Weight, Infant Growth, and Autism-Spectrum Traits in Adulthood}}. {Pediatrics};2014 (Nov 3)
OBJECTIVES: We examined whether adults born preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) differ from term-born adults in autism-spectrum traits, and whether among VLBW adults, growth in infancy is associated with these traits. METHODS: A total of 110 VLBW and 104 term-born adults of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient yielding total, social interaction, and attention to detail sum scores. Growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term and from term to 1 year of corrected age was determined as standardized residuals reflecting growth conditional on previous history. RESULTS: VLBW adults scored higher than term-born controls on social interaction sum score, indicating higher autism-spectrum traits. In contrast, they scored lower on attention to detail sum score, indicating lower autism-spectrum traits. Within the VLBW group, faster growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term was associated with lower total and social interaction sum scores. In this group, growth from term to 1 year was not associated with autism-spectrum traits. CONCLUSIONS: Among those born preterm at VLBW, the risk for higher levels of autism-spectrum traits, particularly related to social interaction, may persist into adulthood. Faster growth from birth to term may ameliorate these effects, suggesting that targeted interventions could aid long-term neurodevelopment.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
4. Wetherby AM, Guthrie W, Woods J, Schatschneider C, Holland RD, Morgan L, Lord C. {{Parent-Implemented Social Intervention for Toddlers With Autism: An RCT}}. {Pediatrics};2014 (Nov 3)
OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of two 9-month parent-implemented interventions within the Early Social Interaction (ESI) Project. Both individual-ESI, offered 2 or 3 times per week at home or in the community, and group-ESI, offered once per week in a clinic, taught parents how to embed strategies to support social communication throughout everyday activities. METHODS: Participants in the randomized controlled trial included 82 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 16 to 20 months. Children were matched on pretreatment nonverbal developmental level and pairs were randomly assigned to treatment condition. Child outcomes included measures of social communication, autism symptoms, adaptive behavior, and developmental level. Child outcomes are reported from baseline to the end of the 9-month interventions. RESULTS: Children in individual-ESI showed differential change on a standardized examiner-administered observational measure of social communication, as they improved at a faster rate than children in group-ESI. Individual-ESI also showed differential efficacy on a parent report measure of communication, daily living, and social skills, as they showed improvement or stability, whereas group-ESI led to worsening or no significant change on these skills. Finally, individual-ESI showed differential change on examiner-administered measures of receptive language skills, as children in individual-ESI improved significantly, whereas group-ESI showed no change. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the efficacy of individual-ESI compared with group-ESI on child outcomes, suggesting the importance of individualized parent coaching in natural environments. The efficacy of a parent-implemented intervention using little professional time has potential for community viability, which is particularly important in light of the lack of main effects on child outcomes of most other parent-implemented interventions.
Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
5. Worley G, Crissman BG, Cadogan E, Milleson C, Adkins DW, Kishnani PS. {{Down Syndrome Disintegrative Disorder: New-Onset Autistic Regression, Dementia, and Insomnia in Older Children and Adolescents With Down Syndrome}}. {J Child Neurol};2014 (Nov 3)
Over a 10-year period in a Down syndrome Clinic, 11 children and adolescents were encountered with a history of new-onset (8) or worsening (3) autistic characteristics. Ten of the 11 (91%) had cognitive decline to a dementia-like state and 9 of the 11 (82%) new-onset insomnia. The mean age at which symptoms developed was 11.4 years (standard deviation = 3.6 years; range 5-14 years), an older age than usual for autistic regression in Down syndrome. Ten of 11 cases (91%) had elevated (« positive ») thyroperoxidase antibody titers compared to only 5 of 21 (23%) age-matched control subjects with Down syndrome (P < .001). At follow-up at a mean age of 20.7 years (standard deviation = 3.9 years), 8 of the 11 (73%) were at least somewhat better. Down syndrome disintegrative disorder seems an appropriate name for this newly recognized clinical association, which may be due to autoimmunity.
