1. {{Why being XY increases risk of autism}}. {Perspect Public Health}. 2010 Nov;130(6):242.
2. Barnard-Brak L, Sulak T, Ivey Hatz JK. {{Macrocephaly in children with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Pediatr Neurol}. 2011 Feb;44(2):97-100.
Research indicates the presence of macrocephaly or abnormally large head circumferences in children with autism and spectrum-related disorders, compared with their typically developing peers. Previous research, however, centered on non-nationally representative, clinic-based samples of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Moreover, these samples were typically small. The present study represents results of a nationally representative, community-based sample of children with and without autism spectrum disorders, derived from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort. Results reveal statistically nonsignificant differences in the head circumferences of children with autism spectrum disorders across three time points, compared with children without autism spectrum disorders. These results may be considered highly generalizable, because they are derived from a nationally representative, community-based sample of children with and without autism spectrum disorders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort.
3. Bejerot S. {{[No one benefits from inflation of the autism spectrum concept]}}. {Lakartidningen}. 2010 Nov 24-30;107(47):2978-9; author reply 9.
4. Crepel A, Steyaert J, De la Marche W, De Wolf V, Fryns JP, Noens I, et al. {{Narrowing the critical deletion region for autism spectrum disorders on 16p11.2}}. {Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet}. 2011 Jan 11.
5. Dealberto MJ. {{Prevalence of autism according to maternal immigrant status and ethnic origin}}. {Acta Psychiatr Scand}. 2011 Jan 11.
Dealberto M.-J. Prevalence of autism according to maternal immigrant status and ethnic origin. Objective: To examine the rates of autism separately according to maternal immigrant status and ethnic origin in respect to the vitamin D insufficiency hypothesis. Method: Articles were identified by electronic searches. Studies were selected when they analysed autism rates according to maternal immigrant status and/or ethnic origin using multivariate techniques. Results: This review gave further support to the association between maternal immigrant status and an increased risk of autism. The relationship with ethnic origin was more complex. Although the crude rates did not differ, multivariate analyses taking into account confounding factors found that black ethnicity was associated with an increased risk for autism. The risk was highly significant when considering the strict definition of autistic disorders as opposed to the large definition of other pervasive developmental disorders. The risk was also very significant for autism associated with mental retardation. Conclusion: These results are consistent with the maternal vitamin D insufficiency hypothesis. Neurobiological studies are warranted to document the effect of maternal vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy on the foetal brain and the window of vulnerability. This review stresses the importance of monitoring vitamin D levels in pregnant women, especially those who are immigrant, dark-skinned or veiled, and the urgency of randomized controlled trials.
6. Demurie E, Roeyers H, Baeyens D, Sonuga-Barke E. {{Common alterations in sensitivity to type but not amount of reward in ADHD and autism spectrum disorders}}. {J Child Psychol Psychiatry}. 2011 Jan 11.
Background: Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display abnormalities in reward processing. Most reward studies have focused on the effects of material or monetary rewards. Studies with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have focused on social rewards. In this study we compared the effects of amount and type of reward in children with ADHD and those with ASD. Methods: Two adapted versions of the Monetary Incentive Delay Task were used to study the effects of monetary and social reward anticipation on performance in 40 typically developing (TD) children and adolescents (8-16y), 35 children and adolescents with ADHD and 31 children and adolescents with ASD. Results: Monetary and social reward improved accuracy and response time (RT) in all groups. The higher the anticipated reward, the more accurate and faster were responses. Independent of these effects, there was a differential effect of reward type. Both clinical groups, but not TD, responded faster for monetary than social rewards. Conclusions: The results, while not supporting hyposensitivity to changes in reward amount in ADHD and ASD, do suggest that both groups are generally less motivated in settings where social as opposed to monetary rewards can be earned.
7. Igwe MN, Ahanotu AC, Bakare MO, Achor JU, Igwe C. {{Assessment of knowledge about childhood autism among paediatric and psychiatric nurses in Ebonyi state, Ngeria}}. {Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health}. 2011 Jan 9;5(1):1.
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: There is increasing public and professional awareness of autism spectrum disorders with early recognition, diagnosis and interventions that are known to improve prognosis. Poor knowledge about childhood autism among paediatric and psychiatric nurses who are members of multidisciplinary teams that care for such children may be a major barrier to early interventions that could improve quality of life and prognosis in childhood autism. Factors that influence knowledge about childhood autism among these nurses are not known. This study assessed knowledge about childhood autism among paediatric and psychiatric nurses in Ebonyi state, Nigeria and determined the factors that could be influencing such knowledge. METHODS: Forty specialist paediatric and forty psychiatric nurses, making a total sample of eighty, were randomly selected from all the health care facilities in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. A socio-demographic questionnaire and knowledge about childhood autism among health workers (KCAHW) questionnaire were administered to them and the study was a point survey. RESULTS: The total mean score on the KCAHW questionnaire among the nurses that participated in the study was 12.56 +/- 3.23 out of a total of 19 possible. The mean score for the paediatric nurses was 11.78 +/- 3.64 while psychiatric nurses had mean score of 13.35 +/- 2.58. The mean scores in Domain 1 were 6.17 +/- 1.75 for the paediatric nurses and 6.52 +/- 1.43 for the psychiatric nurses. The mean scores in Domain 2 were 0.65 +/- 0.48 for the paediatric nurses and 0.80 +/- 0.41 for the psychiatric nurses. Domain 3 showed mean scores of 1.97 +/- 1.25 for the paediatric nurses while psychiatric nurses scored 2.62 +/- 1.23. Domain 4 yielded the mean scores of 2.97 +/- 1.54 and 3.42 +/- 0.98 for the paediatric and psychiatric nurses respectively. There was significant relationship between the total mean score on the KCAHW questionnaire for the two groups and the area of specialisation of the nurses (t = -2.23, df = 78, p = 0.03) and there was also significant relationship between previous involvement in managing children with childhood autism as a specialist paediatric or psychiatric nurse and the total mean score on the KCAHW questionnaire (t = 6.90, df = 78, p = 0.00). CONCLUSION: The scores reflect deficits in knowledge about childhood autism among the study cohorts. Paediatric and psychiatric nurses as members of multidisciplinary teams that care for children with childhood autism are expected to provide holistic care and adequate counselling to the families of these children. Unfortunately in this environment, they are not fully equipped with enough knowledge about childhood autism. Education on childhood autism is therefore needed and can be provided through continuing medical education and emphasizing childhood autism in their training curriculum. This will enhance early identification and diagnosis of childhood autism with early interventions that are known to improve prognosis.
8. Matsuishi T, Yamashita Y, Takahashi T, Nagamitsu S. {{Rett syndrome: The state of clinical and basic research, and future perspectives}}. {Brain Dev}. 2011 Jan 11.
To clarify the pathophysiology of brain and spinal cord impairment in Rett syndrome (RTT), we report on the current status of research on Rett syndrome and review the abnormalities reported in neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and other biological markers in patients with RTT. We have previously investigated the levels of various factors in the blood, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of RTT patients, including biogenic amines, lactate, melatonin, pyruvate and other citric acid cycle intermediates, substance P, beta-endorphin and other neuropeptides, and a neuromodulator of beta-phenylethylamine. In addition, we have performed near-infrared spectroscopy of the cerebral cortices in patients with RTT and genetic studies of the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) in these patients. Taken together, the multiple abnormalities we and other authors have revealed in the various neurotransmitters/neuromodulator systems explain the pervasive effects of Rett syndrome. We also discuss the possible role of plasma ghrelin and present the results of our mouse study of the MECP2-null mutation using ES cells. Finally, we consider the potential for future analyses using our recently developed iPS cell system and discuss the future perspectives for the treatment and management of this disease.
