1. {{Eye-tracking as a Measure of Responsiveness to Joint Attention in Infants at Risk for Autism}}. {Infancy : the official journal of the International Society on Infant Studies}. 2012 Jul 1;17(4):416-31.
Reduced responsiveness to joint attention (RJA), as assessed by the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS), is predictive of both subsequent language difficulties and autism diagnosis. Eye-tracking measurement of RJA is a promising prognostic tool because it is highly precise and standardized. However, the construct validity of eye-tracking assessments of RJA has not been established. By comparing RJA in an eye-tracking paradigm to RJA during the ESCS, the current study evaluated the construct validity of an eye-tracking assessment of RJA for 18-month-old infant siblings of children with autism. Relations between measures of RJA and concurrent language skills and autistic symptomatology were assessed. Correlations between measures of ESCS RJA and eye-tracking RJA were statistically significant, but few relations between either ESCS or eye-tracking assessments of RJA and language or symptoms were observed. This study establishes the construct validity of eye-tracking assessments of RJA.
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2. Daley TC, Singhal N, Krishnamurthy V. {{Ethical Considerations in Conducting Research on Autism Spectrum Disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2013 Jan 3.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is being identified in an ever-increasing number of countries, including many that are low or middle income (LMIC). Research conducted in these countries requires awareness of unique ethical issues. Drawing on the experience of two organizations that have been involved in conducting and collaborating in ASD research in India, we describe specific considerations in conducting epidemiological, genetic and treatment studies as well as general principles from the field of multinational clinical research as they apply to the conduct of ASD research. We argue that greater attention to ethical concerns will result in quality studies conducted in LMICs that are also of greatest relevance for families and children with ASD.
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3. Sadakata T, Shinoda Y, Oka M, Sekine Y, Furuichi T. {{Autistic-like behavioral phenotypes in a mouse model with copy number variation of the CAPS2/CADPS2 gene}}. {FEBS Lett}. 2013 Jan 4;587(1):54-9.
Ca(2+)-dependent activator protein for secretion 2 (CAPS2 or CADPS2) facilitates secretion and trafficking of dense-core vesicles. Recent genome-wide association studies of autism have identified several microdeletions due to copy number variation (CNV) in one of the chromosome 7q31.32 alleles on which the locus for CAPS2 is located in autistic patients. To evaluate the biological significance of reducing CAPS2 copy number, we analyzed CAPS2 heterozygous mice. Our present findings suggest that adequate levels of CAPS2 protein are critical for normal brain development and behavior, and that allelic changes due to CNV may contribute to autistic symptoms in combination with deficits in other autism-associated genes.
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4. Smithson PE, Kenworthy L, Wills MC, Jarrett M, Atmore K, Yerys BE. {{Real World Executive Control Impairments in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2013 Jan 4.
This study examined executive control (EC) in preschoolers with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P). ASD participants were a clinically referred sample of preschoolers; the typically developing control group was selected from the BRIEF-P standardization sample. The ASD group was rated significantly worse on all BRIEF-P scores, and these impairments did not correlate with ASD symptoms. These findings document impairments in real world EC in preschoolers with ASD, and have implications for assessing preschoolers suspected of having an ASD. Furthermore, the findings also converge with BRIEF studies of school-aged children with ASD.
