1. Ahmedani BK, Hock RM. {{Health care access and treatment for children with co-morbid autism and psychiatric conditions}}. {Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol};2012 (Feb 10)
PURPOSE: To characterize the rate of comorbid psychiatric conditions (CPC) among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), to examine their treatment utilization, and to investigate treatment delay or non-delivery. METHODS: Lifetime ASD and CPC in children, aged 2-17, were investigated using data from the 2007-2008 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). The NSCH surveyed parents and guardians regarding the health and well being, including treatment, of their child(ren) under age 18 (n = 91,642). Children with health conditions were defined by parent report that a doctor or other health professional had ever said their child had that condition. Factors related to overall health, treatment utilization, and barriers to access variables were investigated among this group. RESULTS: Children with ASD/CPC had poorer overall health outcomes than children with ASD alone. They more often were dissatisfied with their between-provider communication and less often had insurance cover needed services. Nonetheless, they did tend to use care coordination and mental health services to a greater degree. Families were more likely to report the delay or non-receipt of needed services when they perceived a lack of communication and partnership with providers, when they lacked insurance coverage, and when they felt that health care costs were unreasonable. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a CPC seems to shape the treatment utilization and health outcomes of children with ASD. Because of this, health professionals working with children with autism should give special attention to treatment of those with comorbid diagnoses.
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2. Crane L, Pring L, Jukes K, Goddard L. {{Patterns of Autobiographical Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2012 (Feb 10)
Two studies are presented that explored the effects of experimental manipulations on the quality and accessibility of autobiographical memories in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), relative to a typical comparison group matched for age, gender and IQ. Both studies found that the adults with ASD generated fewer specific memories than the comparison group, and took significantly longer to do so. Despite this, experimental manipulations affected two indices of autobiographical memory (specificity and retrieval latency) similarly in both groups. These results suggest that adults with ASD experience a quantitative reduction in the speed and specificity of autobiographical memory retrieval, but that when they do retrieve these memories, they do so in a way that is qualitatively similar to that of typical adults.
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3. Kirchner JC, Schmitz F, Dziobek I. {{Brief Report: Stereotypes in Autism Revisited}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2012 (Feb 10)
Autism involves core impairments in social cognition. Given that social learning underlies the acquisition of stereotypes, it was hypothesized that use of stereotypes would be reduced in autism. Contrary to this prediction, previous studies found the same use of stereotypes in autistic individuals as in controls. Measurement of stereotypes, however, can be biased by effects of social desirability, which previous studies did not account for. In the current study we therefore employed an implicit approach, using the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which assesses more automatic components of stereotypes, in nineteen individuals with autism and nineteen controls. The data suggest that while both groups do show the use of stereotypes to some extent, autistic individuals have less stereotypical attitudes against the investigated minority.
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4. Rout UK, Mungan NK, Dhossche DM. {{Presence of GAD65 autoantibodies in the serum of children with autism or ADHD}}. {Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry};2012 (Feb 10)
Antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) have been detected in the serum of patients with several neurological disorders. The presence of antibodies against GAD65 has not yet been examined in the serum of patients with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, GAD65 antibodies and total IgG were assayed in the serum of normal subjects and patients diagnosed with autism or ADHD. GAD65 antibodies were detected in the serum of 15% of children with autism (N = 20), 27% of children with ADHD (N = 15) and of none of the controls (N = 14). The serum of 60% of autistic and 53% of ADHD patients reacted with Purkinje neurons in mouse cerebellum. Serum from 20% of ADHD patients reacted also with the cells in the molecular and granule cell layers and cells in the vicinity of the Purkinje neurons. No association was found between the titer of GAD65 antibodies and total IgG levels, and presence of seizures or mental retardation. None of the ADHD patients were diagnosed with mental retardation. Serum anti-GAD65 antibodies may be a common marker of subgroups of patients with autism and ADHD. Reactions of serum antibodies with the cells in the cerebellum in these patients suggest direct effects on brain function. The subgroup of children with autism and ADHD that tests positive for GAD65 antibodies needs further characterization in a larger study.
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5. Sandhya T, Sowjanya J, Veeresh B. {{Bacopa monniera (L.) Wettst Ameliorates Behavioral Alterations and Oxidative Markers in Sodium Valproate Induced Autism in Rats}}. {Neurochem Res};2012 (Feb 10)
Early prenatal or post natal exposure to environmental insults such as valproic acid (VPA), thalidomide and ethanol could induce behavioral alterations similar to autistic symptoms. Bacopa monniera, a renowned plant in ayurvedic medicine is useful in several neurological disorders. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of B. monniera on VPA induced autism. On 12.5 day of gestation the female pregnant rats were divided into control and VPA treated groups. They were administered saline/VPA (600 mg/kg, i.p.) respectively and allowed to raise their own litters. Group I-male pups of saline treated mothers. On postnatal day (PND) 21 VPA induced autistic male pups were divided into two groups (n = 6); Group II-received saline and Group III-received B. monniera (300 mg/kg/p.o.) from PND 21-35. Behavioral tests (nociception, locomotor activity, exploratory activity, anxiety and social behavior) were performed in both adolescence (PND 30-40) and adulthood (PND 90-110) period. At the end of behavioral testing animals were sacrificed, brain was isolated for biochemical estimations (serotonin, glutathione, catalase and nitric oxide) and histopathological examination. Induction of autism significantly affected normal behavior, increased oxidative stress and serotonin level, altered histoarchitecture of cerebellum (decreased number of purkinje cells, neuronal degeneration and chromatolysis) when compared with normal control group. Treatment with B. monniera significantly (p < 0.05) improved behavioral alterations, decreased oxidative stress markers and restored histoarchitecture of cerebellum. In conclusion, the present study suggests that B. monniera ameliorates the autistic symptoms possibly due to its anti-anxiety, antioxidant and neuro-protective activity.
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6. Strauss LV. {{Comparing a narcissistic and an autistic retreat: ‘Looking through or at the window’}}. {Int J Psychoanal};2012 (Feb);93(1):97-116.
In this paper I discuss two different forms of psychic retreats that I encountered in the treatment of a patient who suffered from two traumatic experiences: the loss of his mother when he was 2 years old and his ‘near-death’ experience when he was five. In the parasitic narcissistic retreat, using intensive projective identification enabled him to create an impasse in the form of a ‘high tide – low tide’ scenario in which alternating hope and disappointment kept the process going, yet paralyzed development. The autistic retreat, for its part, led to the collapse of projective identification mechanisms, dismantling and disrupting the transference/countertransference negotiations. The emerging state of non-communication and ‘near death’ seemed to act as a protection against the unbearable pain of abandonment and desolation.
