1. Cardon TA, Wilcox MJ. {{Promoting Imitation in Young Children with Autism: A Comparison of Reciprocal Imitation Training and Video Modeling}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 10)
The inability to imitate is a salient diagnostic marker for autism. It has been suggested that for children with autism, imitation may be a prerequisite skill that can assist in the development of various skills. Using a multiple baseline design across subjects, the purpose of this research was to determine if two interventions, reciprocal imitation training and video modeling were effective in promoting imitation acquisition in young children with autism. Six boys were matched across various features (i.e., age, language, autism severity) and randomly placed in a treatment condition. Results indicated that all six participants increased their imitation skills to varying degrees in both conditions, and imitation maintained and generalized at higher than baseline levels post treatment.
2. Hoekstra RA, Vinkhuyzen AA, Wheelwright S, Bartels M, Boomsma DI, Baron-Cohen S, Posthuma D, van der Sluis S. {{The Construction and Validation of an Abridged Version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ-Short)}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 10)
This study reports on the development and validation of an abridged version of the 50-item Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a self-report measure of autistic traits. We aimed to reduce the number of items whilst retaining high validity and a meaningful factor structure. The item reduction procedure was performed on data from 1,263 Dutch students and general population adults. The resulting 28-item AQ-Short was subsequently validated in 3 independent samples, both clinical and controls, from the Netherlands and the UK. The AQ-Short comprises two higher-order factors assessing ‘social behavioral difficulties’ and ‘a fascination for numbers/patterns’. The clear factor structure of the AQ-Short and its high sensitivity and specificity make the AQ-Short a useful alternative to the full 50-item version.
3. Lyall K, Pauls DL, Santangelo S, Spiegelman D, Ascherio A. {{Maternal Early Life Factors Associated with Hormone Levels and the Risk of Having a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Nurses Health Study II}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 10)
It is not known whether reproductive factors early in the mother’s life influence risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We assessed maternal age at menarche, menstrual cycle characteristics during adolescence, oral contraceptive use prior to first birth, body shape, and body mass index (BMI) in association with ASD using binomial regression in a cohort study of 61,596 women, including 743 cases. Overall, early life factors were not associated with ASD, though early age at menarche (RR for age 10 or less = 1.54, 95% CI 1.18, 2.02, p = 0.0002) and BMI at age 18 of >/=30 (RR 2.03, 95% CI 1.34, 3.08, p = 0.0008) were significantly associated with increased risk of ASD. Further work should investigate the potential influence of these factors.
4. Maes JH, Eling PA, Wezenberg E, Vissers CT, Kan CC. {{Attentional set shifting in autism spectrum disorder: Differentiating between the role of perseveration, learned irrelevance, and novelty processing}}. {J Clin Exp Neuropsychol} (Aug 5):1-8.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with impaired attentional set shifting, which may reflect enhanced perseverative responding, enhanced learned irrelevance, and/or reduced novelty processing. We assessed the contribution of these potential error sources in ASD adults. A total of 17 ASD and 19 matched comparison individuals first solved a discrimination learning task. Thereafter, the participants faced three types of attentional shift, specifically designed to isolate the effect of the three possible error sources. ASD participants made more errors than comparison individuals in a shift implying a choice between a novel relevant stimulus attribute and a familiar attribute that was previously relevant but now irrelevant. However, they made fewer errors in a shift involving a choice between a novel irrelevant attribute and a familiar, previously irrelevant but now relevant attribute. The results in combination suggest that the performance difference, at least in the present shift task, is caused by reduced novelty processing in ASD participants.
5. Murray MJ. {{Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Context of Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Curr Psychiatry Rep} (Aug 7)
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are frequently marked by symptoms consistent with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), namely inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Recent work has established that about half of the ASD population also meets diagnostic criteria for ADHD, although the comorbid diagnoses are precluded by the DSM-IV-TR. Individuals with co-occurring ASD and ADHD symptoms are more severely impaired, with significant deficits seen in social processing, adaptive functioning, and executive control. Children with ASD and ADHD symptoms are also prone to motor problems, which lead to especially poor outcomes. Recent work has also demonstrated high rates of ASD symptoms in a subset of children with ADHD. Medication studies have demonstrated the efficacy of methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and guanfacine, among others, in treating ADHD symptoms co-occurring with ASD. However, these effects were not as great as those seen when treating primary ADHD, and they are less well-tolerated in the ASD population.
6. Pang KH, Croaker GD. {{Constipation in children with autism and autistic spectrum disorder}}. {Pediatr Surg Int} (Aug 10)
BACKGROUND: Children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) have long been known to suffer from GIT symptoms. We planned to quantify the contribution of this group to our constipation clinic workload, and to discover defining group characteristics. METHODS: The characteristics of the bowel habit of children with autism +/- neuro-developmental psychiatric (NDP) diagnoses were compared with ‘normal’ children by retrospective chart review. Data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Office 2007), and compared between groups. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen patients presented to the Paediatric Surgical Constipation clinic between April 2003 and May 2008. 90 patients were otherwise normal; 18 patients had NDP; 6 patients had ASD alone and 4 had ASD with other neurodevelopmental features. The median [interquartile range] age at onset in the ASD + NDP and normal groups was 2.5 (1-6) and 14 (4-36) months, respectively (p = 0.03) and the median duration of history in the ASD +/- NDP and normal groups was 61 (47-89) and 27 (13-53) months, respectively (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Autism spectrum disorders are an order of magnitude more common in the constipation clinic than in the general population. 8.5% of patients who attended our Paediatric Surgical Constipation clinic had autism with or without NDP deficits. Children with autism +/- NDP deficits have an earlier onset of symptoms, longer history, and some possess signs similar to those of slow transit constipation. These features may be inborn. A common genetic origin of gut and behavioural abnormalities suggests that specific targeted investigation and treatment for the constipation of ASD may in time be developed.
7. Parmeggiani A, Barcia G, Posar A, Raimondi E, Santucci M, Scaduto MC. {{Epilepsy and EEG paroxysmal abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders}}. {Brain Dev} (Aug 4)
The occurrence of epilepsy in autism is variable; nevertheless, EEG paroxysmal abnormalities (PA) are frequently recorded in patients with autism, although the influence of epilepsy and/or EEG PA on the autistic regression has not been clarified yet. We examine a large sample of 345 inpatients with autism, divided into three groups: (1) patients without epilepsy and EEG PA; (2) patients with EEG PA but no seizures; (3) patients with epilepsy including febrile convulsions. The prevalence of epilepsy (24.9%) and EEG PA (45.5%) was higher than that reported in the general population. The significant differences among the three groups concerned autistic regression (comparison between groups 1 and 2, p<0.05; comparison between groups 1 and 3, p<0.01), cerebral lesions (comparison between groups 1 and 2, p<0.05; between groups 1 and 3, p<0.001), and symptomatic autism (comparison between groups 1 and 2 as much as comparison between groups 1 and 3, p<0.001), which were prevalent in groups 2 and 3; while severe/profound mental retardation was more frequent in group 3 compared to group 1 (p<0.01). Focal epilepsy (43.0%) and febrile convulsions (33.7%) were frequent in the third group with epilepsy. EEG PA were mainly localized in temporal and central areas (31.4%). Only 2.6% of patients had subcontinuous/continuous EEG PA during sleep. Seizures and EEG PA were not related to autistic regression. EEG PA occurred mainly in childhood, while epilepsy tended to occur (p<0.001) as age increased. The age at onset of seizures had two peaks: between 0 and 5 and between 10 and 15years with no difference between idiopathic and symptomatic cases. In 58.5% of subjects aged 20years, epilepsy including febrile seizures occurred at some point of their lives, while cases with only EEG PA were less frequent (9.7%). The relationship among autism, EEG PA and epilepsy should be clarified and investigated. In autism, seizures and EEG PA could represent an epiphenomenon of a cerebral dysfunction independent of apparent lesions.
8. Puleo CM, Kendall PC. {{Anxiety Disorders in Typically Developing Youth: Autism Spectrum Symptoms as a Predictor of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 7)
Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were assessed (Social Responsiveness Scale-Parent (SRS-P); coded in-session behavior) in typically-developing, anxiety-disordered children (N = 50) treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Study 1: children with moderate autistic symptomology (per SRS-P) were significantly more likely to improve from family CBT (FCBT) than individual CBT (ICBT; OR = 8.67). Coded behavior did not predict outcome. Study 2: CBT components were compared by treatment and ASD symptom status. At-home exposure completion was greater in FCBT and there was an interaction in child involvement for treatment and ASD status. Though both treatments reduced anxiety, FCBT outperformed ICBT for children with moderate ASD symptoms, a benefit potentially linked to more at-home exposures and greater child involvement in FCBT.
9. Ray-Subramanian CE, Huai N, Ellis Weismer S. {{Brief Report: Adaptive Behavior and Cognitive Skills for Toddlers on the Autism Spectrum}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 10)
This study examined adaptive behavior and cognitive skills for 125 toddlers on the autism spectrum using the recently updated Vineland-II and Bayley-III. Delays in adaptive skills were apparent at 2 years of age. As a group, toddlers on the autism spectrum had a profile of Vineland-II standard scores in which Motor Skills > Daily Living Skills > Socialization > Communication. Vineland-II scores were significantly correlated with Bayley-III Cognitive scores. Performance on the ADOS was significantly negatively correlated with Bayley-III Cognitive standard scores and standard scores in the Daily Living Skills and Communication domains of the Vineland-II. However, calibrated ADOS scores did not contribute significant variance to Vineland-II scores beyond that predicted by age and Bayley-III scores.
10. Smith KR, Matson JL. {{Social skills: Differences among adults with intellectual disabilities, co-morbid autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy}}. {Res Dev Disabil} (Aug 6)
Assessing social skills is one of the most complex and challenging areas to study because behavioral repertoires vary depending on an individual’s culture and context. However, researchers have conclusively demonstrated that individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) have impaired social skills as well as those with co-morbid autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and epilepsy. However, it is unknown how these groups differ. Assessment of social skills was made with the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation. One hundred participants with ID were matched and compared across four equal groups comprising 25 participants with ID, 25 participants with epilepsy, 25 participants with ASD, and 25 participants with combined ASD and epilepsy. When controlling for age, gender, race, level of ID, and hearing and visual impairments, significant differences were found among the four groups on the MESSIER, Wilks’s Lambda=.58, F(18, 257)=3.05, p<.01. The multivariate eta(2) based on Wilks’s Lambda was .17. Significant differences were found on the Positive Verbal subscale, F(3, 96)=3.70, p<.01, eta(2)=.10, Positive Non-verbal subscale, F(3, 96)=8.95, p<.01, eta(2)=.22, General Positive subscale, F(3, 96)=7.30, p<.01, eta(2)=.19, Negative Non-verbal subscale, F(3, 96)=5.30, p<.01, eta(2)=.14, and General Negative subscale, F(3, 96)=3.16, p<.05, eta(2)=.09. Based on these results, individuals with ID expressing combined co-morbid ASD and epilepsy had significantly more impaired social skills than the ID only or groups containing only a single co-morbid factor with ID (ASD or epilepsy only). Implications of these findings are discussed.
11. Tolstoy N, Campbell AE. {{Invertebrate insights into autism}}. {Dis Model Mech} (Aug 10)
