1. Carter Leno V, Tomlinson SB, Chang SA, Naples AJ, McPartland JC. {{Resting-state alpha power is selectively associated with autistic traits reflecting behavioral rigidity}}. {Sci Rep}. 2018; 8(1): 11982.
Previous research suggests that variation in at-rest neural activity correlates with specific domains of the ASD phenotype; however, few studies have linked patterns of brain activity with autistic trait expression in typically developing populations. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) and three domains of the broader autism phenotype (social interest, rigidity, and pragmatic language) in typically developing individuals. High-density scalp EEG was recorded in thirty-seven typically developing adult participants (13 male, aged 18-52 years). The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAP-Q) was used to measure autistic trait expression. Absolute alpha power (8-13 Hz) was extracted from eyes-closed epochs using spectral decomposition techniques. Analyses revealed a specific positive association between scores on the BAP-Q Rigidity subscale and alpha power in the parietal scalp region. No significant associations were found between alpha power and the BAP-Q Aloofness or Pragmatic Language subscales. Furthermore, the association between EEG power and behavioral rigidity was specific to the alpha frequency band. This study demonstrates that specific traits within the broader autism phenotype are associated with dissociable patterns of at-rest neural activity.
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2. Chepure AH, Somaiya MP, Subramanyam AA, Kamath RK. {{Epileptic Encephalopathy and Autism: A Complex Interplay}}. {Journal of pediatric neurosciences}. 2018; 13(2): 273-5.
Drug-resistant epileptic encephalopathy such as Dravet syndrome presents with autistic symptoms. Three cases with autism spectrum disorder with comorbid Dravet syndrome were assessed. All the cases presented with onset of seizures before a year and with autistic features. The patients responded to a combination of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), resulting in reduced frequency of seizures and behavioral issues. Contrary to the belief that both epilepsy and use of AEDs have adverse impact on the cognition of children with an early onset of epilepsy, we found improvement in the symptoms of our patients who presented with autism and epilepsy. Primary treatment approaches such as occupational therapy, special education, speech therapy, and behavioral therapy; effective diagnosis of comorbidities such as epilepsy; and aggressive treatment might help with behavioral improvement. Early diagnosis followed by treatment with AEDs can improve seizures, electroencephalography abnormalities, and behavioral problems.
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3. Cole EJ, Enticott PG, Oberman LM, Gwynette MF, Casanova MF, Jackson SLJ, Jannati A, McPartland JC, Naples AJ, Puts NAJ. {{The Potential of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Consensus Statement}}. {Biol Psychiatry}. 2018.
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4. Connery K, Tippett M, Delhey LM, Rose S, Slattery JC, Kahler SG, Hahn J, Kruger U, Cunningham MW, Shimasaki C, Frye RE. {{Intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of autoimmune encephalopathy in children with autism}}. {Translational psychiatry}. 2018; 8(1): 148.
The identification of brain-targeted autoantibodies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) raises the possibility of autoimmune encephalopathy (AIE). Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is effective for AIE and for some children with ASD. Here, we present the largest case series of children with ASD treated with IVIG. Through an ASD clinic, we screened 82 children for AIE, 80 of them with ASD. IVIG was recommended for 49 (60%) with 31 (38%) receiving the treatment under our care team. The majority of parents (90%) reported some improvement with 71% reporting improvements in two or more symptoms. In a subset of patients, Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and/or Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) were completed before and during IVIG treatment. Statistically significant improvement occurred in the SRS and ABC. The antidopamine D2L receptor antibody, the anti-tubulin antibody and the ratio of the antidopamine D2L to D1 receptor antibodies were related to changes in the ABC. The Cunningham Panel predicted SRS, ABC, parent-based treatment responses with good accuracy. Adverse effects were common (62%) but mostly limited to the infusion period. Only two (6%) patients discontinued IVIG because of adverse effects. Overall, our open-label case series provides support for the possibility that some children with ASD may benefit from IVIG. Given that adverse effects are not uncommon, IVIG treatment needs to be considered cautiously. We identified immune biomarkers in select IVIG responders but larger cohorts are needed to study immune biomarkers in more detail. Our small open-label exploratory trial provides evidence supporting a neuroimmune subgroup in patients with ASD.
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5. Croen LA, Qian Y, Ashwood P, Daniels JL, Fallin D, Schendel D, Schieve LA, Singer AB, Zerbo O. {{Family history of immune conditions and autism spectrum and developmental disorders: Findings from the study to explore early development}}. {Autism Res}. 2018.
Numerous studies have reported immune system disturbances in individuals with autism and their family members; however, there is considerable variability in findings with respect to the specific immune conditions involved, their timing, and the family members affected and little understanding of variation by autism subphenotype. Using data from the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), a multi-site case-control study of children born 2003-2006 in the United States, we examined the role of family history of autoimmune diseases, asthma, and allergies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as other developmental disorders (DD). We investigated maternal immune conditions during the pregnancy period, as well as lifetime history of these conditions in several family members (mother, father, siblings, and study child). Logistic regression analyses included 663 children with ASD, 984 children with DD, and 915 controls ascertained from the general population (POP). Maternal history of eczema/psoriasis and asthma was associated with a 20%-40% increased odds of both ASD and DD. Risk estimates varied by specific ASD subphenotypes in association with these exposures. In addition, children with ASD were more likely to have a history of psoriasis/eczema or allergies than POP controls. No association was observed for paternal history or family history of these immune conditions for either ASD or DD. These data support a link between maternal and child immune conditions and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, and further suggest that associations may differ by ASD phenotype of the child. Autism Res 2018., (c) 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Using data from a large multi-site study in the US-the Study to Explore Early Development-we found that women with a history of eczema/psoriasis and asthma are more likely to have children with ASD or DD. In addition, children with ASD are more likely to have a history of psoriasis/eczema or allergies than typically developing children. These data support a link between maternal and child immune conditions and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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6. Divan G, Vajaratkar V, Cardozo P, Huzurbazar S, Verma M, Howarth E, Emsley R, Taylor C, Patel V, Green J. {{The Feasibility and Effectiveness of PASS Plus, A Lay Health Worker Delivered Comprehensive Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Pilot RCT in a Rural Low and Middle Income Country Setting}}. {Autism Res}. 2018.
The treatment gap for autism globally is high. Our previous PASS intervention, delivered by community based lay health workers, showed effectiveness. This article reports the development and evaluation of a new « PASS ‘Plus' » intervention in a rural population in India. Using formative research methods, we supplemented the PASS intervention with additional (Plus) modules to address autism comorbidities. This is the first time that a rigorous methodology has been used to evaluate autism symptom outcomes in a low and middle-income country setting. 40 parent-child dyads were recruited in a pilot randomized controlled trial against usual care (mean age 65 months (34 boys); n = 19 PASS Plus, n = 21 UC). 89% of intervention families partially or entirely completed the 12-session intervention. Intention to treat analysis showed a reduction in mean scores of autism symptom severity, though the confidence interval contains zero, (adjusted mean difference AMD -2.42 95% CI -7.75, 2.92; ES 0.22); large treatment effects on proximal outcomes of proportion of parent synchronous responses (AMD 0.35; 95% CI 0.18, 0.52; effect size ES 3.97) and proportion of child communication initiations with parent (AMD 0.17; 95% CI 0.03, 0.32; ES 1.02). Confidence intervals for effects on mutual shared attention (AMD 0.10; 95% CI -0.07, 0.27; ES 0.5) and co-morbid symptoms (AMD -9.0; 95% CI -24.26, 6.26; ES 0.32) contained zero. There were significant effects to improve parental mental health. PASS Plus shows good feasibility and adds to the evidence of the effectiveness of task sharing complex autism interventions to lay health workers in India. Autism Res 2018. (c) 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: This article describes the development of a comprehensive, community-delivered, intervention for young children with autism, which combines a previously developed parent-mediated communication intervention with support for co-morbid problems like challenging behaviors and sensory sensitivities. The unique aspect of this intervention is that it can be delivered by community health workers, addressing the lack of specialists in low resource settings. Our study reports the encouraging findings of a pilot trial evaluating its feasibility and effectiveness.
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7. Fletcher-Watson S, Adams J, Brook K, Charman T, Crane L, Cusack J, Leekam S, Milton D, Parr JR, Pellicano E. {{Making the future together: Shaping autism research through meaningful participation}}. {Autism}. 2018: 1362361318786721.
Participatory research methods connect researchers with relevant communities to achieve shared goals. These methods can deliver results that are relevant to people’s lives and thus likely to have a positive impact. In the context of a large and growing body of autism research, with continued poor implementation, and some evidence of community dissatisfaction, there is a powerful case for participatory autism research. In order to develop a framework for such collaborative working, a UK seminar series was organised and co-produced by autistic and non-autistic people with academic, practitioner and lived expertise. This article reports on the outcomes from the series, identifying five topics relevant to building a community of practice in participatory research: Respect, Authenticity, Assumptions, Infrastructure and Empathy. Each topic is connected to a specific example from within and beyond research, to inspire new practices in the field. We call for the development of participatory research skills among the autism research community and the facilitation of greater autistic leadership of, and partnership in, research. Such work, if delivered to a high standard, is likely to lead to better translation into practice and improved outcomes for autistic people and those who support them.
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8. Ghodsi R, Kheirouri S, Nosrati R. {{ANNALS EXPRESS: Carnosine supplementation does not affect serum levels of advanced glycation and precursors of lipoxidation end products in autism: A randomized controlled clinical trial}}. {Annals of clinical biochemistry}. 2018: 4563218796860.
BACKGROUND: Abundant evidence indicates the increased levels of oxidative stress in patients with autism. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and advanced lipoxidation end products (ALEs) and their precursors play the major role in increased oxidative stress in numerous metabolic and neurologic diseases. Carnosine is a natural dipeptide with anti-glycation effects. The aim of this trial was to examine the effects of carnosine supplementation on the AGEs and the precursors of ALEs in patients with autism. METHOD: This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 36 autistic children, 18 in the carnosine group and 18 in the placebo group. The groups received a daily supplement of 500 mg carnosine or placebo for two months, respectively. Plasma levels of glycation and precursors of lipoxidation markers were evaluated by ELISA method. RESULTS: In all, 63.9% of the autistic children had normal nutritional status. Carnosine supplementation did not significantly alter plasma levels of AGEs and precursors of ALEs in autistic children. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that supplementation of carnosine could not change AGEs and precursor of ALEs in autistic children.
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9. Heller T, Scott HM, Janicki MP. {{Caregiving, intellectual disability, and dementia: Report of the Summit Workgroup on Caregiving and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities}}. {Alzheimer’s & dementia (New York, N Y)}. 2018; 4: 272-82.
Introduction: A specially commissioned working group produced a report on caregiving, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), and dementia for the National Institutes of Health-located National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers. Methods: Experts in caregiving, dementia, and IDDs examined the current state of research, policy, and practice related to caregiving and supports; identified the similarities and dissimilarities between IDD-related care and services and the general population affected by dementia; and considered how these findings might contribute to the conversation on developing a dementia care research and services development agenda. Results: Five major areas related to programs and caregiving were assessed: (1) challenges of dementia; (2) family caregiving interventions; (3) supportive care settings; (4) effects of diversity; and (5) bridging service networks of aging and disability. Discussion: Recommendations included increasing supports for caregivers of adults with IDDs and dementia; increasing research on community living settings and including caregivers of persons with IDDs in dementia research; acknowledging cultural values and practice diversity in caregiving; increasing screening for dementia and raising awareness; and leveraging integration of aging and disability networks.
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10. Khan NZ, McConachie H. {{Response to « Managing autism spectrum disorder in developing countries by utilizing existing resources: A perspective from Bangladesh »}}. {Autism}. 2018: 1362361318791294.
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11. Kim N, Choi US, Ha S, Lee SB, Song SH, Song DH, Cheon KA. {{Aberrant Neural Activation Underlying Idiom Comprehension in Korean Children with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Yonsei medical journal}. 2018; 59(7): 897-903.
PURPOSE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication impairments and repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. Impaired pragmatic language comprehension is a universal feature in individuals with ASD. However, the underlying neural basis of pragmatic language is poorly understood. In the present study, we examined neural activation patterns associated with impaired pragmatic language comprehension in ASD, compared to typically developing children (TDC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was applied to 15 children with ASD and 18 TDC using the Korean pragmatic language task. RESULTS: Children with ASD were less accurate than TDC at comprehending idioms, particularly when they were required to interpret idioms with mismatched images (mismatched condition). Children with ASD also showed different patterns of neural activity than TDC in all three conditions (neutral, matched, and mismatched). Specifically, children with ASD showed decreased activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (Brodmann area 47) in the mismatched condition, compared with TDC (IFG; t(31)=3.17, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that children with ASD face difficulties in comprehending pragmatic expressions and apply different pragmatic language processes at the neural level. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
12. Laura P, Marie G, Romuald B, Catherine B, Sylvie R, Arnold M, Serge R, Nadia AH, Valerie M, Frederique BB. {{22q13 deletion syndrome: communication disorder or autism? Evidence from a specific clinical and neurophysiological phenotype}}. {Translational psychiatry}. 2018; 8(1): 146.
Phelan-McDermid syndrome is related to terminal 22q13 deletions of various sizes affecting the SHANK3 gene. In this neurodevelopmental disorder, behavioural symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are reported in half of cases. Extensive clinical and neurophysiological characterization is lacking to understand the genotype-phenotype correlation. Eighteen patients (8 males, mean age 12.7 years, SD = 9.2) with known 22q13 deletions were fully explored with determination of deletion size, along with behavioural, language and cognitive standardized assessments. Neurophysiological indices previously reported to be altered in autism (i.e., eye tracking in a social/non-social task and auditory evoked potential mismatch) were also recorded. Thirty-nine percent met ASD clinical criteria, exceeding cut-off scores on both ADI-R (Autism Diagnosis Interview based on the period spanning 4-5 years of age) and ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule for the current period). All patients had intellectual disability and language disability. Deletion size was significantly correlated with expressive and receptive language disability but not with ASD standardized assessment scores. Developmental Quotient tended to be lower in patients with the largest deletions. Using Eye Tracking, smaller pupil size, which is typically described in ASD, was not observed in these patients. Furthermore, atypical shortened latency of mismatch negativity response previously reported in ASD was not observed, whereas the N250 pattern, related to language, was affected. Language disability combined with cognitive deficits may lead to autistic behavioural symptoms, but with different neurophysiological networks compared to typical autism. These results highlight the indication for early speech therapy rather than intensive autism programme to treat these patients.
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13. Rao VS, Mysore AV. {{Continuous Distribution of Autistic Traits in an Indian Sample}}. {Indian journal of pediatrics}. 2018.
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14. Schwartz J, Huntington N, Toomey M, Laverdiere M, Bevans K, Blum N, Bridgemohan C. {{Measuring the involvement in family life of children with autism spectrum disorder: A DBPNet study}}. {Res Dev Disabil}. 2018; 83: 18-27.
BACKGROUND: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have social and communication deficits that impair their involvement in family life. No measures of child involvement in the family have been validated for the ASD population. AIM: To evaluate the validity of a measure of Family Involvement (FI) of children ages 5-12 with ASD. METHOD: Parents of children ages 5-12 with ASD (n = 114) completed FI items from the PROMIS(R) pediatric Family Relationships item bank in computerized adaptive testing (CAT) format, as well as measures of ASD symptom burden, parenting stress, and parental depression. Medical record review provided child intelligence or developmental quotient. A reference sample (n = 236) closely matching the ASD sample in age and gender was created from the national standardization sample, and underwent a simulated CAT. RESULTS: The CAT precisely and efficiently measured parent-reported FI of children with ASD. Average FI scores were lower among children with ASD (M = 46.3, SD = 7.1) than children in the reference sample (M = 52.5, SD = 9.1). A « dose response » decrease in FI was observed as ASD severity increased. Increased parenting stress was associated with lower FI. No relationship between FI and child IQ was found. CONCLUSION: The FI items captured FI among children ages 5-12 with ASD with acceptable precision. Reduced FI among children with ASD, particularly those with higher symptom severity, suggests validity of the items in this population.
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15. Walsh JJ, Christoffel DJ, Heifets BD, Ben-Dor GA, Selimbeyoglu A, Hung LW, Deisseroth K, Malenka RC. {{5-HT release in nucleus accumbens rescues social deficits in mouse autism model}}. {Nature}. 2018.
Dysfunction in prosocial interactions is a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie sociability are poorly understood, limiting the rational development of therapies to treat social deficits. Here we show in mice that bidirectional modulation of the release of serotonin (5-HT) from dorsal raphe neurons in the nucleus accumbens bidirectionally modifies sociability. In a mouse model of a common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder-a copy number variation on chromosome 16p11.2-genetic deletion of the syntenic region from 5-HT neurons induces deficits in social behaviour and decreases dorsal raphe 5-HT neuronal activity. These sociability deficits can be rescued by optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe 5-HT neurons, an effect requiring and mimicked by activation of 5-HT1b receptors in the nucleus accumbens. These results demonstrate an unexpected role for 5-HT action in the nucleus accumbens in social behaviours, and suggest that targeting this mechanism may prove therapeutically beneficial.
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16. Wan G, Kong X, Sun B, Yu S, Tu Y, Park J, Lang C, Koh M, Wei Z, Feng Z, Lin Y, Kong J. {{Applying Eye Tracking to Identify Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Eye tracking (ET) holds potential for the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To overcome the difficulties of working with young children, developing a short and informative paradigm is crucial for ET. We investigated the fixation times of 37 ASD and 37 typically developing (TD) children ages 4-6 watching a 10-second video of a female speaking. ASD children showed significant reductions in fixation time at six areas of interest. Furthermore, discriminant analysis revealed fixation times at the mouth and body could significantly discriminate ASD from TD with a classification accuracy of 85.1%, sensitivity of 86.5%, and specificity of 83.8%. Our study suggests that a short video clip may provide enough information to distinguish ASD from TD children.
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17. Wang Z, Jing J, Igarashi K, Fan L, Yang S, Li Y, Jin Y. {{Executive function predicts the visuospatial working memory in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder}}. {Autism Res}. 2018.
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) always show working memory deficits. However, research findings on the factors that affected the working memory in ASD and ADHD were inconsistent. Thus, we developed the present study to investigate the association of executive function (EF) with the visuospatial working memory (VSWM) in ASD and ADHD. Three groups of participants were examined: 21 children with ASD, 28 children with ADHD and 28 typically developing (TD) children as the controls. All participants completed two tests: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Corsi Block Tapping Test for measuring EF and VSWM, respectively. The WCST included four domains: categories achieved (CA), perseverative errors (PE), failures to maintain set (FMS), and total errors (TE). The findings indicated that (1) the ASD group showed poorer performance in VSWM than the ADHD and TD groups; (2) for the ASD group, VSWM was positively correlated with CA, and was negatively correlated with PE and TE; (3) for the ADHD group, FMS showed a negative relationship with VSWM; and (4) TE predicted the performance of VSWM in ASD group, while FMS predicted VSWM in ADHD group. The study results suggested that VSWM was impaired in ASD but not in ADHD. Also, the EF domains were differently correlated with the VSWM performance in ASD and ADHD. Our study suggests that we should consider different intervention targets of working memory and EF contributions in improving the cognitive capacity of ASD and ADHD. Autism Res 2018., (c) 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The present study compared the visuospatial working memory (VSWM) in three groups of children: autism (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and typically developed children (TD). The ASD group showed poorer VSWM than the ADHD and TD groups. The total error of executive function predicted the performance of VSWM in ASD, while failures to maintain set predicted VSWM in ADHD . These findings suggested that we should consider the different working memory and executive function training targets to increase cognitive capacity of ASD and ADHD.
