1. Adams HC, Zlomke KR, Rossetti KG. Finding Benefit and Feeling Strain in Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 11)

Female caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often report higher levels of psychological distress related to increased levels of caregiver strain, as well as frequency and severity of child problem behaviors (CPB). However, despite reported distress, caregivers have also reported benefits. A sample of n = 259 female caregivers of children with ASD completed online surveys assessing CPB, caregiver strain, psychological distress, and benefit finding. Results suggest that objective caregiver strain is a significant mediator between CPB and caregiver distress. Benefit finding, however, was not found to be a significant moderator. These findings inform theoretical applications and provide implications for future research in the development of interventions to enhance functioning in female caregivers.

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2. Dawson G, Franz L, Brandsen S. At a Crossroads-Reconsidering the Goals of Autism Early Behavioral Intervention From a Neurodiversity Perspective. JAMA Pediatr;2022 (Jul 11)

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3. Gibbs V, Hudson J, Pellicano E. The Extent and Nature of Autistic People’s Violence Experiences During Adulthood: A Cross-sectional Study of Victimisation. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 11)

This study investigated the extent and nature of violence experiences reported by autistic adults. Autistic (n = 118) and non-autistic (n = 110) adults completed a questionnaire about their experiences of sexual harassment, stalking and harassment, sexual violence and physical violence since the age of 15. Autistic adults reported higher rates of all violence types, multiple forms of violence and repeated instances of the same type of violence. Typical gender differences in the patterns of violence (more physical violence reported by men and more sexual violence reported by women) were apparent in the non-autistic but not the autistic group. Findings add to the limited research in this area and highlight the need to identify risk and protective factors. Policy and practice implications are also discussed.

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4. Jackson SLJ, Abel EA, Reimer S, McPartland JC. Brief Report: A Specialized Fitness Program for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Benefits Physical, Behavioral, and Emotional Outcomes. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 11)

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in less physical activity than typically-developing peers. This can result in serious negative consequences for individual well-being and may contribute to the physical, behavioral, and emotional challenges associated with ASD. This study explored the potential benefits of trainer-led, individualized, physical fitness sessions specialized for ASD. Eleven individuals (ages 7-24 years) with ASD were assessed at baseline and following 15 fitness sessions. Participants demonstrated improvements in core and lower-body strength and reductions in restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, along with non-significant but marked reductions in issues with daytime sleepiness. Results suggest the merit of specialized fitness programs and emphasize the need for larger and more rigorous research studies on this topic.

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5. Kerns CM, Robins DL, Shattuck PT, Newschaffer CJ, Berkowitz SJ. Expert consensus regarding indicators of a traumatic reaction in autistic youth: a Delphi survey. J Child Psychol Psychiatry;2022 (Jul 11)

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that the sequelae of trauma are under-recognized in youth on the autism spectrum. We aimed to generate expert consensus regarding important trauma indicators, including but not limited to traumatic stress symptoms, in autistic youth. METHODS: We recruited 72 experts in autism and/or childhood trauma. Via a 2-round Delphi survey, experts commented on and rated the importance of 48 potential indicators, drawn from PTSD criteria and a broader literature on traumatic sequelae in autism. A revised list of 51 indicators, 18 clinical guidelines developed from expert comments, and summaries of expert qualifications and ratings from Round 1 were submitted to a second round (n = 66; 92% retention) of expert review and rating. RESULTS: Twenty-two indicators reached consensus (>75% round 2 endorsement). Many, but not all, reflected PTSD criteria, including intrusions (e.g., trauma re-enactments in perseverative play/speech), avoidance of trauma-reminders, and negative alterations in mood/cognition (e.g., diminished interest in activities) and in arousal/reactivity (e.g., exaggerated startle). Experts also identified increased reliance on others, adaptive and language regressions, self-injurious behavior, and non-suicidal self-injury as important indicators. Consensus guidelines emphasized the need for tailored measures, developmentally informed criteria, and multiple informants to increase diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Expert consensus emphasizes and informs a need for tailored diagnostic guidelines and measures to more sensitively assess traumatic reactions in autistic youth.

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6. Shaw SCK, Doherty M, McCowan S, Eccles JA. Towards a Neurodiversity-Affirmative Approach for an Over-Represented and Under-Recognised Population: Autistic Adults in Outpatient Psychiatry. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 11)

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7. Siddiqua H, Akter Y, Uddin MN, Kumkum M, Hossain MA, Aziz MA, Ahmed MS, Chowdhury MA, Islam MS, Marzan LW. SHANK3 genetic polymorphism and susceptibility to ASD: evidence from molecular, in silico, and meta-analysis approaches. Mol Biol Rep;2022 (Jul 11)

BACKGROUND: The SHANK3 gene encodes a master synaptic scaffolding protein at the excitatory synapse’s postsynaptic density, which is predominantly responsible for constructing a synapse, maintaining synaptic structure, and functions. Recently, evidence from rare mutations and copy number variation provided an important clue about SHANK3 which acts as a strong candidate gene in the pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate potential allelic variants for the SHANK3 (rs9616915) gene as a genetic risk factor, we performed PCR-RFLP analysis and Sanger sequencing for 90 ASD and 90 healthy subjects. Moreover, to understand the functional and structural impacts of our selected non-synonymous SHANK3 SNP rs9616915, we have performed an in silico analysis. Subsequently, a meta-analysis of rs9616915 with a total of 6 eligible studies (including the present study) containing a total of 795 cases and 12,947 controls was obtained from a comprehensive online database search to evaluate the overall association with ASD. RESULTS: Our retrieved data, such as Pearson’s chi-square test (p = 0.081) as well as logistic regression analysis of co-dominant (p = 0.1131), dominant (p = 0.3656) and recessive models (p = 0.0569) speculated no significant association between rs9616915 and our studied sample. Interestingly, by in silico analysis, we have observed two hydrogen bonds between amino acids instead of one hydrogen bond in the protein structure of rs9616915, which indicates this mutant structure could affect the proteins’ stability. The findings of the meta-analysis revealed that four genetic association models were associated with ASD susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that targeted SHANK3 SNP of interest rs9616915 might not be associated with ASD in the southern part of the Bangladeshi population.

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8. Williams ZJ, Suzman E, Bordman SL, Markfeld JE, Kaiser SM, Dunham KA, Zoltowski AR, Failla MD, Cascio CJ, Woynaroski TG. Characterizing Interoceptive Differences in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Case-control Studies. J Autism Dev Disord;2022 (Jul 11)

Interoception, the body’s perception of its own internal states, is thought to be altered in autism, though results of empirical studies have been inconsistent. The current study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the extant literature comparing interoceptive outcomes between autistic (AUT) and neurotypical (NT) individuals, determining which domains of interoception demonstrate robust between-group differences. A three-level Bayesian meta-analysis compared heartbeat counting performance, heartbeat discrimination performance, heartbeat counting confidence ratings, and self-reported interoceptive attention between AUT and NT groups (15 studies; n(AUT) = 467, n(NT) = 478). Autistic participants showed significantly reduced heartbeat counting performance [g = - 0.333, CrI(95%) (- 0.535, – 0.138)] and higher confidence in their heartbeat counting abilities [g = 0.430, CrI(95%) (0.123, 0.750)], but groups were equivalent on other meta-analyzed outcomes. Implications for future interoception research in autism are discussed.

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9. Chu MC, Wu HF, Lee CW, Chung YJ, Chi H, Chen PS, Lin HC. Generational synaptic functions of GABA(A) receptor β3 subunit deteriorations in an animal model of social deficit. J Biomed Sci;2022 (Jul 11);29(1):51.

BACKGROUND: Disruption of normal brain development is implicated in numerous psychiatric disorders with neurodevelopmental origins, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Widespread abnormalities in brain structure and functions caused by dysregulations of neurodevelopmental processes has been recently shown to exert adverse effects across generations. An imbalance between excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) transmission is the putative hypothesis of ASD pathogenesis, supporting by the specific implications of inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system in autistic individuals and animal models of ASD. However, the contribution of GABAergic system in the neuropathophysiology across generations of ASD is still unknown. Here, we uncover profound alterations in the expression and function of GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)Rs) in the amygdala across generations of the VPA-induced animal model of ASD. METHODS: The F2 generation was produced by mating an F1 VPA-induced male offspring with naïve females after a single injection of VPA on embryonic day (E12.5) in F0. Autism-like behaviors were assessed by animal behavior tests. Expression and functional properties of GABA(A)Rs and related proteins were examined by using western blotting and electrophysiological techniques. RESULTS: Social deficit, repetitive behavior, and emotional comorbidities were demonstrated across two generations of the VPA-induced offspring. Decreased synaptic GABA(A)R and gephyrin levels, and inhibitory transmission were found in the amygdala from two generations of the VPA-induced offspring with greater reductions in the F2 generation. Weaker association of gephyrin with GABA(A)R was shown in the F2 generation than the F1 generation. Moreover, dysregulated NMDA-induced enhancements of gephyrin and GABA(A)R at the synapse in the VPA-induced offspring was worsened in the F2 generation than the F1 generation. Elevated glutamatergic modifications were additionally shown across generations of the VPA-induced offspring without generation difference. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings revealed the E/I synaptic abnormalities in the amygdala from two generations of the VPA-induced offspring with GABAergic deteriorations in the F2 generation, suggesting a potential therapeutic role of the GABAergic system to generational pathophysiology of ASD.

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10. Jiang CC, Lin LS, Long S, Ke XY, Fukunaga K, Lu YM, Han F. Signalling pathways in autism spectrum disorder: mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Signal Transduct Target Ther;2022 (Jul 11);7(1):229.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent and complex neurodevelopmental disorder which has strong genetic basis. Despite the rapidly rising incidence of autism, little is known about its aetiology, risk factors, and disease progression. There are currently neither validated biomarkers for diagnostic screening nor specific medication for autism. Over the last two decades, there have been remarkable advances in genetics, with hundreds of genes identified and validated as being associated with a high risk for autism. The convergence of neuroscience methods is becoming more widely recognized for its significance in elucidating the pathological mechanisms of autism. Efforts have been devoted to exploring the behavioural functions, key pathological mechanisms and potential treatments of autism. Here, as we highlight in this review, emerging evidence shows that signal transduction molecular events are involved in pathological processes such as transcription, translation, synaptic transmission, epigenetics and immunoinflammatory responses. This involvement has important implications for the discovery of precise molecular targets for autism. Moreover, we review recent insights into the mechanisms and clinical implications of signal transduction in autism from molecular, cellular, neural circuit, and neurobehavioural aspects. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives are discussed with regard to novel strategies predicated on the biological features of autism.

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11. Kimura H, Nakatochi M, Aleksic B, Guevara J, Toyama M, Hayashi Y, Kato H, Kushima I, Morikawa M, Ishizuka K, Okada T, Tsurusaki Y, Fujita A, Miyake N, Ogi T, Takata A, Matsumoto N, Buxbaum J, Ozaki N, Sebat J. Exome sequencing analysis of Japanese autism spectrum disorder case-control sample supports an increased burden of synaptic function-related genes. Transl Psychiatry;2022 (Jul 11);12(1):265.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable, complex disorder in which rare variants contribute significantly to disease risk. Although many genes have been associated with ASD, there have been few genetic studies of ASD in the Japanese population. In whole exomes from a Japanese ASD sample of 309 cases and 299 controls, rare variants were associated with ASD within specific neurodevelopmental gene sets, including highly constrained genes, fragile X mental retardation protein target genes, and genes involved in synaptic function, with the strongest enrichment in trans-synaptic signaling (p = 4.4 × 10(-4), Q-value = 0.06). In particular, we strengthen the evidence regarding the role of ABCA13, a synaptic function-related gene, in Japanese ASD. The overall results of this case-control exome study showed that rare variants related to synaptic function are associated with ASD susceptibility in the Japanese population.

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12. Bin Eid W, Lim M, Halstead E, Esposito G, Dimitriou D. A cross-cultural comparison of sleep patterns between typically developing children and children with ASD living in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. Res Dev Disabil;2022 (Jul 7);128:104290.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is crucial for child development, especially for children with ASD. While it is known that children with ASD experience more severe sleep problems and that these problems tend to persist compared to their typically developing counterparts, these findings tend to come from only Western countries. A cross-cultural study is important to understand if the prevailing understanding of sleep in children with ASD can be extended to different cultural backgrounds. AIM: A cross-cultural study is conducted, involving typically developing children and children with ASD aged 5-12 across two countries: Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Using a combination of questionnaires measuring ASD severity (CARS-2), sleep quality (CSHQ), sociodemographic and lifestyle variables and sleep diaries, 244 children were sampled using a mixture of snowball and convenience sampling methods. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Children with ASD experience more sleep problems compared to typically developing children in Saudi Arabia, and these problems similarly persist across time. Specifically, it was found that children with ASD in Saudi Arabia experience greater sleep onset latency and a greater number of night awakenings. Additionally, across the ASD groups, it was found that children from Saudi Arabia generally experienced poorer sleep than children in the United Kingdom in terms of shorter sleep duration, although children in the United Kingdom tended to report more instances of sleep anxiety and parasomnias. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Several reasons such as parental education about sleep hygiene, cultural influences and social hours were put forward as potential explanations for cross-cultural differences. Findings served to emphasise the importance of culturally-appropriate interventions and public education regarding child sleep.

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13. Andersen BP. Autistic-Like Traits and Positive Schizotypy as Diametric Specializations of the Predictive Mind. Perspect Psychol Sci;2022 (Jul 11):17456916221075252.

According to the predictive-processing framework, only prediction errors (rather than all sensory inputs) are processed by an organism’s perceptual system. Prediction errors can be weighted such that errors from more reliable sources will be more influential in updating prior beliefs. It has previously been argued that autism-spectrum conditions can be understood as resulting from a predictive-processing mechanism in which an inflexibly high weight is given to sensory-prediction errors that results in overfitting their predictive models to the world. Deficits in executive functioning, theory of mind, and central coherence are all argued to flow naturally from this core underlying mechanism. The diametric model of autism and psychosis suggests a simple extension of this hypothesis. If people on the autism spectrum give an inflexibly high weight to sensory input, could it be that people with a predisposition to psychosis (i.e., people high in positive schizotypy) give an inflexibly low weight to sensory input? In this article I argue that evidence strongly supports this hypothesis. An inflexibly low weight given to sensory input can explain such disparate features of positive schizotypy as increased exploratory behavior, apophenia, hyper theory of mind, hyperactive imagination, attentional differences, and having idiosyncratic worldviews.

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14. Zhao X, Zhu S, Cao Y, Cheng P, Lin Y, Sun Z, Li Y, Jiang W, Du Y. Regional homogeneity of adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and its association with symptom severity. Brain Behav;2022 (Jul 11):e2693.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies have revealed abnormal regional homogeneity (ReHo) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, there is little consistency across the findings within these studies, partly due to small sample size and great heterogeneity among participants between studies. Additionally, few studies have explored the association between ReHo aberrance and clinical symptoms in individuals with ASD. METHODS: Forty-eight adolescents with high-functioning ASD and 63 group-matched typically developing (TD) controls received functional magnetic resonance imaging at rest. Group-level analysis was performed to detect differences in ReHo between ASD and TD. Evaluation of symptom severity in individuals with ASD was based on the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Voxel-wise correlation analysis was undergone to examine the correlations between the symptom severity and ReHo map in individuals with ASD within brain areas with ReHo abnormalities. RESULTS: Compared with the TD controls, individuals with ASD exhibited increased ReHo in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, left caudate, right posterior cerebellum (cerebellar tonsil), and bilateral brainstem and decreased ReHo in the left precentral gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, bilateral postcentral gyrus, and right anterior cerebellum (culmen). The correlation analysis indicated that the ReHo value in the brainstem was negatively associated with the ABC total scores and the scores of Relating factor, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that widespread ReHo abnormalities occurred in ASD, shedding light on the underlying neurobiology of pathogenesis and symptomatology of ASD.

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