1. Anderson KA, Shattuck PT, Cooper BP, Roux AM, Wagner M. {{Prevalence and correlates of postsecondary residential status among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism}. 2013 Sep 9.
This study examined the prevalence and correlates of three living arrangements (with a parent or guardian, independently or with a roommate, or in a supervised setting) among a nationally representative sample of postsecondary young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. We assessed living arrangements since leaving high school. Compared with young adults with other disability types (learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or emotional disturbances), those with an autism spectrum disorder were more likely to have lived with a parent or guardian and least likely ever to have lived independently since leaving high school. Members of the autism spectrum disorder group were less likely to have ever lived elsewhere and more likely to live under supervision since leaving high school compared to persons with emotional disturbances and learning disabilities. Group differences persisted after controlling for functional ability and demographic characteristics. Correlates of residential independence included being White, having better conversation ability and functional skills, and having a higher household income. Further research is needed to investigate how these residential trends relate to the quality of life among families and young adults.
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2. Bicer AH, Alsaffar AA. {{Body mass index, dietary intake and feeding problems of Turkish children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)}}. {Research in developmental disabilities}. 2013 Sep 9;34(11):3978-87.
The body mass index of 164 children (aged 4-18 years) attending four autism rehabilitation centers in Istanbul, Turkey, was determined and assessed using the BMI-for-age percentile charts by the World Health Organization (WHO). The mean intake of energy and nutrients of 115 children were calculated using three-day food records. The feeding assessment surveys filled in by the parents/caregivers indicated that the major feeding problem among children was food selectivity. The majority of the children were overweight or obese (58.5%). A total of 11% of children were found to be severely thin and thin. The calcium, zinc, vitamin B6 and folate intake of the majority of children were inadequate. The salt consumption in all age groups and cholesterol intake in normal, overweight and obese children were high.
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3. Dalsgaard S, Nielsen HS, Simonsen M. {{Five-Fold Increase in National Prevalence Rates of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medications for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and other Psychiatric Disorders: A Danish Register-Based Study}}. {Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology}. 2013 Sep 9.
Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and time trends in prescriptions of methylphenidate, dexamphetamine, and atomoxetine in children and adolescents, within three diagnostic groups: 1) autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 2) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 3) other psychiatric disorders. Methods: Data from six different national registers were used and merged to identify a cohort of all children and adolescents born in Denmark between 1990 and 2001 (n=852,711). Sociodemographic covariates on cohort members and their parents and lifetime prescriptions of methylphenidate, dexamphetamine, and atomoxetine were extracted from the registers. Prescriptions were also stratified by duration (<6 months. vs.>/=6 months). Results: Sixteen percent of 9698 children and adolescents with ASD (n=1577), 61% of 11,553 children and adolescents with ADHD (n=7021) and 3% of 48,468 children and adolescents with other psychiatric disorders (n=1537) were treated with one or more ADHD medications. There was a significant increase in prescription rates of these medications for all three groups. From 2003 to 2010, youth 6-13 years of age with ASD, ADHD, and other psychiatric disorders had 4.7-fold (4.4-4.9), 6.3-fold (6.0-6.4), and 5.5-fold (5.0-5.9) increases, respectively, in prescription rates of ADHD medications. Conclusion: This is the largest study to date assessing stimulant treatment in children and adolescents with ASD, and is the first prospective study quantifying the change over time in the prevalence of treatment with ADHD medications in a population-based national cohort of children and adolescents with ASD. The prevalence of stimulant treatment in youth with ASD of 16% is consistent with earlier studies. The past decade has witnessed a clear and progressive increase in the prescription rates of medications typically used to treat ADHD in children and adolescents in Denmark. This increase is not limited to only those with ADHD, but includes others with neuropsychiatric disorders, including ASD. The risks and benefits of this practice await further study.
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4. Frazier TW, Ratliff KR, Gruber C, Zhang Y, Law PA, Constantino JN. {{Confirmatory factor analytic structure and measurement invariance of quantitative autistic traits measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale-2}}. {Autism}. 2013 Sep 9.
Understanding the factor structure of autistic symptomatology is critical to the discovery and interpretation of causal mechanisms in autism spectrum disorder. We applied confirmatory factor analysis and assessment of measurement invariance to a large (N = 9635) accumulated collection of reports on quantitative autistic traits using the Social Responsiveness Scale, representing a broad diversity of age, severity, and reporter type. A two-factor structure (corresponding to social communication impairment and restricted, repetitive behavior) as elaborated in the updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) criteria for autism spectrum disorder exhibited acceptable model fit in confirmatory factor analysis. Measurement invariance was appreciable across age, sex, and reporter (self vs other), but somewhat less apparent between clinical and nonclinical populations in this sample comprised of both familial and sporadic autism spectrum disorders. The statistical power afforded by this large sample allowed relative differentiation of three factors among items encompassing social communication impairment (emotion recognition, social avoidance, and interpersonal relatedness) and two factors among items encompassing restricted, repetitive behavior (insistence on sameness and repetitive mannerisms). Cross-trait correlations remained extremely high, that is, on the order of 0.66-0.92. These data clarify domains of statistically significant factoral separation that may relate to partially-but not completely-overlapping biological mechanisms, contributing to variation in human social competency. Given such robust intercorrelations among symptom domains, understanding their co-emergence remains a high priority in conceptualizing common neural mechanisms underlying autistic syndromes.
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5. Lind SE, Williams DM, Bowler DM, Peel A. {{Episodic Memory and Episodic Future Thinking Impairments in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Underlying Difficulty With Scene Construction or Self-Projection?}}. {Neuropsychology}. 2013 Sep 9.
Objective: There appears to be a common network of brain regions that underlie the ability to recall past personal experiences (episodic memory) and the ability to imagine possible future personal experiences (episodic future thinking). At the cognitive level, these abilities are thought to rely on « scene construction » (the ability to bind together multimodal elements of a scene in mind-dependent on hippocampal functioning) and temporal « self-projection » (the ability to mentally project oneself through time-dependent on prefrontal cortex functioning). Although autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by diminished episodic memory, it is unclear whether episodic future thinking is correspondingly impaired. Moreover, the underlying basis of such impairments (difficulties with scene construction, self-projection, or both) is yet to be established. The current study therefore aimed to elucidate these issues. Method: Twenty-seven intellectually high-functioning adults with ASD and 29 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical comparison adults were asked to describe (a) imagined atemporal, non-self-relevant fictitious scenes (assessing scene construction), (b) imagined plausible self-relevant future episodes (assessing episodic future thinking), and (c) recalled personally experienced past episodes (assessing episodic memory). Tests of narrative ability and theory of mind were also completed. Results: Performances of participants with ASD were significantly and equally diminished in each condition and, crucially, this diminution was independent of general narrative ability. Conclusions: Given that participants with ASD were impaired in the fictitious scene condition, which does not involve self-projection, we suggest the underlying difficulty with episodic memory/future thinking is one of scene construction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
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6. Mazzone L, Postorino V, De Peppo L, Fatta L, Lucarelli V, Reale L, Giovagnoli G, Vicari S. {{Mood symptoms in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Research in developmental disabilities}. 2013 Sep 9;34(11):3699-708.
Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA) are psychiatric conditions belonging to the Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), characterized by social dysfunction and focused interest, in the absence of mental retardation. Previous reports suggest that AS/HFA may be associated with important psychiatric comorbidities. Among the psychiatric internalizing disorders, depression and anxiety are probably the most common disorders. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of mood disorders and identifying peculiar clinical features in subjects suffering from AS and HFA. 30 male patients with AS/HFA, 30 male patients affected by Major Depression (MD) and 35 male Typically Developing (TD) comparison were assessed with the CDI and the CDRS-R. Participants’ parents were invited to complete the CBCL and the P-YMRS. Moreover, the CGAS was rated by the clinicians. The evaluation of depressive symptoms showed that AS/HFA group reported higher depressive symptoms, as showed by CDI total, CBCL internalizing and CDRS-R total, compared to the TD group. No significant difference of depressive symptoms was found between the AS/HFA and the MD group, with the exception of CDRS-R total score. Moreover, linear regression analysis in the AS/HFA group between CGAS and depressive symptoms revealed that a higher level of depressive symptoms increased the risk of poorer global functioning. These results suggest that the depressive symptoms in AS/HFA patients may be associated with poorer global functioning, with a consequent impairment in their psychological profile and social adjustment, and should alert clinicians to the importance of assessing mood disorders in order to choose the appropriate treatment.
