1. {{Klaiman et Al. Longitudinal profiles of adaptive behavior in fragile x syndrome. Pediatrics. 2014;134(2):315-324}}. {Pediatrics};2015 (Apr);135(4):775.
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2. Bearss K, Burrell TL, Stewart L, Scahill L. {{Erratum to: Parent Training in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What’s in a Name?}}. {Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev};2015 (Apr 4)
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3. Bent CA, Dissanayake C, Barbaro J. {{Mapping the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in children aged under 7 years in Australia, 2010-2012}}. {Med J Aust};2015 (Apr 6);202(6):317-320.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the frequency and age at diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children aged under 7 years living in Australia. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of de-identified data on 15 074 children aged under 7 years registered with the Helping Children with Autism Package (HCWAP; a program that provides funding for access to early intervention and support services throughout Australia) between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age at diagnosis of ASD as confirmed by a paediatrician, psychiatrist and/or multidisciplinary team assessment. RESULTS: The average age at diagnosis of ASD in children registered with the HCWAP is currently 49 months, with the most frequently reported age being 71 months. Differences were evident in age at diagnosis across states, with children in Western Australia and New South Wales being diagnosed at a younger age. Across Australia, 0.74% of the population of children aged under 7 years are currently diagnosed with ASD and registered with the HCWAP. A higher proportion of children were registered with the HCWAP in Victoria compared with other states. There was no difference in age at diagnosis between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, but children from a culturally and linguistically diverse background were diagnosed 5 months earlier than other children. CONCLUSIONS: There may be a substantial gap between the age at which a reliable and accurate diagnosis of ASD is possible and the average age that children are currently diagnosed. The frequency of ASD diagnoses in Australia has increased substantially from previously published estimates.
4. Choi US, Kim SY, Sim HJ, Lee SY, Park SY, Jeong JS, Seol KI, Yoon HW, Jhung K, Park JI, Cheon KA. {{Abnormal brain activity in social reward learning in children with autism spectrum disorder: an FMRI study}}. {Yonsei Med J};2015 (May 1);56(3):705-711.
PURPOSE: We aimed to determine whether Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would show neural abnormality of the social reward system using functional MRI (fMRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 27 ASDs and 12 typically developing controls (TDCs) participated in this study. The social reward task was developed, and all participants performed the task during fMRI scanning. RESULTS: ASDs and TDCs with a social reward learning effect were selected on the basis of behavior data. We found significant differences in brain activation between the ASDs and TDCs showing a social reward learning effect. Compared with the TDCs, the ASDs showed reduced activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right orbitofrontal cortex, right parietal lobe, and occipital lobe; however, they showed increased activity in the right parahippocampal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there might be neural abnormality of the social reward learning system of ASDs. Although this study has several potential limitations, it presents novel findings in the different neural mechanisms of social reward learning in children with ASD and a possible useful biomarker of high-functioning ASDs.
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5. De Angelis M, Francavilla R, Piccolo M, De Giacomo A, Gobbetti M. {{Autism spectrum disorders and intestinal microbiota}}. {Gut Microbes};2015 (Apr 2):0.
Through extensive microbial-mammalian co-metabolism, the intestinal microbiota have evolved to exert a marked influence on health and disease via gut-brain-microbiota interactions. In this addendum, we summarize the findings of our recent study on the fecal microbiota and metabolomes of children with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) or autism (AD) compared with healthy children (HC). Children with PDD-NOS or AD have altered fecal microbiota and metabolomes (including neurotransmitter molecules). We hypothesise that the degree of microbial alteration correlates with the severity of the disease since fecal microbiota and metabolomes alterations were higher in children with PDD-NOS and, especially, AD compared to HC. Our study indicates that the levels of free amino acids (FAA) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) differ in AD subjects compared to children with PDD-NOS, who are more similar to HC. Finally, we propose a new perspective on the implications for the interaction between intestinal microbiota and AD.
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6. de Vries M, Geurts H. {{Influence of Autism Traits and Executive Functioning on Quality of Life in Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2015 (Apr 3)
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) often experience a low Quality of Life (QoL). We studied if IQ, early language development, current autism traits, and daily Executive Functions (EFs) are related to QoL in children (aged 8-12 years) with ASD (N = 120) and typically developing (TD) children (N = 76). Children with ASD showed a lower QoL than TD children. This lower QoL was related to higher levels of autism traits and EF deficits. Moreover, specific autism traits and EFs were related to specific QoL subdomains. The low QoL and the aggravating effects of autism traits and EF deficits indicate a potential to identify and target such factors in treatment to improve QoL.
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7. Flanagan HE, Smith IM, Vaillancourt T, Duku E, Szatmari P, Bryson S, Fombonne E, Mirenda P, Roberts W, Volden J, Waddell C, Zwaigenbaum L, Bennett T, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S. {{Stability and Change in the Cognitive and Adaptive Behaviour Scores of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2015 (Apr 3)
We examined the stability of cognitive and adaptive behaviour standard scores in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between diagnosis and school entry approximately age 6. IQ increased 18 points in 2-year-olds, 12 points in 3-year-olds, and 9 points in 4-year-olds (N = 281). Adaptive behaviour scores increased 4 points across age groups (N = 289). At school entry, 24 % of children met criteria for intellectual disability (cognitive and adaptive behaviour scores <70). No children with both scores >/=70 at diagnosis later met criteria for intellectual disability. Outcomes were more variable for children with initial delays in both areas (in 57 %, both scores remained <70). Findings are relevant to clinical decision-making, including specification of intellectual disability in young children with ASD.
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8. Flippin M, Watson LR. {{Fathers’ and Mothers’ Verbal Responsiveness and the Language Skills of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)}}. {Am J Speech Lang Pathol};2015 (Apr 1)
Purpose: This observational study examined the interactions of 16 young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents in order to investigate (a) differences in verbal responsiveness used by fathers and mothers in interactions with their children with ASD; and (b) concurrent associations between the language skills of children with ASD and the verbal responsiveness of both fathers and mothers. Method: Parent verbal responsiveness was coded from video recordings of naturalistic parent-child play sessions using interval-based coding. Child language skills were measured by the Preschool Language Scale- 4 (Zimmerman, Steiner & Pond, 2002). Results: For both fathers and mothers, parent verbal responsiveness was positively associated with child language skills. Mothers’ responsiveness was also significantly associated with child cognition. After controlling for child cognition, fathers’ verbal responsiveness continued to be significantly related to child language skills. Conclusion: Although other studies have documented associations between mothers’ responsiveness and child language, this is the first study to document a significant concurrent association between child language skills of children with ASD and the verbal responsiveness of fathers. Findings of this study warrant the inclusion of fathers in future research on language development and intervention in order to better understand the potential contributions fathers may make to language growth for children with ASD over time, as well as to determine whether coaching fathers to use responsive verbal strategies can improve language outcomes for children with ASD.
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9. Gillam SL, Hartzheim D, Studenka B, Simonsmeier V, Gillam R. {{Narrative Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)}}. {J Speech Lang Hear Res};2015 (Apr 1)
Purpose: This study was conducted to determine whether a narrative intervention program that targeted the use of mental state and causal language resulted in positive gains in narrative production for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Method: Five children (2 girls and 3 boys) who had been diagnosed with ASD participated in the study. Children ranged in age from 8 to 12 years old and were recruited through an autism clinic. Intervention was provided for two 50-minute individual sessions per week for a total of 21-33 sessions (depending on the student). Children’s spontaneous stories, collected weekly, were analyzed for overall story complexity, story structure, and the use of mental state and causal language. Following a multiple-baseline across subjects design, data were collected for lagged baseline and intervention phases over a 6-month period. Results: All of the children made gains on all three measures of narration after participating in the instruction, with clear changes in level for all 5 children and changes in trend for 4 of the 5 children. The gains were maintained after intervention was discontinued. Conclusion: The results demonstrate the efficacy of the 3-phase narrative instruction program for improving the fictional narration abilities of children with ASD.
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10. Hill AK, Lind MA, Tucker D, Nelly P, Daraiseh N. {{Measurable results: Reducing staff injuries on a specialty psychiatric unit for patients with developmental disabilities}}. {Work};2015 (Apr 2)
BACKGROUND: Quality improvement initiative focused on staff injury reduction on a specialized inpatient psychiatric unit which offers acute stabilization for children and adolescents with complex high-risk behaviors. OBJECTIVE: To utilize quality improvement principles and interventions to reduce staff injuries on a specialized inpatient child/adolescent psychiatric unit. PARTICIPANTS: Direct care clinical staff within an inpatient psychiatric unit for patients with co-occurring developmental disabilities and psychiatric illness were the focus of the initiative. Direct care clinical staff and clinical administrators were the active participants in the quality improvement initiative, focusing upon the interactions between staff and patients. METHODS: OSHA-recordable injuries were documented to guide initiatives and measure outcomes on weekly run charts with raw data measures of all staff injuries and the number of days elapsed between injuries. Rapid Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles were utilized to test interventions and guide decision making. RESULTS: Three months of a structured and systematic intervention trial produced the first adopted interventions in August 2011. The following six months reflected a 65% reduction of staff injuries (from 2.2 injuries per week to 0.77 injuries per week). Between January and August 2011, there were eight OSHA-recordable injuries with an average of 26.5 days between injuries. The average number of days between OSHA-recordable injuries has increased from 26.5 days at baseline to 124 days. CONCLUSIONS: An initiative utilizing quality improvement principles reduced staff injuries on an inpatient specialized psychiatric unit. Reliability principles, system adaption, and engagement of the frontline nursing clinicians have proven to be foundational and vital to guide the initiative.
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11. Matsuo J, Kamio Y, Takahashi H, Ota M, Teraishi T, Hori H, Nagashima A, Takei R, Higuchi T, Motohashi N, Kunugi H. {{Autistic-Like Traits in Adult Patients with Mood Disorders and Schizophrenia}}. {PLoS One};2015;10(4):e0122711.
Autism spectrum disorder often co-occurs with other psychiatric disorders. Although a high prevalence of autistic-like traits/symptoms has been identified in the pediatric psychiatric population of normal intelligence, there are no reports from adult psychiatric population. This study examined whether there is a greater prevalence of autistic-like traits/symptoms in patients with adult-onset psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, and whether such an association is independent of symptom severity. The subjects were 290 adults of normal intelligence between 25 and 59 years of age (MDD, n=125; bipolar disorder, n=56; schizophrenia, n=44; healthy controls, n=65). Autistic-like traits/symptoms were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale for Adults. Symptom severity was measured using the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and/or the Young Mania Rating Scale. Almost half of the clinical subjects, except those with remitted MDD, exhibited autistic-like traits/symptoms at levels typical for sub-threshold or threshold autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, the proportion of psychiatric patients that demonstrated high autistic-like traits/symptoms was significantly greater than that of healthy controls, and not different between that of remitted or unremitted subjects with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. On the other hand, remitted subjects with MDD did not differ from healthy controls with regard to the prevalence or degree of high autistic-like traits/symptoms. A substantial proportion of adults with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia showed high autistic-like traits/symptoms independent of symptom severity, suggesting a shared pathophysiology among autism spectrum disorder and these psychiatric disorders. Conversely, autistic-like traits among subjects with MDD were associated with the depressive symptom severity. These findings suggest the importance of evaluating autistic-like traits/symptoms underlying adult-onset psychiatric disorders for the best-suited treatment. Further studies with a prospective design and larger samples are needed.
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12. Mutreja R, Craig C, O’Boyle MW. {{Attentional network deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Dev Neurorehabil};2015 (Apr 2):1-9.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate deficient attentional ability, but the specific nature of the deficit is unclear. The Attention Networks model provides a useful approach to deconstruct this attentional deficit into its component parts. METHOD: Fifty-two neurotypical (NT) children and 14 children with ASD performed the child version of the Attention Network Test (ANT). The latter requires participants to indicate the direction of a centre target stimulus, which is presented above/below fixation and sometimes flanked by either congruent or incongruent distractor stimuli. RESULTS: Relative to NT children, those with ASD were: (1) slower to react to spatially cued trials and (2) more error prone on executive (conflict) attention trials. CONCLUSIONS: Young children with ASD have intact alerting attention, but less-efficient orienting and executive attention.
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13. Neuwirth LS, Volpe NP, Ng S, Marsillo A, Corwin C, Madan N, Ferraro AM, El Idrissi A. {{Taurine recovers mice emotional learning and memory disruptions associated with fragile x syndrome in context fear and auditory cued-conditioning}}. {Adv Exp Med Biol};2015;803:425-438.
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14. Shaukat F, Fatima A, Zehra N, Hussein MA, Ismail O. {{Assessment of knowledge about childhood autism among medical students from private and public universities in Karachi}}. {J Pak Med Assoc};2014 (Nov);64(11):1331-1334.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge about childhood autism among fourth year medical students in public and private medical universities of a metropolitan city. METHODS: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Karachi from January to August 2012. Two medical universities–one each from public and private sectors–were selected using non-probability convenience sampling technique. Fourth year medical students present at the time of data collection were included in the study. Data collection was done by Knowledge About Childhood Autism Among Health Worker questionnaire from fourth year medical students. Data was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: Of the 157 students in the study, 62(39.6%) were males and 95(60.4%) were females; 84(43.5%) were from public medical university and 73(46.5%) were from private university. Total mean score obtained out of the maximum 25 was 12.30+/-4.71. The mean score obtained by public medical students was 12.40+/-4.69 and 12.1+/-4.76 by those of private university. CONCLUSION: The scores reflected shortcoming in knowledge about childhood autism among the study population. In order to bridge knowledge deficit, awareness-generation activities must be held more frequently.
