1. Al-Kandari S, Alsalem A, Abohaimed S, Al-Orf F, Al-Zoubi M, Al-Sabah R, Shah N. {{Brief Report: Social Support and Coping Strategies of Mothers of Children Suffering from ASD in Kuwait}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Jul 06)
This cross-sectional study provides a general profile of mothers of children with ASDs in Kuwait and examines their use of social support resources and coping strategies (using the Brief COPE questionnaire). The majority of mothers reported decreased ability to perform social duties (62.4%) and take care of themselves (50.5%). Overall, 57.7% of mothers reported a decreased ability to enjoy life; this difference was more pronounced among non-Kuwaiti mothers compared to Kuwaiti mothers (p value = 0.03), and in mothers with a bachelor’s degree or higher (p value = 0.011). There was a significant association between the mothers’ ability to enjoy life and receiving support from the family (p value = 0.021) and support groups (p value = 0.003). « Religion », « Acceptance », and « Positive Reframing » were the 3 most common coping strategies.
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2. Anomitri C, Lazaratou H. {{Asperger syndrome and schizophrenia: Nueurodevelopmental continuum or separated clinical entities?}}. {Psychiatriki};2017 (Apr-Jun);28(2):175-182.
This article is an overview of the literature on Asperger’s syndrome and schizophrenia and aim to discuss their similarities and differences. Eugen Bleuler who associated the terms « schizophrenia » and « autism » a century ago, viewed autism as a form of solitude of schizophrenic patients representing withdrawal from reality. Ever since, there has been confusion as to the boundaries between these conditions. Nowadays recent research, from a variety of perspectives-genomics, neurodevelopment, psychiatry, etc. has given new information on these conditions. It is easier to demarcate these two disorders at the extremes, but it is extremely difficult dissociating milder forms of both disorders. Asperger’s syndrome (AS), is considered to be a continuous and lifelong disorder with strong heritability, present from early childhood. It is included within the category of autism spectrum disorders and it is usually diagnosed in childhood. Patients with Asperger syndrome are often diagnosed late or they are considered as having schizophrenia. Misdiagnosing Asperger syndrome creates severe problems by preventing effective therapy. A lot of clinical characteristics of Asperger’s syndrome are also present in schizophrenia, such as impaired social interaction, disabilities in communication and restricted interests. On the other side some clinical features may facilitate the differential diagnosis, such as the younger age at onset, family history of pervasive developmental disorders, pragmatic aspects of language use, lack of imagination, ect. It is known that symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome have some overlap with those of schizophrenia, but less is known about comorbidity between these two syndromes. It is still a question whether autism spectrum disorders in young children can increase the risk for the development of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, later in life. Both disorders are of neurodevelopmental origin and genetic factors are prominent. In both neurocognitive deficits as well as deficits in social cognition and social functioning are marked. The boundaries between AS and schizophrenia are still not clear even if this distinction is necessary for the appropriate treatment of the patient and his family. For the writing of the literature review, the following electronic databases were used: PubMed, Scopus, Psycinfo, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The key words used were: Asperger’s syndrome, schizophrenia, children and adolescents, differential diagnosis, autism spectrum disorders.
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3. Bilbo SD, Block CL, Bolton JL, Hanamsagar R, Tran PK. {{Beyond infection – Maternal immune activation by environmental factors, microglial development, and relevance for autism spectrum disorders}}. {Exp Neurol};2017 (Jul 08)
Immune molecules such as cytokines and chemokines and the cells that produce them within the brain, notably microglia, are critical for normal brain development. This recognition has in recent years led to the working hypothesis that inflammatory events during pregnancy, e.g. in response to infection, may disrupt the normal expression of immune molecules during critical stages of neural development and thereby contribute to the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This hypothesis has in large part been shepherded by the work of Dr. Paul Patterson and colleagues, which has elegantly demonstrated that a single viral infection or injection of a viral mimetic to pregnant mice significantly and persistently impacts offspring immune and nervous system function, changes that underlie ASD-like behavioral dysfunction including social and communication deficits. Subsequent studies by many labs – in humans and in non-human animal models – have supported the hypothesis that ongoing disrupted immune molecule expression and/or neuroinflammation contributes to at least a significant subset of ASD. The heterogeneous clinical and biological phenotypes observed in ASD strongly suggest that in genetically susceptible individuals, environmental risk factors combine or synergize to create a tipping or threshold point for dysfunction. Importantly, animal studies showing a link between maternal immune activation (MIA) and ASD-like outcomes in offspring involve different species and diverse environmental factors associated with ASD in humans, beyond infection, including toxin exposures, maternal stress, and maternal obesity, all of which impact inflammatory or immune pathways. The goal of this review is to highlight the broader implications of Dr. Patterson’s work for the field of autism, with a focus on the impact that MIA by diverse environmental factors has on fetal brain development, immune system development, and the pathophysiology of ASD.
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4. Black MH, Chen NTM, Iyer KK, Lipp OV, Bolte S, Falkmer M, Tan T, Girdler S. {{Mechanisms of facial emotion recognition in autism spectrum disorders: Insights from eye tracking and electroencephalography}}. {Neurosci Biobehav Rev};2017 (Jul 08)
While behavioural difficulties in facial emotion recognition (FER) have been observed in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavioural studies alone are not suited to elucidate the specific nature of FER challenges in ASD. Eye tracking (ET) and electroencephalography (EEG) provide insights in to the attentional and neurological correlates of performance, and may therefore provide insight in to the mechanisms underpinning FER in ASD. Given that these processes develop over the course of the developmental trajectory, there is a need to synthesise findings in regard to the developmental stages to determine how the maturation of these systems may impact FER in ASD. We conducted a systematic review of fifty-four studies investigating ET or EEG meeting inclusion criteria. Findings indicate divergence of visual processing pathways in individuals with ASD. Altered function of the social brain in ASD impacts the processing of facial emotion across the developmental trajectory, resulting in observable differences in ET and EEG outcomes.
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5. Campbell SB, Mahoney AS, Northrup J, Moore EL, Leezenbaum NB, Brownell CA. {{Developmental Changes in Pretend Play from 22- to 34-Months in Younger Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Abnorm Child Psychol};2017 (Jul 07)
Developmental trajectories of children’s pretend play and social engagement, as well as parent sensitivity and stimulation, were examined in toddlers with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, high risk; HR) and toddlers with typically-developing older siblings (low risk; LR). Children (N = 168, 97 boys, 71 girls) were observed at 22, 28, and 34 months during free play with a parent and elicited pretend play with an examiner. At 28 and 34 months, children were asked to imagine the consequences of actions pantomimed by the examiner on a pretend transformation task. At 36 months children were assessed for ASD, yielding 3 groups for comparison: HR children with ASD, HR children without ASD (HR-noASD), and LR children. Children in all 3 groups showed developmental changes, engaging in more bouts of pretend play and obtaining higher scores on the elicited pretend and transformation tasks with age, but children with ASD lagged behind the other 2 groups on most measures. Children with ASD were also less engaged with their parents or the examiner during play interactions than either LR or HR-noASD children, with minimal developmental change evident. Parents, regardless of group, were highly engaged with their children, but parents of HR-noASD children received somewhat higher ratings on stimulation than parents of LR children. Most group differences were not accounted for by cognitive functioning. Instead, lower social engagement appears to be an important correlate of less advanced pretend skills, with implications for understanding the early development of children with ASD and for early intervention.
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6. Chien YL, Tu EN, Gau SS. {{School Functions in Unaffected Siblings of Youths with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Jul 06)
This study investigated school functioning among unaffected siblings of youths with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and identified the correlates for school maladjustment. We recruited 66 youths with a clinical diagnosis of ASD, aged 8-19, their unaffected siblings and 132 typically developing controls (TD). We found that ASD youths had poorer school functions than unaffected siblings and TD. Unaffected siblings had poorer attitude toward schoolwork and more severe behavioral problems at school than TD. Several associated factors for different scholastic functional domains (i.e., academic performance, attitude toward school work, social interactions, behavioral problems) in the siblings included IQ, autistic traits, inattention/oppositional symptoms, sibling relationships, etc. Our findings suggest the need of assessing school functions in unaffected siblings of ASD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration identifier: NCT01582256.
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7. Chowdhury R, Sharda M, Foster NEV, Germain E, Tryfon A, Doyle-Thomas K, Anagnostou E, Hyde KL. {{Auditory Pitch Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder Is Associated With Nonverbal Abilities}}. {Perception};2017 (Jan 01):301006617718715.
Atypical sensory perception and heterogeneous cognitive profiles are common features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, previous findings on auditory sensory processing in ASD are mixed. Accordingly, auditory perception and its relation to cognitive abilities in ASD remain poorly understood. Here, children with ASD, and age- and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched typically developing children, were tested on a low- and a higher level pitch processing task. Verbal and nonverbal cognitive abilities were measured using the Wechsler’s Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. There were no group differences in performance on either auditory task or IQ measure. However, there was significant variability in performance on the auditory tasks in both groups that was predicted by nonverbal, not verbal skills. These results suggest that auditory perception is related to nonverbal reasoning rather than verbal abilities in ASD and typically developing children. In addition, these findings provide evidence for preserved pitch processing in school-age children with ASD with average IQ, supporting the idea that there may be a subgroup of individuals with ASD that do not present perceptual or cognitive difficulties. Future directions involve examining whether similar perceptual-cognitive relationships might be observed in a broader sample of individuals with ASD, such as those with language impairment or lower IQ.
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8. De Coster L, Wiersema JR, Deschrijver E, Brass M. {{The effect of being imitated on empathy for pain in adults with high-functioning autism: Disturbed self-other distinction leads to altered empathic responding}}. {Autism};2017 (Jun 01):1362361317701268.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with problems in empathy. Recent research suggests that impaired control over self-other overlap based on motor representations in individuals with autism spectrum disorder might underlie these difficulties. In order to investigate the relationship of self-other distinction and empathy for pain in high-functioning autism and matched controls, we manipulated self-other distinction by using a paradigm in which participants are either imitated or not by a hand on a computer screen. A strong pain stimulus is then inflicted on the observed hand. Behavioral and physiological results in this study showed that overall affective responses while watching pain movies were the same in adults with high-functioning autism as in controls. Furthermore, controls showed higher affective responding after being imitated during the whole experiment, replicating previous studies. Adults with high-functioning autism, however, showed increased empathic responses over time after being imitated. Further exploratory analyses suggested that while affective responding was initially lower after being imitated compared to not being imitated, affective responding in the latter part of the experiment was higher after being imitated. These results shed new light on empathic abilities in high-functioning autism and on the role of control over self-other representational sharing.
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9. Esler AN, Hall-Lande J, Hewitt A. {{Phenotypic Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Diverse Sample of Somali and Other Children}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Jul 08)
The potential for culture to impact diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is high, yet remains largely unstudied. This study examined differences across racial/ethnic groups in ASD symptoms, cognitive and adaptive skills, and related behaviors in children with ASD that included a unique subgroup, children from the Somali diaspora. Somali children were more likely to have ASD with intellectual disability than children from all other racial/ethnic groups. Few differences were found in the presence of specific symptoms and behaviors across groups once IQ was controlled. Results lend support to previous studies that found higher rates of ASD intellectual disability in children of immigrants from low human resource index countries compared to other groups. Implications for future research are discussed.
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10. Foley KR, Pollack AJ, Britt HC, Lennox NG, Trollor JN. {{General practice encounters for young patients with autism spectrum disorder in Australia}}. {Autism};2017 (Jun 01):1362361317702560.
This study compared the patient demographics and reasons for encounter in general practice for patients <25 years with and without an autism spectrum disorder identified as a reason for encounter and/or problem managed. The Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme collected information about clinical activities in Australian general practice. Each year, the programme recruited a random sample of 1000 general practitioners, each of whom collected data for 100 consecutive consultations (encounters). Encounters with patients <25 years, where at least one autism spectrum disorder was recorded as a reason for encounter and/or a problem managed (n = 579), were compared with all other encounters (n = 281,473) from April 2000 to March 2014 inclusive. Data were age-sex standardised. Patients at autism spectrum disorder encounters (compared to non-autism spectrum disorder encounters) were more likely to be younger and male. There was a dramatic rise in the number of general practitioner consultations at autism spectrum disorder encounters from 2000 to 2013. More reasons for encounter were recorded at autism spectrum disorder encounters than at non-autism spectrum disorder encounters (156.4 (95% confidence interval: 144.0-168.8) and 140.5 (95% confidence interval: 140.0-141.0), respectively). At autism spectrum disorder (vs non-autism spectrum disorder) encounters, there were more psychological, general and unspecified, and social reasons for encounter and fewer preventive and acute health reasons for encounter. People with an autism spectrum disorder have complex health care needs that require a skilled general practice workforce. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
11. Gangi DN, Schwichtenberg AJ, Iosif AM, Young GS, Baguio F, Ozonoff S. {{Gaze to faces across interactive contexts in infants at heightened risk for autism}}. {Autism};2017 (Jul 01):1362361317704421.
Infant social-communicative behavior, such as gaze to the face of an interactive partner, is an important early developmental skill. Children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit atypicalities in social-communicative behavior, including gaze and eye contact. Behavioral differences in infancy may serve as early markers of autism spectrum disorder and help identify individuals at highest risk for developing the disorder. Researchers often assess social-communicative behavior in a single interactive context, such as during assessment with an unfamiliar examiner or play with a parent. Understanding whether infant behavior is consistent across such contexts is important for evaluating the validity of experimental paradigms and the generalizability of findings from one interactive context/partner to another. We examined infant gaze to the face of a social partner at 6, 9, and 12 months of age in infants who were later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, as well as low- and high-risk infants without autism spectrum disorder outcomes, across two interactive contexts: structured testing with an unfamiliar examiner and semi-structured play with a parent. By 9 months, infant gaze behavior was significantly associated between the two contexts. By 12 months, infants without autism spectrum disorder outcomes exhibited higher mean rates of gaze to faces during parent-child play than Mullen testing, while the gaze behavior of the autism spectrum disorder group did not differ by context-suggesting that infants developing autism spectrum disorder may be less sensitive to context or interactive partner. Findings support the validity of assessing infant social-communicative behavior during structured laboratory settings and suggest that infant behavior exhibits consistency across settings and interactive partners.
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12. Garrido D, Petrova D, Watson LR, Garcia-Retamero R, Carballo G. {{Language and motor skills in siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review}}. {Autism Res};2017 (Jul 07)
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show significant linguistic and motor impairments compared to children with typical development (TD). Findings from studies of siblings of children with ASD show similarities to conclusions from studies of children with ASD. The current meta-analysis reviewed studies reporting linguistic and/or motor skills in siblings of children with ASD compared to siblings of children with TD. Thirty-four studies published between 1994 and 2016 met all inclusion criteria. We compared three different age groups (12 months or younger, 13 to 24 months, and 25 to 36 months). At 12 months, compared to siblings of children with TD, siblings of children with ASD had worse receptive language (d = -.43, 95% CI [-.53, -.33]) and expressive language skills (d = -.40, 95% CI [-.57, -.23]), and these effects were sustained at 24 and 36 months. Similar, albeit smaller differences in fine motor skills were detected at 12 months (d = -.22, 95% CI [-.39, -.04]), and these differences were larger at 36 months (d = -.36, 95% CI [-.54, -.17]). There were differences in gross motor skills at 12 months (d = -.22, 95% CI [-.40, -.04]), but only a few studies were available at later ages. Compared to siblings of children with TD, infants who have siblings with ASD have worse linguistic and motor skills. These differences are detectable as early as when infants are 12 months old and seem to be sustained until they are 3 years old. Differences in language skills are larger than those in motor skills, especially during the first year. Autism Res 2017. (c) 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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13. Herrington JD, Maddox BB, Kerns CM, Rump K, Worley JA, Bush JC, McVey AJ, Schultz RT, Miller JS. {{Amygdala Volume Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Related to Anxiety}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Jul 08)
Recent studies suggest that longstanding findings of abnormal amygdala morphology in ASD may be related to symptoms of anxiety. To test this hypothesis, fifty-three children with ASD (mean age = 11.9) underwent structural MRI and were divided into subgroups to compare those with at least one anxiety disorder diagnosis (n = 29) to those without (n = 24) and to a typically developing control group (TDC; n = 37). Groups were matched on age and intellectual level. The ASD and anxiety group showed decreased right amygdala volume (controlled for total brain volume) relative to ASD without anxiety (p = .04) and TDCs (p = .068). Results suggest that youth with ASD and co-occurring anxiety have a distinct neurodevelopmental trajectory.
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14. Hillier A, Goldstein J, Murphy D, Trietsch R, Keeves J, Mendes E, Queenan A. {{Supporting university students with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism};2017 (Jun 01):1362361317699584.
Increasing numbers of students with autism spectrum disorder are entering higher education. Their success can be jeopardized by organizational, social/emotional, and academic challenges if appropriate supports are not in place. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a support group model for university students with autism spectrum disorder in improving psychological and functional outcomes. A curriculum guided the weekly discussions and consisted of topics such as time and stress management, managing group work, and social communication. Efficacy was assessed through pre- and post self-report measures focused on self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Functional changes in academic and social skills were examined through qualitative analysis of focus groups. Findings from the self-report measures indicated significant reductions in feelings of loneliness and general anxiety, and a significant increase in self-esteem at the end of the program compared to the beginning. Five prominent themes were identified in the focus-group analysis and reflected how the program had positively impacted participants’ skills and coping: executive functioning; goal setting; academics and resources; stress and anxiety; and social. Given the cost effectiveness of « in-house » interventions and the potential for improving academic outcomes and retention of students with autism spectrum disorder, further research examining similar program models is warranted.
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15. Huang X, Xie Y, Fang Q. {{22q12.3 microduplication overlapping the LARGE gene as a male-only affected loci responsible for increasing the risk of autism spectrum disorder}}. {Biomed Rep};2017 (Jul);7(1):51-55.
The present study describes a three-generation Chinese family with one male who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) disease. The male proband presented with features of an autism spectrum disorder. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an abnormal high-intensity zone in the frontal white matter. Whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism-microarray demonstrated an interstitial 575-kb duplication of chromosome 22p12.3 that involved the LARGE gene among the six family members, which included three healthy female carriers, the affected boy and two male fetuses. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, using special probes, and LARGE gene sequencing were performed, which exhibited a submicroscopic 22q13 duplication that involved the LARGE gene. Combined with a review of the literature, the present findings support the hypothesis that the 22q12.3 microduplication overlapping the LARGE gene may be a male-only affected loci, which is responsible for increasing the ASD risk.
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16. Huijnen C, Lexis MAS, Jansens R, de Witte LP. {{How to Implement Robots in Interventions for Children with Autism? A Co-creation Study Involving People with Autism, Parents and Professionals}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Jul 06)
The aim of this study was to gain insight into how robots can be practically implemented into current education and therapy interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This qualitative study included focus groups and co-creation sessions. 73 Participants (professionals and adults with ASD) took part in 13 focus groups to elicit requirements for robot assisted interventions. Additionally, 22 participants (professionals, parents of children with ASD and adults with ASD) generated ideas for interventions using robot KASPAR in three co-creation sessions. This study resulted in: an overview of requirements concerning the robot, end-user, environment and practical implementation; a template to systematically describe robot interventions in general and for KASPAR in particular; and finally new interventions.
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17. Kunchulia M, Tatishvili T, Lomidze N, Parkosadze K, Thomaschke R. {{Time-based event expectancies in children with Autism spectrum disorder}}. {Exp Brain Res};2017 (Jul 06)
Here, we studied the time-based event expectancies in children with Autism spectrum disorder. Nine children with Autism spectrum disorders and ten (6-11 years) typically developing children participated. In a choice-response task with two different pre-target intervals, participants had to indicate the left or right direction of a target stimulus. The target was predicted by the duration of the pre-target interval with 80% validity. We found that, in children with Autism spectrum disorder, in contrast to typically developing children, the formation of time-based event expectancies was restricted to the relatively longer pre-target interval. This pattern is rather typical for healthy young adults. These findings indicate that children with Autism spectrum disorder are able to form time-based event expectancies, and that, similar to healthy young adults, longer pre-target intervals enable them to make more optimal temporal predictions.
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18. Lorenc T, Rodgers M, Marshall D, Melton H, Rees R, Wright K, Sowden A. {{Support for adults with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual impairment: Systematic review}}. {Autism};2017 (Jun 01):1362361317698939.
Adults with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual impairment may benefit from a range of support services. This article presents the results of a systematic review assessing the effectiveness of supportive interventions for adults with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual impairment. A total of 32 studies were included; most focused on younger male participants. Although evidence was lacking for most types of intervention, employment programmes and social skills training were found to be effective for more proximal outcomes such as social skills. Evidence that any intervention improves mental health or well-being was very limited. Most interventions focused on mitigating specific deficits, rather than on providing broader support. Further research is needed on the effectiveness of supportive interventions such as advocacy and mentoring.
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19. Martinez LA, Tejada-Simon MV. {{Increased Training Intensity Induces Proper Membrane Localization of Actin Remodeling Proteins in the Hippocampus Preventing Cognitive Deficits: Implications for Fragile X Syndrome}}. {Mol Neurobiol};2017 (Jul 08)
Behavioral intervention therapy has proven beneficial in the treatment of autism and intellectual disabilities (ID), raising the possibility of certain changes in molecular mechanisms activated by these interventions that may promote learning. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by autistic features and intellectual disability and can serve as a model to examine mechanisms that promote learning. FXS results from mutations in the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (Fmr1) that prevents expression of the Fmr1 protein (FMRP), a messenger RNA (mRNA) translation regulator at synapses. Among many other functions, FMRP organizes a complex with the actin cytoskeleton-regulating small Rho GTPase Rac1. As in humans, Fmr1 KO mice lacking FMRP display autistic-like behaviors and deformities of actin-rich synaptic structures in addition to impaired hippocampal learning and synaptic plasticity. These features have been previously linked to proper function of actin remodeling proteins that includes Rac1. An important step in Rac1 activation and function is its translocation to the membrane, where it can influence synaptic actin cytoskeleton remodeling during hippocampus-dependent learning. Herein, we report that Fmr1 KO mouse hippocampus exhibits increased levels of membrane-bound Rac1, which may prevent proper learning-induced synaptic changes. We also determine that increasing training intensity during fear conditioning (FC) training restores contextual memory in Fmr1 KO mice and reduces membrane-bound Rac1 in Fmr1 KO hippocampus. Increased training intensity also results in normalized long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices taken from Fmr1 KO mice. These results point to interventional treatments providing new therapeutic options for FXS-related cognitive dysfunction.
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20. McClellan L, Dominick KC, Pedapati EV, Wink LK, Erickson CA. {{Lurasidone for the treatment of irritability and anger in autism spectrum disorders}}. {Expert Opin Investig Drugs};2017 (Jul 07)
INTRODUCTION: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication as well as restricted patterns of behaviors and interests. Irritability marked by tantrums, self-injury and aggression occurs frequently in youth with ASD, causing significant parent and caregiver distress. Atypical antipsychotics have been the most studied drug class targeting irritability in ASD. Risperidone and aripiprazole are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved atypical antipsychotics for treatment of irritability in youth with ASD. However, other atypical antipsychotics, such as lurasidone, are often considered for off-label use in the treatment of irritability, whether because of tolerability issues with risperidone and aripiprazole or because of the drug-refractory nature of this symptom cluster. Areas covered: Following a comprehensive review of the literature this article summarizes information on the efficacy and tolerability of lurasidone as a potential off label treatment of irritability in children and adolescents with ASD. Available data included a 6 week randomized, blind, fixed dose, placebo-controlled study and a case study. Expert Opinion: To date the safety and tolerability of lurasidone in treating irritability in youth with ASD has yet to be established with, lurasidone being the only antipsychotic with published negative placebo-controlled results.
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21. McDonald TAM. {{Discriminative and Criterion Validity of the Autism Spectrum Identity Scale (ASIS)}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Jul 06)
Individuals on the autism spectrum face stigma that can influence identity development. Previous research on the 22-item Autism Spectrum Identity Scale (ASIS) reported a four-factor structure with strong split-sample cross-validation and good internal consistency. This study reports the discriminative and criterion validity of the ASIS with other measures. Adults (n = 1139) who have, or identify with, an autism spectrum diagnosis took a nationally distributed online survey that also included demographic questions and measures for stigma, self-esteem, and quality of life (QoL). All four ASIS factors discriminated from measures of stigma and self-esteem. The ASIS also showed good criterion validity with the factors of Positive Difference and Changeability demonstrating widespread relationships with subjective quality of life in the expected directions.
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22. Patra S. {{Portraying the oddness of autism: My name is Khan; Indian Sesame street}}. {Asian J Psychiatr};2017 (Jul 08);30:28.
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23. Pelton MK, Cassidy SA. {{Are autistic traits associated with suicidality? A test of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide in a non-clinical young adult sample}}. {Autism Res};2017 (Jul 07)
Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) has recently been associated with increased risk of suicidality. However, no studies have explored how autistic traits may interact with current models of suicidal behavior in a non-clinical population. The current study therefore explored how self-reported autistic traits interact with perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in predicting suicidal behavior, in the context of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS). 163 young adults (aged 18-30 years) completed an online survey including measures of thwarted belonging and perceived burdensomeness (Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire), self-reported autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Quotient), current depression (Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale), and lifetime suicidality (Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised). Results showed that burdensomeness and thwarted belonging significantly mediated the relationship between autistic traits and suicidal behavior. Both depression and autistic traits significantly predicted thwarted belonging and perceived burdensomeness. Autistic traits did not significantly moderate the relationship between suicidal behavior and thwarted belonging or perceived burdensomeness. Results suggest that the IPTS provides a useful framework for understanding the influence of autistic traits on suicidal behavior. However, the psychometric properties of these measures need be explored in those with clinically confirmed diagnosis of ASC. Autism Res. 2017. (c) 2017 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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24. Pennisi E. {{AI in Action: Combing the genome for the roots of autism}}. {Science};2017 (Jul 07);357(6346):25.
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25. Sakano H, Zorio DAR, Wang X, Ting YS, Noble WS, MacCoss MJ, Rubel EW, Wang Y. {{Proteomic analyses of nucleus laminaris identified candidate targets of the fragile X mental retardation protein}}. {J Comp Neurol};2017 (Jul 07)
The avian nucleus laminaris (NL) is a brainstem nucleus necessary for binaural processing, analogous in structure and function to the mammalian medial superior olive. In chickens (Gallus gallus), NL is a well-studied model system for activity-dependent neural plasticity. Its neurons have bipolar extension of dendrites, which receive segregated inputs from two ears and display rapid and compartment-specific reorganization in response to unilateral changes in auditory input. More recently, FMRP (fragile X mental retardation protein), an RNA-binding protein that regulates local protein translation, has been shown to be enriched in NL dendrites, suggesting its potential role in the structural dynamics of these dendrites. To explore the molecular role of FMRP in this nucleus, we performed proteomic analysis of NL, using micro laser capture and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. We identified 657 proteins, greatly represented in pathways involved in mitochondria, translation and metabolism, consistent with high levels of activity of NL neurons. Of these, 94 are potential FMRP targets, by comparative analysis with previously proposed FMRP targets in mammals. These proteins are enriched in pathways involved in cellular growth, cellular trafficking and transmembrane transport. Immunocytochemistry verified the dendritic localization of several proteins in NL. Furthermore, we confirmed the direct interaction of FMRP with one candidate, RhoC, by in vitro RNA binding assays. In summary, we provide a database of highly expressed proteins in NL and in particular a list of potential FMRP targets, with the goal of facilitating molecular characterization of FMRP signaling in future studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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26. Shaaban SY, El Gendy YG, Mehanna NS, El-Senousy WM, El-Feki HSA, Saad K, El-Asheer OM. {{The role of probiotics in children with autism spectrum disorder: A prospective, open-label study}}. {Nutr Neurosci};2017 (Jul 07):1-6.
OBJECTIVE: There are limited data on the efficacy of probiotics in children with ASD, therefore, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of probiotics in an Egyptian cohort of children with ASD. METHODS: Gastrointestinal (GI) flora were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR of stool samples of 30 autistic children from 5 to 9 years old. GI symptoms of autistic children were assessed with a modified six-item Gastrointestinal Severity Index (6-GSI) questionnaire, and autistic symptoms were assessed with Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) before and after 3 months of supplementation of probiotics nutritional supplement formula (each gram contains 100 x 106 colony forming units of three probiotic strains; Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacteria longum). RESULTS: After probiotic supplementation, the stool PCR of autistic children showed increases in the colony counts of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli levels, with a significant reduction in their body weight as well as significant improvements in the severity of autism (assessed by the ATEC), and gastrointestinal symptoms (assessed by the 6-GSI) compared to the baseline evaluated at the start of the study. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that probiotics have beneficial effects on both behavioral and GI manifestations of ASD. Probiotics (a non-pharmacological and relatively risk-free option) could be recommended for children with ASD as an adjuvant therapy. At this stage, this study is a single center with a small number of patients and a great deal of additional wide-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to critically confirm the efficacy of probiotics in ASD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN-CTR Study Design: Trial Number UMIN000026157.
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27. Vallart E, Gicquel L. {{[Supporting an ASD child with digital tools]}}. {Soins Psychiatr};2017 (Jul – Aug);38(311):30-33.
Autism spectrum disorders lead to a long-term and severe impairment of communication and social interactions. The expansion of information and communication technologies, through digital applications which can be used on different devices, can be used to support these functions necessary for the development of children with ASD. Applications, serious games and even humanoid robots help to boost children’s interest in learning. They must however form part of a broader range of therapies.
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28. van der Heijden KB, Stoffelsen RJ, Popma A, Swaab H. {{Sleep, chronotype, and sleep hygiene in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and controls}}. {Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry};2017 (Jul 08)
Sleep problems are highly prevalent in ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Better insight in the etiology is of clinical importance since intervention and prevention strategies of sleep problems are directed at underlying mechanisms. We evaluated the association of sleep problems and sleep patterns with sleep hygiene (behavioral/environmental practices that influence sleep quality, e.g. caffeine use), access to electronic media, chronotype, and anxiety/depression in children aged 6-12 years with ADHD, ASD, or typical development (TD) using parental questionnaires. ANOVA and linear regression analyses were adjusted for age and sex. Children with ADHD and ASD showed more sleep problems (63.6 and 64.7%, vs 25.1% in TD) and shorter sleep duration than controls, while differences between ADHD and ASD were not significant. Sleep hygiene was worse in ADHD and ASD compared to TD, however, the association of worse sleep hygiene with more sleep problems was only significant in ASD and TD. There was a significant association of access to electronic media with sleep problems only in typically developing controls. Chronotype did not differ significantly between groups, but evening types were associated with sleep problems in ADHD and TD. Associations of greater anxiety/depression with more sleep problems were shown in ADHD and TD; however, anxiety/depression did not moderate the effects of chronotype and sleep hygiene. We conclude that sleep problems are highly prevalent in ADHD and ASD, but are differentially related to chronotype and sleep hygiene. In ASD, sleep problems are related to inadequate sleep hygiene and in ADHD to evening chronotype, while in TD both factors are important. Clinical implications are discussed.
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29. Vanmarcke S, Noens I, Steyaert J, Wagemans J. {{Change detection of meaningful objects in real-world scenes in adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism};2017 (Jun 01):1362361317702559.
Previous research suggested that adolescents with autism spectrum disorder are better than typically developing children in detecting local, non-social details within complex visual scenes. To better understand these differences, we used the image database by Sareen et al., containing the size and on-screen location information of all changes in the images, in a change blindness paradigm. In this task, an original and a modified real-world scene, separated by a gray blank, alternate repeatedly until observers detect the change. Our results indicated that participants with and without autism spectrum disorder performed similarly when scenes were presented upright, but that only the performance of the typically developing adolescents became worse in the inverted scene condition. In this condition, the correlation between performance and both image difficulty and change predictability was significantly weaker in autism spectrum disorder than in typically developing participants. We suggest that these findings result from a more locally biased search strategy in people with autism spectrum disorder, compared to typically developing participants, in tasks in which the rapid processing of global information does not help to improve change detection performance. Finally, although we found change location, change size, and age to influence participant performance, none of these was directly linked to the observed group-level differences.
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30. Veniaminova E, Cespuglio R, Cheung CW, Umriukhin A, Markova N, Shevtsova E, Lesch KP, Anthony DC, Strekalova T. {{Autism-Like Behaviours and Memory Deficits Result from a Western Diet in Mice}}. {Neural Plast};2017;2017:9498247.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, induced by a Western diet (WD), evokes central and peripheral inflammation that is accompanied by altered emotionality. These changes can be associated with abnormalities in social behaviour, hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions, and metabolism. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed with a regular chow or with a WD containing 0.2% of cholesterol and 21% of saturated fat for three weeks. WD-treated mice exhibited increased social avoidance, crawl-over and digging behaviours, decreased body-body contacts, and hyperlocomotion. The WD-fed group also displayed deficits in hippocampal-dependent performance such as contextual memory in a fear conditioning and pellet displacement paradigms. A reduction in glucose tolerance and elevated levels of serum cholesterol and leptin were also associated with the WD. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPARGC1a) mRNA, a marker of mitochondrial activity, was decreased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and dorsal raphe, suggesting suppressed brain mitochondrial functions, but not in the liver. This is the first report to show that a WD can profoundly suppress social interactions and induce dominant-like behaviours in naive adult mice. The spectrum of behaviours that were found to be induced are reminiscent of symptoms associated with autism, and, if paralleled in humans, suggest that a WD might exacerbate autism spectrum disorder.
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31. White SW, Elias R, Capriola-Hall NN, Smith IC, Conner CM, Asselin SB, Howlin P, Getzel EE, Mazefsky CA. {{Development of a College Transition and Support Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Jul 06)
Empirically based, consumer-informed programming to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) transitioning to college is needed. Informed by theory and research, the Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students with ASD (STEPS) was developed to address this need. The first level (Step 1) supports high school students and the second level (Step 2) is for postsecondary students with ASD. Herein, we review the extant research on transition supports for emerging adults with ASD and describe the development of STEPS, including its theoretical basis and how it was informed by consumer input. The impact of STEPS on promotion of successful transition into college and positive outcomes for students during higher education is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.
